4 days in San Diego
 

I am planning a trip to San Diego next August for my family (me,my wife, and her two teenage daughters, 14 and 16). We have varying interests and are trying to decide what all we can cram in to what will amount to 4 full days.

So far, the suggestions are:

Day at the beach (this is a must for the 16 year old)
Seaworld
The zoo
The wild animal park
Gaslamp quarter
A hike along the coast (the Guy Fleming Trail)
Day trip to Tiajuana

My questions are as follows:

What beach would you recommend going to for sunbathing and playing in the water?

If you could only pick 2 of the 3, what ould you leave out, the zoo, seaworld, or the wild animal park?

With the border crossings, how much time would a trip to Tiajuana take (the girls have never been toMexico and think it would be fun)?

How long does it take to drive to Oceanside?

Anything else we should consider?

Thanks for all of your advice.

Skip Tijuana. Its too dangerous and not worth it anymore.

Personally, I would skip Sea World and go to the other 2 as I am not a Sea World fan.

Everyone will tell you to skip Tijuana and with good reason. Even at the best of times, it isn't. It’s fairly dirty and these days on the dangerous side to go there. You don’t really get a picture of what Mexico is like but you may be instead able to warn others. I have lived in San Diego most of my life. Believe me, don’t go to TJ. In August it will be way too hot anyway to be that dirty and disgusted.

How long it takes to drive to Oceanside will depend upon; where you are leaving from and what time you plan to leave.

Of the three WAP, The Zoo or Sea World. It depends. Sea World is more centrally located, while the Wild Animal Park is in Escondido, not an enormous drive but some. Personally, I'd skip Sea World but I have friends who love Sea World.

The Zoo and Wild Animal Park are similar where Sea World is very different in that it has only marine life. The Wild Animal Park offers opportunities to get up close and personal on photo safaris. You'd have to check the website.

Whatever you do, don't miss the Zoo.

There are a number of nice beaches. La Jolla is beautiful, Torrey Pines is very scenic.

TJ is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world..no way would I go anymore,and I am a native SD.
Plus, it takes hours each way to get through the border crossing..go to Old Town and you'll feel like you've been to Mex.
I would leave off the Gaslamp area, unless you are staying there and I would stay in La Jolla area..the LJ Shores has the best beach for snorkeling, swimming, boogie boarding and kayaking..several rental places to rent boards and masks.
Oceanside unless you are a Marine, I would avoid..no offense to our wonderful Semper Fi but its not that great.
Sea World, SD Zoo and Wild Animal Park are nice.
August is gorgeous and high season with the ocean temps are perfect for swimming.
Never heard of the Guy Fleming trail but Torrey Pines State Park is excellent for hiking on the oceanfront.
Maybe take in a Padres game at Petco.
4 days is not long but this will be perfect start.

When I was in SD in 2002, I stayed at Gaslamp Plaza Suites which is a timeshare as well as a regular hotel. They offered a day trip to a couple of towns in Mexico, Tijuana NOT being one of them. I forget the names of the towns but they were nice.

It was fun. I would recommend something like that unless something has changed drastically in that area altogether which would make that unappealing (perhaps ksucat could inform).

Skip Mexico! (We've been to the border towns -- Tijuana, Rosarito Beach, Ensenada. There's nothing worth going there for. (Rosarito Beach was the number one worst vacation I've ever taken - the beach is disgusting, the old "fancy" hotel about 50 years past its prime. Ensenada is a port town, just lots of shopping for junk. Tijuana, as stated, is dangerous.

I think you'd love staying in the Gaslamp area if you like a "downtown" ambiance, or in La Jolla, if you like more of an upscale town/beach ambiance. In La Jolla, you can combine the "day at the beach" with shopping, walking and eating, plus that's where Torrey Pines State Park (just a little north).

The zoo is not to be missed. Some like the WAP more, some less (I'm in the latter category). Sea World is not only all marine life, it also has things like the Shamu show, sort of a marine life theme park without the rides. I like it, but mainly because I love penguins and dolphins, and Shamu is fun.

