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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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!

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.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) San Diego With Kids: Wild Animal Park is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) San Diego With Kids: Family-Friendly Fun Food in San Diego is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) San Diego With Kids: Home Away from Home @ Homewood Suites Liberty Station is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

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.

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.

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

Fun for Little Ones Too

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.

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

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.

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.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) San Diego With Kids: Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

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

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).

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) San Diego With Kids: Cabrillo National Monument is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

Welcome to the Trekaroo Kids Mobile – San Diego Edition!!

What is it you might ask?

Well, it’s a brain child of Trekaroo – a ultimate family travel resources – to connect bloggers and travelers to share their insights at specific destination. And this stop I have chimed in on my recent acquired knowledge about San Diego. So go ahead and scroll down to learn tips, info and valuable resources about how to make your visit to San Diego a fun one.

Trekaroo families  have been voting for their favorite kid-friendly activities and hotels in and around San Diego.  We’ve tallied their votes for 2009 and here’s the line up!

Top Activities for Kids in San Diego, CA – voted by parents

Top Kid-friendly Hotels in San Diego, CA – voted by parents

Living in San Diego leaves local families little excuse to stay home.  These moms bring you their personal recommendations of the best places to take kids in their hometown.  Want the local scoop?  Here it is!

Bridget Smith, the author of The Unauthorized Legoland Guidebook not only shared with us her Top Tips for a Legoland Adventure with Toddler and Preschoolers, but now gives us some great ideas about Fun Things to  Do After Visiting Legoland, California. Bridget spent countless hours in Legoland one year and made more than full use of their family’s season pass to bring us the blow-by-blow of making the most of your visit to Legoland.  Follow their family’s other adventures on her blog:  Family Adventure Guidebooks

The Q Family  isn’t local but lives to travel.  If you have 5 days to spend in San Diego, here’s their list of the Must See Attractions with Kids in San Diego. This is a family who’s constantly on the go!  The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog chronicles their adventures with wonderful photos, fun stories and helpful tips.

Balboa Park is a wonderful urban park that families love.  But when hunger strikes, Carolina has a list of Kid-friendly Dining in Balboa Park.  She is the mom behind the blog Kids Go West.  As a public school teacher, mom and freelance travel writer, she shares her insider tips on all the totally awesome places to go with kids in her home state of California. Bookmark her blog if you’re heading to California.

Rockinmama loves to mix fun and learning.  She recommends these 5 Fun and Educational Kid Activities in San Diego.  On her blog Rockin Mama, she writes with great humor about pregnancy.  She also write prolifically about parent-friendly products.  If you’re looking for the inside scoop on new products for parents out there, this rockin mama’s got it.

Amie O’Shaughnessy of Ciao Bambino brings us San Diego: Favorite Family Hotels . Ciao Bambino is a one of Trekaroo’s favorite partners because we share a common passion – inspiring families to travel.  Ciao Bambino provides tips and advice around all things related to traveling with kids and is a guide to the best kid-friendly hotels.

Sarah Wyles runs Toddler’s Travel – a local baby equipment rental company for visiting families.  Naturally, she’s a guru on Fun Activities for Toddlers in San Diego.  Instead of lugging all those bulky items on the plane, rent it when you arrive from Toddler’s Travels.

Colleen of TravelMamas has the scoop on the 5 Best Family-friendly Restaurants in San Diego County.  Her blog, Travelmamas, gives tell-it-like-it-is tips about traveling with kids.  Relying on her own family’s experience as well as the advice from other traveling parents and experts, she gives loads of practical advice on traveling well with kids.

La Jolla is one of the most beautiful suburbs of San Diego and La Jolla Mom shares with us her list of Things to Do in La Jolla With Kids. Her blog La Jolla Mom has become a meeting place of sorts for local moms looking to connect.  Her Family Fun section is full of popular and off the beaten path places to go with kids.  Hop on over and see why La Jolla is a town you must stop at when visiting San Diego.

Other Resources for San Diego, CA

• All 104 Activities for kids in the San Diego County
• Kid-friendly hotels in and around San Diego County

Which Hotels came up at the top?

Top Activities for Kids in San Diego, CA – voted by parents

Next stop, Denver, CO (that’s right, the launch of Colorado is coming soon)

The Trekaroo KidsMobile is a blog carnival with a twist. It’s designed to provide a unique opportunity for mom and dad bloggers to be featured on Trekaroo while

1) expressing their unique point of view

2) getting a web of link exchanges.

Join us for one of our next stopovers.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) Trekaroo KidsMobile Travel to San Diego is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

During our visit to San Diego Zoo we had so much fun especially interacted with the animals at the zoo. They were the most active animals we have seen at any zoos. Maybe we were lucky or maybe they are just that way.

