Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Few hotels in the world are as easily recognized or as much loved as the 'The Del.' The
world's largest resort when it was built in 1888, the all-timber, whitewashed main building
offers conical towers, cupolas, turrets, balconies and dormer windows, but its biggest fame
came as the backdrop to the 1959 Marilyn Monroe classic
Some Like It Hot
. Acres of pol-
ished wood give the interior a warm feel that conjures up daydreams of Panama hats and
linen suits.
Point Loma
On maps Point Loma looks like an elephant's trunk guarding the entrance to San Diego
Bay. Highlights are the Cabrillo National Monument (at the end of the trunk), the shopping
and dining of
Liberty Station
(at its base) and harborside seafood meals.
Cabrillo National Monument
MONUMENT
walk-in $5/3, good for 7 days; 9am-5pm; )
Atop a steep hill at the tip of the peninsula, this is San Diego's finest locale for history,
views and nature walks. It's also the best place in town to see the gray-whale migration
(January to March) from land.
The
visitors center
has a comprehensive, old-school presentation on Portuguese ex-
plorer Juan RodrÃguez Cabrillo's 1542 voyage up the California coast, plus exhibits on nat-
ive inhabitants and the area's natural history.
Ocean Beach
San Diego's most bohemian seaside community is a place of seriously scruffy haircuts, fa-
cial hair and body art. You can get tattooed, shop for antiques and walk into a restaurant
barefoot and shirtless without anyone batting an eye. Newport Ave, the main drag, is a
compact business district of bars, surf shops, music stores, used-clothing stores and an-
tiques consignment stores.
