San Diego Advice needed
 

My parents are attending Dad's Navy ship reunion in San Diego in October. As we have done in the past, they agree to pay my hotel room and I agree to be the driver and general go-fer for whatever they want to do. I'm the one that must figure out the logistics to get around, come up with restaurant ideas, etc.

Dad will be 80 in December. He's had both hips replaced, both knees replaced and is severely limited in mobility. As an example, he is unable to cross the street of an ordinary intersection; I don't believe he would be able to even reach the median within the allotted time. He refuses to use a wheelchair. He does have a cane which he will use, and he does have a walker with the seat. As an added barrier, he is in denial about his physical limitations and will insist he can do something, which often results in dangerous situations...he has fallen, he has created hazardous traffic situations, etc.

Mom is 78 and in good shape; she still goes to the gym three days a week. She tends to give in to Dad's insistence he can do something. She will agree to my decisions despite Dad getting furious with me. (Ah, family dynamics!)

We are driving to San Diego on October 6 and expect to arrive late afternoon. We are staying at the Holiday Inn by the Bay where the reunion is to be held. The reunion begins Thursday afternoon on October 7th. There is a tour of the Midway on Friday mid-morning and then a dinner cruise that evening. It appears that Saturday is a "free" day. We check out on Sunday morning and drive home.

Dad says there is a shuttle that will take him from the hotel to The Midway. Can anyone tell me how far away the shuttle drops off passengers from the ship? I've viewed The Midway website to get a view but can't really tell. I'm wondering if it would be easier for me to drive them down and drop them off and park..I'm assuming so? I'm expecting Dad to agree to using a wheelchair once at the musuem. (I'll be attending the tour also, pushing the wheelchair.)

Dining....my parents are not foodies, and they tend to be uncomfortable choosing restaurants in unfamiliar areas. If left to their own devices they would find an Applebees or Chili's for dinner. However, they would like me to find local restaurants and I would love some recommendations. I expect they may be too tired to go out on Wednesday evening and will want to eat in the hotel restaurant. This leaves me at least two nights for dinner...Thursday and Saturday. I expect they will not want to spend more than $20 -$25 per person(all in). Any recommendations in the Little Italy area? Or? If you have any reccos for breakfast and lunch, that would be great too. I would like at least one good breakfast place on Sunday morning as it is unlikely we will stop for lunch on the way home.

Egads this is long! Any help is appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Oh, and I'm hoping to squeeze in a visit to Balboa Park (I want to go to the Timken Museum of Art), Mom would like to go to Horton's Plaza, and I had also suggested a visit to Cabrillo National Park.

I was thinking Balboa on Thursday morning. I'm hoping for some free time on Friday afternoon between the Midway tour and the dinner cruise to take Mom to Horton's plaza, and possibly on Saturday we could go to Cabrillo National Park. It's likely I will have one other couple in the car with us. Mom and I don't tire easily, but the others will. Is this a reasonable itinerary?

I currently have internet access only at work since my home pc crashed and burned; rest assured I'll answer any questions, etc. as I can.

You do know Horton Plaza is just a mall, right?

H sf7307 Yes. I know Horton's Plaza is just a mall and I've told Mom this. But Mom wants to go, and since I'm going primarily to drive them around where they want to go......

As long as you know :-) And dad is not joining you for this, right? Because it's full of stairs, half-floors, etc. You can do it using elevators, but it would be a pain to do.

I can't swear that there are no accomodations for wheelchairs on the Midway, but there are so many little stairways with little head room, and there are raised thresholds everywhere on the ship and a host of others obstacles. I am not sure how much he will be able to see other than the main deck and the one below.

In Little, we like Filippi's Pizza Grotto http://www.realcheesepizza.com/

This is long if you can stand wading through it all:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...rip-report.cfm

I am assuming Dad is going to stay behind and talk glory days with the guys. I suspect Mom has been told by well meaning(and shopaholic) friends that Horton Plaza is a must. I'm not a shopper and this holds no interest for me whatsoever, but then again I drove them around back East and hit every outlet mall (or so it seemed)from Boston up through Maine and back.

I'd love to say this is a mini-vacation for me but it is not. I tend to come home more stressed and tired than when I left but it's hard to say no to my parents as otherwise they would likely not be able to go as Mom cannot handle Dad on her own.

HOrton Plaza is very hard to navigate, and mediocre shops. I would go to Fashion Valley instead-about 8 minutes from downtown. Midway is across the street from the HOliday Inn. She might also like Seaport Village, touristy shops, but fun to walk along and on the bayfront.

