Visiting San Diego

[TrillianAstra]

Any suggestions/recommendations?

No kids, just DP and me visiting a friend who lives there now.

Zoo is amazing.

Have heard v good things about the zoo - good to hear it again!

Any other thoughts?

La Jolla bay - there used to be a restaurant overlooking the bay...sitting outside, amazing view - beeeautiful!

Gaslamp district, Coronado, Balboa Park (huge park, the zoo is in part of it), USS Midway (aircraft carrier to tour). There's tons to do. Check out trip advisor.com if you haven't already.

The zoo is great. It also has a cable car that runs from one end of the zoo to the other, but I wouldn't recommend it if you have a fear of heights.

Ooooh, I like cable cars!

Are some of you actually over there if you are posting at 4am? :)

Yes. I'll admit it. I live in Southern California. Near Joshua Tree National Park. I'd rather be in San Diego though....

There are also several art museums and the beaches are fantastic. If you do wind up visiting La Jolla, there's the (in)famous Black's Beach. It's a nude beach. Which I didn't know. When I went with my sister-in-law....

San Diego was my favourite city when I was backpacking around America eon ago before I had ds.
I won't recommend anything specific as I have no idea if it's still there/as good as I remember.

The city is beautiful. Just take your time and enjoy :)

Depending on when you visit and your transportation (there is a train), you could also go to the horse races at Del Mar. It's adjacent to the ocean and I'm pretty sure the Coaster (train) stops right there.

My home town, though I moved away a long time ago.
If I was going as part of an ADULT only group, I'd

• ask your hosts what they suggest. Like I'm not into shopping but they can suggest what's convenient to them, if you want to go buy things. I wonder if Horton Plaza is still as cool as it once was?

• Point Loma, the lighthouse, more history & walk the coastal sage brush trail there. DS got about 10 feet away from a Red Tailed hawk last time we were there.

• browse Balboa Park art & other museums (whichever types you fancy)

• Get a meal at the Green Flash in Mission Beach (unless you're stinking rich, in which case go to The Marine Room)

• Go to Mr. A's (downtown) for another lunchtime meal (& the views)

• Tour Old Town, all the old history there.

• I like the USS Midway, too, but not if you don't dig the technology & history of it

• Go to the desert (2-3 hours drive each way), Anza Borrego visitor centre & walk up the nearest Palm Canyon -- totally different from anywhere in Britain

Meh on the zoo... it's a zoo :). The plant collection in there is worth more than the animals.

Oh, and duh, PADRES (baseball) game. You really should try to go.

Sea World, Tijuana

Oooh, lovely, thanks for all the tips! We fly on Monday, very excited!

I was there last week - love it there. Gaslamp district is really cool to walk round, and we really enjoyed meals at a brazilian restaurant (sorry, can't remember the name), and Nippon sushi on 4th. Do a bike taxi for the laugh.

Can anyone recommend a hotel there? We will be doing the inevitable Seaworld, but some of the other suggestions look fab. We will need family friendly, any recommendations gratefully received.

We were there this time last year with the DCs who were then 9 and 6. Stayed a couple of nights at the Hilton in the Gaslamp District and just walked down the street to the Padres game or into the old town. Great location and modern but maybe not the most family-friendly hotel. Not many kids there, mostly business people going the the Conference Centre over the road, but we didn't spend much time actually in the hotel. During our stay the pool was out of action so we were able to use the Hard Rock Hotel pool round the block - miles better then the Hilton pool but I felt rather conspicuous among the Hard Rock guests who were all cool couples or adult groups!

We then stayed in the Holiday Inn opposite the ferry terminal and waterfront which was ok - not as nice as the Hilton but had an 'Elephant and Castle' British-themed pub and restaurant attached which was handy for good reasonable food and had a pool table to keep the kids amused. Many more families at this hotel and a shuttle bus to the zoo.

Seaworld was great - theme park rides plus animals, but the zoo was a bit dull and very hilly. We're not really zoo fans as a family though - seen one. seen 'em all!