taratravels

We will be going to San Diego for 8 days with our two sons, ages 12 & 16. We have been before and want to make sure we try and do a few new things this time.

We will be going to the Zoo for the first time, maybe SeaWorld (have went many times before).

Other plans included:

A couple days @ Beach -Coronada
& LaJolla Shores
Old Town
Balboa Park / Science Center
Seaport Village
Torrey Pines Reserve

Any other suggestions; places to go, things to do, special restaurants not to be missed, etc.?

Thanks!!

Underhill

Your sons probably won't be too excited about Seaport Village, although adults will like it. It's mostly shops, although there's a fine old carrousel.

Coronado should be popular with everyone--the beach is great, and there are many nice restaurants.

Allow a full day for the zoo, which is fabulous.

My San Diego friends tell me that Old Town isn't what it used to be before new lessees took over.

When you're out in La Jolla, go to the Scripps aquarium--terrific place.

calimom29

This sounds just about right! Your boys are going to love San Diego, I think it's one of the most family-friendly cities in California. I recommend going to the Zoo and Balboa Park (maybe some museums that your boys pick out?) on the first day. The zoo will take up a lot of time in the morning (get there early!) and the afternoon in Balboa Park museums. I would also dine in the Gaslamp that night.

I think you should also see Birch Aquarium and since you're staying so long in the area, perhaps a visit to Wild Animal Park which is outside of San Diego is in order. Your boys will love it and it's a bit more wild and wooly than the San Diego Zoo. (I think I like it better than Sea World and since you've gone maybe change it up this time?)http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/index.html

Since you have some teenage sons with you I recommend visiting Belmont Park (beachfront amusument park with a rollercoaster called the big dipper and general amusument. http://www.giantdipper.com/

Also since you're staying in town for 8 days you should probably grab a Go San Diego Card (includes admission to Wild Animal Park--Zoo--Tours--Aquarium--rentals and so on) www.gosandiegocard.com

For dining I recommend the Indigo Grille in Little Italy http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/cohn/...nts/indigo.php

For a truly great burger try Hodads in Ocean Beach http://www.photohype.com/Hodads.htm

In Old Town try Phillips Pizza Groto or Jack & Giulios for great Italian

ltt

do they like some adventure. how about some surf lessions or take them hang gliding above black's beach. torry pines state beach is a great place to do small hikes and relax on a beautiful beach.
seaport village would bore most every male i know but especially younger boys.
if they enjoy the beach, how about setting them up with towells, a stocked cooler and rent some boogie boards and leave them at mission beach for a few hours. you and dad can go out for a nice lunch alone and most teenage boys i know would love to hang at a beach.
in the past, on saturday and sundays, there is usually a naval ship that is open to the public for tours if that would interest them.

Heavens

Most teens LOVE Mission Beach. It is where the action is for teens. Boardshops, beach volley ball, surfers, families, good munchies. My kids (14 and 19) love South Mission, but that is bc all of their friends are there. Their families rent beach houses in that area, or are lucky enough to own them. Belmont Park is the hub, that is where the "Wave" is, I believe it is called, a simulated surf wave, and the roller coaster, amusement park food and arcade. Going north from there is a lot of fun too. Up towards the pier. There is a big boardwalk that goes all around the beach and down to a point and then back up the bay side. Very fun for bike rides, but not on Sundays, too much foot traffic. There are public restrooms down by Belmonts and up by the pier.

Also fun for teen, IMO, is Balboa Park. Lots of museums, Natural History museum and the Ruben H. Fleet science center and Imax theater that is showing some very good films right now.

There is the Midway Museum near Seaport Village that is about an hour and a half tour. It is an aircraft carrier and pretty cool to see. There are some wonderful places to eat downtown on Fourth and Fifth Streets, and further north in Little Italy, if your guys like to eat.

I would highly recommend a Padres game at Petco Park. It is a great way to spend and evening sitting outside and enjoying the people, the park food and the game of baseball.

Del Mar race track is also fun and you can spend the whole day there watching the races and having lunch. Beautiful track and fine for children.

Have a blast. Your time will fly by. It is a fun town. Just be careful of traffic and try to avoid the obvious traffic times, or just try not to be in too much of a hurry.

