XP: San Diego/LA travel plan advice

[susiebw]

XP from ML.

We're heading out to southern California in July - flying in and out of LAX and mostly visiting with family around there.  We just booked a hotel in San Diego for 2 nights, Monday-Wednesday. Our kids are 7 and 4. We'll have a rental car, and we love the beach.

We're going to leave west LA/Malibu area on a Monday morning as early as I can get my family out the door. I'm expecting it'll take about 3 hours if we drive straight through, but I'm looking for advice for one or two (relatively short) stops on the way (I've heard the old part of San Juan Capistrano is neat, but would the kids be bored with that?), and then ideas about food and activities for a quick couple of days in SD. Here are some of my ideas - tell me if I'm being reasonable with timing and with 2 little kids.

Assuming we'll get to SD early afternoon, I was thinking about hitting the USS Midway museum, waterfront park/seaport village/embarcadero area that afternoon/evening. Our hotel is right by the seaport village. I assume all this is totally walkable, but don't actually know that, or if it's even a nice area to stroll around? Articles I've read say the USS Midway is really hands-on and cool for kids, but I'd love to hear if you agree or disagree.

Tuesday we'll go to the zoo for 9am when it opens. I assume we'll be there til after lunch, and then maybe spend some time in the park? Any advice/tips on what we should see in the park, while we're there? We're thinking about maybe doing some kind of take out for picnic dinner on a beach somewhere - I'd love advice for this too. Or maybe strolling the Gaslamp or Old Town areas, but I wasn't sure if my kids would think that was lame. And I'm open to other ideas, if you've got em.

Wednesday, we're driving back and hoping to be back in LA by about 6-7pm. I was thinking about a couple of hours at the beach and hanging out in La Jolla for the morning, maybe checking out the Scripps Institute, but if there's more we should be trying to do in SD proper, I'm open to it. Coronado island? And then maybe another stop somewhere cool on the drive back to break it up a little.

How'd I do?
And thanks!!

[dearprudence]

Between LA and SD: San Juan Capistrano is lovely, and very convenient for on/off the freeway. My kids (7 and almost 4) aren't terribly interested in the Mission, but they live Zoomars - a petting zoo right down the street from the Mission.

SD Day 1 - sounds perfect, and yes, all those things are walkable. My boys love the Midway, along with the Maritime Museum which is across from waterfront park (submarines and "pirate ships"). However, depending on time, you may only be able to get through the Midway. That's a full half day excursion for my family.

SD Day 2 - Balboa Park isn't like parks elsewhere, it's really a conglomeration of parks and gardens. So think about if you want to combine the zoo and a museum, because it might be a bit much. Both the zoo and the museums are some of my favorite things in San Diego, but the zoo can be exhausting - it's A LOT of walking, and hills. Also, the last time I was there for 2 hours and we really only covered the Pandas/koalas/giraffes (which was fine, we were really there to see the Pandas before they left, but if you don't have the option to go back often, you may want to stay longer than a couple hours to really see everything.)

Assuming you do want to do more, my kids' favorite museum is The Nat, although they also like The Fleet and the Air and Space.

My kids are super city kids who love walking around the Gaslamp and looking at tall buildings, but that always surprises me. Old Town however is great fun for kids.

Picnic on the sand? Grab sandwiches at Seaport Village and take the ferry across to Coronado. It'll drop you off right at a lovely beach. There's another little marketplace like Seaport Village there also, so you could wait and grab dinner once you get there as an alternative.


SD Day 3 - if you plan on doing La Jolla, plan accordingly. It is a nightmare to get in and out of in the summer. Think single lane in, single lane out. Traffic and parking also make it difficult. By Scripps do you mean the Birch Aquarium? I like it as a local, and would recommend it if you're staying in La Jolla, but I wouldn't make the drive to La Jolla just to go.

If you want some beach time on your last day, I love the North County Beaches - Powerhouse Park, Fletcher Cove, Moonlight Beach, Carlsbad. Non-beach you could add in a half day at Legoland - your kids are the perfect age.

We rarely stop between SD and LA (we're making the drive tomorrow night), but maybe Balboa Island would be a good stop? Or Belmont Shores in Long Beach? (If you're looking for an aquarium, the Aquarium of the Pacific is amazing)

[alleinesein]

I responded in the other post but here is some more info.

There really isn't a great stopping point between LA and SD. There are things to do between the two cities but it all depends on your interests. I love the mission at San Juan Capistrano and I've been going there since I was 2 years old.

Once you get into San Diego county, you will drive past Legoland, the beach communities and the fairgrounds. You could check out the Del Mar Fair on your drive down. It doesn't open until 11 am so if leave LA around 8 am, you should easily make it to Del Mar by 11 am (thats with traffic and using the toll road). You could spend a few hours checking out the fair (animal barns, kid area in the middle of the racetrack, grab lunch) and then continue down to SD.

If you will have time to hit the beach in LA, I'd skip the beach in SD and use your planned beach time for something else.

[meganew]

Hi! Are we the same person? Because my family is also going to San Diego and LA in July and my kids are also 4 and 7! Lol.

I think what you have planned so far sounds great! You’re hitting a lot of my favorite stuff (I lived in SD from ages 4 to 10). Everyone I know who has been on the USS midway has loved it- my cousins who live there have done it a few times. Mission Beach would be a great spot for a picnic dinner- there’s a great boardwalk and playgrounds/walking paths to explore. La Jolla and Coronado are both fantastic. Coronado is my favorite beach for spending the day, the sand has golden flecks! And you can go have lunch at the Hotel Del and have a pina colada on the deck while you look out over the ocean. It’s beautiful! But La Jolla is also gorgeous, and watching the seals swim would probably be really fun for your kids!