It’s hard to reconcile conservative, suburban-style San Diego with the city that’s home to a millennium boom of technological and pharmaceutical companies, along with scores of hip downtown lofts. But the buzz about the upcoming Padres stadium has hotels already breaking ground, and with the trendy Gaslamp District ever expanding, San Diego is emerging as an energized city poised for change, with a sandbox’s worth of play. 

WHAT BECOMES A LEGEND MOST? Natives spend as much time at the beach as possible, and the Hotel Del Coronado—the city’s Victorian grande dame—lets you do the same. Just over the bridge on Coronado Island, this 112-year-old landmark is undergoing a $55-million face lift. Guest rooms in the vast main building will now have a consistently classic Victorian look, and the restaurants are being redesigned, too. The hotel’s even ripping out the tennis courts to bring you (guess where?) closer to the water. 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado;             800-468-3533      . Rooms start at $205. Renovations are scheduled for completion in April, but check on construction when making a reservation.

SURF’S UP! If falling asleep to the surf inspires dreams of Frankie and Annette, get out there and ride the waves. Kahuna Bob’s Surfing School caters to new surfers with two-hour private, semi-private, and not-so-private lessons that leave most people able to coast inside a curve. What better place to spend an afternoon than on the beaches of La Jolla? Private lessons are $80, semi-private (five students) are $50; all lessons include equipment;             760-721-7700      .

VENICE ON THE PACIFIC Not standing yet on your surfboard but still want to get out on the water? Take one of Loews Coronado Bay’s gondola rides—seriously. After dark, these private, one-hour trips are impossibly romantic, and you don’t even have to stay at the hotel. Bring your own wine; the stripe-shirted gondolier will bring hors d’oeuvres from Loews’ award-winning restaurant, Azura Point. 4000 Coronado Bay Rd.;             800-815-6397      . Rooms start at $225. Gondolas run 11 a.m. to midnight daily and cost $62 per couple. Reservations required. 

MORNING BUZZ San Diego’s most gracious hotel isn’t even in San Diego, it’s in Carlsbad. Just 30 minutes north of the city, the Four Seasons Aviara has suites filled with oversized marble tubs, overstuffed couches ... and the best sunrise walk in town. Sign up for a 90-minute power walk with one of the personal trainers in the hotel gardens, and you’ll also get a close-up look at spiky purple Pride of Madeira’s, Dwarf Mock Orange shrubs, and pink Trumpet trees. 7100 Four Seasons Point, Carlsbad;             760-603-6800      . Rooms start at $305; power walks with personal trainers are complimentary for hotel guests.  

YOU’VE GOT GAME The right golf clubs, players know, can make all the difference. Don’t miss a visit to Callaway Golf Company’s performance center: All you have to do is swing at the net; the computer shows you playing the 18th hole at Pebble Beach. Using cameras and sensors, their experts will diagnose the shaft, length, and loft of your swing, then give you a personal rescription for grips, woods and irons, and club length. Call Callaway at             760-931-1771       for appointments. Evaluations are free. Taylor Made-Adidas Golf will begin similar services this spring (            760-918-6301      ).

CATCH OF THE DAY Where do you go when you want fresh California seafood without the nouveau cilantro-chipotle reduction? Try Delicias, in the hills of tony Rancho Santa Fe, for simple fish dishes without the froufrou toppings. Turn a blind eye to the "purse stand" stools that waiters place beside women’s chairs and dive right in. The dishes are exquisitely done from start to finish, and there’s not a chile-cumin pesto in sight. 6106 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe;             858-756-8000      . Dinner for two is $75 before tax, wine, and tip. 

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 MINUTES Experiential dining may be over, but Mission Hill’s hot new restaurant, Parallel 33, is worth a visit anyway. Here, dishes come from places that straddle the same 33rd parallel as San Diego. Appetizers include Indian samosas topped with a newfangled pomegranate-chipotle glaze. Entrées also range from the basic—olive-laden Moroccan chicken tagine—to the more creative: sea bass with cucumber salad and sweet-and-sour-style orange lychee sauce. 741 West Washington St., Mission Hills;             619-260-0033      . Dinner for two is $60 before tax, wine, and tip.

BORDER BUYS Leave Tijuana’s night scene to the college students, but come by day for one of the best collections anywhere of pottery and other Mexican folk art. Street vendors will claim their work is handcrafted, but the Bazar De Mexico is the real deal. Bazar De Mexico brings in artisans from all 31 Mexican states to work and sell their handmade pieces—like painted Talevera pottery, marble floor tiles, Oaxacan wood carvings, and scrolled iron furniture. At a fraction of the cost north of the border, you’ll be glad they ship orders home. Avenida Revolucion and 7th St., Tijuana; 011-52-6-638-4737; open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

For more information about the area, call the San Diego Convention and Visitor’s Bureau at             619-232-3101      .