San Diego With Kids: Wild Animal Park

January 29, 2010 By 12 Comments

San Diego Wild Animal Park - Entrance

On the last day in San Diego, after we made a quick stop at Cabrillo National Monument we made the trek up the highway to San Diego’s Zoo Wild Animal Park.

We should have arrived much earlier than we did. But after a grueling itinerary with non-stop visits to Legoland, San Diego zoo, Science museum and Sea World. I think it took a little toll on us. So we took it easy that day.

The Wild Animal Park is part of San Diego Zoo but is located in Escondido about 45 minutes from San Diego. So plan your trip accordingly. We chose to visit Wild Animal Park on the last day in San Diego so that we could continue our trip to Los Angeles from there.

The Kilimanjaro Safari Walk

San Diego Wild Animal Park - Path

When we first arrived at the park, I thought we were in Disney Animal Kingdom park. The park looks really clean with shaded path. After picked up the map, Miss J went into guide mode and studied the map.

Our first stop was the gift shop! Yeah.. Not such a good beginning but we forgot a hat for everyone. And we knew we would be doing a lot of walking in the Sun. So shopping it was.

San Diego Wild Animal Park - Feeding ducks

With the size of the park and knowing my kids’ energy level, I knew we had to lower our expectation. We wouldn’t be able to explore the whole park so we settled to only a few spots. First of, I saw the schedule for Cheetah feeding so we marched down the path heading to Cheetah’s area by following the Kilimanjaro Safari Walk. But it was almost at the totally opposite side of the park. But that didn’t mean that we didn’t stop to enjoy feeding ducks near the Congo Fishing Village.

I have read many reviews about the walking concerns for family and I agree. Know thy children! For younger kids, I would suggest a jogging or umbrella stroller. It will be much more pleasant for the whole family. I saw several moms pushing strollers along the path. Looked like a great place for a workout.

San Diego Wild Animal Park - Cheetah

So did we make it for the feeding? NO!

In light of trying to get it there, I actually missed the Cheetah area and kept on walking. By the time, I turned around the feeding was done.

Now, on to plan B.. A quick ice cream stop was in order. We stopped by in front of the entrance to Journey Into Africa and sat down to enjoy our ice cream before got in line for a ride.

Journey Into Africa

San Diego Wild Animal Park - Journey into Africa

If you have limited time and can only do a couple things, THIS is the one I would highly recommend. It’s a no gimmick safari ride that takes you to habitats where animals live together just like in the wild. There is no fancy story of chasing a poacher.

The ride was really educational and informative. I really love our driver who gave us great information. Now I know what make Wild Animal Park different from other typical zoos. The park is big on animal conservation and strives to provide a safe habitat for wild animals.

We rode on a tram along the fence-in area. It’s not really safari experience but hey.. we are in California so what do you expect. Even so, I still think it’s one of the closest experience we can get here and provide us with more understanding on what they are doing in the park.

Little Break for Little Ones

San Diego Wild Animal Park - Kids break

By the time, we were done with the ride, it was late in the afternoon. We decided to hike back to the entrance. It was quite a walk. Then we stumbled upon a staff who provided a much-needed distraction for kids of all ages with the bubble station. He was creating a huge bubble using special solution and allowed kids to forget about that long walk. This shows how family-friendly this park is. I love all this little details that they think of for family with kids.

Not Your Typical Petting Zoo – Petting Kraal

San Diego Wild Animal Park - Petting Kaarl Deer

We have been to many petting zoos in the past but definitely not this type of petting zoo. Most petting zoo you will meet goat, chicken, rabbit and other smaller creatures. But here you meet Kraal. Kids were nervous at first to get up-close and personal with big deers. But they were all very tame. Plus we read them the rules before we got in. Definitely, one of unique experience we had!

San Diego Wild Animal Park - Carousel

Our last stop of the day was the Conservation Carousel. This African theme carousel was a great fun to end our day!

So I have been wondering before visiting the Wild Animal Park as to what is the different between the Wild Animal Park and San Diego Zoo and whether it’s worth a trip.

My verdict

For family with younger kids, they might enjoy San Diego Zoo more. But for family with older kids, it’s SO WORTH it!! My kids absolutely loved the safari ride experience. They also begged us to get on the balloon ride but we stood ground on that request. :)

I just wish we had more time to spend and explore. It’s definitely worth extra money to buy the Journey Into Africa ride. There are so many other parts of the park that I wish we had time to explore.

