San Diego
San Diego is a place we will be visiting more frequently since my sister moved there several months ago. This will be a standing spot where I keep adding more activities as we explore different and probably a lot of the same places each visit. So check back every so often and you may see something new pop up. For now I have added places we have been and places we plan to go next time. At this point in time, I dont have many recommendations on where to stay as I usually stay with my sister or in the hotel that is located right across the street. So far here are the top things I like to do with the kids.
For starters, you will definitely want a car in San Diego. San Diego is huge so don’t be afraid to drive around and explore. After an outing one day, both my kids fell asleep in the car within five minutes. I used the time to explore the streets of Coronado and La Jolla to see what I could come back and do…maybe when I didn’t have the kids with me lol. If you are an art fan, definitley Check out Krista Schumacher’s Art Gallery in La Jolla. Her work is stunning and I always love the vibrant colors she uses. It is also a fantastic way to remember a great trip by buying some art to remind you of the place.
Things for the Kids:
#1: The New Children’s Museum: The New Children’s Museum is open everyday except Tuesdays from 9am-4pm and located in downtown San Diego. I was a little bit shocked at how expensive it was for me and 2 kids + Parking . Prices as of March 2023 were $20/adult, $18 per kid, $16 for parking. However, even with these prices, it is some place we will continue to come back to again and again. Definitely give yourself some time here. This place is 3 stories of fun. I love the concept at this museum in that all the different sections of this museum are actually art installations by different artist that allow the children immerse themselves into each of these interactive installations. With that being said there is a positive and negative to this museum and that is that it is always changing. Sometimes these exhibits are up for years and others are there a shorter time. Its a bummer because some of the installation are so great and you want to see them around for a while but its also great that there is always something new around the corner. Here are some of our favorite art installations:
-Whammock: This is essentially a large, colorful hammock with different pockets to climb through, jump on and explore. This installation may require you to help your little ones snake their way through the entry holes and make their way into the main part of the whammock. Just a warning, my nephew did get a black eye on this one from colliding with my son who was coming down the opposite way of the whammock.
-The Wonder Sound: This installation is described as part tree house, part undiscovered world. Children can climb and explore every passageway, nook and cranny of this huge wooden fort. My boys especially loved the ropes room or as my almost 3 yo called it, the spidey web. Again, some of these areas required a little assistance by an adult but for the most part they enjoyed running around, climbing and hiding all around this giant structure.
-The Teatro Pinata: This installation gave me theater and circus vibes. Its a dark installation with spots of bright hypnotizing lights made my kids a little hesitant at first but they quickly warmed up and ran around freely. Secret little rooms and passage way made my boys giggle with delight.
#2: The San Diego Zoo: I’m sure this is on everyone’s list when they go to San Diego and it should be. It is crazy how big this zoo is and how many things they have to do. Plan to spend the day here . When I took the my son and nephew, we spent 6 hours here no problem and could have easily stayed longer. It is so big you wont want to miss all the animals you can see here. Be prepared with comfortable shoes and snacks! Definitely take the double decker bus around when you start getting tired. This is a fun experience in and of itself. My nephew was antsy to ride this cool bus. Tip: Bring a bathing suit and towels for your kids. Within the zoo there is a spot called the Basecamp that has a play area and splash pad. After a lot of walking, take a seat and let your kids run around and play while you get off your feet. Again, the price to go to the zoo is quite expensive but it is worth it. We have been to this zoo twice now and it may have been cheaper for me to just buy a membership.
#3: Sea World: My husband was super excited to take my kids here because he had been here as a kid and remembered how cool it was. Let me be honest, it was much cooler when we were kids then it is now. Since a certain documentary came out things have changed a lot in the park. There are still plenty of cool animals to see but the orca show wasnt quite as exciting. No trainers get in the water anymore with the whales and I understand that is for good reason. The dolphin show, was still pretty exciting as the trainers still get in the water. Overall, it was still a cool and fun experience and our kids don’t know what they missed out on from back in the day right? For them it was an awesome experience and my son asked if we could go back the next day, of course. Some of the highlights were petting the bat rays, seeing how big a walrus actually is, riding Journey to Atlantis, feeding the sea lions and of course the shark tunnel.
#4: Maruta Gardner Park: This park is really awesome for kids. I went here right after our 3.5 hour car ride so the kids could get some energy out. Their favorite feature of the park is the large ropes course thats designed to look like a roller coaster across the way in Belmont Park. This park is conveniently located on Mission Bay so once your done with the park, stroll along the bay if you feel like it.
#5: Legoland: This was a perfect theme park for my almost 3 year old and almost 6 year old. Rides were much more mellow.
Location: One LEGOLAND Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008
#6: San Diego Children’s Museum: This children’s Museum was located in Escondido. It was located only a few minutes away from one of our new favorite spots (and next on the list). My boys loved cooling down in here . They offer different 4 different exhibit categories - Explore, Imagine, Experiment and Discover. Both my boys loved the discovery sailboat. They took turns steering the ship and using a lot of imaginary play in this exploration area. My youngest son spent a lot of time at the magnetic ball wall. We have something similar at the Moxi (our local childrens museum) but this one was so much easier for a little one to use. There was also some imaginative play like the farmer market set up. Outside they had a beautiful garden, water play, dinosaur dig site and buildable materials.
Location:320 North Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025
#7. The EcoVivarium: I can’t say enough good things about this place. Some comments on the website said that it was dirty and run down but my boys absolutely loved this place. If you have a reptile lover or an animal lover, you can’t miss this! The eco vivarium is a nonprofit education service that features rescued and donated reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods! Anything they take our of the cages, they will let you hold or pet. This was a dream for my son. He got to hold pythons, boas, turtle, bearded dragons and more. We found out about this place a little late and could only do the 1 hour tour, but we will be back for the 90 min tour with some extra add ons.
Tips: Plan ahead and do the platinum tour. With the platinum tour you have the option to add one a few extra animal encounters.
Things on my to do list for next time:
15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, California 92027-7017
-See seals at La Jolla’s Children’s Pool:
-Hike to Potato Chip Rock: (may need to wait till my kids are a little older for this)
-San Diego Natural History Museum:
-Belmont Park:
-Annie’s Canyon:
-Explore Old Town San Diego:
-Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch
-The Creative Learning Studio: The owner Ashley also ownThe Creative Learning company. Now she openned a process art and sentory play studio next door to warehouse.