San Diego to Anaheim/Pacific Coast Hwy

[icekdz]

When we go to California in two weeks we are going to spend the first few days in San Diego before ending the trip at Disneyland! We have a whole day to make the trip back up north. Do you have any suggestions of where we could stop along the way? I realize it will be too cold to do much at the beach but we are beach people and still want to check it out alittle. kwim? Not swim but take our shoes off and walk in the sand etc. Any suggestions for good beaches to stop at? Any other things to do/ see alone the way? Thanks for any help! It is getting close and we can't wait!

 

[pocohontas2004]

Sounds like your family is on the same track as ours! We arrive San Diego on Feb. 5 and eventually head up to Anaheim. Friends of mine suggest taking the highway from LaJolla up to Carlsbad and then get on the I-5. Alternatively, take the I-5 up to San Juan Capistrano and catch the PCH up to the 55 and then head out to Anaheim. I believe you catch the 55 in Newport Beach. Being from Erie, PA - I don't really know, just going on their info. There is a thread about this route maybe from last Friday or so, in this forum.

Other fun ideas your family has come up with?

 

[icekdz]

Thank you Pocohontas! I'll look for the other thread. I must have missed it!

We are going to the SD Zoo and Seaworld while we are in San Diego. Tuesday is the day we have reserved to drive up to DL. We will be there W-F. Going to Legoland (which is in Carlsbad) on Saturday. We wanted our Disney days to not fall on the weekend. Have you been to Legoland? If you have kids it is a great park to visit!

How about you... any fun ideas? I was reading on the Frommers site about a place called Seal Beach. Have you heard of it?

Being from PA you probably escaping the cold and snow too! We are supposed to get 8-10 inches tonight. Feb 5th can't come too soon!

 

[AladdinsPrincess]

My husband and I did this trip in reverse last year. Unfortunately, we had a lot of fog, so we didn't get to see much! La Jolla was amazing though - beautiful cliffs and tons of seals and sea lions - I would definitely recommend driving that way!

 

[pocohontas2004]

I think Seal Beach is near LaJolla and should be easy to find. We have a Holiday Inn Suites in La Jolla, I think. We're doing Legoland now before our sons outgrow it! (oldest is soon to be 10!) I heard in San Diego area that the Birch Aquarium is good - we are weight that versus the Wild Animal Park. We did the San Diego Zoo about 5 years ago and were disappointed in it.

 

[Cathy K.]

Hi,
I was just reading in one of my guidebooks today that 4 blocks south of La Jolla Cove there is a place called Children's Pool Beach that is full of seals sunning themselves. The book said it was an amazing sight because you could get pretty close.

We are spending 10 days going from San Francisco to San Diego in just about 4 weeks and I'm starting to get really excited. I've got one more guidebook to finish and I think I've got things pretty well mapped out but I'm still nervous because this trip will be all new for us. We are saving Disney for the last 3 full days because that's what I'm looking forward to the most.

Cathy K.

 

[almostGoofy]

I think Seal Beach is near LaJolla and should be easy to find. QUOTE]

To us locals, when you say Seal Beach, we think of the town between Huntington Beach and Long Beach. It's in north Orange County; La Jolla is in San Diego County.

It may be that your guide book is calling a beach near La Jolla with seals on or near it and calling it Seal Beach but you'll have to be careful when asking about it locally so that there is no mix up as to what you mean.