Trip Report - San Diego with Kids
Jun 23rd, 2006, 07:50 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Trip Report - San Diego with Kids
Thanks to the awesome advice from Fodorites over the last six months, we had a fabulous trip to San Diego!! We flew out of Bham,AL on Sat May 27 on SouthWest and had an easy flight. It was the first time flying with our two boys, ages 8 and 12. They were so excited!! (You dont get many real "firsts" with kids that old). They enjoyed the snacks and looking out the window. We arrived in SD at 8:00, on schedule. From there, we took the shuttle to Dollar to pick up our rental van. Since there were four of us and we planned several trips, etc, we knew we would need the extra space. The Chrysler minivan was clean and drove easily and got better mileage than my Honda Odyssey. We had a great rate of $169 for the week, unlimited mileage.
We rented a condo at Capri by the Sea on Pacific Beach! This turned out to be a great decision. We were right on the beach and loved that we could fix breakfast in our unit every day before hitting the road. (We did eat a couple of days at Kona's, which had a very full breakfast for about $4.50) It was a 1 BR unit and the boys slept on the sofa bed with no complaints. The unit was clean and had a balcony that opened to the ocean. Great views!!! We were lucky and experienced no Gray May or June Gloom the entire week. Very pleasant weather.
Sunday, May 28 - After a leisurely morning at the beach, we left for a Padres game against the Cardinals. My 12 yr olds favorite team. We drove to Qualcomm Stadium as advised here and took a trolley to Petco Park. Plenty of safe parking and a nice ride. We later found out if we had took a closer trolley, the parking was gone. The stadium was beautiful and they won the game handily. We got tickets ahead of time with the CocaCola family deal ($50 for 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs and 4 drinks). After the game, we walked around gaslamp and then had dinner at Tinfishe Grill, highly recommended. Great food and the boys loved playing in the fountains out front as it was a very hot day.
Monday, Memorial Day, We decided to go to SeaWorld after much thought, knowing it would be busy. However, the hours were longer and we needed the time to take in all of the shows. (AAA card gets you adult tickets for kid rate and kids are 1/2 price - great deal!) We got there at opening and had a blast. We saw everything we wanted and were done by 6:30. They boys were anxious to get back to the beach, so we grabbed fast food on the way back to the condo.
Tues, May 30-A busy, but fun, day. We toured the Midway Aircraft Carrier, which was highly recommended. The audio tour gave great commentary and the boys loved seeing inside the ship. Next we took the 2 hr Hornblower Cruise, which we booked for 3:00 earlier that morning. It was nice to be out on the water and the Captain was very knowledgeable. Lots of fun! After the harbor cruise, we drove over to Cabrillo Natl Monument. It was closing at 6:00, so we only got to spend a little time on the cliffs. The boys enjoyed looking for crabs in the tide pools. We made a note to come back another day. On the way back to Pacific Beach, we picked up some Kentucky Fried Chicken and had a sunset picnic on the beach! Fun!!
Wed - May 31 - Left early and drove north to Knotts Berry Farm, which turned out to be the highlight of my 12 yr olds trip. The amusement park has a ghost town theme and 9 roller coasters. We had fun and found the park to be very clean, short lines and easy to navigate. (Get discount tickets at Ralphs before you go.) We found the car pool lanes the best way to go and made the almost 2 hr drive go by quickly. On the way back, we detoured to Hwy 101 along the coast. A very beautiful drive and stopped at Oceanside Pier to watch sunset! A lovely beach. We had tacos for a quick dinner and back on the road. We enjoyed the secenic drive along the coast.
Thurs - June 1 - It was very hot as June Gloom had not been present all week (lucky us!). We left early to go to the Wild Animal Park. We had a coupon found online that got us $8 off each ticket. We boarded the train and enjoyed the tour very much. Saw lots of animals out. After the train ride, we walked to a few exhibits and then saw the Elephant show. Cute! After walking around alittle more in 90 + degree heat, we had seen enough and left early aruond 1:00 for lunch in Escondido as recommended by the WAP staff. Mi Gualalahara. Nice Mexican lunch. Then we drove straight to the beach at Coronado. Easy to find and the boys loved driving over the long bridge. Walked up the beach to the Del, but didnt go inside as their was a wedding going on. The boys just wanted to settle down and dig in the sand. We found several whole sand dollars, which was a treat! Stayed until sunset and the home again. Warning - there are no bathrooms or places to change clothes at this beach (right beside the Del). On the way back, we stopped off at Seaport Village, walked around and had dinner.
Friday, June 2 - Today, we drove up to LaJolla to see the Children's Pool and walked along the coast to the Cave Store. I didnt go down, but we allowed our boys to go the 145 steps down to the cave. They loved it, but we were glad we didnt bother to go down. We walked outside to the cliffs and we able to see the caves from outside the store. Lots of kayakers. (We will save that til our next trip). The city was neat and we loved seeing the seals and sea lions along the shores. Next we drove to Torrey Pines and saw the Gliderport. Very cool seeing the hang gliders take off. Very windy! We decided against lunch there as we were told to eat at Jeff's Burgers at LaJolla Shores, by the beach. We took this advice and picked up some great burgers and spent the afternoon at the LaJolla Beach. The beach was shallow to a point, so the water was easy to get used to (cold). We thoroughly enjoyed watching the surfers all week long. On the way back, we stopped at the condo management office to print out our boarding passes for SW return trip home. (A passes!!)