Little Italy-Mona Lisa is good. You might like going to Old Town, and best restaraunt there is Guadalajara Grill (outside seating!)

I'm visiting my dad in San Diego this Saturday (just for the afternoon - I'm close enough to go back and forth the same day). I'd like to visit the Midway, but he's 91 and although in great shape for a 91-year old, I'm not sure if he'd be capable (or willing) to do all that walking/climbing. If we do, I'll be sure to let you know how it went.

Hi DebitNM, the Midway website says 60% of the ship is wheelchair accessible and they have wheelchairs available. So once we can't continue, my plan of action is to go to the cafe and sit with him and have an iced tea or something until the tour is over. He'll be happy to see what he sees and while he can be a curmudgeon he has moments where he realizes he is just unable to do something.

Thanks for the recommendation. I've added Filippi's to my list.

Your trip sounded like it was fun.

I would recommend Filippi's Pizza Grotto too because the prices are good and it is one of the original restaurants in the Little Italy area, so it is very authentic.

However, I also like the Fish Market because the food is much better. It can be slightly more pricey but if you can shares entrees it is a much better ambiance! Call ahead to reserve a bay front window table. Plus it is right next door to the Midway Aircraft Carrrier and they have a lot of parking.

http://www.thefishmarket.com/default.aspx

I would skip Horton Plaza because it is not very handicapped friendly AT ALL! It is a standard mall with all the big box stores you can find at home.

I certainly think Balboa Park's Timkin Museum is doable as is Cabrillo National Monument but you'd have to forgo Horton Plaza and limit your time to half a day at each.

You might enjoy taking the pedestrian ferry (you catch it on the Embarcadero not too far from your hotel and The Midway) across to Coronado. Actually you'd probably want to drive over to Coronado. The Hotel Del Coronado is very historic. Also Coronado has a lot of cute shops along Orange Ave near 10th Street. I recommend sitting outdoors at Tent City Restaurant for lunch.

http://www.tentcityrestaurant.com/

Once you are on Coronado Island (because your dad is retired Navy) he might enjoy driving onto North Island. Ask at the gate if there is someone who might be able to show you around. If not ask if they have a list or directions to places of interest on base.

also you might want to check out The Prado Restuarant if you go to the Temkin Museum (it's right across the street and is a beautiful setting especially if you sit outdoors.)

http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/restaurants/theprado/

Daisee-thanks for Seaport Village and Fashion Valley suggestions;I'll check those out. Mom is fixated on Horton Plaza but maybe I can convince her otherwise. Yeah, I realize Midway is across the street from the hotel but realistically there is no way I can get Dad across without driving him there. New restaurants added to the list. Thanks!

sf7307- appreciate the heads up if you do go to the Midway. He's determined to go and I won't say no but at least I'll know what I can expect when we do go.

Oh sorry, as far as the shuttle vs you driving them I would double check at the hotel but I don't think there is much of a walk at all from where the shuttle would drop them off and the Midway. Any walk there would be would be because cars wouldn't be able to get any closer.

Good Idea Daisee - Seaport Village would be much better I forgot about that. It is and the other end of the Embarcadero just a few hundred yards from the Midway in fact.

nanabee-thanks for the restaurants;I read a trip report from someone who went to several baseball games and I believe they had eaten at The Fish Market, plus it's so very close to the hotel. I had considered driving over to Coronado Island, especially if I have the other couple in the car (they are from Maine and I don't believe have ever been to San Diego)but I'll have to play that by ear depending on how much time I have. Thanks for the shuttle information.

The pedestrian ferry sounds interesting. If I was visiting by myself there's a ton of things I'd love to do but I guess I'm just going to have to make a list for the next time I get a chance to go to San Diego.

Have a great trip whoknew! :)

I agree with nanabee and Daisee.

Horton Plaza is a mediocre mall at best, but Fashion Valley is very good.

Try to make it to the Cabrillo National Monument.

The Prado restaurant is excellent.

The interesting thing about Horton Plaza is that it is open air (for someone from Buffalo, this is a pretty cool feature). And it doesn't require much investment of time if you are already walking around the Gaslamp. But, in the end, it is just a mall. I second the suggestion to take your Mom to Seaport Village.

I don't know if your Dad could get into a pedi-cab, but you can call one and they can get you across the street, they are usually also around the embarcadero. From the Midway, they can also pedi-cab down to Seaport Village (Fish Market right there for a nice lunch)