Need travel advice for San Diego

[Pegasus]

I've wanted to visit San Diego for a long time and now have the perfect excuse. DH's sister and her family have moved there. So, here's what I want to know:

 

1. What time of year would be best for great weather (not too hot or too rainy) and fewer crowds?

 

2. We loved our vacation to Chicago a couple years ago because we stayed downtown and didn't need to rent a car (we walked and used buses and the train). Is this feasible in San Diego? One article I read said that a car is pretty much needed.

 

3. What are your favorite activities in San Diego beyond the famous zoo? We will have 2 DDs ages 9 and 12.

 

4. How long should we plan to stay? We don't rush around cramming in as much as we can. We'd rather take it easy and plan on only one major "outing" per day, even if that means we don't get to do "everything."

 

5. Anything else you'd like to tell me!

 

Thanks,

Pegasus

[sdWTMer]

I'd say fall would be nice. That way you could always go inland to Julian, CA where it's apple territory. If you are avid beachgoers then I would say definitely spring/beginning of summer.

 

I don't think that it's feasible to not have a car. Well, it would be if all you wanted to see would be the San Diego museums and zoo. You would be close to the beach as well. Legoland is here but far from downtown. SeaWorld is close to downtown, but far enough away to walk. The Wild Animal Park is too far from downtown as it is inland.

 

I'd say about a week and a half to two weeks would be a nice length of time.

 

Disneyland, Magic Mountain, and KnottsBerry farm are all in and around Los Angeles.

 

The Pt. Loma lighthouse is nice. There are also tidepools that you can go see as well.

 

There is also the Scripps Aquarium and also this summer Legoland is supposed to have the biggest aquarium in North America.

 

There is also Seaport Village which has some quaint shops and such and is downtown.

 

What I like here is the outdoor malls! I love that about San Diego.

 

And of course, you just can't beat going to the beaches. Visiting the Hotel Del Coronado is nice as well.

 

HTH

[The Governess]

I have a lot of family in San Diego that we visit quite a bit, so here are my suggestions:

 

1. Weather in SD is actually great year-round, it doesn't rain much and unless you are inland it doesn't get too hot. Maybe a good time to go would be September, when the weather is still warm enough for the beach but the summer crowds are gone?

 

2. I think it would be easier with a car. San Diego and the fun things to do there are pretty spread out.

 

3. Besides the zoo, there is: Old Town with some great Mexican restaurants, fun shops, and the trolley; Balboa park with several museums and which is a fun place to walk around and hang out for a day; the beach, my favorite is going to the bay because there aren't any big waves, you can also rent bikes and stuff like that and ride around on a big loop; the Wild Animal Park which I haven't been to for a long, long time but I know most people really enjoy it; Sea World; hanging out and shopping in La Jolla; crossing over the bridge to Coronado -a quaint little beachcomber town.

 

4. There is so much to do there, you could easily fill up a week or more doing something every day.

 

5. Have fun!!

[Jennifer in MI]

My advice? Take me!!!!:lol:

 

Actually, I've never been there, so I can't help!

[newbie]

I've wanted to visit San Diego for a long time and now have the perfect excuse. DH's sister and her family have moved there. So, here's what I want to know:

 

1. What time of year would be best for great weather (not too hot or too rainy) and fewer crowds?

 

2. We loved our vacation to Chicago a couple years ago because we stayed downtown and didn't need to rent a car (we walked and used buses and the train). Is this feasible in San Diego? One article I read said that a car is pretty much needed.

 

3. What are your favorite activities in San Diego beyond the famous zoo? We will have 2 DDs ages 9 and 12.

 

4. How long should we plan to stay? We don't rush around cramming in as much as we can. We'd rather take it easy and plan on only one major "outing" per day, even if that means we don't get to do "everything."

 

5. Anything else you'd like to tell me!

 

Thanks,

Pegasus

 

September is great, because everyone is back in school. Although you have fall hrs. Which means everything closes at 5 pm, sometimes 4. October would be nice, but weather is iffy, you might get heat, or rain, lately heat and end of Oct. fires. That would not be fun.

 

Car is a definite, nothing is close here. Great place to stay is Paradise Point especially for that age range. Matter of fact we go there twice a yr. just for mini vaca. Sea World is right across the street. Paradise Point offers pkgs, to include tickets to various places , so that helps. That resort is a vacation in itself. It sits right on bay and you can walk to different places.

 

Downtown is okay, but its downtown. Not like New York. It has harbor and SeaPort Vlg. and Childrens Museum. Can go to Balboa Park but that is a little drive. Zoo is downtown next to Balboa Park. Those are nice to hit right when they open. Also check ahead of time for tours or classes, same with Sea World, they are well worth it. Especially guided.

 

If you want the Mexican feel without going to TJ, might try Old Town, my dd's like it there. Lots of shops and historical sights.

 

When you hit the Hotel Del, walk around Coronado, its beautiful, another nice place to stay, not necessarily the Del , that is expensive, but there are other hotels there, make sure on water. Well, I am starting to ramble.