J_Correa

I would put Point Loma on the list of things to see. The views are great and there is a lighthouse there that you can tour. Down at the shore line, there are some neat tide pools. I'd spend an hour or so checking it out.

In the Hillcrest neighborhood, the Corvette Diner is terrific. It is a 50s style diner with a large menu of shakes and malts, standard diner food, 50s memorabilia like crazy and an actual Corvette in the dining room. Really fun.

If you are interested in history, the Mission is really good. It is a 15 or so minute drive from downtown.

Heavens

Tell us what kind of food your boys will eat and we can help you more with the food. In and Out Burger is big with my kids. They love it and it is cheap. We all like Rubios for fish tacos and more. There are many choices for eating in San Diego. Some wonderful choices.

Here is a link that breaks it down by neighborhood and cuisine...

http://entertainment.signonsandiego....n/restaurants/

Let us know if you have other questions.

Underhill

Did anyone suggest a cruise on the bay--or seeing the Star of India?

hsv

Underhill,

it seems you just did!

sunbum1944

I think Seaport Village would be boring for everyone- waste of time.

mooselywild

Star of India along with the rest of the Maritime Museum! Have you been to Sea world when the "Atlantis" ride was open? My siblings (about the same age as your sons) and I rode it 4 times in a row. Sooo much fun, though we were soaked through at the end. Be sure to allot enough time for Balboa Park.

Zoo- don't miss koalas or snakes. Check out Pandas- heard they'll be shipping them back to China


Can't miss restaurants- I think it's hard to go wrong in SD. However, definitley go to Hard Rock Cafe- and be sure to look "up"! Stained glass window drom former Elks building is neat, and entirely unexpected

taratravels

Thanks for all the great suggetions!

A couple of questions....Should we plan on eating at the zoo, or leave and some back in the evening for the "special night zoo events"? Is it worth spending an evening also at the zoo?

Of course my boys love hamburgers, but we also like mexican food, seafood, and italian.

Has anybody tried the kayaking tours? Is it fun and would we see any oceanlife?

Also, no we haven't been to SeaWorld since they have the Atlantis ride, but my boys wanted to do something different as they have been to SeaWorld a few times.

One more thing...do they still have the summer evening concerts with the fireworks??

Thanks,

paula1470

I think your boys would love the Midway Museum. I think Heavens mentioned it and I would second the recommendation. It's an aircraft carrier parked at Naval Pier downtown San Diego. I took my Dad there and didn't think I would like it as much as I did. You get to see crew's quarters, there are lots of restored aircraft on the deck and of course history about the Midway. We spent several hours there and I would go back again if I had the opportunity. It's definitely something 12 & 16 yo boys would like.

mooselywild

Food's EXPENSIVE at the zoo- mostly hamburger type stuff, didn't impress me (think seaworld prices). If you're not tired by meal time, leave then come back- but the zoo is a lot of walking, especially for kids, so it may not be worth returning in the evening.

And I know there's some sort of fireworks display/concerts, I'm just not sure if they're what you're thinking of. There are movies on deck of the Star of India which sound fun.

Barbara

Perhaps you're thinking about the Summer Pops concerts.

http://www.sandiegosymphony.org/summerpops/

pmccallum

The idea of surf lessons is great. They are offered at beaches up and down the SD county coast. Maybe you could sign the kids up while you're at Coronado. The race track is also a great idea. You can place bets for the kids and they love it when they win! Afterwards, you could have dinner at one of the many mexican restaurants in Solana Beach (Fidels is a local favorite, although there are several restaurants right next to eachother that are also good). We love to go to La Jolla Shores and rent kayaks (preferable to Mission Bay). The zoo at night is great because it's not as hot nor as crowded. Perhaps you could do Balboa Park during the day, having lunch at The Prado, and then head over to the zoo later in the afternoon. Have fun.

Heavens

We just went to the Pops with some friends last Friday night. We saw the music of Andrew Lloyd Weber, I mean, Lord ALW. They had three singers and they were amazing. They did a mix up of the Lord's music and other popular musicals. We sat in the caberet section with a table and chairs, you could go and buy wine, kettle corn and other treats. It was so lovely, sitting there right on the bay, enjoying the weather and the music. I highly recommend this activity if you are in SD for an evening. Take the kids. They even have an area where you can sit on the gress for $10 a person, I think. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it...