But instead of wasting your time writing and describing our experience. How about meeting one of them?

The Gorilla duo – mommy and baby – were a hoot. The mom was very playful and funny. One minute she was hugging her baby and the next she pushed the baby away. Guess it’s the PMS. :) Kids were all giggling and had a blast from this show.

This is my first time trying the video. So please let me know if you have any feedback. Would love to hear from you guys!

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

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) San Diego With Kids: Meet San Diego Zoo Star, The Gorilla is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

Me: Guess where we are going in San Diego?

Mr. Z: Where?

Me: Legoland

Mr. Z: Squeak… Squeal… Jump… and start it all over again

That’s the reaction I got when we first told him we will be visiting Legoland in San Diego.

I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about Legoland at first. I have read mixed reviews from parents that the park might be more for younger kids. But boy!! were they wrong!

Legoland by far is one of our kids’ favorite theme park.

The Little Park That Could

One of the thing that I was hugely mistaken was how much time we will spend at the park. See! We have done Disney countless times so I thought we could probably enjoy Legoland in half a day and have enough time to visit their new Aquarium next door.

Big mistake! We arrive a little bit after 11 am so that should give us plenty of time, right? Wrong! There are just so many fun rides and attractions for kids (umm.. and adults) to do. I mean just walking around and admiring the amazing lego creation will take us hours.

Plus there are more rides that my kids can enjoy even with height requirement.

They must be parents with kids

I love little things that make our visit enjoyable like the waiting area for kid while parents wait in line.

Basically, during a long line Legoland has a special section that looks like a play area equips with what else but Lego tables with lots of legos for kids to play while the parents stand in line. Then when the parents get closer to the on the ride they can meet their kids.

No fuzzy and whinnying kids in a long line. Genius!!

Why didn’t I see more of that from other parks.

Big Kids, Little Kids

I should have studies the map more thoroughly so we would start of in the right direction. Miss J tried to tell me but I was too busy taking picture. :)

For younger kids in their toddler years, I would suggest to turn right and start counter clockwise once you get in the park. There are more rides for their age range

For older kids, the left turn is the way to go. The Castle Hills and the Adventure Land are full of fun roller coaster rides and excitement for them.

Prepare for Some Sweat

Yes, we went there during November. But there are few attractions that you will have to work out that muscles. I’m not complaining because it was a great way for family to work together as a team.

The highlight of attractions with some fitness built-in has to be the Fun Town Fire Academy. Get ready for some bicep workout.

The Low Point

The low point of the day was that we didn’t have enough time to enjoy Legoland as much as we like. So I’m pretty sure that we will come back to visit them in the future. Maybe Spring or Summer time might be better bet so we could take advantage of many water funs around the park.

We basically skipped the whole Pirate section because there are too many water attractions.

Stay tune for our kids’ pick on their favorite rides and attractions from Legoland.

Disclaimer: I received complimentary tickets from Legoland California. However, this post is based solely on my experience and my opinion without any outside influence.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) San Diego With Kids: Legoland California is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

During our SeaWorld San Diego visit, we had such a great time enjoying watching the Animal shows and interacting with Animal encounters throughout the park. We tried to pack in as many attractions as our kids’ little legs could handle. But there are still a few other shows and animal encounters that we missed. But here are our favorite ‘Best Animal Shows and Encounters in SeaWorld San Diego’

1. Sea Lions LIVE

The Sea Lion Live show is a fun show and very entertaining. It’s not one of those boring show that you see the sea lion jumping up and down without any story. They have create a great scripts that both funny and witty. The show incorporated current TV shows and musics into their shows making it entertaining without bored parents or bigger kids.

2. Dolphin Experience Presentation

As SeaWorld getting ready to open the new Dolphin Show – Blue Horizon at their new stadium in May 29th, 2010, we got to enjoy their dress rehearsal for their new show. The show took us to behind the scene on how the trainers work closely with the dolphins and what techniques they use to train them. Now there is one more reason to come back to visit San Diego and SeaWorld.

3. The Shamu Show Believe

The star of SeaWorld doesn’t disappoint any kids or adults. Who wouldn’t be in awe to see triple flips from a mammal that size! If that didn’t move you, the music and the story will probably have done it. I don’t think there is any more words I can use to describe our experience with the Shamu show except you have gotta see it for yourself!! It’s one of those things that you can’t really convey the experience unless you have witnessed it. Oh! And they are not kidding when they mark the soak zone

4. Forbidden Reef

It was supposed to be a quick stop while we wait for the Shamu show but it turned out to be one of our favorite stop. The Forbidden Reef provides kids the perfect opportunity to touch and feed bat rays. The lagoon is shallow enough that little kids can reach out and touch the rays. Mr. Z couldn’t get enough of it. It took quite a bribe to get them away from the lagoon.

