Park Birch Aquarium San Diego Zoo Sunny Jims Balboa Park State Reserve Whale Watching

Mission Bay Park. Mission Bay Park is the largest aquatic park in the country, consisting of 4,235 acres with 27 miles of shoreline and sandy beaches. The beautiful park offers paths for walking and jogging, picnic areas, and playgrounds. Visitors enjoy motor-boating, sail-boating, rowing, waterskiing, jogging, swimming, kite flying, picnics and sailing model yachts. Mission Bay Park also offers professional volleyball and over-the-line sporting events, fire rings, picnic shelters, barbecues, showers, lifeguards and free parking. It is home to many species of birds, fish, and animals and has a nature reserve at its northern end at Crowne Point.

Belmont Park. Belmont Park is San Diego's only beachfront amusement center and home of the historic Giant Dipper Roller Coaster and Plunge. Between Mission Bay and the Mission Beach boardwalk, Belmont Park offers old-time family fun featuring the Beach Blaster, Chaos, Vertical Plunge, Krazy Kars, Tilt-A-Whirl, Crazy Submarine, Thunder Boats and the antique Liberty Carousel. Twinkling lights outline the historic Giant Dipper Rollercoaster - listed on the National Register of Historic Places - on which thrill-seekers ride 2,600 feet of track and 13 hills. Check out the wonderful shops and restaurants. Visit www.belmontpark.com.   [Top]

Birch Aquarium at Scripps. The largest oceanographic exhibit in the US and a program of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Birch Aquarium is situated in La Jolla overlooking the Pacific Ocean. See 30 tanks filled with colorful saltwater fish and a 70,000-gallon tank that simulates a La Jolla kelp forest. Other attractions include a gallery with sea-theme exhibits, a simulated submarine ride, and interactive exhibits. Visit www.aquarium.ucsd.edu.

Gaslamp Quarter. San Diego’s liveliest neighborhood, the Gaslamp Quarter is home to nearly hundreds of restaurants, coffeehouses, nightclubs, galleries and unique shops. Whether you opt for food with flair, shopping for something off-the-beaten-path, a historic walking tour, or a visit to Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, your visit to the Gaslamp Quarter will be a unique experience. Visit www.gaslamp.org.

Legoland California. Just 27 miles from our hotel, Legoland California offers of interactive entertainment for pint-size fun-seekers. Kids can climb on, operate, manipulate, and explore displays and attractions constructed out of Lego blocks. Legoland features a nature maze and power tower with an ocean view, a driving school with miniature cars and boats, a waterworks operated by joysticks and a junior roller coaster. Visit www.legoland.com.   [Top]

San Diego Zoo. The world-renowned San Diego Zoo presents more than 4,000 animals representing over 800 species, and is home to rare and endangered birds, mammals, reptiles, and 6,500 varieties of exotic plants. Enjoy attractions such as the Giant Panda Mei Sheng, the second cub to be born at the San Diego Zoo. Swing through Ituri Forest, cool off at Polar Bear Plunge or feed animals in the children's Zoo - a full day of family fun. www.sandiegozoo.org.

SeaWorld. One of the world's largest marine-life amusement parks, SeaWorld is spread over 189 tropically landscaped bay-front acres. The majority of exhibits are walk-through marine environments. You'll experience earthquake tremors, fog banks, and a heart-pounding 60-foot plunge into a magical lake, and up-close encounters with rare ocean animals. Popular attractions and shows are Clyde and Seamore in Fools With Tools, Pets Rule! and Dolphin Discovery. Don’t miss Shamu the killer whale and Journey to Atlantis. Enjoy a 90-minute breakfast with Shamu, $15 for all you can eat. Visit www.seaworld.com.

PETCO Park. PETCO Park is spectacular venue combining the best sight lines in baseball with breath-taking views of San Diego. Architecturally magnificent, the 42,000-seat Park celebrates the natural beauty, cultural diversity and unique spirit of Southern California. Innovative design makes this the garden spot of baseball, with a dynamic atmosphere that reflects the San Diego lifestyle. Towers and terraces offer panoramic views of the Bay, the downtown skyline, Balboa Park and the mountains on the horizon. The historic Western Metal Supply Company Building houses the Padres Team Store, with a door opening onto a standing room area in left field.   [Top]

Sunny Jims Cave/ The Seven Sisters. On La Jolla Cove's northern lip are the La Jolla Caves, seven elongated fissures (called the Seven Sisters) in cliff walls that can be entered from the ocean when the tide is low. It's a walk of 145 slippery steps down a tunnel to Sunny Jims Cave, the largest of the caves and reachable by land from the La Jolla Cave. La Jolla Cave Store, a throwback to an earlier shell shop, is the entrance to the cave, named Sunny Jim after a 1920’s cartoon character. Call (858) 459.0746

USS Midway. Share in the 47-year odyssey that began in 1945 when The Midway, America’s longest serving aircraft carrier, was commissioned as the largest ship in the world and ended in 1992 with the liberation of Kuwait. Today, the Midway is a stationary museum offering self-guided tours, gift shops and more than 35 exhibits and displays. www.midway.org.

