USA Guide
California
San Diego Zoo
Immediately north of the main museums, the enormous San Diego Zoo is one of the world's most renowned, with hundreds of different species, among them rare Chinese pheasants, Mhorr gazelles, and a freakish two-headed corn snake. It's an enormous place, and you can easily spend a full day here, soaking in the major sections devoted to the likes of chimps and gorillas, sun and polar bears, lizards and lions, and habitats such as the rainforest. Regular admission only covers entry to the main zoo and the children's zoo; to add a 35-minute bus tour and a round-trip ticket on the Skyfari aerial tram, you'll need the $34 package (kids $24). A $60 ticket (kids $43) also admits you to the San Diego Wild Animal Park near Escondido (daily 9am–4pm, summer closes 8pm; $28.50, $17.50 kids), a two-thousand-acre preserve for big cats, rhinos, giraffes, and the like, which roam about outside your car's windows.
On the border of Balboa Park, Hillcrest is a lively and artsy area at the center of the city's gay community – about as close as San Diego gets to having a bohemian air. Go there either for something to eat – there's a selection of interesting cafés and restaurants around University and Fifth streets – or simply to stroll around the fine gathering of Victorian homes.
Opening time: Daily mid-June to early Sept 9am–8pm; early Sept to mid-June 9am–4pm
Price: $24.50, kids $16.50
Website: www.sandiegozoo.org