San Diego in December
 

Thinking about visiting San Diego with the family after Christmas (late December through the first week in January). What will the weather be like? Need to rent a car. We will be flying into San Diego on Southwest Airlines. What car rental agency is best and most convenient? Any good restaurant ideas for families? Thanks for your help.

It will either be warm enough for short sleeves or cool enough for a sweater. It really is a tough call. Most Xmas's turn out to be a jeans and short sleeve shirt kind of day, but every now and then it is cool enough for a light sweater, definitely need one at night.<BR>All car rental agencies are at the same location and require taking a shuttle across the street from the airport (try to get an airport rental agency, not one on Hawthorn or Sassafras, which is close but a little less convenient).<BR>SD is pretty family friendly, so you can't go wrong with most restraunts, perhaps with the exception of some downtown and the higher end ones in La Jolla. Try Old Town, Pacific Beach, Coronado. Miguel's is great, World Famous, Casa de Bandidni.

Where are you staying and how old are the kids???

Janet: We have made reservations at Sommerset Suites in Hillcrest. I got a $99 rate which includes two separate rooms, full kitchen and full bath. We stayed there l0 years ago and it was perfect for our needs. With kids, ages 12 and 6, we prefer not to eat out every meal and we like this location. Are you familiar wtih this property? Any comments will be appreciated. Many thanks.

I know you didn't ask me, but a friend of mine just stayed there 2 weeks ago and I've lived here for 25 years so maybe I can help. This is right next to Mercy Hospital, in fact, many of the patients from out of town stay there. Lots of ambulance noise. It is also is a pretty commercial area, which can get cute a block or two away but right there is very busy, traffic wise and not very attractive. This is also in the gay area of San Diego called Hillcrest which has great restaurants but if you are bothered by that lifestyle this is not the place for you. I would definitely look into staying somewhere wlse. There is a reason the price is so good. For family vacations, I would look at Pacific or Mission Beach, maybe even Coronado (not the Del though).

There is a Residence Inn in La Jolla that I have heard good things about. I don't think it's on the beach but it would fit your criteria and is in a much better area.

HI AB,<BR><BR>We just got back from a trip to San Diego and really enjoyed it. We stayed at the Marriott Courtyard, dowtown, which was nice, clean, and within walking distance to the Gas Lamp District. <BR><BR>For hotels, we've used quickbook.com, and have had good results in in the past.<BR><BR>We went to the Hillcrest area, and although it's a bit closer to the zoo and Balboa Park, it seems that it would be nicer to be closer to the water.<BR><BR>By the way, our friends who live there suggested "Hash House A Go-Go" for breakfast one day, and we loved it! Great for families--big portions, inexpensive, and very innovative cuisine. They are also supposed to be popular at dinner, but I can't comment on the dinner.<BR><BR>

I'm sure if you shop around possibly you could get that rate somewhere close to the beach as it is not the high season. It could well be beach weather, at the most the days should be nice. Why don't you check around Pacific Beach and let us know what you have found and we'll let you know if their nice places. Your kids will loves it as there is the boardwalk for sckating, bike riding and lots of places to eat around.

I think they are seeking something very economical, that is why they have chosen Hillcrest for the $99.00 per night. It seems to fit the needs, given the room they are seeking. I would have to agree with previous comments I would seek something someplace else in a different area. I know kids would like the P.B. area. it is far more attractive, fun then Hillcrest. I would really check for a different accomodation.

Personally I would stay near the beach in Pacific Beach or La Jolla, especially with kids that age. The water is never really warm, but you can swim or float or body surf.<BR><BR>Also, be aware the San Diego hosts the Holiday Bowl (college football game) during that time. If you get stuck in a hotel with a bunch of rowdy fans, it could make for a miserable couple days. Some friends of ours visited several years ago and stayed downtown where the hotels and restaurants were overrun be loud and obnoxious fans.

Many, many thanks for everyone's wonderful input. We will look for a better location and will keep you posted.

that is a very good rate for during the christmas break. while i agree that pacific/mission beach would be nicer, you will not find a place for that price with 2 rooms and a full kitchen. if you can afford to pay more then go for it otherwise, as long as you and your kids don't mind seeing a lot of gay people then hillcrest is a very lively area and close to the zoo.<BR>there is a hotel right on the beach called the surfer motor inn. it is old and in need of some repair but we had two connecting rooms with a kitchen for a pretty good rate (around $100). it has an outdoor pool.