Family Tips:

  • Arrive early because this park is huge. You will be able to explore more.
  • Bring stroller for younger kids.
  • Stop for frequent break with bigger kids. This will allow them to enjoy walking a bit more. There are many interesting things to see and check out along the path so the walk wasn’t that bad.
  • Go on Journey Into Africa!

Disclaimer: I received complimentary tickets from San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park. However, this post is based solely on my experience and my opinion without any outside influence.

San Diego Things To Do

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Dreaming of: Seoul, South Korea With Kids

January 25, 2010 By 11 Comments

I haven’t participated in Mondays are for Dreaming at Mara’s Mother of All Trips for a while. But it doesn’t mean that I haven’t been dreaming of places I want to visit with my kids.

My current obsession with K-dram (aka Korean Drama) has sprung a new destination for my Dreaming of Series – Seoul, South Korea.

Seoul is probably one of the destination that is not on the top list of many travelers. If you look at most of itineraries to Asia, you probably see Japan, China, Thailand, and India in most of those list. However, South Korea seems to be at the bottom of the list. I’m guilty of that as well. Until now..

After watching many series of K-Drama and starting to know more about Korean’s culture. I’m dreaming of a visit to check out many sights I have seen from my shows.

N Seoul Tower and Namsan Cable Car

N Seoul Tower - Namsan

It seems to be a very popular destination. A trip on the Namsan Cable car will take you up to N Seoul Tower where on a good day you will  enjoy a view of Seoul’s skyline. Kids will love the ride up the cable car for sure. But they will also enjoy a hike and play at the surrounding park.

COEX Mall and Aquarium

Seoul Coex mall

COEX Mall is an underground mall in Seoul and is one of the largest shopping center in Seoul and one of the largest underground mall in Asia. This mega shopping center reminds me of Siam Discovery in Bangkok. It consists of hundreds of shops, COEX aquarium, Mega movie theatre and Kimchi Field Museum. Talking about all-in-on stop for the whole family.

The Palaces (Goong)

Seoul Palace

The Joseon dynasty built ‘Five Grand Palaces’ in Seoul. The main palace – Changdeokgung – will be one of my top destination to visit. Kids will probably enjoy the changing of the guard ceremony at the Gyeongbokgung Palace. The other 4 palaces are Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung and Gyeonghuigung.

Shopping Markets

Seoul Shopping Dongdaemun

Shopping and Asian culture is like a pair of chopsticks. It goes together and can’t live without one another. Seoul is no different than other major cities in Asia like Bangkok, Tokyo or Beijing. Shopping is a big part of the city. There are several notable markets that I will definitely have to check them out.

Dongdaemun Market is probably one of my favorite to check out. What with opening from 10:30 am to 5:00 am.. This non-stop shopping area will be my best friend on a sleepless night.

And if you are looking for more high priced retail with brand name attached then Myeongdong will suit your need. It’s located at the financial district and is popular among young people so you can expect a great fun nightlife.

Insadong market will be perfect if you look for more arts and antique products. This market is where traditional and modern Korean artworks are sold. It’s also a great place to sightseeing and enjoy a leisure walk

Banpo Bridge

Rainbow fountain Seoul

This might not be on many of Must-See list from major travel sites. But this one is purely for my own indulgence. Any fan of the popular K-Drama, F4 will remember this scene very well. I am determined to check them out when I visit Seoul. Plus I think my kids will get a kick out of a fabulous Rainbow Bridge fountain show as well.

Most of all, I’m dreaming of many great meals there. The Korean food has become my new obsession so I can’t wait to try them all out in Seoul.

Check out other travelers’ dream at Mother of All Trips.

Photo Credits: yeowatzup, hyku, ysjjhfox, jaytong

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Chasing Sunset in Los Angeles

January 22, 2010 By 13 Comments

Sunset in Hollywood - Griffith Observatory

Sunset photography is probably one of the hardest thing I have tried so far. During our West Coast trip, I had only 2 chances to capture the Sunset.

Our first Sunset was in Hollywood at Griffith Park Observatory. It was such a great place to visit with amazing view of the City of Angels.

Sunset in Hollywood - Griffith Observatory Lover

The sunset view became more special when you share with someone you love.

Sunset in Santa Monica Pier

The next day we went to Santa Monica in the afternoon. The Santa Monica beach was a great place to spend a day with kids. There are lot of fun things to do. The view of the Sunset was also amazing.

Sunset in Santa Monica - Ferris Wheel

As we were leaving, we turned around and found this view of the Santa Monica ferris wheel during the Sunset. The lights were on and the fun had just begun.

