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| San Diego, California |
Our family vacation to San Diego over Spring Break was without a doubt one of the best vacation's my family has ever been on. The weather was ideal and in temperature in the 60's-70's. Not to mention there was so much to see and do in this vibrant city that made us feel like one week just wasn't enough. Can't wait to venture back again! Check out our list of favorite's we enjoyed while there.
San Diego Zoo
One of the most famous zoo's in the world and one of the largest zoo's in the United States San Diego Zoo is a must see. There are thousands of animals and plants to observe. We all really enjoyed riding the Skyfari Aerial Tram across the zoo to check out the views of it all. In addition, the Guided Bus Tour through the zoo was quite informative and engaging, even for our four year old. Convenience wise, there are plenty of places to eat and navigation was easy. A day well spent. USS Midway Museum
The USS Midway Museum is a must see. It's captivating from outside but inside as well. Four of the main exhibit types are the Hangar Deck, Flight Deck, Below Deck and Aircraft Gallery (my son's favorite). While there you can enjoy a Guided Tour or if you have unpredictable little's the Self-Guided Tour is a nice option. Don't miss out on the Battle of Midway Theater and Flight Simulations. The museum hosts Catapult and Trap Talks for those who have kids old enough to sit for a set period of time. Not only educational, but fun. Mission Beach
After a busy couple days, we decided to spend a more low key day at San Diego's Mission Beach. This peaceful, relaxing gem was a nice break from it all. We had almost of the entire section of the beach to our selves. It was a great day to relax, play in the sand with the kids, read a book and have a picnic. If you were looking for more things to do here though, there is the fun Belmont Park, San Diego Whale Watching Tours and Surfing Classes. A nice retreat away from it all.
Legoland
Legoland California in Anaheim was a busy and fun day for us all. As a parent, if you got to a park with little's one can assume that there will be age requirements on many rides that may prevent you completing everything. The good news was our four year old didn't experience that too much. This park was built for kids between the ages of 3 to upper elementary school kids. Legoland is divided up into different lands based on themes. In each of these lands, there will be offerings of several rides, interactive play areas, and places to dine. Many of the sections had character meet and greets. As a family we enjoyed the Coast Cruise. My four year olds two favorites was the Junior Driving School (seen below) and Coastersaurus.
La Jolla Beach/Birch Aquarium at Scripps
La Jolla Beach is a beautiful, local area that provides stunning views. It is boasted at the "Jewel of San Diego". La Jolla is more populated than Mission Beach as it is by a college campus, but still quite spacious. The Children's Pools are a must see. This area is highly claimed by sea lions and seals. Very captivating to watch from afar. The seashore itself was vibrant with swimmers and surfers enjoying the waves. In addition, at Scripps Birch Aquarium there is an on-look with picturesque views of La Jolla. The Aquarium itself had a many exhibits, such as, Hall of Fishes Elasmo Beach and Tide Pool Plaza (my favorite). The exhibit the captivate our kiddos attention the most was boundless energy. This hands-on playground offered a nice transition for some movement.Disneyland
No trip to this area would have been complete for our family without venturing to Disneyland. We arrived when the parked opened and stayed up until the first firework show that evening. From rides, to food and then to shopping Disney had so much to offer. This park was the perfect size for a family with two kids under 4. In fact, we all rode several rides together. A few of our favorite rides were the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the Gadget's Go Coaster and Rodger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin. We spent a great deal of our time in Mickey's ToonTown. My family's best memories though came from the Star Wars Bay Launch pad with Star Wars character meet and greets. The most awesome part was if you were a Chase card member or any Disney employee you gained access to fast to meet the incredible, Darth Vader. Note my husband and oldest son's expressions. They were in heaven. Can't wait to visit this park again.
Cabrillo National Park
Cabrillo National Park was a awe-struck place to visit. The island is positioned on a peninsula allowing for aerial views of the peninsula, ocean and downtown San Diego. While there we enjoyed visiting the Old Point Loma Lighthouse (above), the Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo Monument, and the Tide Pools at Low tide. We learned a wealth of knowledge about the importance of these historic sites. It was amazing to learn Cabrillo was the first English explorer to set foot on West Coast US soil in the mid 1500's. Quite a nice way to end our San Diego trip.
Lastly, do consider taking advantage of the GO Card SanDiego. This excellent site allows you to select places you would like to go and visit while taking advantage of great deals that save you and your family money. There is a large selection of places to choose from, such as, San Diego Zoo, Legoland, the USS Midway and more. You have the option of accessing an all-inclusive pass or to build your own. Also, you can choose the amount of days for the pass that meets the needs of your families vacation time. Once the purchase is complete, download the required app and pull up your bar codes to be scanned when visiting the location of your choice. We used this while on our vacation and will definitely be doing so again on our next trip to San Diego.
~ Happy Travels
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