Suggestions for 2 days in San Diego post-cruise

[westcoastminnie]

We have booked our first ever cruise, the Wonder repositioning cruise from Vancouver to San Diego in August 2016

It gets into San Diego on a Friday morning. We would love to stay and explore the area for a couple of days. A must-do for DH is the USS Midway (probably Friday afternoon) but other than that we have no plans (we've done Legoland, SeaWorld, etc already). We are thinking a beach on Saturday and Old Town for dinner. We haven't booked a flight home yet but it will either be Sunday at 4:00 or 8:30pm so we will have some time Sunday morning/afternoon as well.

It seems the Cruise Ship terminal and the airport are very close. Should we find a hotel in the area and use shuttles/taxis to get around or rent a car and find a hotel further out? We are not particular on the hotel, just want something clean and affordable (for comparison, when we are in Anaheim we stay at the Best Western Stovalls Inn).

Would love some suggestions from some DISers! Thanks

 

[bumbershoot]

Should we find a hotel in the area and use shuttles/taxis to get around

Yes, absolutely. With your plans, yes. And yes, the places are very close. There are jogging paths/sidewalks along the airport and the waterfront...it's all very close.

 

[pacific mermaid]

Have you done Balboa Park yet? The Japanese Friendship Garden, Museum of Art, and the Marston House are my favorite things there. The Museum of Man, the Mingei, and the Railroad Museum are great, too! Hard to go wrong, and of course, it's all next to the Zoo.

I must also recommend Extraordinary Desserts for a decadent treat. The name does not lie.

 

[EmilysDad]

Believe it or not, you really need a full day for the USS Midway. We went when it first opened in the morning (purchase tickets online so you don't have to wait in line for tickets). We wound up leaving after 4PM, and could have spent more time if we wanted to. I highly recommend it.

Balboa Park has lots to see and do as well and you can easily spend an afternoon there.

The safari park is a good experience, but expensive and you must get reservations.

 

[EllinK]

Roar and Snore at the Safari Park (you would need to drive) is one of the most fun things our family has done. If you are animal lovers, this is a must do.

 

[MunFam]

San Diego is (unfortunately) not very good about public transportation, so if you want to be efficient with your time, a rental car is really needed. For example, a 15 minute car ride (even in traffic, can take 45 minutes on the trolley (our light rail system). Its just not worth it.

Some awesome places to check out:
-Balboa Park (the Zoo is there too!), the Prado Restaurant, Air and Space Museum, Fleet Museum if you have children, Natural History Museum
-Village of La Jolla (North of San Diego)
-Coronado Island (you can take the ferry there, and you board near the Midway)
-as a local, one of our favorite things to do is ride the Coaster train to Oceanside to have lunch at Ruby's (chain) on the Pier and then ride the train back. There are really nice ocean views from the train and its cheap.
-something to really watch out for in San Diego is parking fees. Some places (like the Grand Hyatt) are up to $47 a night and are giving San Francisco a real run for their money! People freak out when they get the bill at check out. Can you tell I work in the tourism industry here?

 

[aggiedog]

Consider a docent tour of the Midway. We did that last summer and it was fantastic. We had a gentleman that had been a pilot on there way back in the day, and was able to take us thru short cuts while really teaching us a lot about the ship. Way better than walking around, reading plaques, or listening to the recorded tour.

 

[westcoastminnie]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Good to know that a few hours on the Midway might not be enough. Balboa Park looks amazing. We might rent a car after all, it seems really inexpensive and then we are not limited to staying downtown.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

You didn't mention the Wild Animal Park (think it has been renamed), but it is very different from the zoo, and a wonderful experience.

 

[MunFam]

You didn't mention the Wild Animal Park (think it has been renamed), but it is very different from the zoo, and a wonderful experience.

Its Safari Park...the abbreviation WAP did not go over real well.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Too funny, it was Wild Animal Park the first time I went there. At any rate, it is a great experience, especially if you sign up for the photo safari where you get feed the giraffe and the rhinos from the back of a truck.