Check out other travelers Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Los Angeles Things To Do

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San Diego With Kids: Family-Friendly Fun Food in San Diego

January 20, 2010 By 7 Comments

Food in San Diego

Food is one of the 3 main component in our travel – what to do, where to eat and where to stay. I think we have covered a lot of what to do in San Diego in the past few weeks.

But it’s so typical of us that we didn’t get to taste as many great places as we would love to. Spending a whole day in a park certainly cut our chances to taste out many family-friendly restaurants on our list.

Nevertheless, we were able to finish off a couple and would love to share with you.

Covette Diner – Family-Friendly Fun Food

On our first night, we made a plan to meet up with my lovely blogger friend, Coleen from Travel Mamas. Coleen is a San Diego resident so I trust her in guiding us to a great place to eat. And she didn’t disappoint.

We met up at the Covette Diner in Liberty Station. It’s their new location in a revitalize History Navy Training Center. The place is a giant fun house for kids and ahem.. adults too.

San Diego Restaurant - Covette Diner

As soon as you stepped in, you knew this is a place where kids can enjoy and adults don’t have to worry about melt down. The staffs are friendly and very well into the character of the 50s theme.

San Diego Restaurant - Covette Diner Dance

There was a dance break for all of us to enjoy and join in if you dare. :)

The food was also pretty good.. Ok.. I didn’t pay that much attention to the food to be honest because I was already full from the huge appetizer plate and milkshake.. Ah.. The milkshake is what they are famous for. You can order it so many ways that I think Starbucks will not want to compete with their combination. And if they don’t have it in the menu, you can even create your own creation!

San Diego Restaurant - Covette Diner Games

While you wait for the table, or the food or after the food, little ones can enjoy the arcade type area with fun games.

Overall, it was a great fun experience especially sharing with good friends. Thank you Colleen for the recommendation. This is definitely a great choice for family friendly restaurant in San Diego.

The In-N-Out Experience

San Diego Food - In N Out

In-N-Out Burger joint is the local fast food joint that I have heard so much about. Whenever I talk to my neighbor who moved from Southern CA, they always talk about how much they miss In-N-Out. So we just have to give it a try.

The place reminds me a little bit of Krystal burger but with more clients and better burger. We went there during dinner time and the place was packed.

The menu is very simple but we learned after the fact that there is a secret menu! Hmm.. Next time, we might have to try that out. The price is very affordable for everyone. But burger is burger. Don’t expect that this will be a healthy choice for the whole family.

San Diego Food - In N Out Burger

The burger itself is ok but I guess for the price it makes a better alternative than McD. The burger does taste better and seems with better ingredient than your typical fast food burger joint.

But don’t take my word for it. I’m not a big fan of any burger by nature. I still don’t get why the Varsity is so popular in Atlanta. It’s a good stop when you look for a quick meal that don’t break the bank. Another big plus is you don’t have to worry about if your kids will behave here. It’s a burger joint after all.
In-N-Out Burger on Urbanspoon

If you’re on the lookout for the best cuisine in this part of California, read San Diego restaurant reviews to get an idea where you can have it.

San Diego Family Travel Tips

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Help For Haiti

January 17, 2010 By 6 Comments

Haiti

Photo by IFRC/Eric Quintero

There is no doubt that everyone has heard about the devastation that happened in Haiti. I also have no doubt that many of you have already donated or helped in any way you can.

This past week, I have seen yet another reason why I LOVE my blogging community. I can see from big time blogger to mommy bloggers to travel bloggers trying to do anything they can to help raise both fund and awareness to help Haiti.

Many of us have limited fund and I certainly know that. This year doesn’t start off on a good term for us as Mr. Rojo is currently unemployed. However, even with that I couldn’t possible complain. We are still fortunate enough to have food on our table, home to rest at the end of the day and good health in general.

So after participate in the text donation to the Red Cross, I still think that I can do more. I can give more.

How You Can Help

I will follow the foot steps of many bloggers out there like Aye & Jack at Got Passport or Crystal at Money Saving Mom. So for every comment that leave on my blog this week, I will donate $1 per comment to the American Red Cross – Haiti Relief and Development.

HaitiRedCross

Photo by IFRC/Eric Quintero

So come on.. my reader. I know I have a few. I might not generate 25,850 comments like the Pioneer Woman. But I hope that you guys will leave several comments.

There is nothing to lose for you. I would love to hear from my lovely reader. Please help spread the word. :)

Want to Do More?

