Relatively free from smog and byzantine freeways, SAN DIEGO , set around a gracefully curving bay, represents the acceptable face of southern California. The second biggest city in California may be affluent and conservative, but it's also easygoing and far from smug. Although it was the site of the first mission in California, the city only really took off with the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in the 1880s, and in terms of trade and significance it has long been in the shadow of Los Angeles. However, during World War II the US Navy made San Diego its Pacific Command Center, and the military continues to dominate the local economy, along with tourism.
With its mix of laid-back libertarians and military-minded conservatives (drawn from its adjacent naval base), San Diego embodies both work-hard and play-hard lifestyles. With an easily navigable central area, scenic bay, 42 miles of beaches and plentiful parks and museums, the city is hard not to like from the moment you arrive
