The Automobile Club of Southern California ranked San Diego as the number two destination for Southern Californians looking to get out of town for the Labor Day weekend (only behind Las Vegas—really? Las Vegas in September?). The prediction wasn’t a complete surprise considering the area’s many tourist attractions, affordable San Diego corporate housing, and easy access. To be sure, a hobbled economy that is sure to keep folks closer to home also figured into the calculations.
The Auto Club defined a getaway destination as being more than 50 miles from home and involving an overnight stay. San Diego’s many campgrounds certainly add to the appeal of a Labor Day getaway. From North San Diego’s vast San Onofre beach campsites to Encinitas’ more urban San Elijo campground, the county offers a wide variety of seaside overnight camping, the staple of budget vacationing. Certainly, a large portion of the 2.5 million Southern Californians who were expected to take a road trip this Labor Day found themselves on a San Diego beach.
Also making the Auto Club’s list were San Francisco, Monterey, and Santa Barbara.