Check out Got Passport post for up to date information about how you can. Remember to donate to the established organizations. There are too many scams out there so donate responsibly. :)

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San Diego With Kids: Home Away from Home @ Homewood Suites Liberty Station

January 12, 2010 By 6 Comments

Homewood Suite San Diego - Flower

When we visited San Diego, I had done a lot of research on where to stay. Originally, I was leaning toward VRBO because we would be there for a while. I wanted to have space and didn’t want to feel like boxing in to a 4 wall hotel room.

However, budgeting was also a big factor. The VRBO tends to be more expensive when you rented for just one family. It makes more financially sense if we travel with a couple more families to share the cost.

So I looked for another option – extended stay hotel and suites. This hotel type tends to cater more to family and business travelers with free breakfast, suite room and other amenities.

Homewood Suite Liberty Station San Diego

After careful consideration with pro and con with both options, I narrowed down my choice to Homewood Suite Liberty Station. I contacted them and was able to get a discount rate. This was the only compensation I received in term of discount but not FREE.

Location Location Location

San Diego Hotel

This hotel is conveniently located merely 5 minutes from the airport. I think it took us longer to ride the bus to our car rental office than going back to the hotel. It’s right across the river from the airport at the revitalized urban village created from History Navy Training Center in Liberty Station area.

San Diego Hotel - Homewood Suites

The hotel sits right on the bank with the walking/jogging trail along the river. Kids enjoyed running along the trail after breakfast. It was such a great spot to just sit back and relax.

It was a perfect location as our home base to explore San Diego. It’s about 10-15 minutes from SeaWorld and Downtown area.

Enough Room for Everyone

Homewood Suite San Diego Bedroom

We booked the 2 bedroom suites. The room has 2 bedroom and a living room with full-size kitchen (microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator and stove). Typically, when we traveled in a tight budget, extra room might not be necessary but it’s really NICE to have. Having a separate room for the kids allow us to put them to sleep sooner and provide us with some much needed rest.

Homewood Suite San Diego Kitchen

The kitchen is a great feature to have when traveling with kids. However, this trip I didn’t even cook once. There are just so many places I want to try in San Diego!

Make-Your-Own Waffle, anyone?

I think one of the big plus in Mr. Z’s book was the Make-Your-Own-Waffle station at the breakfast area every morning. The hot breakfast had spoiled us that I had a hard time with continental breakfast when we went to LA.

This was definitely a factor to consider when looking at the accommodation. Free breakfast not only will help save the money but also time as well. Just think about the time you will spend driving out to eat. Another budget friendly option will be to buy your own breakfast like cereal or simple breakfast bar and enjoy them at your hotel room.

Homewood Suites San Diego outdoor fireplace

Another little feature that I love is the outdoor fireplace. It’s a perfect place to relax after a long day from sightseeing. There is also an outdoor pool but we went there during Winter so it’s too cold to enjoy that amenity. But I’m sure if we let them, my kids will be the first to jump in no matter how cold that is.

All Things Consider

So even though we received discount rate during our stay, when looking at the current rate available online ($159/night for 1BR Suite), I would consider staying there again when we visit San Diego. Here are the reason why.

  • Convenient location and close to airport (but we never notice any noise from the airplanes)
  • Free HOT breakfast everyday
  • Free light dinner meals 4 times a week (Mon-Thu)
  • Free parking (downtown area hotels typically charge $20-$30 for parking per day)
  • Great outdoor fire place to hang out
  • Nice area and walking trail for kids to run around
  • Friendly staffs

Disclaimer: I received discount hotel rate from Homewood Suites. However, I paid the total cost out of my own pocket and this post is based solely on my experience and my opinion without any outside influence.

San Diego Hotel Review

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San Diego With Kids: Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

January 8, 2010 By 9 Comments

It’s always hard to plan a visit to a city and try to fit everything you want to do and visit during a short vacation time we typically have. Our San Diego trip is one of those trips.

It was probably partly my fault that I split our trip to San Diego and Los Angeles. I couldn’t resist it. I would die if I didn’t get to eat Thai food in Los Angeles when I was that close to it. Anyway, with that plan our original 7 days in San Diego was cut down to only 5 days.

It’s definitely NOT enough to enjoy San Diego in a slow family style pace but we took what we can get.

The Fun Science Center

During our day to visit San Diego Zoo, I was able to squeeze in another fun visit to Reuben H. Fleet Science center. It’s paid to plan ahead and check out the museum hour so we knew that we could spend a whole day in the Zoo and still have plenty of time to check out the Fleet Science center.

This fun science museum in the heart of the Balcoa Park might seem small when you first got in but don’t let the size fool you.

We received complimentary IMAX movie tickets so we had a couple hours before the show started to check out the whole center.

