Kath

Looking for some advice here. I'm considering taking my son to San Diego for a few days for Spring Break. It would be just the two of us. I've looked at lodging until I blue in the face, seems like everything has at least one major drawback. Paradise Point has a good price with package airfare. The pictures look great and it sounds very nice, but on Tripadvisor as well as here I'm not hearing good things. I'm willing to give it a try, but is this a "safe" neighborhood for us? I hear good things about the Pacific Terrace as well, but then on Tripadvisor several people said that it is in a "seedy" neighborhood. The Grande Colonial is also available, but I don't know if I want to stay in La Jolla. (We'll be doing the Zoo, Seaport Village, Sea World) Any insight on Paradise Point. I'm tempted just to book it because of the price.

carbogilligan

My husband, 4 yr old daughter and I stayed at Paradise Point one year ago. While it is an older complex, it was very enjoyable. We loved our little bungalow. It was small but very comfortable. The pool area was also very nice. It was great to walk on the beach each morning but I wouldn't want to swim in the bay. We felt very safe there. I hope this helps.

Heavens

How old is the son? If he is younger, will probably love PP. It is all inclusive resort. Not fancy but very comfortable. Rooms are good sized, great pool, OK beach but has lots of activities to do.

I am not sure why people would say Pacific Terrace is in a "bad" neighborhood. It is on the beach. It is a beach neighborhood. Beach shops, cafes, surfers, students, homeless, druggies, volleyball players, all rolled into one. The older kids love it. A teenagers paradise.

So, the age of your son does make a difference in you selection. Have you looked at Catamaran? Also on the beach and in the middle of everything.

Kath

Age of son is 7. I looked at the Catamaran and it looked OK, the pics made it look a little more run down than Paradise Point and it was more expensive. But it is SO hard to tell from internet pics. I'll go back and look at it again. The good price was on Paradise Point though, plus free parking which at $15 to $20 per day was worth something.

Kath

Meant to say thank you to you both for the info! Good to hear that it is a safe area.

SandyBrit

Kath:

My husband and I stayed at The Ocean Park Inn 5 night over Thanksgiving. www.oceanparkinn.com This hotel is right on the ocean. Best rooms are on the second or third floor facing the ocean. Price includes free underground parking and breakfast of cereal, juice, bagels, bread for toast, pastries etc. No fruit or yogurt. Coffe, tea and juice available all day. Hotel has small pool.

I was concerned about a couple of the reviews I read on trip advisor about ants. However I had been assured by others who had stayed there on this forum that this was a good hotel, nice location etc. We didn't see a ant the entire time we were there. Only worry if all the reviews posted give a bad review.

We did see several families at this hotel - very convenient to walk straight out to the beach. Hotel provides beach towels. Plenty of eating places in the area and grocery store nearby. Room has frig and microwave.

The one down side is that there are some homeless people who hang out on the side walk. We just walked by and they never bothered us in any way.

Best wishes for a great break.

Sandy

carbogilligan

AFter hearing the age of your son, I am sure Paradise Point would be perfect for the both of you. There are little ponds or bayous among the units stocked with fish and ducks. My daughter enjoyed feeding the ducks. They can be a little aggresive so stay close to your son. There is a very casual restaurant onsite, very kid friendly.
If you got a good deal, I would go for it!

Heavens

Yes, PP would be great. We stayed there once when my son was 6 or 7. We went down early one morning for a walk and found a bridge that had some fiddler crabs in the mud. We must have watched them for an hour or so. Most of the rooms are on the first floor with patios so if the weather is nice it is almost like another room. It is very safe and unto itself. Private kind of place. Great for small kids. Be sure and take a cool chest for snacks and juices. It is a resort and the kids can break you on that stuff. They do have a small market in the gift shop as I recall. Have fun.

Be sure and see the zoo, and Legoland, and maybe Seaworld. Balboa Park with all the museums (next door to the zoo) is also one of my favorite places to explore.

carbogilligan

Our accomodations included a small kitchette with refrigerator. There is a shopping center about a mile away, (take a left out of the resort onto the main road) where I purchased sodas and snacks for the room. And, yes, there is a food market in the gift shop, but it is pricey. With all this reminiscing, I want to go back!

Kath

Thank you all so much for the great info. It was very reassuring. I think Paradise Point sounds like what we are looking for, although I plan to also check out The Ocean Park Inn. Again, I really appreciate the help.

Kath

One more question for Carb, Heavens, or whoever has an opinion. I know the Zoo is a must and we want to spend one day just exploring the sites of the city, but if you had to choose between Legoland and Sea World for a seven year old, which would you prefer?

