Stuff to Do in San Diego: Tour the Taylor Guitar Factory

What's better than having fun? Having fun for FREE!!!! The Taylor Guitar Factory, located in El Cajon, California, offers free tours of their guitar factory five days a week. Whether you're a guitar player, aspiring luthier, or just love music, this is an entertaining and enlightening way to spend an afternoon.

The tour leaves the lobby at 1:00 p.m. and starts in the lumber yard. Taylor uses a variety of different woods to produce their guitars - everything from Maple and Walnut to Ebony and Indian Rosewood. One of the more interesting woods they use is Stika Spruce. It is estimated that the planet only has about 9-years worth of Sitka Spruce left for consumption (the trees take 500 years to mature to make a guitar soundboard, and it's also used for pianos and sailboats). In the lumber yard, you'll get to check out raw hunks of wood as they begin their transformations into Taylor Guitars.

Most of the parts Taylor creates for their guitars are machine-made. While some may scoff at this fact, there are two very prominent reasons why Taylor chooses to go the machine-made route: first, it drastically cuts down on waste and second, it gives the guitars a higher level of consistency and quality. On the tour, you get to observe every stage of guitar manufacturing, and it's not as though there are just machines and robots everywhere. There are people who are passionate about the product they are creating!

Once the individual pieces are created, they have to be put together. Skilled woodworkers complete the finer points of crafting while a team of amazingly detail-oriented women carefully glue bracing on the tops of the guitars. Another team of workers assembles the guitars.

Probably one of the coolest jobs at the factory is the quality control. After all the hardware is installed, each and every Talor Guitar gets tested and played by a person who is directly responsible for the quality of the guitar - they're not going to sign off on an instrument if it's not playing perfectly, and to me, that says a lot about the high standard of quality that Taylor upholds.

Of course, there's a neat gift shop too!

Taylor Guitar Factory Tour Info from TaylorGuitars.com:

A free, guided tour of the Taylor factory complex is given every Monday through Friday, at 1 p.m. (excluding holidays). No appointment is necessary; simply check-in at our receptionist desk in the lobby of our main building by 1 p.m. sharp, tell the receptionist that you’d like to take the tour. The tour lasts approximately one hour and 15 minutes. Our main building is located at 1980 Gillespie Way in El Cajon, California. Map / Directions

There is a good amount of walking involved, and due to the technical content of the tour, it may be unsuitable for small children.

Large groups (more than 10) and school-supervised groups must schedule special tours in advance by calling (619) 258-1207 and asking for the Factory Tour Manager. Please give us at least two weeks notice.

The TaylorWare store is located in our visitor center. Here you'll find everything for the Taylor fan, from apparel to gift items to replacement guitar parts. New items are added all the time, so be sure to stop by often.

A free, guided tour of the Taylor factory complex is given every Monday through Friday, at 1 p.m. (excluding holidays). No appointment is necessary; simply check-in at our receptionist desk in the lobby of our main building by 1 p.m. sharp, tell the receptionist that you’d like to take the tour. The tour lasts approximately one hour and 15 minutes. Our main building is located at 1980 Gillespie Way in El Cajon, California. Map / Directions

There is a good amount of walking involved, and due to the technical content of the tour, it may be unsuitable for small children.

Large groups (more than 10) and school-supervised groups must schedule special tours in advance by calling (619) 258-1207 and asking for the Factory Tour Manager. Please give us at least two weeks notice.

The TaylorWare store is located in our visitor center. Here you'll find everything for the Taylor fan, from apparel to gift items to replacement guitar parts. New items are added all the time, so be sure to stop by often.



Tours are held at the Taylor complex every Monday though Friday (excluding holidays) at 1:00 p.m. - and once again, the tour is FREE!

Stuff To Do in San Diego: The San Diego Zoo

No trip to San Diego would be complete without a visit to what is commonly regarded as the nation's best zoo, the San Diego Zoo. And if you think if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all - think again!