Fleet Science Center San Diego

The first floor has the open floor plan where there are various hand-on exhibits for kids to touch, feel and play with. Mr. Z and Miss J hopped from one to another like a kid in candy store. I didn’t even think they like science that much. Guess I was wrong.

Reuben Fleet Science San Diego

After checking out most exhibits at least twice, we headed upstairs for more fun stuff.

Fun for Little Ones Too

Science Kid City San Diego

Mr. Z headed to the Kid City. It’s a great room for younger kids to enjoy a kid-size city ranging from grocery store, library, phone booth or the factory.

Lego in Fleet Science San Diego

Kids can enjoy a quiet time (ok.. not so quiet when other kids are enjoying their fun nearby) at the reading nook, play with the magnetic board, build a huge lego set or climb up the factory. I literally  had to drag Mr. Z out from that room to check out what Miss J and Mr. Rojo were up to.

Let’s Build It

KEVA planks San Diego Fleet Science

We headed to Block Buster! room… Man oh man.. What a fun room. It’s basically a room full of KEVA planks that you can build on several tables provided. I mean the imagination is your possibilities. There are a sheet with example of what you can build and let me tell you.. This room is as much for adults as for children. I saw several couples enjoying building the KEVA planks themselves with no kids in sight.

Fleet Science San Diego

The KEVA planks are surprisingly easy to use to build amazing structure. Each KEVA plank is uniform in size and shape, made from maple wood and measures 1/4 inch thick, 3/4 inch wide and 4 1/2 inches long. Structures are built by stacking the planks in an infinite number of ways, no glue or connectors necessary.

If I didn’t keep track of time, I bet we could have gotten lost in this room and miss our IMAX show.

Experience Under the Sea

I am typically not a big fan of IMAX theatre just because I can easily get motion sickness. The thought of sitting there with things moving already gives me nausea. But I’m also not one to refuse free tickets. :)

I’m glad we picked the Under the Sea movie. The show takes you to the journey under the sea with a great narrator with some humor comments.

I was concerned about how long Mr. Z would be able to sit still for the whole show. To my surprise, he was so mesmerized by the whole show.

In the end, we all had a great time at the Reuben H. Fleet Science center. It’s a perfect place for the whole family even for the littlest ones. Thank you for inviting us to visit.

Disclaimer: I received complimentary tickets from Reuben H. Fleet Science center. However, this post is based solely on my experience and my opinion without any outside influence.

Check out other fun Photo Friday from other travel bloggers at Delicious Baby.

San Diego Things To Do

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San Diego With Kids: Cabrillo National Monument

January 6, 2010 By 3 Comments

On the last day of our San Deigo trip as we packed our car and ready to head North to visit Wild Animal Park, we made a quick detour to visit Cabrillo National Monument.

Mr. Rojo’s friend highly recommended us to visit the Point Loma Lighthouse. Since we started out the day early, we figured why not.

I’m glad we did

San Diego Skylines

The Cabrillo National Monument is located at the tip of Point Loma Pennisula. It provides us with a great view for the San Diego skyline even though that day it was a bit foggy (probably from dust and pollution).

View San Diego Skyline

Locals said it’s a perfect place to watch the ships as they arrive back at the port. We didn’t have time to do that but we did enjoy the view.

Cabrillo National Monument San Diego

We stopped by the Visitor Center and got the pennies pressed to add to our collection.

Cabrillo Monument Statue San Diego

Cabrillo Monument San Diego

We checked out Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo Statue and took a few pictures. We even spotted a couple hikers walking along the trail.

Point Loma Lighthouse San Diego

But we didn’t walk up to the Lighthouse. Let’s just say whining ruin it all. Maybe next time!

So we got in the car and ready to head to our original destination, but I saw the sign for the Tidepool access and overlook. Another detour was called for.

Surfers in San Diego

We parked and got out to enjoy the early day at the coast. We saw several surfers braved the cold water in the early morning for the ride. Ah!! What a beauty.

View of San Diego Coast

I think we could probably spend a lot more times there if we didn’t have places to go.

Kids would love to stop by the Lighthouse, walk along the bayside trail, check out tidepool and enjoy the San Diego view.

Even with so little time there, I still think it’s a great place to visit.

Family Tips:

  • Arrive early in the morning so it won’t be too hot if you plan to hike along the trail
  • Stop by the Visitor Center to get a brochure and learn the history of the park
  • Check out the lookout points and see if they can spot any surfers
  • Wear comfortable shoes and outfit for the trail hike

San Diego Things To Do

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