Fun things to do in San Diego?

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are planning a trip to San Diego around the end of August to visit relatives and also check out some attractions. We''re bringing our boys with us (ages 5 & 6) so I''m hoping to find some great things the four of us can enjoy as a family. Plus, I would love to do a bit of shopping, which I know my husband won''t be supportive of (lol - he''s not into clothes & jewerly) but maybe I can pop into a few shops.

So far on our list, we have Legoland and the San Diego Zoo. Any recommendations for other activities?

Also, any good resturants that serve healthy foods?

Thanks!

 

[KimberlyH]

Hi MC,

There''s the Wild Animal Park in Escondido http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/index.html, the zoo, Legoland, Balboa Park http://www.balboapark.org/ (lots of museums, park space (duh!) and playgrounds). For beaches I''d go to La Jolla, it''s family friendly and if you go to The Cove you can visit the seals.

If you''re looking for easy/fast food Rubios has a heart healthy menu http://www.rubios.com/. The Souplantation would be another good option http://www.souplantation.com/. There''s a fish market/restaurant called El Pescador in La Jolla http://elpescadorfishmarket.com/home.htm. If you''re looking for higher end food Fresh in La Jolla is a treat http://www.opentable.com/rest_profile.aspx?rid=2961.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[door knob solitaire]

Wow Kimberly hit all the great spots! except:

The Hotel Del Coronado is a must. Thomas Edision designed the electricity. You must go there and have lunch on the promenade. The beach there is the silver strand and is very kid wading friendly.

The island is a Naval base...and you have the opportunity to take your teeny itty bitty ones and show them the enornous ships. If you are budgeting...just standing on the pier is impressive.

There are harbor cruises to take and if you plan to, do it first as they give you great information about the city. The cruise is available in different durations. You will see seals...or seal lions on your excursion and maybe dolphins.

There is a place called old town. It is steeped in spanish history with a Mission and tourist friendly and walkable. Great candy shop with home made taffy. Art galleries and kid friendly old town set up. They offer a way to get there by your hotel...it is called the old town trolley. Like a SF cable car...but on a trolley line.

Also there is the coaster...need a native to chime in here. Not sure where you board it in SD but it is a train that hugs the pacific ocean and takes you up the coast way up north. Options to exit in many towns.

A great fun restaurant for kiddos/and my hubby is the Corvette Diner. It is old fashioned malt shop with waitresses that chew bubble gum wear 50''s clothes. Old 50''s music blaring...tons of Corvettes and music greats all in decor. You can order things like the big bopper etc.

There is a great lookout hill top called Mt. Soledad mountain. It is a panoramic view of SD all the way to Mexico and the Cat. It has a memorial for war veterens and could be a great learning tool for your kids.

I think I am describing HOrton Plaza now...it is a open air multi level shopping mall. You must go. It is too cool to come out of the Gap and into Dillards in open air and look down on 5 flights underneath you. They have a cinnamon roll shop that will snag you. The exhaust vent blows out over the crowds. you can''t resist.

My favorites are LaJolla Cove...free...the silver strand beach as mentioned...also free...Mt. Soledad...free....Walk aroung the pier...free...there is so much to do and see and fall in love with. You will never want to leave.

San Diego Lady is a native she will chime in for you...and several others. Please update us on your plans...I beg you! I need a trip and learning about yours just may quell my thirst.

DKS

 

[Skippy123]

I love Coronado Island DKS but hate driving over the bridge. hehehe
I think an easy way to see it all in 1 day is to do the Old Town Trolly Tour (do a seach on google and I bet it will pop up). It takes you to all the highlighted areas so get up early and do it! How excitiing SD is one of my favorite city''s and the weather is always so beautiful!

 

[musey]

SEA WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldn''t possibly love it MORE. FI and I just purchased annual passes--and for LA-dwellers, that''s quite a commitment to the park

 

[KimberlyH]

I skipped over Old Town because it''s changed management after 30 years and I don''t know what it''s like anymore aside from busy/touristy. Here''s a link: http://www.plazadelpasado.com/ If you go to Old Town and want delicious Mexican food go to El Indio on India St. http://www.el-indio.com/ (it''s a bit outside of Old Town). Expect a fast food environment.

Also, Fidel''s in Solana Beach and Fidel''s Norte in Carlsbad are delicious! But not healthy. Carlsbad has some great antique shops that are fun to look around and a beautiful beach that is family oriented.

