Only me Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 We are planning a trip to the San Diego area in August. We will probably spend a day at a baseball game, one at Disney and maybe one at the zoo. I would also like a few days to relax on the beach. I am not familiar with the area and want to find a nice play to stay on the beach. It doesn't have to be in San Diego but in the general area. We have 5 so that makes it a bit more difficult to find a room. Any recommendations? Also any other ideas for things to do in the area? I would also like to go somewhere scenic but my dh doesn't want to drive too far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I don't have ideas for a particular hotel, but Tripadvisor.com has been a great help to me when trip-planning! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Disney is a good two hours north of San Diego, so you might want to take a night to stay near there in Anaheim, because a two hour drive after a day at Disney is going to be exhausting! As for the beach, when I lived in San Diego, my favorite beach hang-out was Solana beach. It's in a cove and very pretty. There's a nice playground/park above the beach for the littles if they need to get some energy out. A scenic drive would be through La Jolla or Torrey Pines. The zoo is definitely an all day event. Hotels near Balboa Park (where the zoo is) would be on I-8, on what's called Hotel Circle. Those aren't on the beach, but are close to the water, driving-wise. Other things to do in the area would be Sea World, Seaport Village, Coronado Island--a visit to the Hotel Del Coronado is a must. Scripps Aquarium is fun. If you have passports, a day in Tijuana, Mexico can be fun for shopping and food. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g60750-zfn29452-San_Diego_California-Hotels.html http://www.sandiego.org/what-to-do/beaches/solana-beach.aspx http://www.seaportvillage.com/ http://hoteldel.com/ http://www.balboapark.org/ http://www.torreypine.org/ http://www.lajollabythesea.com/ http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/ http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-sandiego/ http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/ San Diego is the best CA city (IMHO), and there are all sorts of things to do, it just depends on what you're looking for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I lived in the area for several years and loved La Jolla. I would definitely plan on staying near Disney the night you are there because it is a good drive and California traffic back to San Diego is no joke (no matter the time of day). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amiesmom Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I used to work for the Residence Inn by Marriott in La Jolla. It's close to the beach - driving, not walking. La Jolla is one of my favorite beaches. The rooms would be a good fit for a bigger family. They have a continental breakfast and I think some nights a little light dinner too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 We did a San Diego trip last Christmas and for us the highlights were Balboa Park and the USS Midway. We spent a whole day on the aircraft carrier and still didn't see everything. I also second the recommendation for a scenic drive around La Jolla. We also took a nice drive out through the Naval Base to a great viewing area and then explored the nearby tide pools. We could see navy jets taking off and several large military ships. Coronado Island and the hotel were nice, but probably the only place besides the zoo that was crazy busy. We stayed in a VBO unit in a residential neighborhood near Balboa Park and it was very convenient to everything. I was amazed at how easy it was to get around and how little time we spent driving to various destinations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davysmom Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Take a look at Carlsbad. If you want to stay in one spot and visit all those places, Carlsbad (or Oceanside) is a nice town on the beach. The Carlsbad Inn has some larger rooms. It is on the beach. It is 60 miles to Disney and about 35 to San Diego. OOtherwise, I would stay near Disney for a night and spend the rest of time in San Diego. Traffic can be rough between SD and Orange County. You don't want to drive up and back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarinesWife Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 We stayed in pacific beach on the boardwalk. Loved it. Also Crystal Pier has cottages on the pier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I grew up in San Diego. I took my kids there for a week last summer and stayed in a vacation apartment rental in Mission Beach. If the beach is part of your vacation plans, I highly recommend staying in a property within walking distance to a good swimming beach. My favorites are La Jolla Shores and Mission Beach/Pacific Beach. Mission Beach is more centrally located (~20 min. to the zoo or downtown). La Jolla has bad traffic from the east (I-5) especially. We found our rental on FlipKey. It was an apartment over the garage located one house away from the sand. I loved that we could spend the morning at a museum or wherever and easily change into swimming suits to go play in the sand and water. Afterward, we didn't have to drive anywhere with wet, sandy kids. They just hopped into the shower. We also didn't have to fight for beach parking because our rental included a parking space. The cost for our rental was about the same as a hotel and we were able to eat most of our meals in the apartment. Growing up, we did Disneyland in a day. We'd leave early (~6am/2 hours before opening), play all day until closing, and then drive home. We'd pack a lunch for a break in the middle of the day. If your style is more relaxed, I suggest getting a hotel within walking distance of Disneyland and do Disneyland for two days+ at the beginning or end of your trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Here is where we stayed: http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g60750-d2291431-San_Diego_Full_Ocean_View_Zanzibar_Jewel_Condo_One_House_from_the_Ocean-San_Diego_Calif.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 If you want to stay in a classic place on the beach, I would recommend the OB Hotel. That's a taste of old San Diego for sure. Pier, pelicans and surfers. :) My dh loves this place, and stays there whenever he is in SD on biz (giving up Marriot points). ( I love the location, but I prefer the boring security of Marriot. lol) I would do a night or two for him. The people are great. We love Ocean Beach. If you go, Margarita's Restaurant on Newport Ave is a must! Good prices, lots of Mexican food! Also, the upstairs vegetarian cafeteria at Ocean Beach People's Food Store is fantastic! www.obhotel.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I live in San Diego, and am partial to the Hyatt in Mission Bay. Great waterslides and wonderful staff. We keep our boat there in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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