San Diego is a new and happening town, and it has been described as one of America’s nicest growing cities. Situated right at the bottom of "The Golden State", it is a modern, clean, sunny city, with miles of coastline. It is hard to believe that this city is close to Tijuana, Mexico and if you dare to cross the boarder over to Tijuana, San Diego feels like its miles away!

There is something in San Diego for everyone, beaches, nightlife, a bit of history, and family fun. We stayed in the historic Gas Lamp Quarter, at Hostelling International Downtown, which I would highly recommend. Hostelling International provides a free Tijuana tour, bike tours, and pub crawls. All these are cheap and catered towards the adventurous and budget travellers needs.

The Gas Lamp Quarter is located in Downtown San Diego, which, like much of the city has been undergoing renewal since the eighties. Downtown San Diego boasts original Victorian Buildings, but you are more likely to be too distracted by the lively atmosphere on the streets below, as this section (especially 4th and 5th Street) has a bustling nightlife, with its fair share of pubs, clubs and restaurants. The area is very pleasant and fun to walk around at night, and you can soak up the atmosphere and whilst sipping margaritas and eating tacos (as you can imagine, being so close to Mexico, San Diego has its fair share of Mexican cuisine).

If you are a beach goer then San Diego won’t let you down with 70 miles worth of coastline on the west side. We went to the touristy Mission Beach, and the not quite so touristy Paradise Beach, but, by the far the favourite was Coronado. Coronado is often described as an island, but it is actually a peninsula, and you can reach the beach by bus or ferry. We took the ferry, for a scenic view of San Diego’s skyline. The ferry is $6 for a return ticket, and then we took the bus which is a $2 return bus to Coronado Beach (which is quite a walk away). The resort is clean and the Hotel Del dominates much of the promenade. The Hotel Del has had its share of Hollywood stars and US Presidents as guests, with its 115 years worth of history.

San Diego also has some exciting family tourist attractions, such as the luxuriously large Zoo, the Wild Animal Park and Sea World. Sea World is quite expensive for a traveller’s budget at almost $50. We went to the Zoo which was $21. When you go to the Zoo you do have the option of the tours around the Zoo, at an extra $13, but we went around by foot. This was tiring as it is a large Zoo, but on foot is defiantly the best way to see the Zoo. The animals at the Zoo include Polar Bears, Koalas, Pandas and Elephants - a great day out for all ages.

Balboa Park is also a big attraction in San Diego, with lush flowers, plants and waterfalls. The Park has many museums, from art, the human body, and to history. A number of alternate museums are free every Tuesday.

If San Diego is sounding too laid back and easy going for you, why not head to Mexico, Tijuana. As said before, the HI Down town Hostel did the tour for free, but another hostel we stayed at charged $15 including the trolley (a tram to me and you) which takes you right to the boarder. With the HI tour you buy this yourself (available at the Hostel) and it is $5. Tijuana has a bad reputation, with its crime rates, its dirtiness and the locals constantly trying to rip you off. The main thing to look out for is being ripped off in the shops, as you are travellers they assume that you have money, and they want as much of it as possible!

As a boarder town Tijuana’s character reflects it location strongly. The town relies heavily on tourism and day trippers- it is a great place for all types of shopping. There are great food markets, but hygiene is not too good and the flies circling around it does are not make it very appetising! There are also clothes, rugs, jewellery and pottery to be bought here; be prepared to haggle, as they will let you have it for less.

Tijuana is also a great place to party, with cheap drinks and Tijuana’s famous Tequila shots, which involves a man blowing a loud whistle whilst pouring Tequila is your mouth, very fun to watch! As you can imagine (like most towns and cities) Tijuana is not so safe at night, so if you are going there at night, do not get too drunk (people will take advantage of you if they can here!) and it is best to stay in a mixed sex group.

It is a much harder to get back over the boarder and back to the United States, have your passport ready and be prepared to wait in a queue (longer at certain times of the day, check with your guide or hostel). When you get back you will be grateful to be away from hassling people and young children you asking you to buy sweets and jewellery, and also to be back on smooth concrete without cracks!

San Diego is a great American city, for families, young people who like to party and explore, and for people who like to chill out on the beach. On our last days we soaked up some sun, went to some pubs on the gas lamp quarter and enjoyed the laidback and carefree atmosphere of San Diego.

You can find all our photos and stories on USA at USA photo series and travel stories