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118 2 0 1 5 T R A V E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A Balboa Park Balboa Park, the city's cultural heart, covers 1,200 acres on hills and canyons just east of downtown and is home to the justifiably renowned San Diego Zoo, more than a dozen museums and The Old Globe, winner of multiple Tony awards. The park turns 100 in 2015, and celebration of its centennial will last all year long with countless cultural events. Gourmet restau- rants and gorgeous Victorian mansions line quiet streets in nearby neighborhoods including Bankers Hill, Hillcrest and Mis- sion Hills. Beach Towns, Golf & a Safari Park Beach towns line the coastline from the border with Mexico (18 miles south of downtown) to Oceanside. Each town has its unique character, from Ocean Beach's hippie holdover vibe to classy La Jolla's Mediterranean village sensibility. Beloved by surfers and escapists (who can afford staggering housing prices), a series of small communities line the coast north of La Jolla's Torrey Pines State Park. Dozens of cities and communities dot the canyons and mesas between the coast and a series of mountain ridges to the east. Amid the residential neighborhoods, including some of the nation's wealthiest enclaves, are championship golf courses, polo fields, wineries, breweries, casinos and the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park. The Laguna and Cuyamaca mountains and Cleveland National Forest rise above these inland attractions, and beyond the peaks, highways descend to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, still within San Diego County's boundaries. City & Town Thanks to prescient developers and deter- mined preservationists, downtown San BOTANICAL BUILDING with the lily pond and lagoon at Balboa Park in San Diego, right; La Jolla Cove at sunset, below. DANCESTROKES/SHUTTERSTOCK ; LEONARD ZHUKOVSKY/SHUTTERSTOCK INSIDER'S TIP ยป San Diego has become one of the nation's TOP CRAFT BEER CITIES with more than 90 breweries. The kudos keep piling up for truly stellar beers, awarded 11 medals at the 2014 WORLD BEER CUP. Naturally, locals take full advantage of this bounty. Beer bars are omnipresent, and restaurants brag about the number of brews they feature on tap. Restaurants create tasting menus matching suds with gourmet dishes, and publications regularly feature the beer of the week or month. Every November, the SAN DIEGO BREWERS GUILD presents SAN DIEGO BEER WEEK, a 10-day celebration. Festivities include a BREWERS GUILD FESTIVAL featuring 50 local brew houses, beer gardens (of course), a beer university and enough tastings to keep suds lovers buzzing along. Several companies offer brewery tours year round, and restaurants, bars, and breweries present a calendar full of special events. sandiegobrewersguild.org