Help with vacation in Southern California

[Coldeyes]

We will be in Southern California for 14 days. Still in the planning stage.

Will be staying in San Diego area from June 29th to July 3rd visiting:
San Diego zoo
Sea World
Wild Animal park

We will be staying in Anahiem July 4th to ?? visiting:
Disneyland
California Adventure
Downtown Disney


We would also like to visit:

Universal studio's
Hollywood Walk of Fame (stars)
See the sea lions and redwood trees.

I have a few questions, hoping others in the area or visited the area would be able to help me.....

Would Anahiem be a good location to anchor in after our stay in San Deigo?
(ex. to visit Unuiversal Studio's, Sea lions, ect.)
What other things to do while in the area?
When would be the best days to visit DL?
Place to see best fireworks on July 4th?

This is our first vacation off the east coast.... I would like to have a basic plan to start with.... and still leave room for "look at that, we have to go there" days.....
We went to Disney World two years ago.... we loved it.....
Going to WDW we had my cousin show us around for 7 days.....
In California, we won't have that.... Just me and my two sons (13 yo and 9 yo)....

Thanks in advanced for any help, we will be in southern california from June 29th to July 14th...

Coldeyes

 

[goofyfordisney]

Hi Coldeyes,

I have 2 sons the same ages as yours! It sounds like a great trip you're planning! Just a couple of thoughts:

In San Diego:
Have you thought of adding Legoland? I haven't been to myself...but I have heard that it's pretty cool....Just a thought.

You will probably need around 4 full days at DL/DCA--you can hop back in forth between the parks real easy by walking--not like WDW.

If you are planning on going north to Universal and Hollywood area, I would consider changing hotels at that point. You should only need about 2 days there--depending on what else you are going to do.

You might consider checking out www.getawaytoday.org --they will have some great prices on packages for stays in Disneyland area, Universal area, and San Diego. I believe your 13 year old will be an "adult" so the tickets you receive will work for him.

Just a few more questions for you...Where are you planning on seeing sea lions and Redwoods? Are you flying out of a different airport than you come in at?

Hope some of this helps!
Have fun planning!
Sue

 

[Coldeyes]

Thank you for the information Sue.

We will be flying in and out of SAN.
We were thinking of going to LegoLand. (My 9 y.o. loves lego's)
Just wasn't sure how much would be there for 13 y.o. son to do?

I was reading different post or different web sites....
In my notes I have "sea lions" located in La Jolla..... Is it possible to see them there or must we go futher up the coast??
If we need to go furhter up the coast, we will.....
Seeing the Sea Lions in their natural habitat is the only thing on our list that is a "must see"
Redwood Forest, Winchester House, and Acatraz our on a "we would like to see" list, but have agreed among ourselves that if the "flying thing" goes good, we can plan a trip to SF area next year...... this is the first time flying for all three of us.... to say we have jitters is an understatement..... lol

With only 12 full days (arriving June 29th evening and leaving July 14th morning) I was thinking SF area would be a bit much to add to vacation plans.....

If you know of a better place to see Sea Lions.... i would love to know....
(Seeing them is what started this trip.... all other things DL, Sea World, etc. are added bonuses)

Thanks,
Rayne

 

[teri]

Best place I know to see the Sea Lions is the Monterey Bay, either from Monterey itself or better yet, from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk area and pier, and Lighthouse Point. There are marine preserves all along there, with incredible tidepools -- unlike Southern CA, the Monterey Bay has an upwelling (underwater currrent) that comes down from Alaska bringing cooler water temperatures and conditions that are enhanced for sea plant and animal life. It is a beautiful, natural environment. There are also some of the oldest and most beautiful stands of Redwoods in Santa Cruz County, along Rt. 9, Skyline Drive, and in Big Basin State Park. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Be sure to read Mary Jo's thread at the top of the page, Other Things to Do In Southern California. Read all the way through - there are ideas for you about your trip this year, and next.

 

[goofyfordisney]

Coldeyes,

I think your idea about a seperate trip for Northern California is a good one. I live in San Jose--we are within an hour of San Francisco and the Monterey area. I know you can see alot of sea lions in either place.

The Winchester Mystery House gets a lot of people visiting from out of state--I guess I don't really see the "mystery" about it! LOL! It wouldn't be on my list of the top 10 things to do while in Northern California!! And there is always Paramount's Great Americe--once again, I don't see the huge attraction once you have been to Disneyland--it just doesn't compare at all--your kids will enjoy it for a day though. We usually get a pass for the summer--my kids like it (by the end of the summer we are tired of it!)

The Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay area is very nice--a totally different type of beach area than what you will see in So. California. As for San Francisco, we love visiting. We like to spend a couple of nights in a nice hotel (even though we are so close).

As for sea lions in So. California--I'm not sure...hopefully someone else can help with that.

Your kids will like Universal--we have stayed at the Sheraton that is right there--it was nice. Even though it would mean another hotel change for you guys...I would recommend it. They have a nice "City Walk" with shops and restaurants right next to Universal too. You could easily do Universal in 1-2 days.

Have fun!

 

[scanmom]

Check out this site for great deals!