Looking into the Residence Inn in La Jolla and Bahia Resort Hotel at this point, though the Bahia does not have kitchen/refrig./or microwave and does not provide breakfast. Any other properties that you like on Pacific or Mission Bay/Beach? Many thanks for your input - I think we're now going in the right direction.

I was in a room on the bayside at the Bahia last Halloween and the room was huge, with 2 double/queen beds, one couch pullout double bed, a dining area and a fully stocked kitchen. This would be great if you can get it. It was in one of the outer buidings with a patio that opened out to a grassy area across from the bay. It may not be listed online, maybe try giving them a call. In Pacific Beach there's also a place called the Beach Cottages. A little older and I haven't been inside one in a few years(nothing like Surfer Lodge, please don't go there, so rundown) but they are actually cottages on the boardwalk with bedrooms, living room, kitchen, etc. Bahia would be nicer but the location of this place can't be beat. I just looked up the info in the phone book for you. "The Beach Cottages" 4255 Ocean Place (858)483-7440

By fully stocked kitchen, I mean fridge and utensils, plates, cups, pots, etc...no food of course!

How about those little pier cottages that were located in P.B. I think it was called Crystal Pier? Also maybe Pacific Terrace. Located on the beach in P.B. I have no clue about pricing.

You have to book those pier cottages way before your trip based on my experience. Also, even though they're older they are still pretty pricey. That's the name though.

I stayed at The Beach Cottages and location-wise it was great. Right on the beach and boardwalk but I didn't even think to check if they had air-conditioning, which they didn't. Luckily it was only for one night and we had a nice breeze in the morning. As I went down the boardwalk there were several apartment-style rentals available. I will try and find the brochure that I brought back and will post the name if I do. It's more of a drive to get to some of the attractions but we were just there that trip to relax.

I found a great rate at the Bahia Resort (129.00 for studio through December) via the Seaworld site, follow links to recommended hotels.

I wouldn't worry about a lack of ac in december, especially on the beach!

I drove by these hotels to day and they looked very nice and one block from beach. Surf and Sand and Pacific Shores, both on Mission Blvd and small enough that you might get good rates.

Since you mentioned Sommerset Suites, I must tell you about my experience there last year. I had stayed there twelve years before and enjoyed it; however, this time there was a problem. Every time one of us walked across the floor, the people below would phone the front desk to complain about the noise. Either they had exceptional hearing or (more likely) the soundproofing is terrible. We had to endure this problem for several days, since the management was not willing to move us.

I found good rates at this website www.sandiegogetaway.com Maybe the Comfort Suites would suit your needs. Have fun!

Better take jackets for mornings and nights afternoons aren't bad but cold at night. We are from kansas and go twice a year and made the mistake of not taking jackets and froze. We like to use alamo for rentals and if you belong to sams club you can get a very good discount.

The weather can be in the 60's for highs, but sometimes warmer. A light jacket will get you through. For restaurants, I'd recommend The Old Spaghetti Factory on 5th in downtown San Diego. They make fresh-baked loaves of bread that are hot out of the oven. Just down the street on Harbor Drive, or close-by, is a barbecue place, although I forget the name. It's where they filmed the "Great Balls of Fire" scene in the movie Top Gun. The last two times I ate there, we got the sampler platter, which was HUGE, and the food was outstanding. If you like Mexican food, El Torito's is excellent, but I like to go to this one place called Roberto's and get some rolled tacos with guacamole, cheese and Roberto's hot sauce, and a carne asada burrito. Of course, it's too much to eat, but it's good. Some people don't like Roberto's, but I've always loved it. The one I frequented on 28th Street has closed, but there's another one not too far away. It looks like a fast-food place, but really the food is very good. For places to see, I liked to go to Ocean Beach. There's a nice little town there with lots of good coffee shops and tea shops, and "you name it it's there" shops. Continue through the town and you'll reach Sunset Cliffs Blvd, which has about 6 different little areas where you can park and walk down to the water and watch the waves come in. It's especially enjoyable when it's a bit windy because the waves get a bit taller and make some impressive sights when they crash into the shore. Of course, going there at sunset is a good refresher for the soul.

I should add that nights sometimes got down into the 40's during winter months, and was especially cold near the water. When you get away from the ocean, it warms up dramatically. But I remember standing pier watches more than once and being very cold. So if you're near the ocean at night, a light jacket might not be enough. Also, there's a mall in downtown SD called Horton Plaza. They have a parking garage. I used to like going there and browsing the shops, and I would sometimes pick up a hot cinnamon bun and sit outside under the gas patio heaters. Very enjoyable!