Whether or not you’re in San Diego for the convention, which takes place from July 19 through July 23, you can get into the Comic-Con spirit by exploring these travel options. Check out the best the host city has to offer, live out your “Game of Thrones” or “Star Trek” fantasies, or ask Thor what to do.
-
1. Getting to Know San Diego
There are ways to get the most out of your convention city, and there’s a lot more to San Diego than Spanish tiles, palm trees, fish tacos and bonfires on the beach. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more pleasant brewery hopping experience in the country, or a more affordable one. There are also diverse neighborhoods like Barrio Logan, where a new crop of locally owned art galleries, breweries and restaurants are popping up alongside the auto body shops and fruterías.
-
2. Mapping ‘Game of Thrones’
Fresh off of its season premiere, the cast of “Game of Thrones” will be at Comic-Con for a panel discussion on Friday, July 21. While the show is filmed in places like Morocco, Iceland and Croatia, home base is Northern Ireland. Check out some publicly accessible locations north and south of Belfast like the Dark Hedges and Castle Ward.
-
3. A ‘Star Trek’ Tour
The latest television iteration of “Star Trek” will begin on Sept. 24, when “Star Trek: Discovery” airs on CBS. If you miss out on Saturday’s panel featuring talent from the new series, consider Geek Nation Tours’ “Trek Into the Valley of Fire,” a Trek-themed tour in Nevada that features a stop at Fire State Park, known to Trekkies as the place where Captain James T. Kirk died in “Star Trek: Generations.” The next tour takes place on Aug. 1.
-
4. Ask Thor
The actor Chris Hemsworth, who has played the role of Marvel’s Thor in several movies, has also attended several Comic-Cons. Saturday’s panel on Marvel’s cinematic efforts is expected to include Hemsworth, though his appearance has yet to be confirmed. We spoke to the Melbourne-born actor earlier this year and he shared some of his favorite places to visit in Australia.
-
5. A Comic-Con That Never Ends
If you miss out on attending this year’s Comic-Con, IDW Publishing’s San Diego Comic Art Gallery might be for you. IDW, which is a hometown company that exhibits at the convention, has held exhibits such as “The Art of Marvel’s Star Wars” and “The Art of Kevin Eastman,” the co-creator of “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”