Sat - June 3 - We mostly packed up the night before, but quickly finished and loaded up the car. After a short time on the beach, we headed back to Cabrillo Monument to see the LIghthouse, statue, and hike around before leaving the catch our plane home. Since it was only a short drive from the airport, this was a great way to spend the morning. Later turned the minivan in, a great rental experience with Dollar (no surprises).
As you can tell, we had a great week with varied experiences. Next time we go, there is much more we want to see and can eliminate the things we did this trip. I would definitely stay at the Capri again, a convenient place for the $$. The entire trip was very satisfying and San Diego lived up to its legend. The beaches, weather, food, tours, everything was just perfect. Thanks again for all who took the time to answer my tireless posts.
We rented a condo at Capri by the Sea on Pacific Beach! This turned out to be a great decision. We were right on the beach and loved that we could fix breakfast in our unit every day before hitting the road. (We did eat a couple of days at Kona's, which had a very full breakfast for about $4.50) It was a 1 BR unit and the boys slept on the sofa bed with no complaints. The unit was clean and had a balcony that opened to the ocean. Great views!!! We were lucky and experienced no Gray May or June Gloom the entire week. Very pleasant weather.
Sunday, May 28 - After a leisurely morning at the beach, we left for a Padres game against the Cardinals. My 12 yr olds favorite team. We drove to Qualcomm Stadium as advised here and took a trolley to Petco Park. Plenty of safe parking and a nice ride. We later found out if we had took a closer trolley, the parking was gone. The stadium was beautiful and they won the game handily. We got tickets ahead of time with the CocaCola family deal ($50 for 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs and 4 drinks). After the game, we walked around gaslamp and then had dinner at Tinfishe Grill, highly recommended. Great food and the boys loved playing in the fountains out front as it was a very hot day.
Monday, Memorial Day, We decided to go to SeaWorld after much thought, knowing it would be busy. However, the hours were longer and we needed the time to take in all of the shows. (AAA card gets you adult tickets for kid rate and kids are 1/2 price - great deal!) We got there at opening and had a blast. We saw everything we wanted and were done by 6:30. They boys were anxious to get back to the beach, so we grabbed fast food on the way back to the condo.
Tues, May 30-A busy, but fun, day. We toured the Midway Aircraft Carrier, which was highly recommended. The audio tour gave great commentary and the boys loved seeing inside the ship. Next we took the 2 hr Hornblower Cruise, which we booked for 3:00 earlier that morning. It was nice to be out on the water and the Captain was very knowledgeable. Lots of fun! After the harbor cruise, we drove over to Cabrillo Natl Monument. It was closing at 6:00, so we only got to spend a little time on the cliffs. The boys enjoyed looking for crabs in the tide pools. We made a note to come back another day. On the way back to Pacific Beach, we picked up some Kentucky Fried Chicken and had a sunset picnic on the beach! Fun!!
Wed - May 31 - Left early and drove north to Knotts Berry Farm, which turned out to be the highlight of my 12 yr olds trip. The amusement park has a ghost town theme and 9 roller coasters. We had fun and found the park to be very clean, short lines and easy to navigate. (Get discount tickets at Ralphs before you go.) We found the car pool lanes the best way to go and made the almost 2 hr drive go by quickly. On the way back, we detoured to Hwy 101 along the coast. A very beautiful drive and stopped at Oceanside Pier to watch sunset! A lovely beach. We had tacos for a quick dinner and back on the road. We enjoyed the secenic drive along the coast.
Thurs - June 1 - It was very hot as June Gloom had not been present all week (lucky us!). We left early to go to the Wild Animal Park. We had a coupon found online that got us $8 off each ticket. We boarded the train and enjoyed the tour very much. Saw lots of animals out. After the train ride, we walked to a few exhibits and then saw the Elephant show. Cute! After walking around alittle more in 90 + degree heat, we had seen enough and left early aruond 1:00 for lunch in Escondido as recommended by the WAP staff. Mi Gualalahara. Nice Mexican lunch. Then we drove straight to the beach at Coronado. Easy to find and the boys loved driving over the long bridge. Walked up the beach to the Del, but didnt go inside as their was a wedding going on. The boys just wanted to settle down and dig in the sand. We found several whole sand dollars, which was a treat! Stayed until sunset and the home again. Warning - there are no bathrooms or places to change clothes at this beach (right beside the Del). On the way back, we stopped off at Seaport Village, walked around and had dinner.