HI vjp and sf..
Mexico gets worse by the day with beheadings and killings of innocent victims and its working its way down past Rosarito.
very sad..we used to go all the time for lobster and beers at Puerto Nuevo outside of Rosarito..do agree sf on the hotel being 50 years past its prime..it used to be something else but sad that the drug lords have ruined everything.
Last time I was down in Mexico, besides Cabo which is nice is Aug 01.
I like Sea World too..dolphins and penguins are always a great site to see.
SD Zoo is one of the best in the world and in August, WAP will be very hot..skip that and go to the beach.

Twice last year I visited San Diego and stayed at the Sofia Hotel downtown in the Gaslamp area. It was the ideal location for walking. They offer guests a free walking tour highlighting the architectural points of interest, which I highly recommend. I loved my ferry ride to Coronado. Walked to the Del and had a fabulous brunch. Also made a point of dinner at Balboa Park at the Prado both trips. It is great.

I also stayed at the Grande Colonial in La Jolla. It is a lovely hotel. A great deal higher rate than the budget Sofia, but lots of charm.

I did trip reports after my visit which you can find by clicking on my screenname.

Enjoy yourself it is a wonderful city!

Oh, how could I have forgotten - don't miss Coronado. See the Del (hotel) even if you don't stay there (the public rooms are apparently much nicer than the bedrooms). Walk on the fantastic beach. Have a drink at the outside restaurant/bar. Really special.

We haven't been to TJ in years, mostly because getting back across the border is such a hassle. When the drug war settles down in Mexico your daughters can go to somewhere really historic like Guadalajara or Veracruz. I wouldn't give up a day in SD to go to TJ.

Where are you from? There are Sea Worlds elsewhere in the country (San Antonio and Orlando come to mind). I personally love Sea World and so do my kids, but it is something you can see elsewhere. On the other hand, the girls might really like Sea World, as opposed to the zoo or the Wild Animal Park because the shows are fun.

Thank you for all of your great responses.

I was against TJ from the get go, so thanks for the ammunition!!!

We are trying to use expiring Timeshare points and are looking at staying at either the Wyndham Harborside (in the gaslamp quarter), a place in Oceanside (has a lot of activities for the girls), the Hyatt Mission Bay, or the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Any advice?

Can someone tell me how far a walk it is from the ferry landing to the Del?

I would go with either Hyatt Mission Bay or the Wyndham Harborside - based on location. Not sure where the Grand Hyatt is but Oceanside is more isolated. The Mission Bay location is near the ocean and in a great location.

Do not stay in O'side!
Grand Hyatt Manchester is on the marina in the Gaslamp or the Hyatt Mission Bay.

I was in Tijuana a few months ago for three nights to visit friends who live there. It is an interesting place and I enjoyed my time there. My friends were excellent hosts and I got to experience a different culture. I didn't feel particularly unsafe, although I was always with my Mexican friends. That being said, I don't see the point of going there while in San Diego. Actually, I can't think of one reason to go there during the course of a vacation, especially with only 4 days in San Diego.

I wouldn't stay in Oceanside. It's about 30-40 miles away from the hub of activities and at the wrong time of day, it could be a bothersome and long commute.

There may be activities for the teenagers there but what about you?

The best thing about Oceanside is that they have a very small and sometimes interesting art museum, plus the city offices are in an architecturally pleasing complex. Nice if you need to go up there on business but after that, it’s pretty boring. You have to drive into the city. Spending both your vacation and gas money.
The only thing Oceanside might offer is free parking but I’m not sure that would sway me. (And I’m a penny pincher.)

What types of activities would the Oceanside property have that the girls would like to do?

The walk from the ferry dock to the Del took less than a half hour. You could also rent bikes or take the trolley. I enjoyed the walk because it gave me a chance to see some of the residential areas. Delightful place!

Thanks for the "walk" info. Would you happen to know if the trolley stops at the same place as the bus?

Thank you, I think I will try to book one of the two Hyatts. Any preferences there. What about Gaslamp Plaza or Capri by the Sea?

It is about 1.7 miles from the Coronado Ferry Landing to the Del, if you walk along Orange Avenue--which is what I would recommend (or I believe there it a city bus that meets the ferry and goes there). The first half of the walk is primarily residential, but the second half is densely commercial with lots of restaurants and shops.