Meet us in San Diego!
If you’ve read my entry on (Family vacations…overrated?!), you know that we finally arrived in San Diego after a very looong day of traveling with 3 kids. 
This entry is my review of San Diego. What a great city! We’d love to come back for another visit when the kids are much older!! 
San Diego weather was great in April!! It rained a bit while we were there but it didn’t last long. Anything is better than the dreary cold New England weather. Even when it was overcast, we still got sunburn. So bring lots of suntan lotion for your little ones and yourself. My husband looks like George Hamilton now!! 
San Diego has lots to offer to everyone. Here are some of the places that we went.
- LegoLand…It’s a nice park with more than 50 rides, shows and attractions. There’s even hands-on things for toddlers to do (1 and up). Trent was not tall enough for some of the rides so he stayed with me and was just content playing and building Legos (see picture). We spent two days here since we were rained on the first day.
- Seaworld…This place is open year round with many thrilling rides and lots of sea animals to see. There are also many shows and attractions, like the dolphin and Shamu shows. And hands-on things for kids to touch like the starfish pond, my Sophia loved touching the starfish. Since Seaworld is owned by Anheiser Busch, the park also serves beer. After being surrounded by loads of whiny and cranky kids, including our own, it might be a good thing after all. Below is a mini Shamu show.
- San Diego Zoo…This zoo is huge! They have some of the most exotic and rare animals that we’ve ever seen, or heard of. They also offer tour bus to drive you around the zoo for a fee.
- Seaport Village…San Diego’s landmark for waterfront shopping and dining. Great for a nice picnic by the water or just browsing through the shops and there is also a huge carousel for the little ones. A little bit down the road is a San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum, that’s a must see. No sailors on board though!
(see picture below of all the fighter jets on board!)
- Balboa Park…This is definitely a must-see, only minutes from San Diego downtown. It’s ranked as one of the best parks in the world. There are 15 major museums, beautiful gardens to see and performing arts venues. We just loved this place. Our children loved the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and the San Diego Aerospace museum. We found that the admission prices are very reasonable. And parking is free. Next to the Science center is a fairly big playground and a picnic area. The San Diego zoo is about two blocks away.
- Old Town…Step back into the 1870’s, this is home to some historic landmarks, museums, art galleries, shops and restaurants. There is one restaurant that has been serving fast and tasty Mexican food since 1940.
- Laguna Beach…There are many beaches in San Diego. We just happened to be visiting a friend and went to Laguna Beach. The traffic can be brutal in the summer, so we were told. But the beach is so beautiful and there is even a little playground for the children if they get bored from playing in the sand.
- Fashion Valley Mall…This is a huge mall with six department stores and over 200 specialty shops, including a Tiffany. If you’re looking for souvenirs, this is the place if you’re willing to shell out some bucks.
- Restaurants…We were pleasantly surprised to find that the food was very tasty and reasonable in San Diego. If you’re in Carlsbad, try Buca’s Italian restaurant. They offer family style dining. The food was so delicious. Tyler, our 5 year old son, loved the fried calamari. And if you’re in a mood for some Asian food, there’s this Vietnamese restaurant calls Saigon on El Cajon Blvd. The food was sooo delicious, and the price is very reasonable!
I hope you’ll get the chance to visit San Diego with your family! Bon Voyage!
If you’ve read my entry on (Family vacations…overrated?!), you know that we finally arrived in San Diego after a very looong day of traveling with 3 kids.
This entry is my review of San Diego. What a great city! We’d love to come back for another visit when the kids are much older!!
San Diego weather was great in April!! It rained a bit while we were there but it didn’t last long. Anything is better than the dreary cold New England weather. Even when it was overcast, we still got sunburn. So bring lots of suntan lotion for your little ones and yourself. My husband looks like George Hamilton now!!
San Diego has lots to offer to everyone. Here are some of the places that we went.
- LegoLand…It’s a nice park with more than 50 rides, shows and attractions. There’s even hands-on things for toddlers to do (1 and up). Trent was not tall enough for some of the rides so he stayed with me and was just content playing and building Legos (see picture). We spent two days here since we were rained on the first day.
- Seaworld…This place is open year round with many thrilling rides and lots of sea animals to see. There are also many shows and attractions, like the dolphin and Shamu shows. And hands-on things for kids to touch like the starfish pond, my Sophia loved touching the starfish. Since Seaworld is owned by Anheiser Busch, the park also serves beer. After being surrounded by loads of whiny and cranky kids, including our own, it might be a good thing after all. Below is a mini Shamu show.
- San Diego Zoo…This zoo is huge! They have some of the most exotic and rare animals that we’ve ever seen, or heard of. They also offer tour bus to drive you around the zoo for a fee.
- Seaport Village…San Diego’s landmark for waterfront shopping and dining. Great for a nice picnic by the water or just browsing through the shops and there is also a huge carousel for the little ones. A little bit down the road is a San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum, that’s a must see. No sailors on board though! (see picture below of all the fighter jets on board!)
- Balboa Park…This is definitely a must-see, only minutes from San Diego downtown. It’s ranked as one of the best parks in the world. There are 15 major museums, beautiful gardens to see and performing arts venues. We just loved this place. Our children loved the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and the San Diego Aerospace museum. We found that the admission prices are very reasonable. And parking is free. Next to the Science center is a fairly big playground and a picnic area. The San Diego zoo is about two blocks away.
- Old Town…Step back into the 1870’s, this is home to some historic landmarks, museums, art galleries, shops and restaurants. There is one restaurant that has been serving fast and tasty Mexican food since 1940.
- Laguna Beach…There are many beaches in San Diego. We just happened to be visiting a friend and went to Laguna Beach. The traffic can be brutal in the summer, so we were told. But the beach is so beautiful and there is even a little playground for the children if they get bored from playing in the sand.
- Fashion Valley Mall…This is a huge mall with six department stores and over 200 specialty shops, including a Tiffany. If you’re looking for souvenirs, this is the place if you’re willing to shell out some bucks.
- Restaurants…We were pleasantly surprised to find that the food was very tasty and reasonable in San Diego. If you’re in Carlsbad, try Buca’s Italian restaurant. They offer family style dining. The food was so delicious. Tyler, our 5 year old son, loved the fried calamari. And if you’re in a mood for some Asian food, there’s this Vietnamese restaurant calls Saigon on El Cajon Blvd. The food was sooo delicious, and the price is very reasonable!
I hope you’ll get the chance to visit San Diego with your family! Bon Voyage!
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