Things to do in San Diego

[cth350]

I'm flying to San Diego next Thursday to visit the two cars I purchased last month and hopefully arrange to get at least one home.

Any suggestions for things to do out there, other than...

- Visit Bob Gunthorp at Onager's
- Tear apart one of the cars, if it isn't worth the 800$ to ship it home.
- Visit a very good sushi joint recommended by Sean Moe.
- Get my feet wet in the Pacific.

I've got until Sunday night. Thanks to Frequent Flyer miles, the tickets cost 10$ and the rental pickup truck is going to be 80$ for the 3.5 days.

If I'm very luck (and very crazy), I could drive one of the cars home, but I doubt it. One's a 67 300sel (an M189 motor!), and the other is a 71 300sel 3.5, with 4-speed stick shift.

-CTH

[Ken300D]

A very cost-effective thing that is unique and enjoyable for us East Coasters to do is watch the sun set into the ocean from Sunset Cliffs on Point Loma.

There's also a lighthouse on Point Loma that is supposed to sport good views - but you have to PAY something to get in!

While driving around the Point I priced a nice house higher up on the ocean side cliffs that had a really nice view - $600,000 - in the 1993 timeframe. I'm told now that 10 years later this would probably go for $2.4M. Nice return on real estate!

Ken300D

[MikeTangas]

If time allows, Sea World or the San Diego Zoo or even the Wild Animal Park near Escondido. Being a Gulf Coast kid the Pacific is way too cold for my feet, but your free to enjoy it. The lighthouse Ken speaks of is the lighthouse at the Cabrillo National Monument, nice drive through the National Cemetary, might even be some views of the Nukie base (can't remember for sure though). Used to be one could go up by Miramar NAS and watch the Tomcats come screaming in from Top Gun training, now the daily free air show consists of USMC F-18's.

If I wasn't heading out of town for a couple weeks, I'd of been glad to come down and help you disassemble one of the cars, or at least get to meet you face to face.

Enjoy your trip.

[omegabenz]

I lived there about 5 years ago, mostly while I was a kid. My favorite benz dealer is the Escondido Motors Limited ontop of the hill. I have a friend that works there. Last time I was there they were doing some serious remodeling. I bet its done now.

I remember when I was a kid we would go on fieldtrips to sea world, the san diego zoo, and the wild animal park, but to me back then I thought it was a free day off, and I would just have to fill in some work sheets. I wish I took some time to look more carefully while It was free because now its more expensive. There is a wealth of information to be learned. I like the safari ride thing at the wild animal park.

I would recommend going to the beach. I dont know when the season is, I think it passed, but there is something called the red tide where these microorganisms are in the water and they emit light. I watched that from torrey pines one year. I like del mar, and the beaches in del mar. There is a resturant called Jake's and Posiden (I dont know how to spell it) that are on the beach, they put lights out to the ocean at night. Its really nice. The water is probably kinda cold, but just go in. I miss the beach a lot since I moved.

I like to go to seaport village which is down town by grape street. I dont know the streets down there very well, but if you drive around down in that area by the air port you can see bentleys and AMG mercedes everywhere, same with La Jolla. You can go to the private school in point loma and look at their baseball field, if you hit a homerun it goes into the ocean. It's pretty cool.

I think that Horton Plaza is probably the best mall there if you are into walking around looking at various stores, if you want to see very fine ladies, I would recommend UTC (university towne square) which is on la jolla village drive which is also mirimar way if you are on the other side of the freeway. Get off I5 turn toward the ocea on la jolla village drive you will find it. I saw a Z8 there one day, and an S55 AMG.

If you drive on 56 at night, sometimes you will run into some extremely dense fog. So be careful. I was driving pretty fast, and I came up on some serious fog, I was glad no one hit me.

Where are the cars you want to look at?

[cth350]

Thanks for the excellent suggestions.

- The sunset is a definite. I've got Thursday, Friday and Saturday night to enjoy it. On Sunday, I'll see it from the air.
- My dad was at Grumman data systems. The tomcats have plenty of his software in their computers. I've seen and touched those planes on and off for 30 years. I'd drive well out of the way to see them again. But F18s ? oh, why not. It sure beats the F-15s I see here around NYC.
- The only way I can kill a day at the zoo, is if both cars are sooo good, that I ship them both home to NY.

The cars ?

One is a 1967 300sel, the kind with the M189 motor, that has an electric sunroof and a factory velour interior. In parts it's worth about 2 grand. Whole, it's worth keeping if it is water tight down below.

The other car is a 1971 300sel 3.5 with a 4-speed manny tranny. It's paint is aweful. It's rear airsuspension leaks badly. The original interior was pulled out and another one thrown in. I bought it for the motor & tranny, but again, I have to evaluate the body before deciding to tear it up.

-CTH