AUA 2013: San Diego Awaits 2013 AUA Annual Meeting

San Diego is hosting the AUA annual meeting this year, May 4-8. This Southern California city offers a great climate in which to enjoy the outdoors while also attending the year’s preeminent urology meeting.
San Diego is home to more than 100 culturally diverse neighborhoods, such as Little Italy, Hillcrest, La Jolla, and the Gaslamp Quarter, that offer unique cuisine, shops, and entertainment venues.

With 70 miles of coastline, the area offers many recreational options, such as surfing, snorkeling, sailing, or kayaking. Head across the bay from downtown San Diego to Coronado peninsula and visit a beach that The Travel Channel dubbed one of “America’s Top 10 Beaches.”

Coronado Central Beach stretches 1.5 miles behind beautiful houses along Ocean Boulevard in front of the Hotel Del Coronado, a national landmark resort with a marina. Swimmers, bodysurfers, boogie boarders, sand sculptors, and tide poolers will find plenty to do. North Beach attracts surfers in the morning, and at the extreme north is Dog Beach, where canines can play in the surf without a leash.

This town is small enough for visitors to walk almost anywhere. There are relatively flat paths for cyclists and skaters and miles of bike routes along city streets. Specialty shops and restaurants can be found at the Ferry Landing Marketplace.

You can reach Coronado in 15 minutes by ferry, or you can drive across the Coronado Bridge. The Coronado Visitor Center can be found at 1100 Orange Ave. (619-437-8788).

Another favorite San Diego attraction is Balboa Park, the nation’s largest urban cultural park, with 1,200 public acres, located north of the central business district.
Highlights include nearly 200 varieties of roses in the Inez Rose Parker Memorial Rose Garden, the Spanish-inspired Alcazar Garden, the Japanese Friendship Garden, the desert garden, and the Botanical Building. Admission to the park is free.

Museums, Balboa Park
There also are many museums in the park, and Balboa Park sells passport passes that provide admission to 14 of them. You can choose the 7-day Passport ($49 for adults, $27 for children) or an upgraded Passport with San Diego Zoo admission ($85 for adults, $49 for children). A Stay-for-the-Day pass is good for admission to any five of the 14 participating attractions (zoo not included) on one day ($39). Passes can be bought online or at the park visitors center. Some sites are not open every day and some charge additional fees for special exhibits. Call 619-239-0512 for information on days and times.

The pass includes entrance to:

San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado (619-232-7931; www.sdmart.org), which has collections of Italian Renaissance, Dutch, and Spanish Baroque Old Masters, as well as American, Modern, and Asian art.

San Diego Air and Space Museum, 2001 Pan American Plaza (619-234-8291; www.sandiegoairandspace.org), which contains more than 80 aircraft and spacecraft.

San Diego Automotive Museum, 2080 Pan American Plaza (619-231-2886; www.sdautomuseum.org), displaying rare and exotic cars and motorcycles.

San Diego History Center, 1649 El Prado (619-232-6203; www.sandiegohistory.org), which chronicles the history of the region and its growth since the 1840s.

San Diego Art Institute: Museum of the Living Artist, 1439 El Prado (619-236-0011; www.sandiego-art.org), offers exhibitions of contemporary visual arts of the Southern California/Baja region.

San Diego Natural History Museum, 1788 El Prado (619-232-3821; www.sdnhm.org), displays flora, fauna, and mineralogy of the southwestern United States and Baja California.

San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum, 2131 Pan American Plaza (619-234-2544; www.sdhoc.com), is a multi-sports museum that showcases 40 sports, hosts an athlete’s Hall of Fame devoted to hometown heroes, and has an archive that kids can touch of sports equipment used by famous players.

San Diego Museum of Man, 1350 El Prado (619-239-2001; www.museumofman.org), is devoted to anthropology, arts, culture, and scientific achievements of Native Americans, the Maya, ancient Egypt, and early humans.

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado (619-238-1233; www.rhfleet.org), has an IMAX Dome theater featuring film and planetarium shows. There also are more than 100 interactive science exhibits.

The Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado (619-239-0003; www.mingei.org), offers dynamic, changing exhibits of traditional and contemporary folk arts, crafts, and design.

The Museum of Photographic Arts, 1649 El Prado (619-238-7559; www.mopa.org), is dedicated solely to photographic and film arts. In addition to displaying major exhibitions, the museum offers various lectures and workshops.

The Japanese Friendship Garden, 2215 Pan American Road East (619-232-2721; www.niwa.org), features a koi (carp) pond, Zen Garden, an exhibit house, bonsai exhibit, a 60-foot long Fujidana (wisteria arbor), and strolling paths.

Veterans Museum & Memorial Center, 2115 Park Blvd. (619-239-2300; www.veteranmuseum.org), preserves the memory of men and women of the Armed Forces, Coast Guard, and Wartime Merchant Marine. The collection contains artifacts, documents, photographs, and artwork from the Civil War to the present.

Family excursions
The famous San Diego Zoo (619-231-1515; www.sandiegozoo.org) also is in Balboa Park. It is home to more than 4,000 rare and endangered animals representing more than 800 species and subspecies. Guests may view rare giant pandas, cuddly-looking koalas, reptiles of various shapes and sizes, and more.

For a wilder adventure, head to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido (760-747-8702; www.sdzsafaripark.org). Visit the Lion Camp, the Condor Ridge, the Heart of Africa, Elephant Overlook, the Hidden Jungle, Lorikeet Landing, and Nairobi Village.

SeaWorld San Diego, I-5 Exit SeaWorld (800-25-SHAMU; www.seaworldparks.com/seaworld-sandiego), is home to the famous killer whale Shamu. Highlights include Rocky Point Preserve, where bottlenose dolphins and California sea otters wow the crowds; Shark Encounter, showcasing hundreds of sharks; and Wild Arctic, exploring animals that live in frigid temperatures.

LEGOLAND California, in Carlsbad (760-918-5346; www.legoland.com), is a 128-acre playground that offers more than 60 rides and attractions, as well as many opportunities to build.

The USS Midway Museum in downtown San Diego (910 North Harbor Dr., www.midway.org) allows visitors to experience life at sea aboard one of America’s longest-serving aircraft carriers.

Golf
Golf enthusiasts will have no trouble finding a course to play because San Diego has more than 90 courses in diverse settings, from mountains to desert or ocean. In fact, Golf Digest has named San Diego one of the top 50 golf destinations in the world.

Desert golf courses are typical in East County, whereas tree-lined and links-style golf courses in San Diego are predominantly closer to the coast. Coronado Golf Course and Torrey Pines Golf Course border the Pacific Ocean, and offer astounding views with a sea breeze.
San Diego golf courses carved along canyons are characterized by dramatic changes in elevation, and the daily variations of the wind make club selection and playability even more difficult.

Shopping
For downtown shopping, visit Westfield Horton Plaza, 324 Horton Plaza (619-239-8180). Browse through Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Louis Vuitton, as well as 130 other specialty stores.

For waterfront shopping, head to Seaport Village, West Harbor Drive at Pacific Coast Highway (619-235-4014), to explore more than 50 shops and galleries at the 14-acre site. It features 17 eateries, an 1890s carousel, and outdoor entertainment.

If you are in La Jolla, cruise along Prospect Street, famous for its upscale boutiques offering designer clothing, jewelry, fine art, and antiques. It’s called the “Rodeo Drive” of San Diego.

Outlet shopping can be found in Carlsbad, at Carlsbad Company Stores (760-804-9000). It features more than 90 name-brand outlets.UT