You know that feeling when you arrive at your beachfront hotel in Hawaii, Florida or the Caribbean?

Visitors and locals alike have long been drawn to the San Diego waterfront, but now there soon will be another reason to go: major improvements that will make the waterfront look like a bayside theme park.
Don t look for thrill rides unless maybe you want to rent a speed boat or jet skis but rather think of the new improvements as adding to what already is an extensive waterfront playground. Seaport Village hertz rent a car fort lauderdale already gives visitors a fun collection of shops and restaurants with panoramic views of the bay. Now a new 105-foot wide esplanade will adorn the waterfront and will feature hertz rent a car fort lauderdale plazas, gardens, shade pavilions and a promenade perfect for strolling, jogging or cycling along the waterfront.
It s called the North Embarcadero Visionary hertz rent a car fort lauderdale Plan and its set for completion in the fall of 2013. Additionally the Old San Diego Police Station, hertz rent a car fort lauderdale located in the same general waterfront hertz rent a car fort lauderdale area, will be transformed into a new multi-purpose shopping center. Vacant for the past 25 years, the Old Police Station hertz rent a car fort lauderdale will have restaurants, specialty retail stores, public markets and entertainment facilities all while maintaining its unique Spanish architecture.
Of course there is no need to wait until these projects are completed to visit the San Diego waterfront. On a recent visit we were reminded of just how fun it is to spend time down on the water, enjoying what is really an ideal place to play tourist for a day or a weekend. Even though we live close to San Diego, a trip to the San Diego waterfront is like getting on a plane and visiting someplace that takes your mind completely off work or anything else that may be consuming your thoughts.
It helps if you plan to spend a night or two at one of the waterfront hotels in San Diego, and there are many good ones that provide easy access to the waterfront. On this particular trip we stayed at the Embassy Suites San Diego Bay, a well-designed hotel located across the street from the Old San Diego Police Station and just between two popular attractions, Seaport Village and the USS Midway.
You know that feeling when you arrive at your beachfront hotel in Hawaii, Florida or the Caribbean? There s that rush of excitement that comes when you see the water and all the vacationers exploring the nearby attractions, the sun s warm glow making it ever-so-urgent that you jump out of your traveling attire and into a bathing suit or swimming pool. Arriving at the Embassy Suites San Diego we felt that same excitement. We always do when visiting the San Diego waterfront it s that kind of place.
Most of the suites at the Embassy Suites San Diego have been recently updated with new color schemes, furniture flat-screen TV s and other conveniences. We ve always had a good experience at Embassy Suites, probably because we like the extra room that comes with a suite and, in this case, because it was ideal for our family of two adults hertz rent a car fort lauderdale and two kids.
When you re traveling with kids, it s also important to save money on meals whenever you can and a huge advantage hertz rent a car fort lauderdale of the Embassy Suites is the hot breakfast served each morning hertz rent a car fort lauderdale including cooked-to-order omelets and the snacks and refreshments served in the late afternoon. These are all included in your room price and many adults will want to know that the alcoholic beverages are also included at no charge even quality brands of liquor.
This Embassy Suites has the rooms on four sides of the building while, in the middle, is a 12-story atrium with plants, walkways and seating areas throughout the ground floor of the atrium. Glass elevators shuttle passengers to their respective floors. When guests converge for the buffet-style hot breakfast, the atmosphere almost resembles what you find on a cruise liner as guests assemble for a lunch or midnight buffet.
The views from the Embassy Suites are spectacular our 11th floor suite gave us an incredible view of the San Diego waterfront, Seaport Village and the nearby USS Midway. The kids didn t spend much time looking at the views, though they couldn t wait to swim in the hotel s impressive indoor pool. Near the pool are state-of-the-art exercise facilities for Mom and Dad.
Close to Embassy Suites and other waterfront hotels such as the Manchester Hyatt and San Diego Marriott is Seaport Village, which we think captures the spirit of San Diego perfectly. This waterfront shopping area is 14 acres altogether with numerous restaurants and more than 50 one-of-a-kind shops.
For those husbands who might not be inclined to spend much time in a shopping complex, rest assured that Seaport Village is much more than that. The main walkway through Seaport Village follows the water and offers plenty hertz rent a car fort lauderdale of sights to keep things interesting. On any given day you might see luxurious pleasure yachts hertz rent a car fort lauderdale trolling the bayfront, or you can often see a mammoth Navy vessel entering or leaving the bay. Kayakers and small pleasure craft ply these waters while you can see every type of boat from the tiny Coronado taxi to America hertz rent a car fort lauderdale s Cup racing boats. On occasion we ve seen historic tall-masted sailing hertz rent a car fort lauderdale ships staging a re-creation of a battle at sea.
Seaport Village is an excellent vantage point for anything you want to observe on the bay, but it also has its own entertainment such as live bands on Sundays and an assortment of street musicians, magicians and artists all vying for attention on what is usually hertz rent a car fort lauderdale a gorgeous sunny San Diego day. Altogether there are four miles of meandering cobblestone pathways at Seaport Village and hours of exploration ahead of you, depending on just how much you want to see.
It s a short walk north along the waterfront to the USS Midway, a must-see for anyone visiting San Diego for the first time. This is Nirvana for military and aviation buffs, but it s also a fascinating experience for anyone who wonders what it s like on a real aircraft carrier. The ship allows access to nearly all areas and on the flight deck are dozens of vintage aircraft of various shapes and sizes. Docents are on board to explain how everything worked on the Midway and usually they have quite a story to tell because they were actually sailors or aviators on the ship when it was on active duty.
Cary Ordway is a syndicated travel writer and president of Getaway Media Corp, which publishes CaliforniaWeekend.com , covering California travel and NorthwestTravelAdvisor.com , covering northwest vacation hertz rent a car fort lauderdale ideas.