ACS National Meeting
Exploring San Diego by Paul S. Cohen and Brenda H. Cohen
The beautiful and expansive city of San Diego, which covers more than 20 miles from the Pacific coast to the Altar and Mojave Deserts, is the site of our April 2001 ACS meeting. Within the city limits you will find a lovely natural harbor, cliffs, hills, mesas, canyons, and valleys. Because it is both a bustling cosmopolitan city and a year-round resort, San Diego and its At the southern tip of Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument has a chaparral life zone and one of the few reneighboring towns have maining natural intertidal environments in Southern Caliactivities for everybody. San fornia. Diego County has more than 90 museums of art, history, and chaparral life zone. There is also eviphysical and natural sciences as well as dence of the geological processes that many other entertainments, both indoor shaped the region. Since March is the and outdoor. Sunshine is the norm and end of the annual migration of the gray we can expect very little if any rain. The whale, with a little luck and binoculars average temperature is usually 54 °F– you might see the whales as they pass 68 °F. This city provides an excellent lo- Point Loma. Basic Information: cation for our convention. Please do Cabrillo National Monument, P. O. Box make some time to attend convention 6670, San Diego, CA 92106; telephone: 619/557-5450; WWW: www.nps.gov/ sessions and meetings! cabr/. General Information about San Embarcadero Diego This area hugs San Diego Bay and San Diego Convention and Visitors provides many opportunities to explore Bureau, 1st Avenue & F Street, 11 the waterfront, the lifeblood of the city. Horton Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101; Excursion boats leave from piers along telephone: 619/236-1212; WWW: the Embarcadero to tour the bay. www.sandiego.org/. San Diego Maritime Museum Point Loma For an informative look at the city’s This rocky peninsula is the site seafaring past a visit to this museum is where Portuguese navigator Juan in order. Three ships make up the Rodriguez Cabrillo landed more than museum: the Star of India, an 1863 450 years ago and the history of San barque-rigged iron merchant ship, the oldest operating sailing ship in the Diego and California began. world; the Medea, a 1904 yacht, one of Cabrillo National Monument the last large operating yachts in the On the southern tip of Point Loma world; the Berkeley, an 1898 ferry, the is a monument commemorating first west-coast ferry to successfully use Cabrillo’s voyages in 1542 and 1543. a screw propeller rather than a paddle Not only does this site afford a pan- wheel. Basic Information: San Diego oramic view of the city, the bay, and the Maritime Museum, 1306 N. Harbor U.S. Navy facilities, it is one of the few Drive, San Diego, CA 92101; teleremaining natural intertidal environ- phone: 619/234-9153; WWW: ments in southern California and the www.sdmaritime.com/. JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 78 No. 3 March 2001 • Journal of Chemical Education
301
Chemical Education Today
ACS National Meeting
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, designed by famed architect Louis I. Kahn, stands by the sea in La Jolla, California.
Balboa Park On the edge of the business district sits a 1,200-acre beautifully landscaped park planted with trees from all over the world. Fifteen museums make up this cultural complex. A one-week passport, which permits entrance to 12 museums, can be purchased at the participating museums and at Balboa Park Visitor Center in the House of Hospitality building at the Plaza de Panama park-
ing lot. Basic Information: House of Hospitality, 1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101; telephone: 619/239-0512; WWW: www.balboapark.org/house.html.
Botanical Building More than 2,000 tropical and subtropical plants are displayed in a building resembling the Santa Fe Railroad depot. This structure was the largest wood-lath building in the world when it was built in 1915 for the Panama– California Exposition. Next to the greenhouse is a lovely lily pond nearly 200 feet long. Basic Information: Open Friday–Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Complex The museum has five galleries of hands-on exhibits illustrating the principles of science. Among the popular features is SciTours, a simulated journey through the universe. IMAX films, laser shows, and planetarium programs are features at this facility. Basic Information: Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater & Science Center, 1875 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101; telephone: 619/238-1233; WWW: www.rhfleet.org. San Diego Aerospace Museum Among the artifacts at this museum are 65 planes and spacecraft including replicas of the Lindbergh Spirit of Saint Louis and an A-12 Blackbird. An aerospace hall of fame honors engineers, pilots, and industrialists of note. Basic Information: San Diego Aerospace Museum, 2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 921011636; telephone: 619/234-8291; WWW: www.aerospacemuseum.org/.
