See you in SAN DIEGO! - International Conference of Photography

PSA Journal, Feb, 2001 by Carole L. Hagaman

The 63rd International Conference of Photography

Not all pandas are made in China. Hua Mei is one of the few giant pandas ever born outside of China. She is just one of the new faces you'll see when you come to the San Diego Zoo. Plan now to visit the zoo while attending the Photographic Society of America's 63rd Annual International Conference of Photography at the Town and Country Resort Hotel in San Diego, California, from Monday, August 27 to Sunday, September 2, 2001. In addition to high quality programs and workshops offered at the Conference, sightseeing tours of many attractions are planned.

There's more action and excitement in San Diego than most can handle. Mexico is just minutes from downtown San Diego, yet it's a world of difference. Tijuana offers some of the best values for your money with shopping in the plaza. When you're in the mood for surprises, you're ready for a San Diego visit. California's second-largest city and America's seventh-largest has a regional population exceeding 2.5 million. San Diego is well-known for its beaches, waterfront, and dependable year-round sunshine, as well as the world-famous San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, Sea World, and other attractions such as LEGOLAND, California. But the county encompasses much more in its 4,200 square miles, 18 incorporated cities, and other towns and neighborhoods.

In the eastern part of the county, the terrain varies from gentle foothills to mile-high mountains and back to living desert, offering nature-conscious visitors endless opportunities to observe wildlife. To the north, the land produces quantities of flowers as well as quality grapes that become excellent wines. The 70 miles of coastline that form the western border support not only recreation, such as surfing and swimming, but also important scientific research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. It is critical habitat for a number of creatures, including California gray whales and hundreds of species of birds that depend on coastal wetlands during their migration. To the south is a whole different country --Mexico --with its own cultural offerings. You can fill your day and your nights too, with art-museums, galleries, theatre, dance, music! Come to San Diego to get some fun out of life, no matter what kind of fun you enjoy!

If you come by car, take the 59-mile scenic drive from downtown to La Jolla and back. It is an excellent introduction to the central coastal portion of the county.

If you're online, you can find out what's happening in and around San Diego from the comfort of your own computer. Everything you need to plan a fabulous San Diego trip is on the World Wide Web, including a comprehensive calendar of events, detailed maps, and listings for the area's most popular restaurants, hotels and attractions. You'll find answers to your most frequently asked questions, from "Where can I get information about dining in San Diego?" to "What's the best time of year to go whale watching?" You can link to the web pages of many businesses and organizations. Point your browser to www.sandiego.org and surf on in ...

The things to see and do in San Diego go from A to Z -- Arts to Zoo. The cultural arts thrive. Theatre, music, dance, sculpture, painting, natural history and local history are all showcased in various museums and arts venues. Visit the Gaslamp Quarter any night of the week to sample some of the finest jazz around, as well as a wide variety of contemporary rock and blues artists. History buffs have their choice of Old Town State Historic Park, preserving the early-California experience. The area has four missions and Presidio Park, a wide variety of museums devoted to local history, and Point Loma's Cabrillo National Monument, commemorating the European discovery of San Diego Bay.

Just north of the central business district is the nation's largest cultural park covering 1,200 lush acres, Balboa Park. It contains some of the most fantastic architecture ever assembled in one place: 14 museums, art galleries, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, theaters, and the California Tower with its working 100-bell carillon. A free Balboa Park Tram runs daily.

This brings you to the world-famous San Diego Zoo, located in Balboa Park and home to 800 different species, including a pair of rare giant pandas (on long-term loan from The People's Republic of China), in enclosures carefully designed to resemble the animal's natural habitat. The entire zoo is designed as a 100-acre tropical garden and can be visited on foot and on a special, three-mile guided bus tour.

Animal lovers can also experience SeaWorld's entertaining penguins, polar bears, sharks, dolphins, killer whales, fish, birds, Clydesdales, and other creatures. The San Diego Wild Animal Park, where the animals roam as free as in their native African and Asian habitats, provide many photographic opportunities. Aquatic creatures from sardines to starfish are on display at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps overlooking the Pacific in LaJolla.