How to Spend a Week in San Diego

·        Legoland is the first of its kind in our grand United States. It is constructed of millions of colorful Lego toy bricks and has rides and other activities for kids ages 2 to 12ish. It is a generally low-key theme park with most of the rides being rather slow-paced as far as rides go and there are lots and lots of things to just see. If your kids are fans of legos then this park with be an enormous hit, but even if they aren’t, it is a great family theme park with numerous things to do for kids of all ages. The park is easy to navigate, the food is good, the shows are entertaining and the rides are fun. If your kids are older, 12+ or so, you might want to skip it though, they might not be as enchanted with the Dragon Coaster and Mini Land as your nine year old! The park is no bargain though, so be prepared to spend around $250 for a family of five for one day.

 

·        Go to the beach! No matter how old or young you are, if you are in San Diego, you must take the time to go to the beautiful beaches and enjoy part of what makes this incredible city what it is to those who love it so. San Diego is rimmed by 70 miles of beach and you can rarely find any stretch of that 70 miles that is not occupied by runners, surfers, sun-bathers, dog walkers, sandcastle builders and the like. The different beaches may have different characteristics, but each has a level of beauty that is unsurpassed. If you have children and love photographing them, take them to the beach on Coronado Island in front of The Del Coronado Hotel. The photos that you can capture here will be stunning as you can capture their reflection in the water as it recedes on the deep flat beach. If you want to walk and run until your heart is content, the stretch from Oceanside to Encinitas is a great option. You will not lack company as this stretch is usually covered-up with those who enjoy the perfect weather of San Diego. Imperial Beach, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach and La Jolla Shores Beach are other fantastic options for beach going, each with their own specialty.

 

·        Balboa Park is the Central Park of San Diego. It covers 1,200 acres and is one of the largest parks in the United States. Many theater and outdoor events happen weekly in the park, like organ performances at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, which is believed to be the largest outdoor pipe organ in the world. The world famous San Diego Zoo is in the park, as are 15 fabulous museums and a myriad of other things to do.

·        San Diego ZOO – The zoo is one of the best in the world and houses the largest number of giant pandas outside of mainland China.  Your first order of business should be taking a bus tour or the Skyfari tram to get your bearings. It helps to know where you are and where you want to go…make the most of your time because many of the animals will be napping by mid-day and harder to see. The little ones will love the opportunity to pet animals and watch babies being bottle-fed at the Children’s Zoo. There are so many things to do and see that any family will be happy all day long!

o       Old Town – just north of downtown and Mission Valley lays the historic Old Town of San Diego. You’ll find excellent places to dine, beautiful antique stores and the magnificent mission-style Junipero Serra Museum.

o       Gaslamp Quarter – spend an afternoon walking the streets of the famed Gaslamp Quarter which was once San Diego’s gambling and red-light district at the end of the 19^th century. It has since been transformed into block after block of cultural hot-spots, water holes and eateries.

·        Take a day trip to Tijuana! Tijuana is the busiest border crossing in the world and it can make for a really fun day of shopping for the San Diego visitor. You can take the Border Shuttle to the border and go into Tijuana for the day. Enjoy the food (well-cooked food & bottled water, of course!) and shopping on Revolucion Avenue. Here you can get your photo taken with a donkey and a cart…it is a Tijuana tradition! Be prepared to say “NO” a lot and do protect your valuables. The Tijuana locals buy their things at the Mercado Hidalgo, so if you are up for being adventurous, make your way there.

 

·        You’ll probably be exhausted by now, but if you still want more...you can find lots of other activities that will take you to the water!

o       Maritime Museum/Embarcadero/Seaport Village – All three of these fantastic options are downtown around the Marina and offer opportunities for education and entertainment!

o       Harbor Cruise/Whale Watcher Cruise – These options will actually take you out on the water to take in the skyline of San Diego or to get up close and personal with gray whales!

 

·        Padres Game/Chargers Game – San Diego has more opportunities for professional sport than one could hope. Regardless of the season, you’ll usually be able to find a game to take in at Petco Park (home of the San Diego Padres) or Qualcomm Stadium (home of the San Diego Chargers).