Feature articles are reprinted from previously published Kids' Guides. Please consult the featured website links for current information and rates.
San Diego
Against a backdrop of natural beauty, surrounded by beaches, mountains and desert, and graced with average year-round temperatures of 70 degrees, San Diego is a terrific vacation destination with many unique attractions for families. With several major regions for lodging, each offers a different perspective on the city.
coronado island
Coronado Island is a seaside community with some of the most beautiful
beaches in southern California. It is a low, narrow peninsula that separates
San Diego Bay from the Pacific Ocean and is easily accessible from downtown
San Diego by a 2.3 mile bridge or ferry service. The U.S. Navy Air Station
occupies the northern tip of the Island, and the remainder is made up of
miles of powdery white sand beaches, charming homes on quiet tree-lined
streets, and specialty shops and restaurants in its historic downtown. The
island has a long history as a resort community
that began with the building of the grand Hotel
del Coronado in 1888. Its developers, Elisha
Babcock and Hampton Story, set out to create a resort that would be the
"talk of the western world." At that time, California was separated
from the rest of the country by vast unsettled territories and wealthy travelers
would journey for seven days by train to stay there. The Del was one of
many luxurious railroad resorts, but today it is one of the few that has
survived and still flourishes as a world-class hotel. It is a living legend
having hosted countless celebrities and dignitaries including fourteen U.S.
presidents.
The Victorian hotel with its white clapboard and distinctive red-roofed turrets is a landmark on Coronado Island. White wicker rockers grace the front porch and a staff of bellmen in derbies and topcoats greet guests. The two-story lobby is dark with vintage paneling and is adjoined by a library on one side and two dramatic banquet rooms on the other. Their vaulted ceilings are architectural marvels, constructed of tongue and groove pine fastened without the use of any nails. The original Otis #61 elevator in the lobby is one of the first fully functioning electric elevators manufactured in America. The antique brass cage is still hand-operated by men wearing uniforms similar to those worn by the monkeys in "The Wizard of Oz." The rear of the lobby opens onto a sunny courtyard garden.
The Hotel del Coronado will be strangely familiar to fans of the classic Billy Wilder movie, "Some Like It Hot," or even to those who have seen or stayed at the Grand Floridian in Disney World. The Disney hotel is a replica of the Del, only two times larger. The original Victorian building has been completed renovated, however, you can still feel the undulating wood floors beneath the fresh carpeting and can't help but feel reverence for the rich history that surrounds you. Rooms are light and airy with Victorian decor and ceiling fans. Oceanfront rooms have balconies overlooking the pool, tennis, dining terraces, and out to the expansive beach beyond. The atmosphere is warm and friendly to families. In season, there are family pool activities, kids arts and crafts, and Kidtopia which offers supervised programs for children ages 4-12. Vibz is a year round activity center for teens ages 13-17. Additional resort amenities include a spa and fitness center, tennis courts with lessons and clinics, boat rentals and instruction, and other activities. Casual and fine dining restaurants at the hotel offer indoor and outdoor dining and children's menus. Downtown Coronado is just a short walk away and offers many additional choices.
The Loews
Coronado Bay Resort is another popular destination
for families. The low-rise resort occupies its own private peninsula on
the San Diego Bay about four miles outside of downtown Coronado. Silver
Strand State Beach on the Pacific is across the highway and is accessible
by guests via an underpass or complimentary shuttle. Loews Resorts nationwide
have reached out to families with their "Loews Loves Kids" program
and, in addition, the Loews Coronado Bay offers a Pottery Barn Kids' Club with innovative, supervised kids activities
for ages 4-12. Teens can enjoy a Teen Lounge, Teen Spa Room and entertaining and educational program offerings. Family activities
include educational beach explorations, marshmallow roasts, family cooking classes, ice cream
socials, basketball shootouts, family snorkeling, and Dive-In Movies, where
both kids and parents enjoy a family movie from a lounge chair or innertube
in the pool. The resort's marina offers wave runner, sailboat, and paddle
boat rentals. And if you can ditch the kids, the Gondola Company offers
romantic cruises through nearby canals accompanied by a serenading gondolier.