Heavens

Oh boy, that is a tough one. We took my son to Legoland when it very first opened up and he was already a little too old for it. IMO, it is for very young children. The coolest thing was to see the cities that they have built with the legos. It is a beautiful park, but pricey. Maybe they have added rides and attractions to it since we were last there, about five years ago.

Our kids love Seaworld. Always lots to see and do. And these are living things, which are always fascinating. The shows are great, so try and work the park around the shows. We have always loved the sealion show. But it has been quite a few years since we have been. My son is 12 now, and would still be thrilled to go to Seaworld, uh, with friends that is.

Ocean Park is back at Mission Beach. BAck into the beach crowd. It can be seedy and noisy there. But there is a lot more action, things to walk to and see. It is still rather safe, though I would not let son go anywhere alone at Mission Beach. Just my opinion.

carbogilligan

That's a tough question, however, if you have not been to either than I would first experience Sea World! There is so much to see and do and you'll both enjoy it! In addition to the entertaining shows, there is a great 'play area' with rope walls to climb when your 7 year old needs to burn off some energy. And the best part if you stay at Paradise Point, you are less than 5 minutes from the park.
My vote is for Sea World! Let me ask you a question, what additional sites do you plan to see in the city besides the zoo?

Kath

Well I was still fleshing that out. We are staying four nights. I was thinking that one full day each at Legoland, Seaworld, and the zoo might be trying to pack in too much, so I was thinking about taking it easy one day, going to Seaport Village, checking out Balboa Park and I'm not sure what else. But I bet if I asked him he'd rather hit a park everyday.

Heavens

Kath,

Legoland is far up north. Maybe about 45 minutes from where you are. And you can run into traffic.

There are lots of things to do in your neighborhood. Even just hanging out at your resort and enjoying activities there could fill up a day.

Balboa Park is about 15 ? minutes away from PP. At the park, besides many wonderful museums like the Natural History and Museum of Man, you also have the Ruben H. Fleet Science museum that shows Imax. Some of the films showing there right now are getting rave reviews, like Coral Reef Adventure and there is also a film on Australia. There is much to do at the park and it can take 1/2 a day or a full day. They also have restaurants and cafes there. Go here:

http://www.jessiesweb.com/rain2.htm

to see the park. It is one of my favorite places in SD. Although there are many. The architecture alone is worth the visit, and the grounds. You could even take a picnic lunch if you want. The Botanical bldg is a must see. Even son will like it. Great place for pitures too. You'll have a ball.

Old Town is another fun place for a half day visit. It is kind of old Mexico little area with plazas, pretty good Mexican restaurants, fun shops and little museums to explore. Beautiful area. But if you want to eat dinner there, get there early and put your name in. Can get real busy during break at dinner time.

Have fun. It is a great town.

carbogilligan

In addition to my four year old daughter, I have two sons who are now teenagers. However, we took them to san Diego when they were 6 and 7 and they really didn't enjoy Old Town that much. In fact, they weren't that impressed with the zoo either. It looked like any other zoo to them.
Although Legoland wasn't built then, I'm sure they would have enjoyed it. My daughter certainly does. It is a unique park with many clever rides and exhibits. You may want to make the drive. I don't know where you are travelling from, but there is no other park like it in the U.S. Legoland is relatively "small" since it is a new park. If you're willing and able, I'd add it to the itinerary.

Kath

We'll be coming from Dallas. He's been to Six Flags here, but never Seaworld or anything like Legoland. Maybe we'll just do all three. I had started out planning a Disney vacation but everything was so expensive and pretty much booked up for Spring Break. Hopefully things won't be insanely crowded at these parks during the same time, although I'm sure they get their crowds too. Its the first time we've traveled just the two of us. I so appreciate all your help.

Jocelyn_P

Just to confuse you, may I also suggest the Wild Animal Park? It's affiliated with the zoo, but the animals are in large enclosures, much like their native habitat. You can take a tram through the park and watch nature "in action." There are also ways to experience the animals more close-up. It's in Escondido, probably about 30-40 minutes from where you are. Many of our visitors prefer it to the zoo. http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/visitor_info.html

Kath

Thanks for the info Jocelyn. I'll check it out.

Miranda

Kath, I would actually pick Sea World and Legoland over the zoo for a seven year old boy. He's a great age to be really into Legoland. I don't think he's too old for it yet, and is at an age when many boys are fascinated by Lego. The zoo is world class, and I don't mean to sound negative, but it's frankly not all that different from other great zoos. And often horribly crowded. So if I HAD to choose, I'd move it lower on my list. Sea World is always lots of fun for everybody and to my mind, does a better job of managing crowds of people than the zoo. This is just my personal opinion -- you may well have different priorities and interests than I do. Partly it depends on where you live --- if you have easy access now to a good zoo or marine park, that may affect what you'd rather do in San Diego. Whatever you decide, you'll have a great time!