And a link to the trolley: http://www.affiliate.viator.com/brochure/product_show.jsp?ID=1010&PRODUCTID=1016&CODE=3285OTTSD&AUID=2148

PB is not the most kid friendly place (think college hang out) and wouldn''t be my first choice for going with a family.

If you''re into baseball Petco Park is pretty cool. http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/sd/ballpark/index.jsp

DKS is right, Horton Plaza, which is downtown, would be fun place to shop. Also, if you go to La Jolla (not UTC) http://www.lajollabythesea.com/ you can slip away while the fam hangs out at the beach and hit some great stores.

And here''s a link to the coaster: http://www.sdcommute.com/

Thanks for inspring more ideas outta me, DKS. I forget what''s around me sometimes!

 

[surfgirl]

If you have kids with you, I''d recommend Rock''in Baja Lobster in Old Town. It''s got a fun vibe and is kid friendly. The food is Mexican with the speciality being small buckets filled with shrimp, slipper lobster tails, chicken, steak, etc. And you can also get burritos, etc. It''s not health food but it''s not fast food and it tastes great.

If you want a fun place for dinner with a Mexican atmosphere, try Casa de Bandini, also in Old Town.

Ki''s in Cardiff, across from the beach is great for anything. Lots of veg options and very delish and healthy.

If you''re staying near downtown, you can take the ferry over to Coronado Island and walk around town there.

There''s a Buca di Beppo in the Gaslamp District if you''re staying there at night. I suggest it only because it''s kid friendly and most restaurants in that area are for adults, not families. There''s also a relaxed Southern Italian place in Little Italy called Filippi''s and it''s a pizza and spaghetti and meatballs sort of place which is good for families.

Mind you, none of these suggestions are haute cuisine, I''m just thinking of places where your family would feel comfortable...It would help to know where you''re staying since you wouldn''t be driving to North County if you''re staying downtown, etc...

As for beaches, you can try Coronado beach if you feel like going over there. Their beach there is very long and wide. But be warned that it''s mainly street parking and dificult on a summer weekend. No facilities at that beach either. If you want a family friendly beach with facilities, try La Jolla Shores but get there very early because parking is an issue.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 7/26/2007 8:54:35 PM
Author: surfgirl
If you have kids with you, I''d recommend Rock''in Baja Lobster in Old Town. It''s got a fun vibe and is kid friendly. The food is Mexican with the speciality being small buckets filled with shrimp, slipper lobster tails, chicken, steak, etc. And you can also get burritos, etc. It''s not health food but it''s not fast food and it tastes great.

If you want a fun place for dinner with a Mexican atmosphere, try Casa de Bandini, also in Old Town.

Ki''s in Cardiff, across from the beach is great for anything. Lots of veg options and very delish and healthy.

If you''re staying near downtown, you can take the ferry over to Coronado Island and walk around town there.

There''s a Buca di Beppo in the Gaslamp District if you''re staying there at night. I suggest it only because it''s kid friendly and most restaurants in that area are for adults, not families. There''s also a relaxed Southern Italian place in Little Italy called Filippi''s and it''s a pizza and spaghetti and meatballs sort of place which is good for families.

Mind you, none of these suggestions are haute cuisine, I''m just thinking of places where your family would feel comfortable...It would help to know where you''re staying since you wouldn''t be driving to North County if you''re staying downtown, etc...

As for beaches, you can try Coronado beach if you feel like going over there. Their beach there is very long and wide. But be warned that it''s mainly street parking and dificult on a summer weekend. No facilities at that beach either. If you want a family friendly beach with facilities, try La Jolla Shores but get there very early because parking is an issue.

I''m hijacking for a moment, MC, me apologies in advance.

surfgirl, what part of SD do you live in if you don''t mind sharing. I picture you in Ocean Beach for some reason.

 

[surfgirl]

Kimberly, yeah, except I''m the only one NOT pan-handling!

Where are you located?

 

[matildawong]

Hee hee! Surfgirl you just cracked me up with the panhandling remark.

Here''s another vote for Coronado ... on Sundays in the summer they have the Concert in the Park at Spreckels Park on Orange Avenue (the only main drag, can''t miss the park) -- It''s so fun for families; there''s a playground and people do it UP with entire picnic/bbq spreads and just hang and listen to the music. It does get very full with no parking to be had the closer it gets to concert time, but if you go early and let kids play on the swings and stuff you can actually have a picnic before the music even starts. Then you can leave after just enough songs before the little ones (or big ones) get bored.

Uh. That was a little too much info on the concert thing. sorry.