Roller blades and bicycles are also available for rent to take advantage
of Coronado Island's 15-mile bike path that extends the entire length of
Coronado, from the Bridge, past the Loews, to Imperial Beach. The resort's
pool area features an adults only pool, whirlpool, and two long interconnected
pools surrounded by lounge chairs and attractive gardens. There are two
restaurants, a poolside eatery, and a small general store offering deli
sandwiches, picnic lunches, coffee, sundries and snacks.
mission beach
Mission Beach and Pacific Beach define the stereotypical southern California
beach scene. Teens and college students will especially enjoy the young crowd and non-stop
beach action. A three-mile concrete boardwalk connects Mission Beach and
Pacific Beach and teems with people biking, rollerblading, skateboarding,
jogging or just plain strolling. Surfers fill the water and volleyball and
sun enthusiasts fill the beach. The area is densely packed with tiny beach
bungalows, and eateries, shops, and clubs dot the boardwalk and surrounding
blocks. The Catamaran
Resort offers
a unique location one block from Mission Beach and right on Mission Bay.
Multi-colored parrots perch in the trees along the resort's lush garden
walkways and guest rooms are furnished in dark wood and tropical motifs. The
heated pool is small considering the size of the resort, but water activities
focus on either Mission Beach or Mission Bay where the resort offers surfboard
and many boat rentals and lessons. Bayside rooms feature patios and walk-out
access to a 27-mile bike path that encircles Mission Bay Park, a once marshy
mud flat turned major aquatic playground.
sea world
Sea World was our first stop on the sightseeing agenda. We enjoyed Sea World's focus on education and the kids loved the opportunity to interact with the animals and view them so closely. At each exhibit, a staff member gave an introductory talk and was available to answer questions. We found the extra cost of a behind-the-scenes "turtle feeding tour" unnecessary as it didn't offer much more than that included in the regular admission fee. Feeding stations are open to purchase food at different times throughout the day for the bat rays, bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions and harbor seals. Stand-out exhibits were the Wild Arctic, Shark Encounter, and the shows, especially the Shamu Adventure, which highlighted the spectacular natural behaviors of killer whales. The Wild Arctic is an elaborate recreation of an Arctic expedition beginning with a simulated jet helicopter ride, disembarking onto a realistic arctic research station that brings you face to face with polar bears, beluga whales, walruses, arctic foxes and seals. The Shark Encounter leads visitors underwater in a 57-foot acrylic tube while sharks, rays and tropical fish swim overhead. Visitors ten years and up can jump in the water and interact nose-to-nose with a beluga whale or dolphins in special Interaction Programs which can be reserved online. The playland at Sesame Street Bay of Play was a welcome addition to the park as it gave our 5-year-old a chance to unwind and revitalize.
legoland
Legoland in California is one of only four Legolands in the world.
The original is in Denmark with others in England and Germany. A new U.S Legoland is scheduled to open in Winter Haven, Florida, in October, 2011. It is a colorful
theme park with rides and water attractions designed for families with children between the ages of 2 and
12. Rides and scenery are crafted to look like Legos and throughout the
park, you will find huge, real Lego masterpieces like Albert Einstein's
head or a 15-foot giraffe. Miniland USA depicts life from Washington D.C.
to the California coast in detailed, animated reproductions of American
landmarks and cities built from 20 million Lego bricks. The Coast Cruise
takes you around the lake near MiniLand to view Lego recreations of the
Wonders of the World. Many rides are "kid-powered," with the kids
pedaling, driving, steering, and pulling to make them work. Our favorite
ride was the Dragon, a gentle roller coaster that first winds through a
medieval castle of Lego dragons, knights and wizards. The Lego Adventure
was also notable, a walk-through search for keys on an imaginary archeological
expedition to ancient Egypt and the Arctic. With the exception of two roller
coasters, the majority of rides at Legoland appeal to preschoolers and young
elementary ages. Master Model Builders can be seen at work in their headquarters
at Miniland, and they are available for questions at the Lego Clubhouse,
where children can build with Legos or ages 10 and up can sign up for a
free Mindstorms workshop. The gift shop is a treat for Lego enthusiasts
because it has the largest assortment of Legos and Lego merchandise in the
country.
