San Diego Zoo
Always a winner, we Skyfari-ed, Express Bused, and hoofed it all around the giant Zoo-wonderland. Although the animals ranged from cuddly and adorable to strangely grotesque, I'm fairly sure my children don't have a future in zoology. They were done looking at animals by early afternoon and wanted to go somewhere with "rides".
Doesn't the Express bus count as a ride?
San Diego Maritime MuseumNo rides, but we did get to explore 2 pirate ships, 1 submarine, 1 ferry boat, and a restored sailboat. These 5 working ships were a boatload of fun to climb around and learn about current and old-fashioned sailing techniques. One of these ships was used in the movie "Master and Commander" with Mel Gibson. They had costumes and props from the movie displayed on the ship.
Coronado Island & Seaport VillageOf course, what trip to California would be complete without visiting the beach? The water was only warm enough for toes, and everyone complained about sand in their shoes for the rest of the day, but we took home a sweet sand dollar and some cool photos. Seaport Village is all about shopping, art, and a really fast carousel. (Yippee! Rides!)
Balboa ParkNot to be missed, Balboa Park was built for the Pacific Northwest Exposition (in the '30's, I think) and now houses this massive collection of museums and tourist hot spots. We visited the Museum of Art (an amazing art collection that totally bored the kids. I mean, if you can't touch it, what's the point?), San Diego History Museum, Museum of Natural History (complete with a birthday party for Darwin...yes, it was a little creepy), Science Center (lots to touch and do), Model Railroad Museum (which awed the big kids as much as the little kids), Aerospace Museum, and the Automobile Museum. There is truly something for everyone, and if you ever go, get the Passport Pass. One price and you get admission to everything, including the zoo. Totally worth it!
USS MidwayRetired navy aircraft carrier, the USS Midway has been turned into an impressive museum, illustrating life on board an aircraft carrier. With plenty of places to explore, and proud navy veterans doing meet-and-greets and giving tours, this was definitely a highlight of our trip.
Although there weren't any rides, there were plenty of buttons and switches to push, and nobody saying "Don't touch."
Legoland CaliforniaOne word to describe our Legoland experience...underwhelming. At Disneyland prices ($73 for adults, $63 for kids, yikes!), we were expecting a Disney-like experience. Not. Even. Close. With a only a handful of really good rides, most of them were not much more exciting than rides at the local fair (albeit cleaner, and with the Lego-theme). On one fireman ride we had to pump a lever to make it go, get out of the vehicle to shoot water into a building and then pump really fast to go back....I'm sorry, but for $73 a person, I think the rides should do ALL of the work.
The Legoland speedway is a definite draw for kids, but parents can't even ride.
Unlimited access to Legos was one of the best parts of the park. We built castles, cars, houses, and more.
The highlight of Legoland is Miniworld. City scenes of New York City, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington DC, and more made entirely out of legos. The details were incredible.
Yes, that is the Inauguration made out of Legos. You could actually identify a lot of the people in the scene. It was amazing.
We are home now, back to school, work, and reality. But we had a great time in San Diego!
