Chula Vista translated from Spanish as beautiful view is located 15 minutes south of San Diego and 7 miles from the Mexico border. Its close proximity to the City of San Diego and the beautiful beaches of Mexico make it an ideal location for overnight lodgings. Chula Vista enjoys perfect year round weather, a scenic harbor, shops, restaurants, Farmer's Market every Thursday, Chula Vista Nature Center and Onstage Playhouse. San Diego Zoo, Sea World and the many activities are offered in nearby San Diego. Chula Vista is one the warmest Southern California beach locations. The history of the area known as Chula Vista, can be traced back to around 3000 B.C., when Yuman-speaking people began moving into the area. Many of the Native American Indians in San Diego today are descendants of the Kumeyaay tribe who roamed in the region for hundreds of years. In 1542, three ships commanded by Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo, sailed into San Diego harbor. Chula Vista became a part of a Spanish land grant known as Rancho del Rey or "The King's Ranch" in the late 1700's. When Mexico formed its own government in 1831, Rancho del Rey became known as Rancho del la Nation or National Ranch. The ranch encompassed the area now known as National City, Chula Vista, Bonita, Sunnyside and the Sweetwater Valley. Rancho del la Nation was used by the Spanish as grazing land for their cattle and horses until 1845 when it was granted to John Forster, the son-in-law of Mexican governor Pio Pico.
Forster sold the ranch 10 years later and by the 1880's houses were built and the City of Chula Vista was created. Chula Vista became the largest lemon-growing center in the world with local farmers using over eight packing houses in the city. In the mid and late 1900's, housing overtook the rich farm land as pent up demand for homes increased in this popular paradise with its great weather and scenic bays. Today, the best examples of citrus trees can be seed in residential neighborhoods where lemons continue to grow easily in people's yards. ATTRACTIONS: OnStage Playhouse in downtown Chula Vista Arts Center is located at 291 Third Avenue, near F Street. onstageplayhouse.org Call (619) 422-7787. Simon and many more. U.S. Olympic Training Center is home to sports such as archery, canoe and kayak, rowing, soccer, softball, field hockey, tennis, track and field and cycling. There are free guided tours of the facilities. Location: 2800 Olympic Parkway, Chula Vista, CA 91915 Call: 619-656-1500. Coors Amphitheatre is an outdoor performing arts theater with reserved seating for 10,000 and additional seating for 10,000. It is the area's first major concert facility designed specifically for music. Location: 2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista, CA 91911. Call: (619) 671-3600.
Knotts Soak City USA features 32 acres and 22 water rides -- all themed to the surf woodies and longboards of the 1950s. Open May through September, it is located at 2052 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista, CA 91911. Call: 619-661-7373. |