Local Travelling without a car

Not having a car and having a full seabag is fun way to travel in California.
Staying at sleazy hotels, traveling via city, greyhound/interstate bus and train.

Places I recommend, start in San Diego. Stay up in Hillcrest (Downtown is too expensive and not as safe and quite as Hillcrest).
In Hillcrest and North Park are worth visiting. Lots of good coffee haus', restaurants, bars and novelity shops.
In San Diego.. Best Coffee haus would be the Living Room on University.
Best bar is Jimmy Loves (Gaslamp district, dress up!), "The Bitter End" in the Gaslamp, they have a dress code, wear a suit.


In San Diego, downtown. What I enjoyed doing was lots of urban exploring. meeting people that have been there for decades, and family have been there for decades.

Balboa park... What I recommend is explore! Explore! Explore!! I have been in San Diego for 10 years, and I took me about 6 weekends to explore about 85% of it. I have been in all the backwoods and back trails.
Off the beaten path you'll find stuff like underwear, I found a stereo that has been there for a few years, old beer cans and bottles. etc

SeaPort Village... Lots of vendors trying to sell you ugly t-shirts. cool stuff to look at. Like "Star of India", and Naval statues and the USS Midway. They line is always long.

Bankers Hill - Nothing.. It's the Suburbs, there is two coffee haus and a family owned convience store..

Little Italy - Good Coffee haus' and Gelato!

Old Town - (Washington St) a really good Mexican restaurant next to a cool club call "Club Dynomite"

Old Town (Near the trolley stop) - One big tourist trap! Go there early and by trolley to aviod the tourists, if you are going there to learn something about California missions.

Cabrillo Park (Right next to Old Town) - The Witches Tower. There is a Big pentagram in the center of it. The park is rumored to be haunted by several spirits. But that isn't the concern so much as the homeless people that hide in the bushes.

Mission Valley Center/Hazard Center - The only two good book stores in San Diego are there. It's a Barnes and Noble and a Borders Book store.

Chula Vista - The points of interest is the Mall, the Salt Factory, and the Pier.

Come see for yourself leave your car behind.

sounds like quite an adventure you had there, while I can do without the car, the sleazy motels is big no no for me.