The city of San Diego it self has deep canyons separating its mesas, creating small pockets of natural parkland scattered throughout the city. Downtown San Diego is located on San Diego Bay. Balboa Park lies on a mesa to the northeast. It is surrounded by several dense urban communities and abruptly ends in Hillcrest to the north. The Coronado and Point Loma peninsulas separate San Diego Bay from the ocean. Ocean Beach is on the west side of Point Loma. Mission Beach and Pacific Beach lie between the ocean and Mission Bay, a man-made aquatic park. La Jolla, an affluent community, lies north of Pacific Beach. Mount Soledad in La Jolla offers views from northern San Diego County to Mexico. Mountains rise to the east of the city, and beyond the mountains are desert areas. Cleveland National Forest is a half-hour drive from downtown San Diego. Numerous farms are found in the valleys northeast and southeast of the city.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is near to some of the most spectacular wonders of the world. From mountains to canyons to deserts Las Vegas is near it all. Only 35 miles away from the city is Mount Charleston which offers winter skiing, hiking and horseback riding trails. Death Valley is 40 miles away by plane and the impressive Grand Canyon is only a one and a half hour flight away. Red Rock Canyon a scenic area of rock and desert is a bit nearer being 15 mile away from Las Vegas. If you're looking for scenic landscapes of hidden canyons, unique rock formations and ancient ruins that Valley of the Fire State is 55 miles away. If swimming, water skiing, fishing and boating is more what you are after than 25 miles away from the city lies the 550 miles of shoreline that is Lake Mead.