Friday, June 2 - Today, we drove up to LaJolla to see the Children's Pool and walked along the coast to the Cave Store. I didnt go down, but we allowed our boys to go the 145 steps down to the cave. They loved it, but we were glad we didnt bother to go down. We walked outside to the cliffs and we able to see the caves from outside the store. Lots of kayakers. (We will save that til our next trip). The city was neat and we loved seeing the seals and sea lions along the shores. Next we drove to Torrey Pines and saw the Gliderport. Very cool seeing the hang gliders take off. Very windy! We decided against lunch there as we were told to eat at Jeff's Burgers at LaJolla Shores, by the beach. We took this advice and picked up some great burgers and spent the afternoon at the LaJolla Beach. The beach was shallow to a point, so the water was easy to get used to (cold). We thoroughly enjoyed watching the surfers all week long. On the way back, we stopped at the condo management office to print out our boarding passes for SW return trip home. (A passes!!)
Sat - June 3 - We mostly packed up the night before, but quickly finished and loaded up the car. After a short time on the beach, we headed back to Cabrillo Monument to see the LIghthouse, statue, and hike around before leaving the catch our plane home. Since it was only a short drive from the airport, this was a great way to spend the morning. Later turned the minivan in, a great rental experience with Dollar (no surprises).
As you can tell, we had a great week with varied experiences. Next time we go, there is much more we want to see and can eliminate the things we did this trip. I would definitely stay at the Capri again, a convenient place for the $$. The entire trip was very satisfying and San Diego lived up to its legend. The beaches, weather, food, tours, everything was just perfect. Thanks again for all who took the time to answer my tireless posts.
Jun 23rd, 2006, 08:25 AM
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
mommybryant -- thanks for posting your trip report..great to hear your enjoyment! my family and i are heading out for SD tomorro morning.. driving from AZ.. but will only be there about 24 hours.. for a wedding. Going again next weekend and will have more time for relaxation. Believe it or not the best part of your report, for me, was the recco for Jeff's Burgers! mmmmm.
Glad you had such a great memory-maker with your boys!
Glad you had such a great memory-maker with your boys!
Jun 23rd, 2006, 08:57 AM
#3
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Do you mind if I ask more about the Capri? Is a week the minimum stay? Can you tell me how much was the rental? We might be interested in that as opposed to a hotel...thanks. Sounds like a fun trip. Your boys must have loved it.
Jun 23rd, 2006, 11:43 AM
#5
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,874
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ah, brings back memories of our San Diego trip years ago. We rented a condo and the TV had Cartoon Network, to which my kids had never been exposed. So we're hiking in Torrey Pines, the view is is incredible, with the waves crashing below us, and the kids say "I want to go back to the condo and watch Cartoon Network."
Jun 23rd, 2006, 11:48 AM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Missy, Your boys and mine would get along fine. My son's 2nd favorite thing was the Padres game. Forget the beautiful scenes, ocean waves, natural beauty, etc. I told him we might as well as gone to Atlanta for a week, swam in the pool, went to the Braves game and Sic Flags. LOL I am sure he got more out of the trip, but those were his fav things.
Jun 23rd, 2006, 11:51 AM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Heavens, Our rate was really good as their Spring rates go til midJune. We paid $1000 + tax for a "silver" unit, which was perfect for our bunch. You can also get "gold" units which are nicer. All face the beach. Having the unit was more comfortable than a hotel room for our bunch, cheaper, and allowed for a full sized kitchen for breakfast and a refri for drinks. We loved every minute of our trip and spent lots of time walking the boardwalk and beach each evening. The area we were in was quieter and more family-friendly. Frisbee and wiffle ball games every afternoon. Highly recommended place to stay.
Jun 23rd, 2006, 12:35 PM
#8
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mommybryant, do I just google Capri or is their some agency I would need to contact. That price for a one bedroom is good. I am sure it goes up in July and August. If you can, let me know how to contact...thanks.
Jun 23rd, 2006, 03:33 PM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here is the website we used, though I have noticed there are several. This management company was easy to communicate with. As you can see, summer rates are much higher, but they do offer daily rates. You can compare the convenience of having a kitchen and more space, being on the ocean, and having good parking with the hotels you are considering. Might be worth the addl rates.
http://www.beachfrontsandiego.com/rates.html
http://www.beachfrontsandiego.com/rates.html
Jun 23rd, 2006, 04:07 PM
#10
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wow, thanks mommybryant. The places look pretty big. I wish on the pics they would say if they were one or two bedroom. Did you find the one bedroom to be pretty big enough? I have two teens, 19 and 15, and am afraid one br would not be enough. Great looking places though. I really like the winter rates...
Jun 23rd, 2006, 05:33 PM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Heavens, It just depends on your boys. My younger ones were happy to sleep in the main room with a TV and always were up quietly watching TV before we awakened. Your boys might sleep late and want more privacy. The picture you saw has a mirror on the back wall so it appears larger. I would guess they are 800-900 sq ft. Click under "photos" and then "property views" to see individual pictures of the units. I requested unit 811 and actually got it. There are no guarantees however. When are you going??
Sandy, We did have a great time! And I am happy to help with the website. This was the most challenging part of planning a vacation from Alabama to SD, where we knew nothing about the town or locations, etc. We had several places in mind, but were so happy this is where we ended up.
Sandy, We did have a great time! And I am happy to help with the website. This was the most challenging part of planning a vacation from Alabama to SD, where we knew nothing about the town or locations, etc. We had several places in mind, but were so happy this is where we ended up.