Sea Life Aquarium, next to Legoland, is designed to be a child's first guide to the life of the sea with hands-on, interactive exhibits and educational talks.
balboa park, san diego zoo
San Diego's Balboa Park is a vacation unto itself. Encompassing 1,200 acres, the park is a mecca of horticulture and cultural arts. Fifteen museums are housed in beautiful Spanish Baroque-style buildings constructed for two expositions held in 1915-16 and 1935-36. It is also home to the San Diego Zoo, one of the world's best zoos, featuring nearly 800 species of animals in its 100 acres. Our family appreciated the bus tour, a 40-minute guided trip that gave us a good overview of the zoo, and allowed us to return to exhibits of interest and take the walkways through climate zones not accessible by bus. The express bus allows you to hop on and off at five locations around the zoo. The Giant Panda Research Station is home to Bai Yun and Shi Shi, two giant pandas on loan from China through a 12-year research agreement.
san diego zoo safari park
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, another facility of the Zoological Society of San Diego, is located 30 miles north of the city and is well worth the drive. Established in 1972 as a large animal breeding facility for the San Diego Zoo, the 1,800 acre sanctuary is home to 3,500 animals, many from rare and endangered species. A 50-minute guided monorail tour lets you observe the wild animals as they roam free over the rolling hillsides and rocky slopes, similar to their native habitats in Africa and Asia. Walking trails through lush botanical gardens with exotic plant species lead to animal habitats in the rain forest or on the Kilamanjaro Trail. In the aviary, visitors can hand feed nectar to lorikeets, beautiful rainbow-colored parakeets. Two-Park Tickets can be purchased for both the Zoo and Safari Park.
birch aquarium
Birch Aquarium, the public education center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography is a small, but beautiful aquarium and oceanography museum on the rugged cliffs overlooking La Jolla and the coastline. The Hall of Fishes exhibits marine life from the cold-water Pacific Northwest to the tropical south Pacific. Oceanography is explained through hands-on exhibits that allow children to ride an earthquake machine, read a seismograph, explore how waves are made, and shop in the ocean supermarket, a scanner that identifies hundreds of items containing ingredients from the sea. A climb to the beach below yields wonderful tidepools to explore at low tide. Sunset Cliffs on the Pacific side of Point Loma peninsula is another exceptional spot for tidepooling. The rocky shoreline is ideal for discovering flowery anemones, shore crabs, elusive octopus, spongy deadman's fingers and many other sea creatures. Cabrillo National Monument on the top of Point Loma commemorates the European discovery of San Diego Bay in 1542 by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and also provides a spectacular 360 degree view of the area.
old town state historic park
Old Town State Historic Park marks the first mission established in San Diego in 1769. Free walking tours begin at the Visitors Information Center. Original and restored buildings now house period and souvenir shops. The area is best known for its Mexican restaurants, giant margaritas, and strolling mariachi bands.
FAST FACTS
San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau
Ticket packages and discount tickets for all major
attractions are available through the Visitors
Bureau in San Diego and Coronado Island.
Visitor Information Center
1040 1/3 West Broadway (at Harbor Dr.)
San Diego, CA 92101
619-236-1212
Coronado Island
Visitors Center
Historical Association Building at
1100 Orange Ave.
866-599-7242
Hotel del Coronado
1500 Orange Ave.
Coronado, CA 92118
800-468-3533
Loews Coronado Bay Resort
4000 Coronado Bay Rd.
San Diego, CA, 92118
800-815-6397
Sea World
500 SeaWorld Dr.
San Diego, CA 92109
800-257-4268
Legoland
One LEGOLAND Dr. off Interstate 5, in the seaside village of
Carlsbad, CA
760-918-5346
Balboa Park
Balboa Park Visitor Center
1549 El Prado
San Diego, CA 92101
619-239-0512
San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Dr.
Balboa Park, San Diego
800-407-9534
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd.
Escondido, CA 92027
760-747-8702
Birch Aquarium
2300 Expedition Way
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-534-FISH
J. Unger, June 2002, updated 2011