San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter is one of the brightest stars in the city’s stunning transformation from sleepy province to international hot spot. That’s a far cry from the 1880s, when "Stingaree" was a dangerous red light district.
"It was said that one could be stung worse on the streets of the district than by all the sting rays and jelly fish in San Diego harbor," says Melissa Trew, executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation.
Fun has replaced fear in the Gaslamp, where more than 90 historic buildings now house an electric mix of shops, restaurants and nightclubs.
"There are few places in America where so much can be covered by so few footsteps," Trew says.
The California of yesteryear is also within easy reach at the following popular stops:
- Sacramento’s California State Railroad Museum (www.csrmf.org) is the mainline to the state’s illustrious rail-linked past, where group departures include roundhouse gatherings and steam-powered excursions.
- Newport Beach’s Victorian-era Balboa Pavilion (www.balboapavilion.com) nowadays is home to the event-ready Harborside Restaurant & Grand Ballroom.
- The U.S. Navy’s celebrated aircraft carrier USS Midway (www.midway.org) today serves as a waterfront museum on San Diego Bay and popular landing zone for large gatherings.
- One of California’s most fabled attractions is San Simeon’s Hearst Castle (www.hearst-castle.org). Special events require an accompanying tour, but from the Venetian glass-lined Roman pool to the 115-room Main House, "America’s Castle" is a must-see.