Also, the Hotel del Coronado was mentioned -- the restaurant Shearwater is really cute and expensive but good for lunch. You can sit outside and watch the waves from your table, but also people watch. There''s a bunch of cute shops at the Del, too.. a neat toy store for the kids and a Moo Time ice cream place after lunch.

At the zoo I think it''s wise to take the double-decker bus tour because this zoo has HUGE canyons and sort of sprawling paths to navigate. If you take the bus tour, you can hop on and off the bus stops to see the stuff you really want to see. Or make mental notes to where exactly the tigers are so you don''t get lost in a canyon.

The pandas are not to be missed. It''s such a great zoo. Also, at the end of the parking lot there is a carousel and a miniature train for kids to ride. I loved that thing growing up.

 

[eks6426]

Oh lucky you going to San Diego. The places everyone has listed are wonderful. One other place I absolutely love is the view at the glider port just north of LaJolla (Torrey Pines Glider Port). It has one of the most surreal views I''ve ever seen. Just cliffs and endless oceans. I took my then 8 year old boy there and he loved the view and enjoyed watching the hang gliders take off and fly. It was cheap and entertaining. There is a beach below the glider port but it is a very steep and dangerous climb down and is clothing optional. I wouldn''t let my 8 year old go down because I was afraid he would fall.

http://www.inetours.com/San_Diego/La_Jolla-2.html

Another thing we really enjoyed was kayaking in LaJolla Shores. There are several companies that do kayak tours. They have double kayaks so that would work well with the kids. It was a nice way to get close to the sea lions and the caves along the shore. We even saw hundreds of sharks that are just off the shore in LaJolla Shores. We tried snorkeling but the water is too murky and cold.

If you have the money the Sunday Brunch at Del Coronado is really wonderful and impressive.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 7/26/2007 11:26:41 PM
Author: surfgirl
Kimberly, yeah, except I''m the only one NOT pan-handling!

Where are you located?

I like OB. Downtown PB is a bit too wild for me (a friend of my husband''s lived there until he got married and there wasn''t a Saturday or Sunday morning that he didn''t wake up with puke on his doorstep from passersby); OB has a much more mellow feel to it. We live out in Poway.

 

[Kay]

How long will you be in San Diego? Where are you staying?

One of my favorite places is the Children''s Pool in La Jolla. You can just stand there and watch all the cute seals for free.

The Zoo and Wild Animal Park are both great. The Wild Animal Park is very unique. We go to the Zoo more often because it is closer for us. The Zoo is amazing not only for its collection of animals, but also for the incredible diversity of plants. DH and I are members and can get in free anytime, so we often go there when we just feel like taking a walk through beautiful gardens. There are combo passes available if you want to visit both parks, or both parks plus Sea World: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/hours.html

If you plan to visit both the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park, you might want to compare the prices of individual admissions versus annual membership. Buying a membership may actually be cheaper, plus the cost is tax deductible. A dual membership for 2 adults is $89 for locals and $109 for non-locals (maybe one of your relatives would let you use their address to sign up) and there is currently a $10 off special online. You get 2 free admission passes with membership, so you would just have to buy 2 kids admissions at the second park, or buy 1 kid a Koala club membership for $24. A diamond club membership is $129 (regardless of address) for 2 adults and includes 4 free admission passes plus free parking at the Wild Animal Park (normally $6). Benefits info from the website:

Standard dual membership benefits include:
Unlimited admission to the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park for one full year
2 free guest passes (over $54 in value)
Free Journey into Africa tour at the Park (save $10 each time)
Free Skyfari aerial tram at the Zoo (save $3 each time)
Four discount guest coupons (a $20 value)
Four 2-for-1 Zoo Bus Tour coupons
ZOONOOZ® magazine subscription (a $15 value)
Monthly member specials

Sydney’s Koala Club benefits include:
Unlimited admission to the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park for one full year
Free Journey into Africa tour at the Park (save $6 each time)
Free Skyfari aerial tram at the Zoo
Six issues of Sydney''s Koala Club News
One free pass for a Zoo Bus tour.

Diamond Member benefits include:
Unlimited admission to the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park for one full year
Two Zoo guest passes and two Wild Animal Park guest passes
Free Journey into Africa tour at the Park (save $10 each time)
Free Skyfari aerial tram at the Zoo
Four discount guest coupons
Free parking at the Wild Animal Park
Four 2-for-1 Zoo Bus Tour coupons
ZOONOOZ magazine subscription (a $15 value)
Monthly member specials

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Wow, gals. Thanks so much. There are a lot of ideas here to pick from!

