Filming in San Diego!

Before I get into the details of my trip to our host city, we have a little more than 24 hours left before the polls/surveys for 50 States of Song 2018 are closed! We're sitting at ~30 votes, and I'm hoping for a few more by tomorrow's end. I think the Jury count didn't increase much, but having the Public vote will shake things up and create an interesting finish to this third edition. So if for some reason this is how you're interacting with us, go vote! You only have tomorrow!

Because California won last year's contest, we had to choose a 'host city' to represent the location for the contest. Although this isn't terribly important in the grand scheme of things, it's certainly fun to "feature" a city in the United States that people may otherwise not get to see.

Initially I had planned to go to San Francisco, but later decided to go to San Diego - it's much closer to my home city, and I was already planning to go there in July for a work conference (not for Comic Con!) so it only made sense. San Diego is the third-largest city in California, is home to around 2 million people, and is best known for it's close association with Latin America and the Pacific Ocean. The San Diego Zoo is arguably one of the best zoos in the United States, and is host to "Sea World," which many know for its world-famous orca whale stunt shows. I first came to this city in 2007, and I've seen the city develop from 'just another large city' to a tourist destination with European and Latin influences,

I had two days to film around Phoenix last year; I had to do all my filming in San Diego over one day this year. The video focuses on the Gaslight District area, which is host to great dining, evening bars, cafes, and you can even stop at Petco Park for a late-day Padres baseball game. There was a Spanish restaurant I visited two years ago that served paella - I haven't found a single other place that serves these in the US. Walking is encouraged, and there's the usual souvenir stores and Starbucks every other block.

Walk westward a half-mile till you reach Harbor Drive and the Embarcadero - this is San Diego's historical port. The USS Midway aircraft carrier is immense, but only part of the entire experience. Take a stroll through Seaport Village and eat some of the local seafood. After that, walking a bit more east will take you to the San Diego Convention Center. If 50 States of Song were as big as Eurovision, you can bet this is where the song contest would take place! In fact, during our work conference, they played Denmark's "Higher Ground" and Germany's "Perfect Life" in the demo room!

One thing I noticed about San Diego that is different from even two years ago is the methods of transportation that are available. Throughout downtown you find these ride-share bikes and scooters. Pay $1.00 to unlock the bike/scooter, and use it to go wherever you need! People were using these for everything - it was crazy for me, as an American, to see fellow Americans embrace anything other than cars and trucks.

If you ever get to visit San Diego, certainly spend your time in the Gaslight District, but be sure to visit Balboa Park (the Zoo area) and La Jolla, which rests to the north of the city and offers breath-taking cliff-side views of the Pacific. If you're worried about the weather being bad, you have nothing to worry about - it's proximity to the ocean keeps it much cooler than other cities in southern California, and rain is scarce in the summer months.

You will see San Diego featured in the 2018 Results video, along with its spirit and veracity - following the "All Aboard" theme from Portugal, and our contest's logo being an orca whale, we will focus a bit on the underwater sea life of the Pacific, as well.

If you have any questions about this amazing city - or want to make a visit someday - check out https://www.sandiego.org/ - or reach out to us! Cheers!

-GL