I am planning a vacation 12/25-12/30 for my family...we will be staying at Hotel Del Coronda, with my 2 sons ages 21 and 18 years old...need suggestions on what to do and where to go, besides the Zoo....from 12/30- 1/2 we will be in Vegas at the Mirage...we will have a car the whole trip and don't mind driving, so please send some suggestions as to some day trips in San Diego!!! also will go to Hoover dam and probably visit Grand Canyon in vegas, any other ideas??? any good inexpensive restaurant suggestions at either destination would be appreciated...we live in north jersey(20 min. from NYC) so food isn't that important, we know we have the best restaurants near us, but we don't want overpay on vacation....thanks...

Balboa Park has about 15 museums

We love Islands (samll chain) for lunch or dinner, awesome burgers, chicken sandwiches & fish tacos, also great fries & shakes. Also, In N Out fastfood burgers and Roberto's Very Fine Mexican fastfood. (Several around)

Have a great trip!

We live here. Have your son's selected colleges? Tour UCSD La Jolla campus....visit the Glyder Port and watch them jump off the cliff...quite a sight to see. Just below UCSD on La Jolla Farms Road in La Jolla is the Famous Blacks Beach. The boys will really enjoy the sights!!! An energetic hike down and harder coming back up but so much fun. My sister use to live on that street and one year we had Thanksgiving on the beach below the cliffs!

We have the best shelling beaches in the world along the SD coast and it's so much fun to watch the surfers and also this is the time the whales are migrating south. Take a cruise in SD harbor or we always take our visitors on the SD TROLLEY tour. It takes a couple hours and you can get on and get off all along the way. A great way to see and experience the history of SD.

Long, early morning walks along any shoreline when the tides are out are fun. The beaches are my favorite just north of the Del...with Sandunes like where I was brought up on Cape Cod.

Be sure to visit the tidepools in downtown LaJolla and see the sealions all lined up just feet away from you. The cliffs there are beautiful.

These are a few of the FREE things we take advantage of in our home town.

By the way, always at Christmas time we visit the Del just to view the indoor tree and the decorations. How fortunate you and your family are to stay there. I am very happy for you.

We have stayed at the Mirage many times but select Mandalay Bay in warmer weather because they in my opinion have the best pools/wave machines and moving rivers that carry you along. In the winter, we always stay at the Tropicana because it has a great indoor pool. Swimming is a daily necessity in our lives.

Your boys will really enjoy the dam.

have a wonderful time. Might see you!!! We'll be one of the visitors in awe over the beautiful tree at the del.

Maureen

Do you know Tony Soprano??????




****Just kidding*****

I think you left out Sea World for a day activity. Also perhaps a visit
to La Jolla.Walk around have lunch or dinner. Visit the Marine Room. A great place for a drink or lunch. Close by is Scripps Institute. There is a visit to Old Town. History shops, and some wonderful Margarita's and Mexican food. Visit downtown San Diego commonly knows as the Gas light District. Visit Seaport Village. Mainly for shopping. Take the kids to the boardwalk down on Mission Beach by the old roller coaster. Skate boarding, biking on the sea wall.

Get tickets for the Holiday Bowl on December 27. www.holidaybowl.com. The San Diego Chargers will play Seattle at Qualcomm Stadium on December 29 (Go Chargers!!!)Drive out to the Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma for interesting exhibits and a fabulous view of the city .

http://www.sandiego.org/

This is the most popular website for all of San Diego

It gives you lots of good ideas that might be of interest.

blacks beach is actually one of the best beaches in san diego. beach and water wise. it is a unofficial "dress optional beach". if the boys go down, tell them to stay middle to south end (go down by glider port) not the north unless they are gay. it is a workout coming back up.
good pizza - mountain mikes on claremont drive (up from visitors center on mission bay) or at pizza port on the west side of pacific coast highway in solana beach. steak & seafood type of place with decent prices & nice views - tom ham's lighthouse - excellent food.
definitly go down to the boardwalk on pacific beach and rent bikes or roller blades. do the entire boardwalk south then cross over to the bayside for the return trip.
sea world is expensive but well worth the money if you've never seen such a show.

I you even consider going to Black's Beach, please read this web page first.

http://www.sannet.gov/lifeguards/beaches/blacks.shtml

As for Vegas, there's so much to see there if you haven't been, you won't need to fill it up so much. It's a pretty amazing place.
In SD we like Busters, in the SeaPort Village. It's on the water and has a nice atmosphere. It's about $12-$18 per entree.
Also in San Diego, Balboa Park offers lots of museums where you can study space or see dinosaur bones. It's often crowded, but a pretty neat place none the less. Hotel Del is nice in itself. Coming from the cold in NJ, you may just want to enjoy the atmosphere.

Guys your sons ages would like Mission Beach, ride a bike or roller blade down the boardwalk and take in the sights. There is also an amusement park there with a really fun old roller coaster. The Navy Seals train on Coronado, don't know if you could see the base there. My teenage daughters absolutely loved ocean kayaking in La Jolla and the beach in Del Mar.

The drive from Vegas to the Grand Canyon is long, you might plan an overnight stay at the Canyon. You can go by way of Zion and Bryce Canyons, see the dam at Lake Powell.

If your boys are into video games, (riding on jet ski games, etc) there is a Dave & Buster's in Mission Valley.

Disneyland and California Adventures are a day trip from San Diego. The rides at Knotts Berry Farm are also really good.

Loma Vista Seafoods for great eats at low cost. Ask any local how to find it. You will not be sorry!!!