 

Any more specific help, just ask,

Jet

[xxxxxxxx]

great weather.......kids even swam in the outdoor pool (a little chilly for me to do that)

 

We went to SeaWorld, Coronado, Wild Animal Park, Seaport Village, La Jolla, Torrey Pines State Park and also drove up to Disneyland, but .....our favorite day was the day we took a tour of the USS Midway, fascinating tour. My kids were dd (13), dd (11), & ds (9). It was very educational and fun. We spent 5 hours on the ship.

[Danestress]

Summer is good. Fall can be really hot - it's the one time of year when it can get a bit miserable, but not very often. Honestly, it's hard to believe when you don't live there, but the weather in San Diego is almost perfect almost every day. I remember when we first moved there just marvelling that it could be true. Yes, it rains some in the winter - like 5 days:) We lived there for five years, and I missed the seasons and crispy fall weather, but truly, almost every day was a nice day. Almost every evening is cool though, so take sweaters and wraps.

 

Definitely get the car!

 

I love the Wild Animal Park and the zoo - both are worth a visit. The zoo is just a lovely place to be, even if you don't care for animals. I tend to think that I don't like zoos, but that zoo, I like.

 

The self-realization garden in Encinata is a must-see for me. It only takes a bit of time. It's just the most beautiful place, and Encinatas is okay to have lunch in (there is a great Vietnamese restaurant near the gardens).

 

Is it point Loma where the Nazerene College is? I always drove guests up there. It was just so beautiful.

 

I would skip Legoland. Even as a Mom of boys, I think it was overrated and too expensive.

 

I would go out to Coronado and take a long walk.

 

The Balboa Park inside San Diego is nice and has a great art museum.

 

That's just for starters. I am sure others will tell you more.

[Veritaserum]

My home town! :) *sigh* I miss it.

 

1. What time of year would be best for great weather (not too hot or too rainy) and fewer crowds?

 

Like the others have said, fall would be a great time. I think the weather is lovely all year, although rain and cooler weather was common Dec. - Feb.

2. We loved our vacation to Chicago a couple years ago because we stayed downtown and didn't need to rent a car (we walked and used buses and the train). Is this feasible in San Diego? One article I read said that a car is pretty much needed.

 

A car is pretty much necessary unless you only care to see things that are on public transit routes (bus and trolley).

 

3. What are your favorite activities in San Diego beyond the famous zoo? We will have 2 DDs ages 9 and 12.

 

My favorites as a kid growing up there:

 

 

• Beach (La Jolla Shores for swimming, La Jolla Cove and Torrey Pines for walking/hiking)
  
• Wild Animal Park
  
• Seaport Village
  
• Balboa Park (museums, outdoor organ concerts on Sunday afternoons--the zoo is also here)
  
• Old Town (eat at Casa de Pico, check out the Whaley House, Mormon Battalion, Old Town Square, and the Presidio)
  
• Lighthouse at Cabrillo
  
• Coronado (Hotel del Coronado is gorgeous)
  
• Gaslamp Quarter downtown just to walk around and look at shops
  
• Julian (mountain town northeast of San Diego, we always stopped at Dudley's bakery for a treat on our way there in Santa Ysabel)
  
• Disneyland (not in San Diego, but only an hour and a half away)
  

 

4. How long should we plan to stay? We don't rush around cramming in as much as we can. We'd rather take it easy and plan on only one major "outing" per day, even if that means we don't get to do "everything."

 

A week or so would probably give you enough time to see the stuff you want to see.

 

5. Anything else you'd like to tell me!

 

I love San Diego! I really miss it, even though I haven't lived there for the past 12 years.

[Guest]

Everyone's given great advice.

 

I vote Sea World!

[Veritaserum]

Everyone's given great advice.

 

I vote Sea World!

 

I totally forgot about Sea World. Yes, that would be very fun (although kinda pricey).

[Dooley]

They dont call it July Fry for nothing. May Gray, June Gloom too, so dont go then.

 

Yes to a car. I like Coronado Beach, the southern end, you can watch the military jets fly right over your head as they land on the base. Presidio Park, Miguels Mexican food on Shelter Island or Mandarin House in La Jolla. We miss our city. Lots of awesome churches and wonderful people.

[Once]

We just visited San Diego and *loved* it. We rented a car and found it helpful. You would be limited if you didn't have one.

 

Things we enjoyed....Balboa Park, the Zoo, the Tide Pools at Point Loma and the Wild Animal Park. Legoland was great but we only spent the last hour there. Btw, if you show up at the door an hour before closing you seem to get in free. You may want to call ahead of time to double check as it is a bit of a drive out from SD proper but it is a good place to finish off if you start at the Wild Animal Park.

 

If you go in the winter months...whale watching is an option. We had an eventful trip and saw lots of breaching and extra wild animals. However, I cannot say we enjoyed it, as two of us had seasickness. Yuck! Maybe you would have better luck. Dress warm with sunglasses!

 

Do you need a hotel room? I can tell you where not to book. We had a noisy location by the harbor...lots of military jets coming and going and a beeping thing that sounded all. night. long! :glare: I was so tired I only noticed it when I was going to sleep. However, think of that when you book a place.

 

My kids are lobbying for the next vacation to be at the same place. You will love it!