302
San Diego Automotive Museum Located next to the aerospace museum is this site containing 80 automobiles, motorcycles, and prototypes, which are displayed on a rotating basis. Highlights include rare and historically important cars. Visitors can watch the process of restoration of these vehicles. Basic Information: San Diego Automotive Museum, 2080 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101; telephone: 619/231-2886; WWW: www.sdautomuseum.org/. San Diego Natural History Museum Exhibits are drawn from more than 7 million specimens in the areas of paleontology, mineralogy, botany, entomology, marine invertebrates, herpetology, ornithology, and mammalogy. Permanent displays highlight gems and minerals; desert, shore and ocean ecology; dinosaur and whale skeletons; a seismograph; and a Foucault pendulum. Particularly interesting are the exhibits that focus on the plant, animal, and geologic features of San Diego County and Baja California. Basic Information: San Diego Natural History Museum, 1788 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101; telephone: 619/232-3821; WWW: www.sdnhm.org/. San Diego Zoo The more than 4,000 animals living in naturalistic habitats and the 6,500 plant species illustrate animal and plant life around the world in one of the finest zoos in the world. Highlights of this playground for people and animals include primates, walk-through aviaries, reptiles, an extensive African animal collection, and more. Basic Information: San Diego Zoo, P. O. Box 551, San Diego, CA 92112; telephone: 619/2343153; WWW: www.sandiegozoo.org/. Mission Bay The northwest part of downtown San Diego, once shallow wasteland, is a 4,600-acre aquatic park. Seaworld Seaworld, a 150-acre facility that is one of a chain of privately owned water parks across the country, has a large
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 78 No. 3 March 2001 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
continued on p 305
Chemical Education Today
ACS National Meeting continued from p 302
population of water life, thrill rides, and other features. Highlights include whale and dolphin shows and habitats for penguins and sharks. Basic Information: Sea World of California, 1720 South Shores Road, San Diego, CA 92109; telephone: 619/226-3901; WWW: www.seaworld.com/.
La Jolla (Lah Hoy′-yah) This suburban town is within the city limits of San Diego. It has a beautiful rocky coastline and fine beaches. Stephen Birch Aquarium–Museum The focus of this aquarium, a part of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography of the University of California, is marine life of the Pacific Ocean. Exhibits feature naturalistic habitats and interactive displays. Basic Information: Stephen Birch Aquarium–Museum, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California–San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093; telephone: 619/534-3474; WWW: www.aquarium.ucsd.edu/. The Salk Institute For Biological Studies Named for its founding director and housed in a grand building designed by famed architect Louis I. Kahn, the site is well known for its important research activities in biology
and health issues. Tours of the building are available by appointment. Basic Information: The Salk Institute, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037; telephone: 619/534-6933; WWW: www.salk.edu/.
Escondido Escondido is a suburban town with more than 100,000 residents about 30 miles northeast of San Diego. It is best known for its wineries and the wild animal park. San Diego Wild Animal Park This 2,200-acre wild animal park, about five miles from Escondido, is 20 times larger than the city zoo. It maintains more than 3,500 animals representing 260 species. Herds of hoof stock from Africa, Asia, and Australia can be seen from the monorail that circles the compound. Habitats for Asian and African birds and animals have been recreated. The gardens and rain forest are also worth a visit. Basic Information: Wild Animal Park, P. O. Box 551, San Diego, CA 92112-0551; telephone: 760/747-8702; WWW: www.sandiegozoo.org/. Paul and Brenda Cohen are at The College of New Jersey, Chemistry Department, P.O. Box 7718, Ewing NJ 086280718;
[email protected].
n ssiittiioon o o p p ee EExx h h t t t t i i V Viiss San Diego Convention Center Lower Level Halls B2 and C
ss aatt u u e e e SSe ootthh!! o o B B tthhee
Open hours are:
Monday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday: 8 a.m. to noon
Journal of Chemical Education
•• Booth 746
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 78 No. 3 March 2001 • Journal of Chemical Education
305