In addition to being one of the few zoos in the world to house pandas as well as over 800 different species, the San Diego Zoo is also home to a wild animal park (San Digeo Zoo's Wild Animal Park) in which endangered animals from around the globe roam in free-range enclosures. In stark contrast to a typical zoo, in which animals are displayed in cages, the animals of the park are exhibited in their natural habitat. It's as close as you can get to a Safari without leaving the country!

San Diego Zoo Exhibits

• Monkey Trails
  
• Absolutely Apes
  
• Panda Research Station
  
• Polar Bear Plunge
  
• Gorilla Tropics
  
• Ituri Forest
  
• Owen's Rain Forest Aviary
  
• Sun Bear Forest
  
• Reptile Mesa
  
• Kopje
  
• Wings of Australasia
  
• Flamingo Lagoon
  
• Tiger Rive
  
• Children's Zoo

San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park Exhibits

• Journey Into Africa Tour
  
• Lion Camp
  
• Heart of Afirca
  
• Elephant Overlook
  
• Hidden Jungle
  
• Nairobi Village
  
• Condor Ridge
  
• Lorikeet Landing
  
• Kilimanjaro Safari Walk
  
• African Aviary
  
• Harter Veterinary Medical Center
  

Here's what the folks over at TripAdvisor.com have to say about the San Diego Zoo:

The San Diego Zoo is truly one of America's treasures. With it's long history of research and breeding of rare animals, the San Diego Zoo is much more than a Zoo. It is a glimpse in to how zoologists care for thousands of species while giving visitors a unique look at many of these magnificent creatures. Be warned, the habitats are built for the animal's comfort, not the visitors feet. A walk through the enormous park can be a trying experience. Bus tours make this task much easier and is highly recommended. To locals, this Zoo is one of the most important locations in San Diego and one if it's most irreplaceable sites. Don't miss it! The San Diego Zoo is unique by any measure and will leave you much more educated and excited about these magnificent creatures.

Maloo, baby koala, born in April 2001.

A lucky couple gets a visit from a polar bear cub at the Polar Bear Plunge exhibit.

Lions with cubs in the Lion Camp exhibit.

Visit SanDiegoZoo.org for ticket info, schedules, and the latest happenings at the San Diego Zoo!

Stuff To Do in San Diego: Balboa Park

A trip to San Diego would not be complete without a visit to Balboa Park. Balboa Park is the largest urban cultural park in the United States. It's also home to 15 museums, numerous performing arts venues, lush and beautiful gardens, and the famous San Diego Zoo. 

Of the many beautiful spectacles within Balboa Park, here are some of my favorites:

Balboa Park Carousel: Before you head into the Zoo, spend 5-minutes on this antique ride. Originally built in 1910,  the carousel still features all but two original hand-carved creatures. The Balboa Park Carousel is also one of the few remaining carousels to play the Brass Ring Game.

Japanese Friendship Garden: Within the two acres of exquisitely maintained Japanese gardens you'll find a Zen garden for meditation, koi ponds, a bonsai exhibit, and a lush & tranquil Fujidana (wisteria arbor). there are classes offered on the weekends for sushi-making, bonsai, calligraphy, and conversational Japanese. 

Spanish Village Arts Center: This is where the artists of San Diego gather to sell their goods. Over 200 local painters, sculptors, metalsmiths, jewelry designers, clay artists, gourd artists, photographers, printmakers, glass artists, basket weavers and more assemble here daily. There is something for everyone to enjoy in this unique market. Don't waste money on junky souvenirs, buy something lovingly handmade by a San Diego artist to commemorate your trip.

Museum of San Diego History: There are many wonderful museums within Balboa Park, but if you don't have time to see them all, make sure you at least see this one. To truly appreciate the city of San Diego, one must first appreciate the colorful and diverse history of the region. In this museum, you'll discover a dazzling array of artifacts, costumes, textiles, art, and photographs detailing life and development of the local area. 

For the extensive list of  attractions and activities of Balboa Park, visit the official website, BalboaPark.org.