Wild Animal Park. An extension of the San Diego Zoo, the 2,200-acre preserve protects endangered animals from around the world. Exhibits have been carved out of the dry canyons and mesas to represent the animals' natural habitats of North Africa, South Africa, East Africa, Heart of Africa, Australian Rain Forest, and Asian Swamps and Plains. Feed a gentle giraffe in the Heart of Africa, or hop on board the Wgasa Bushline Railway for a 50-minute train ride through Africa and Asia. You'll see herds of elephants, giraffes, rhinos and zebras roam within naturalistic enclosures. Don’t miss Dino Mountain and Conifer Forest, a primeval land filled with robotic Jurassic giants, including the terrifying T. Rex and 17 other dinosaurs. Visit www.sandiegozoo.org.   [Top]

Balboa Park. America's largest urban cultural park, Balboa Park covers 1,200 acres and features over 85 cultural and recreational organizations. It’s also home of the world-famous San Diego Zoo, Old Globe Theater, Japanese Friendship Garden, Mingei International Museum, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego Art Institute, San Diego Automotive Museum, San Diego Hall of Champions, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Natural History Museum, and Timken Museum of Art. www.balboapark.org.

Cabrillo National Park & Monument. On September 28, 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo landed at San Diego Bay marking the first time a European expedition had set foot on the US West Coast. His accomplishments are memorialized at Cabrillo National Monument. The park offers a superb view of San Diego’s harbor and skyline. At the highest point stands the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, a San Diego icon since 1854. www.nps.gov/cabr.

Old Town San Diego. Old Town San Diego is the "birthplace" of California and the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in California. The park features 32 restaurants, 106 specialty shops, art galleries and historical sites. Attractions include: Bazaar del Mundo, Heritage Park, County, Mormon Battalion Visitors Center, Old Town State Historic Park, Presidio Park, Sheriffs Museum, and The Theatre in Old Town. Experience an Old Town Trolley Tour and relive San Diego's early days. In Old Town San Diego, you will experience early Americana with its distinctive West Coast Spanish flavor. Visit www.oldtownsandiego.org.   [Top]

Torrey Pines State Reserve. Explore this 2,000-acre state park which is beloved by travelers from all over the world who come to rest at the stunning coastal overlooks, walk a peaceful trail or exercise in an unspoiled environment. Enjoy eight miles of hiking trails, a visitor center and guided nature walks on weekends. Visit www.torreypine.org.

San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art. Highlighting work produced since 1950, this San Diego museum is hailed for its collection of contemporary art and thought-provoking exhibitions. MCASD comprises 3,000 works of painting, sculpture, drawings, prints, photography, video, and multimedia works. The holdings include every major art movement of the past half-century, with strong representation by California artists. Visit www.mcasd.org.

Del Mar Racetrack and Fairgrounds. Located 20 miles north of downtown San Diego, the Del Mar Ractrack presents exciting live thoroughbred horseracing from July 19 through September 6, 2006, and three trackside restaurants. Del Mar Fairgrounds features the Grandstand and the Del Mar Arena, plus 180,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space for meetings, conventions, conferences, trade shows, music festivals, and events. Del Mar is host to horse racing, the San Diego County Fair (June), ScreamZone (October), and Holiday Lights (December). Visit www.dmtc.com.   [Top]

San Diego Harbor Whale Watching. Embark on a narrated, 3 ½-hour whale watching adventure at Birch Aquarium that allows close-up views of the mammoth California Gray Whale, sea lions and dolphins. Approximately 20,000 gray whales pass San Diego on their annual migration from the Bering Sea to Baja California. Cruises also explore San Diego Harbor, so bring your camera on this trip of a lifetime. Visit www.sdhe.com/san-diego-whale-watching.html.

San Diego County Fair. One of the largest county fairs in the U.S., the San Diego County Fair runs from mid-June through July 4 and features fun carnival rides, games, entertainment, music, food and exhibits at the Del Mar Ractrack. Visit www.sdfair.com.

Tijuana, Mexico. Experience the rich culture of Tijuana, Mexico, including colorful shops, great dining, bullfighting, and Jai Lai. Local buses and trolleys deliver you directly to the International Border crossing where cabs take you to renowned Avenida Revolucion, an 8-block strip filled with blankets, baskets, pottery, hand-carved trinkets, and restaurants. Visit www.tijuanaonline.org.   [Top]