favorite San Diego activites/sights (not theme parks)

R

riostoker

Mouseketeer

Joined

Aug 28, 2012

• Jul 14, 2015

• #1

So... not including Sea World, Zoo, Safari Park, LEGOLAND, etc., what activities in and around San Diego do you recommend the most? Kids are 7, 11, and 14.

Some of the things we are considering (and would love feedback on):
kayaking at La Jolla
tide pools at Cabrillo National monument
hiking at Torrey Pines
Seal tour (boat that goes around the harbor)
Segway tour (14 year old is old enough with one parent)
maybe one of the museums in Balboa Park?
Birch Aquarium
Midway

What else? And which of the above did your families enjoy?

Thanks!!
Ann

 

E

endy

DIS Veteran

Joined

Sep 15, 2006

• Jul 18, 2015

• #2

I love Birch aquarium. Have been a few times. It's smallish so maybe 2-3 hours, check the events when you get there for times of the shark feeding, diver talk and others. Sea horses galore.
We also enjoyed the tide pools at La Jolla. Midway was interesting to me not so much for DS (between 10 and 13).
Haven't done the others you mentioned. I've always wanted to do the Seal tour (it's the land/water thing right?) I've been on them in Halifax and Seattle and loved both of those.
Depending on timing there could be good whale watching.
Baseball game and/or a tour of Petco.
The Chula Vista Nature center ( they may have changed the name recently) we've been quite a few times and really enjoy it. You could spend an hour or so in the center and more time walking thru the trails to the bay. They had a touch pool, sea turtles, rescue birds when we went 2 years ago.

Have fun, San Diego is my most favorite place to go.

 

dotfurio

What happened to the disappearing act?

Joined

May 22, 2014

• Aug 3, 2015

• #3

Of all the extras you've mentioned we've only done Torrey Pines and Midway but we loved them both. My husband and I are more into hiking than the kids, so there was a bit of whining at Torrey Pines. The Midway is one of the best ship museums I've been to, though, and plenty of stuff for the kids. Our kids also enjoyed looking around old town.

 

P

Purrkins

Mouseketeer

Joined

Apr 16, 2012

• Aug 5, 2015

• #4

Frisbee golf in Morley Field (attached to Balboa Park)
Hiking Cowels Mt. for a view of the ocean and Mexico
Chula Vista Nature Center
Evening Padre game
Seals at Children's Beach
Lunch at Pt. Loma Seafood watching the harbor seals
Big Dipper Rollercoaster
Lights from the top of Mt. Soledad

 

Laz

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 18, 1999

• Aug 26, 2015

• #5

Segway tours of San Diego and La Jolla are fantastic! The San Diego food tour is really good, but be prepared for lots of walking. Rent a car, and drive up the coast (route 101 I believe). Beautiful towns such as Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad, etc. You can stroll, shop, and eat at some quaint restaraunts (beach parking can fill up quickly in some places).

 

McNs

NZ

Joined

Aug 8, 2014

• Aug 27, 2015

• #6

We called in to La Jolla cove on our way to SD, it was awesome, kids loved exploring around the rocks and checking out the sea lions (from a distance!).

 

M

Maxiebears

Earning My Ears

Joined

Aug 28, 2015

• Aug 28, 2015

• #7

Balboa Park is awesome

 

ImDMous

DIS Veteran

Joined

Dec 1, 2011

• Aug 28, 2015

• #8

Mission Bay Aquatic Center has stand-up paddle board rentals, wakeboarding, surfing, etc. Carlsbad Lagoon has much the same but a little further north and a more protected environment.

The Model Railroad Museum and the Air and Space Museum are my favorites in Balboa Park. Also check to see if the Organ Pavilion or Old Globe Theater have anything kid-centric going on when you'll be there. The Ruben H. Fleet Science Center has really cool hands-on experiences for kids, IMAX shows and they used to do laser shows, but I'm not sure on that part.

Whale watching is very good here depending on the time of year.

The Hotel Del Coronado is a great place to go to the beach and enjoy the atmosphere of a beautiful historic Victorian resort. You can take the ferry across from downtown or drive across the Coronado Bridge.