2 Days/3 nights in San Diego -What should we do?

[California]

If you already have passes to SeaWorld, the evenings during summer are worth a visit. We went last year and really liked their cirque style show. Just looked on their website and it's scheduled for this summer too: Cirque Electrique. "Cirque Electrique is a nighttime spectacular featuring daring aerial performers in advanced LED suits that mesmerize audiences as they bounce and fly in and over the waters of Mission Bay. In addition to the return of world flyboard champion Jake Orel, new this year for Cirque Electrique is USBA world freestyle Jet Ski champion Mark Gomez." The flyboard champion is mesmerizing.

It cools off quickly in the evenings at SeaWorld, but on the plus side you won't get sunburned!

[WatchingThemGrow]

If you already have passes to SeaWorld, the evenings during summer are worth a visit. We went last year and really liked their cirque style show. Just looked on their website and it's scheduled for this summer too: Cirque Electrique. "Cirque Electrique is a nighttime spectacular featuring daring aerial performers in advanced LED suits that mesmerize audiences as they bounce and fly in and over the waters of Mission Bay. In addition to the return of world flyboard champion Jake Orel, new this year for Cirque Electrique is USBA world freestyle Jet Ski champion Mark Gomez." The flyboard champion is mesmerizing.

It cools off quickly in the evenings at SeaWorld, but on the plus side you won't get sunburned!

Thanks for the review of that...it looked neat, and like nothing we've ever seen. Once, we were at Dollywood in Gatlinburg and the Gazillion Bubble Show was there. 4-5 years later my kids are still talking about a show they saw in an amusement park.

Also, we'd LOVE ideas for affordable unique family meals around SD. We didn't plan well for food in SF and they still talk about how they loved SF because we ate Burger King for breakfast every day. yuk.

[sdjeppa]

I agree with the Sea World at night recommendation. I live in SD, and during the summer that’s about the only time of day we go. The night entertainment and shows are all different than the day shows.

The Midway is really cool and worth a visit. We have gone a couple times and my boys both really enjoy it. Check the schedule for when you are here, they sometimes have events on the flight deck. There’s also a great park nearby (Waterfront Park) and it’s also an easy walk along the bay and down to Seaport Village. The next pier over has the ferry to Coronado-it’s a short ride over to the Ferry Landing area (shops, ice cream, food, etc) then the ferry ride back if you don’t want a long trip. The harbor cruise is good too-goes by all the military ships.

Cabrillo Monument and lighthouse are nearby in Pt Loma- great tide pools (check the tide timetable) and lighthouse. Gates open early if you are early risers, you could do that first. You drive right by Liberty Station to get there.

Food- I recommend Liberty Public Market. Lots of little booths so something for everyone. The empanadas are my fav. Stone Brewing is next door and has good food too (kids are ok, and they have a really nice outdoor garden.) another place in Liberty Station is Corvette Diner, a classic, loud, crazy 50s diner type restaurant. Kids like it though.

Not a fancy place to eat, but we always recommend fish tacos-Rubios or Wahoos are local(ish) chains. And In N Out!

[essnce629]

What about the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas? Two of my best friends live in Encinitas and always go there with their kids. Moonlight Beach in Encinitas is popular too.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...alifornia.html

I'm from San Diego and honestly I'd skip the zoo. I prefer the San Diego Safari Park because the animals are not all stuck in cages.

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[mom2binsd]

Please tell me you aren't going July 18th? That's when Comic Con is there and it's crazy!!!!

If you're down near Shelter Island, Pt. Loma Seafoods is a fun deli style place, and they've upgraded to nice casual seating, they have awesome fish sandwiches, and lots of options even if you don't like fish/seafood. It's by the water and the kids can walk along the docks. They serve wine and beer. One of my fav's when I lived there. www.ptlomaseafoods.com. There is a great harborfront park on Shelter Island as well that is good if the kids need to play.

If you can, try a local taco shop, avoid the chains, and try a California Burrito, or just regular tacos. There is a place in North Park on Park Blvd (near Balboa Park) called El Zarape, it is amazing. www.elzarapesandiego.com, it's not a taco shop (which are more casual/dive like), but the shrimp burrito is to die for!

If you've never had it, try InnOut, it's not just in CA anymore but it's considered a very SoCal place. Their fries are the best!

I'd avoid going to Fillipi's Fish Grotto or the other Fillipi's they are terrible. If it's your thing, Old Town is full of Mexican history etc, but I am not impressed with the food there.

I think a cool place if your kids are interested is the San Diego Mission (it's in Mission Valley), but with limited time might not be worth it. Also more interesting if you are Catholic and they are learning any history in religion classes.

[bisous]

Oh I LOVE the Zoo in SD. I feel like it is a must not miss but then we're zoo people. I do like Safari Park too and it is a pretty unique experience. We are old school so we just do standard admission but I bet some of the "experiences" might be pretty neat. I do think In N Out should be experienced. But I think the fries are nasty, lol, you'll have to try them and see what you think. .

We love Balboa Park too. There are so many cool museums and the whole ambiance is really cool too. My kids love LEGO land but I swear all they do is play in the bins of legos so it really isn't a very cost efficient excursion for us, lol. Sea World has some cool things to see but I'm conflicted about them right now a bit.

Should be a great trip.

[AnnieW625]

I don’t recommend the Safari Park if it going to be 80+ downtown as it is way up in Escondido and it is bound to be 100+ up there at that time.

We like the zoo, but it is a lot of walking. I haven’t been to Sea World at night but that seems cool.

We also like The Midway, and Point Loma.

I also agree with the rec. about not going to San Diego when Comic Con is going on. Crazy! If that is your weekend then hang out in North County or San Clemente instead (about an hour to the S.D. airport).

We have eaten at the following places and loved them:
Karl Strauss Brewery (La Jolla, Carlsbad, and Gaslamp)
Woodstock’s Pizza—College Ave./El Cajon Blvd. location
Filippi’s Pizza Grotto (Little Italy, and Pacific Beach locations)
Kansas City BBQ (the bar where they filmed the bar scenes in Top Gun)
Bar be que House in Ocean Beach (although I think they may have moved to a new location.....but this was really good and better than Kansas City BBQ)
Corvette Diner in Liberty Station
Pizza Port in Carlsbad

Sbicca Del Mar (this is my favorite and nice, but a great view of the sunset....I haven’t been here with kids though!)

If you want really good Italian recs. let me know I will ask my coworker who takes Italian classes and eats a lot of Italian food in San Diego.




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[mom2binsd]

If you want to find some good local places to eat, check out the sandiego subreddit, on their sidebar they have a lot of restaurant ideas. Try to find some local places vs chains, my kids always remember the fun local places eat at.

[sariana]

Hodad's hamburgers. Near Sunset Cliffs. Total hole-in-the-wall place. It's a dive, but the burgers are awesome!

[SnuggleBuggles]

It cracks me up when So. Cal folks discourage the Safari Park in the summer due to heat. We have hot summers all across the country- and with more humidity. We listened to dh's grandpa's dire warnings about going to Safari Park during the day. We showed up at 4 and had to race through everything then eventually walk out in the dark. There were sprayers everywhere and shade to be had. We should have gone earlier. OP has far more miserable summers (used to live there too) so hopefully she won't be too scared off. I really prefer the Safari Park over the zoo though so I am throwing my bias that way- I just think it's a lot more unique so if there's only time to do one, that's the one I'd pick.