BillE271

Need your opinion. 1 week in SD 2 adults & 2 boys 18 & 14, staying @ the Catamaran. The men love the ocean, the wife the bay. Hoped to see the zoo, animal park & sea world with a 1 day side trip to Disneyland or CA adventure. If possible would like to get in a Padres game & the caves of La Jolla. Too much or OK? Thanks Bill

sdgirl29

You should be able to get this in during the week. You might want to pass on Wild Animal Park. It gets very hot out there during the summer.

Barbara

Sounds OK to me. Once you get to the ocean/bay you might find you don't want to leave, but if you're really set on doing all that, go for it. You might consider going to the Wild Animal Park in the late afternoon and staying after dark. That way you can be on the beach part of the day and go to the Park when it's cooler and the animals are more active. You could take the same approach with the Zoo. Sea World could be a mid-afternoon start and you can stay for their fireworks (I'm assuming you're coming in the summer!). Disneyland would be a whole day, starting very early and ending very late (the fireworks are pretty good!). Depending on the Padres' schedule when you're here, you won't have any difficulty getting tickets-unless they have fireworks(are you sick of them yet?), or are playing the Dodgers. Can't help you with the La Jolla Caves because, after living here for 25yrs, I've never been! You could go to George's Terrace for dinner after, though.

Whatever you decide, have a great time in San Diego.

BillE271

Thanks for the fast reply. I like the idea of going to the Animal park @ nite. What is your opinion of Disneyland vs CA adventure for my boys (18&14)? I know the Padres are bad but so are the Mets. Would it be worth doing 2 days in Anaheim ( 1 for Disney, 1/2 CA adventure & 1/2 Angels game) Too much driving?

Barbara

I haven't been to CA Adventure and neither have my two boys, so I'm sorry I really can't help there. If your boys like roller coasters, you might consider going to Magic Mountain instead of Disneyland.It's a lot further - north of LA. My kids prefer MM, I prefer Disneyland.

islandmom

Here is my six day family trip report from Nov 2002.

I guess I was expecting our trip to California to be like Dorothy discovering Oz. It turned out to be very similar to other parts of the country. Same people and stores. However, archetecture was amazing! And the whole city is under construction of new ballparks, hotels and luxury condos. I peeked into some of the homes and they looked like art galleries.

Did you know San Diego has a Little Italy and Chinatown? I thought the whole city had a very equal mix of cultures. We felt very comfortable there. The people were friendly. Many just spoke Spanish.

Thumbs down on Alamo rental and Holiday Inn Select on hotel circle. Both were in need of a good cleaning. And a new chef.

Thumbs up on the zoo! Although, how about giving those animals a bit more room in their cages? I couldn't believe what great views we had of the creatures. Healthiest zoo animals I have ever seen. And we almost had the zoo to ourselves. The weather was 90 during the day. We rode the bus and the ariel cart. We saw the momma panda and the baby panda that has grown up and is going back to China.

Enjoyed Balboa Park museums. The Photography Museum has graphic current war photos on exhibit. Something I should have checked into before going with a child. And the Natural History museum has an amazing Baja film! It will make you want to scuba there for sure. That film is really a must see if you are in the area. Our daughter made us see the robotic dinosaurs too.

Enjoyed shopping at Horton Plaza and Fashion Valley. The freebies are still paying off because I was able to get 8 $15 free gifts from Bath and Body. I used them as door prizes at the bridal shower on Weds at the Honolulu Club. You can find cheap suits at Men's Depot. We would have loved the posh nightlife of the Gaslamp District if we were childless. Rode the carosel at Seaport Village. Great food and service in Old Town at Casa Guadalajara. Loved the shops and homemade soap in Old Town. The Mexican food alone makes me want to move there. In fact all the food was so good. Even the pizza and gyros at the mall.

While daughter and I explored, husband had meetings and then was treated to a fancy dinner in Coronado and sailing in the bay!!!

We met friends at Sea World. Sea World took our money. We paid $8 for cokes during the show. I think the best deal is you get a two day visit for $5 more. We enjoyed the shows and animals. I about had a heart attack because I didn't realize it was part of a skit that a mom falls in the pool.


Sunday, We had lunch at an outdoor eatery at Ferry Landing and ran on the beach in Coronado with friends who flew in to meet us. We explored an Open House on the beach too.

I thought San Diego was dirty, but was told it was the Santa Ana winds blowing desert dust.

La Jolla was the best! Loved the quaint area and shopping. We stayed at the Empress Hotel two blocks from the ocean. Very quaint and had a 5 star resturant with room service. No view. Other than that it was great. Big, nice room. Very helpful people. Valet parking. Walking distance to everything. Great costal walks with seals on the beach. I would go back to that area again. We enjoyed good food and a great view at Top of the Cove.

Tuesday we had a family picnic on La Jolla cove. And later enjoyed a coffee house greek salad with friends I hadn't seen since childhood.

Overall we had a great family trip in San Diego. Everything was easy to get to and the people were very nice

BillE271

Thanks again for all your responses. Was wondering if the boys should bring their wet suits, heard that the ocean temperature is still cool in august. Also if you have any tips on driving up to Anaheim/LA area. Thanks Bill

sdgirl29

The water temp gets about 72 degrees. If they are gong to surf and stay in very long, they will probably want wet suits. It is a straight shot up I5 to Anaheim. You can actually take the train and get off at the stadium if you don't want to drive.

ltt

bring the wet suits if you have them. don't plan too much. most people enjoy their time at the beach/coast. there is so much action around pacific/misson beach that the boys will enjoy just hanging out there (body surfing, roller bladding, biking). if you don't mind driving, i'd do one day at CA Adventure or Disneyland. leave san diego around 8:30 to avoid the rush hour up in l.a. the parks should be open till late night in the summer. the animal park in the evening is a good idea (or i'd consider skipping it altogether). sea world is expensive but great. it is very close to mission beach. sometimes i'll go in the morning, leave around 1 and go to the beach for a swim and lunch, returning around 4 for the rest of the evening. la jolla would be good for late afternoon (watch the sunset) and then have dinner up there. if the boys like to watch surfing, the best place to see them in san diego is ocean beach which has a great long pier you can walk out on.

lindsyb

We had a great time in San Diego last year. One thing that you may want to look into is a membership to the San Diego Zoological Society. This will give you unlimited admission to the Zoo and Wild Animal Park. We compared it to the price of admission and found it to be worthwhile.

BillE271

Thanks for all your responses. Joining the Zoological society is a great idea.
Has anyone been on any of their special tours or overnite stays. Sea World also has similar type tours. Thanks again, the information provided is a bid help.

MikeN

One of THE best sources to things to do while in San Diego is: SignOnSanDiego.com and click on PASSPORT-Guide to Summer Fun. This site has everything you would ever want to know. Sponsor is the local newspaper.
Padre tickets will not be a problem...have you seen their record?
La Jolla Cave is interesting, but not a highlight. Would only do it if I were in the area to do other things. There is the most famous LJ beach within walking distance of the cave and both are very close to lots of places to eat.
Disneyland and CA Adventure are alot for one day and would be a long day.