The miracles of modern science! You can build a tourist mecca out of a thin bar of sand--and at Mission Beach in San Diego, that's exactly what they did back in 1914. The two-mile long beach bounded by the Pacific Ocean and Mission Bay, the San Diego River estuary on the south, Mission Bay Park on the east, and the community of Pacific Beach on the north, helped garner San Diego's reputation as the beach playground of Southern California. A boardwalk along the beaches on both the ocean and bay sides of the community is constantly in use with bicyclists, joggers, bladers and tourists taking strolls to explore this treasured getaway. Pictured is the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster which opened on July 4, 1925 at Belmont Park amusement.

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