 

[ccollmoe]

Just my opinion but for the money, I think the Zoo, Sea World, Wild Animal Park, and Disneyland have more to offer than Legoland. It was very clean and nice but there just didn't seem to be as much to do. I thought my opinion might be due to having 3 girls ages 1, 8, 9 who were not Lego crazy, but my neighbor just got back with 3 Lego Crazy boys ages 3, 5, 9 and had the same thought. I think your 13 year old would be just plain bored. You're going to LOVE San Diego!!!!

 

[Tink33]

Rayne,

Yes - you can see the sea lions at the Children's Pool in La Jolla.

If you have an extra day or two, may I suggest a trip to Catalina Island. We have always seen dolphins jumping through the surf, sea lions sunning on the rocks and even flying fish. Here is a link to their website:

www.catalina.com/

You can catch the boat to Catalina Island from Dana Point, Newport Beach or San Pedro.

I like Legoland but would not recommend it for a 9 and 13 yo. There are so many more things to do in San Diego that would be more fun for the boys. How about surf lessons? Parasail? Hang gliding? Sailing? Jet skis? Hot air balloon ride? The Rueben H Fleet Space Center?

Please let me know if you are interested in any of the above.

Lesley

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>Lesley,

Tell me more about the seals at La Jolla. I've never been there, and would love to take the rascals.

 

[Tink33]

Info for Seal Watching (the marine mammals not the Navy guys )

Seal Cam

Children's Pool in La Jolla

Seal and Sea Lion Questions

Right next to the Children's Pool is La Jolla Cove:

La Jolla Cove

And a trip to La Jolla is not complete without a visit to the caves:


Seven tidal caverns, believed to have been created by wave action and mineral reaction over time, convene at the base of rugged 300-foot cliffs. Sunny Jim, the first cave you reach, was named for a popular 1890s comic strip character who had a Kewpie-style topknot of hair. Looking out from inside the cave you can see a silhouette resembling Sunny Jim. Sunny Jim is also the cave to which steps descend from within the Shell Shop above. Each cave has its own personality, so explore them all when the water is calm. Just beyond the seventh cave you will come to the Devil's Slide.

You can enter Sunny Jim's cave through the La Jolla Cave and Shell Shop - 1325 Coast Blvd, La Jolla


And if you would like to get a view of under the sea creatures:

Birch Aquarium




p.s. The Navy Seals train in San Diego

 

[teri]

Oh, thank you! That should come in handy next month!

 

[mesnowwhite]

I've lived all over CA from San Francisco, Santa Barbara and San Diego. Your best bet for seeing all of the state is to take 2 trips. CA is a huge state and theres a big difference b/w Northern and Southern.

In San diego: with 2 boys, I'd definitely see the Ruben H Fleet Space museum. Its in Balboa Park right close to the Zoo. There's an auronautical museum right next to that as well and a sports museum (all w/i walking distance to each other)

As for the Zoo, if you also plan to see the Wild Animal Park, then its probably cheaper to buy "annual passes" since they are good at both places and the annual pass is cheaper than buying 2 separate tickets. The Zoo will be open at night during the summer and the animals are WAY more active at night (b/c its cooler). Also, there will be fewer crowds at night. The Wild Animal park is also open at night BUT the tram part that takes you out to the open space (where most of the anmimals are) closes around 6:00. But there are still some other animals to see in the main part of the W.A.P. and during the Summer there are several Bands playing out doors at the Park so its a fun place to hang and relax in the evening. The W.A.P. is further east and so is about 10-20 degrees hotter than San diego in the summer. Expect temps at the W.A.P to be 90-100, while temps at SeaWorld will be around 70-80.

Legoland is alot of fun but is geared mostly to the under 12 crowd. If you go, get there early in the A.M since they are capacity controlled and over the summer, its not uncommon to hear of long delays to get inside Legoland. Its a small park and I think only allows a few thousand people in at a time (which is only small when compared to other theme parks!!).

Sea World will be the most fun for your group but again, get there early, since July 4 weekend is always crowded. Also, if you can, arrange to "Dine with Shamu". Its a reservation that you make right when you enter the park. For a fee of around $30 you get to eat a Terrific Buffet lunch (And I don't typically eat buffets but really like this one for the quality) PLUS you get to dine right next to Shamu's pool and the trainers bring the whales close up to the side so that you can "pet them". Its a very very neat experience. They only seat about 30 people at a time for lunch with 2 serving times for lunch. It makes for great photo opportunities as well. SeaWorld will be open until 10:00 p.m. on week nights and until Midnight on weekends during the Summer. They also have "Rockin Summer Nights' which means they'll have a band and DJ playing at night by the front entrance and will have Fireworks late at night.

You will probably want to stay at a hotel in San Diego while visiting that area. Plan at least 3 days in San Diego. There is also a nice marina/shopping/restaurant area called "Seaport Village" that you should check out while in San Diego. You can also take a ferry for $2 to the island of Coronado which has awesome beaches and is really cool to check out. La Jolla has nice beaches but is mostly an upscale shopping district (which may not hold much interest for your boys!)
Have Fun. You'll soon realize why San Diego calls itself "America's Finest City"!!