It''s going to take me a while to figure out which to put on my itinerary!

lol Kayaking does sound like a good possibility. My husband and I went to vancouver island in June and went on a kayaking tour and had a FABULOUS time! We kayaked for two hours around small little islands, took a hike on an ancient old-growth forest trail, and then went back to shore and had a big lunch and a few beers!

My kids would love to do that (but, minus the beer!).

Kay - we''re staying one week. Half will be spent with family we''re visiting and the other will be spent in a hotel (not sure which one) & site seeing. Really, not that much time as days seem to speed on by. I really am anxious to get out and DO stuff. I don''t want to be housed up gossiping about family (which I fear they will be doing and I''m kind of grumpy about that notion

!)

Is it scary driving in the San Diego area? I''m tempted to take our rental car out by myself as I said, I want to get out and explore rather than sit around and chat!

 

[surfgirl]

MC, driving around SD is very easy. The freeways go either N/S or E/W. But be aware that people in SoCal like to give directions by saying "it''s on the west side of the street", and for me, unless I can actually SEE the ocean that doesn''t help so just make sure you ask people "is that left or right?". Other than that, it''s easy. If you want to go shopping, I personally dont care for Horton Plaza anymore. It''s gone downhill and is a bit tatty now and there aren''t any good jewelry stores anymore, other than mall shops. I''d recommend for shopping going to Fashion Valley Mall (very upscale with new Madison Ave boutiques going in all the time). There you will find Burberry, Gucci, LV, Bloomies, Nordies, Saks, etc. If you go to La Jolla, you''ll find more boutique shops (though I dont see alot of clothing there now that I like, but there are a couple of places), and a lot of jewelry stores. I got my precious there at an estate jewelers. And then if you go to Del Mar, there''s Del Mar Plaza, which has some nice shops and some jewelry stores as well.

 

[surfgirl]

SDL, I''ve never had any feeling that there were "thugs" at FVM...But I also never park in back, I only park near Nordies or Bloomies or Saks.

MC, I totally forgot to mention that if your family enjoys outdoor activities, you MUST go snorkeling at La Jolla Cove! It''s gorgeous and looks like Capri, and they have fantastic snorkeling there. It''s a small beach area and you''ll need to get your own snorkeling equip. or rent it in La Jolla Shores (where you can do the Kayak trips too). When snorkeling in the Cove you''ll see lots of local Garibaldi''s (look like giant goldfish), other assorted fish (I''ve seen colorful tropical fish near the rocks on the western side of the cove), and you will see Cormorant birds diving below the surface to fish. It''s quite fun and good snorkeling provided the surf is small that day.

Also, hiking in Torrey Pines State Park is lovely. You can bring a picnic and hike out to the edge of huge cliffs where they have scenic benches and you can eat lunch out there. Sometimes you can hike down to the beach or you can walk back down to the parking lot which is at beach level and spend the rest of your day swimming and playing on the beach.

In La Jolla Shores you''ll find a place that rents kayaks and can take you on a La Jolla caves kayak tour.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Hi MC,

There have already been some really excellent suggestions here. In addition, if either you or your husband know even the very basic fundamentals, I highly recommend sailing on Mission Bay. Several of the hotels rent out a variety of basic sailboats for very reasonable rates by the hour, and the conditions on the bay itself-- no real currents, no real waves, but a consistent wind-- make sailing very easy for novices.

In addition to the other shopping recommendations, there are a number of cute boutiques and art galleries (psst, and plenty of local jewelry shops) in the pedestrian area of La Jolla, which really is one of the most beautiful towns in the U.S. with its bougainvillaea-coated, pastel-colored, spanish-style architecture. Also, for nearby kid-friendly beach recommendations: http://www.travelforkids.com/Funtodo/California/La_Jolla-Beach_Towns/lajolla.htm ; in addition, if you haven''t come across it, here''s a community site for kid-friendly events and activities: http://www.gocitykids.com/browse/neighborhood.jsp?area=1940 .

Oh, and if you decide to eat unhealthily while you''re there, Umberto''s Tacos is a great, greasy dive that my fiance insists we visit every time we go back to San Diego. There''s one catty-corner from the rollercoaster at the Mission Beach boardwalk. Hope this helps!

 

[surfgirl]

Interesting SDL...thanks for the tip! I always park on the other side anyway but good to know...

 

[surfgirl]

SDL, I forgot to add that I left you a referral on your dentist thread...!