Hope the weather is perfect for you wby. What do you plan to do while you're here?

Didn't know about this hotel since I live in the area and don't stay in hotels in SD. As much as I love Coronado, I think booking the Homewood Suites is a better deal for your family. You certainly will have more room and the fact that it includes breakfast, parking and internet will certainly save you money. The pictures look nice. I will have to check out the location next time I am in that area.

My aunt stayed at the Homewood Suites for 2 months due to the wildfires and damage to her house. The insurance company had to use a crowbar to get her out of the hotel because she loved it so much. The windows are well insulated so airplane noise is not an issue in the room. Crime is not a problem and as others mentioned there is new development all around the place.

I've been to lots of parties at the Marriot and it too is nice. The one thing it has over the homewood is views of san diego downtown. There will be more traffic issues for the Marriot because you have to go over the bridge as well as go through the freeway downtown. The extra space would be nice in the Homewood Suites. It just depends on what you want to do in SD and how much space you want.

Worse case scenario, flip a coin because you can't go wrong with either.

itsv - yes, that view of the city is a killer and the only reason I still have the booking! But I don't think that the small amount of time we'd sit on the balcony, admiring the view, would justify the extra cost and less space, alas. My ideal would be a place on the beach, but I've searched the coastline around on Google Earth and haven't come up with anything which is affordable, available and suitable. The closest I've come is Loews on Coronado, but, again, the space we would have wouldn't be as good as at the Homewood Suites.

L8 - can't say we've given this an awful lot of thought, as it's the last stop on our long cross-country trip. But we do have tickets for a baseball game and we'll 'do' Old Town, Balboa Park, Coronado, Pacific, Mission and Silver Sands beaches - probably Horton Place and Seaport Village. Maybe take a boat trip around the harbour. Probably won't go to the Zoo or SeaWorld, but maybe the Wild Animal Park. We only have 2.5 days and it will be nice to be able to just 'go easy'.

If you are looking for things to cut out, let me make some suggestions, even though you didn’t ask for them. I hope you don’t mind.

Go to Balboa Park on the same day you go to the Padres game, it’s fairly close.

First- Wild Animal Park is up in Escondido, about 35 miles from where you’ll be staying. If you want to take it easy, this might be a good thing to cut. The Zoo is almost a part of Balboa Park. It’s a great zoo, if you’re into them. If you are coming in the summer months both the zoo and WAP are open at night. It’s much better to take advantage of this b/c if it’s hot (and it very well may be) animals are lazy during the hot day. Best time to see big cats is at dusk.

If you like shopping Horton Plaza is a big mall with stores that you will see all across the US. (seems like you’re not from the States?), Seaport Village is a tourist trap of small shops with stuff that says, “San Diego” on it. (all made in China)

I haven’t been to the “new” Old Town but it’s an interesting look at old San Diego circa 1800’s . Hey, we get excited about anything over 100 years old. You’ll see.

I’d skip the Silver Strand and you wouldn’t be missing much. It’s a long stretch of beach, flanked on one side by a road.

La Jolla is the much more attractive beach. Ocean Beach is nearby where you’ll be staying and the tide pools and cliffs are interesting there.

Well you're just getting all kinds of advice from me today.

I saw on your other thread about scrapbooking. I've never been into this store but my sister used to go to this one and it's near where you'll be staying:

Scrapbook Your Life!
3655 Camino Del Rio W #A
San Diego CA 92110

located where the 5 & 8 Freeways meet Rosecrans St / Camino del Rio West! We're between Jefferson and Moore Street. Some of our neighbors are Marine Boat (formally Piano Exchange), B&L Bikes (formerly The Candle Factory) and Rent a Harley. And we're directly across the street from Denny's

The Piano Exchange isn't there any more? LOL! Shows how long it is since I drove that way!

I agree with everythng L84Sky wrote, but I'd suggest driving a little further north up the coast to Del Mar and having lunch at either Jake's or Poseidon. They're right next to the beach there and both have valet parking.It's a great beach and there's a little grassy park on the hillside too.

La Jolla is a lovely place to visit though. George's Terrace is a fabulous place for either lunch or dinner. I really prefer it to the main restaurant. Trattoria Aqua is also very good and they do wonderful Bellinis.

Barbara, when I cut and pasted the directions I noticed how many "formerlys" there were. LOL, I remember when it was formerly a travel store. It's just a lousy location for a business and the business has to be specific enough that people will put up with trying to get in there.

Del Mar is a great idea, and there's that little mall at the end of the main drag there. Do you know the place and what it's called? That would be a much better shopping venue than Seaport Village (IMO)

And they have a scrapbooking store
Flashbacks at 2673 Via De La Valle # F Del Mar, CA 92014
(858) 481-8878ý (It's gotten mixed reviews - never been there myself).

Great scrapbook info, L8 - thanks!
We're not terribly keen to go to the zoo or sea world. We have zoo's close by us (although they don't have pandas!) and one only a couple mile drive. It's an interesting place; a very small zoo, which the previous owner neglected so much that his license was taken away and the fate of the animals was very unclear, until somebody stepped in and bought the place. He's now trying his darndest to clean up the place. They made a documentary about the zoo on BBC (Ben's Zoo). We visited just before Christmas and we were the only people there! Now then, I love tigers and bears - but the tigers are in an enclosure which I don't consider terribly safe and I had the unnerving feeling that one was following me around - really gave me the creeps, especially when (I think the next day!) that tiger escaped at San Fran zoo! Also, here in Plymouth (UK), we have the National Marine Aquarium - so plenty of fishy stuff (love fishies and my last course towards my Earth Science degree was oceanography!) - but we've seen whale shows in the South of France and they're not really our thing, so we will pass on SeaWorld. The Wild Animal Park is still an option though. And I'll certainly be interested in the cliffs! Lunch at Del Mar sounds great - as does Perry's for breakfast!
Isn't everything made in China?! (way off topic) Yesterday, we bought a new vacuum cleaner. Almost the last bastion of British manufacture (we thought) "Hoover". Oh, a British company alright and the website is .co.uk. But the machine is made in China .... they made thousands of workers redundant in a small town in South Wales (Merthyr Tydfel), where there is about the highest unemployment rate in the country - and now get the cleaners made in China, because it's cheaper. What can you do?
I always look for locally handcrafted souvenirs. I wonder where those snowglobe-type-things, containing dead scorpions are made?

I think those scorpion things are still made in AZ. Oh boy, don't forget they make them with tarantulas inside too! How fun. My FIL brought me one once. I told him it will look great buried in the garage. Quirky, but I still adored him (but not always his gifts).

Sounds like you've got some good plans. If the cliffs and tide pools interests you- Cabrillo National Monument is right down the street from where you'll be, it's a nice hike.

There are places in SD where you can buy things made by local artisans.

Thanks L8. I did buy a scorpion thing - but I couldn't even pick up the tarantulas - could barely even look at them! Good to know that they're made in the US though! We will certainly look at Cabrillo National Monument - thank you.

I'll second the Cabrillo National Monument. Tidepools, plus the best view of the city.

Gotta agree about the Cabrillo Monument. I try to go there everytime I come to SD. Worth the few $ entry fee.