5. Dolphin Encounter

Another wonderful show that we stumbled upon during our wandering in the park. The Dolphin Encounter allows kids and adults to feed these gentle animals and touch them. I love that the staffs were there ready to help you finding a spot to feed them.

Disclaimer: I received complimentary tickets from SeaWorld San Diego. However, this post is based solely on my experience and my opinion without any outside influence.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) San Diego With Kids: 5 Best Animal Shows and Encounters in SeaWorld San Diego is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

I can’t believe that Thanksgiving holiday is less than 2 weeks away. This Monday, after a long absense from participating in Mondays Are for Dreaming at Mother of All Trips, I couldn’t help but have to write up my post about this Monday Dreaming.

I was actually called for Jury Duty today and will have to check back again tomorrow. But while I was waiting and waiting and waiting in the court house, my mind was focusing at only one thing. Our upcoming San Diego trip.

Here are 5 attractions that I can’t wait to visit in San Diego:

1. San Diego Zoo – Our kids love to check out animals. San Diego Zoo is one of the top attraction in San Diego so I can’t wait to check them out. I was so tempted to go online, print out the map and plan every single move… BUT I think a little exploring will be good for my type-a personality.

2. Legoland – This attraction without a doubt is a must-do for us. Mr. Z loves all things Legos. His eyes will widen and his jaw will drop at the mere sight of Legos toy. Combine that with Lego Star Wars game he has been playing, I can’t wait to see his facial expression when we arrive in Legoland.

3. SeaWorld San Diego – We haven’t been to Sea World in Orlando for years. So I’m so excited to visit the original SeaWorld in San Diego and check out the animal shows. It will be a fun filled day.

4. Reuben H. Fleet Science Center – With 2 kids in elementary school, I am excited to let them explore the science center and enjoy hand-on experience at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. A convenient location in the Balboa Park is a big bonus for our already packed schedule.

5. San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park – A sister park to the San Diego Zoo with its own unique experience outside San Diego will be our last stop in San Diego. I have never been to this kind of animal park before, where you will get to meet animals in their own environment. I don’t think Disney’s Animal Kingdom counts. So I’m looking forward to meeting the animals in Wild Animal Park up close and personal.

Check out other travelers’ Mondays are for dreaming here.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) Dreaming of: 5 Places for Family Visit in San Diego is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

I have drafted this post a while back as soon as we know that we are going to San Diego in Winter. But I didn’t have the chance to finish it till now.

It’s not because there is nothing to do in San Diego. But it’s the opposite. There are so many things to do in San Diego. My head is spinning trying to find out what can we fit into our schedule. And no, I still don’t know for sure.

I have to say I’m a real type-A traveler. I have to plan everything to the hours. I’m weird that way. But I think I’m getting better. I think…

This trip I will probably have a list of things to do and leave a few days as  free days so we can explore at our own pace.

Without further adieu, here are list of things to do in San Diego that we will try to fit into our trip.

1. San Diego Zoo – It’s one of the top attraction for San Diego. So I don’t have to have a lot of reasons, do I? Kids love to go to the Zoo and this one will probably give them a good work out for a day.

It just likes all the stars align for my trip planning. A couple weeks ago, Carolina @ Kids Go West wrote a post about The Best of San Diego Zoo picked by her kids. What a perfect post for me. I didn’t have to do any research. I will just print out her post and my to-see for that day will be done.

2. Sea World San Diego – I haven’t been to Sea World in Orlando for ages. My kids have never been to Sea World ever. So Sea World is a must on our list. We love aquarium in general and I love to watch live show.

Blogosphere is my friend again when a couple weeks ago (seem to be the theme here) Jamie @ Travel Savvy Mom wrote about 5 Things she learned at Sea World.  Her fun post gives us the general idea of what to expect.

3. Legoland – My son will disown me if we skip Legoland. I mean this boy has a serious issue with Lego. A few days ago he announced that he is no longer interested in Thomas the Tank Engine. He is now a Star War Lego fan. How about that!

For this stop, I know I can rely on Bridget @ Family Adventure Guidebooks. She published ‘The Unauthorized Legoland Guidebook’ so that should probably say a lot about her knowledge of this amazing amusement park.

4. La Jolla Beach – Visit Children’s Pool to check out the seal and enjoy the relax beach vacation North of San Diego. As Mudslidemama @ Traveling Mamas put it on her visit “I’m so glad I did! La Jolla is indeed lovely, with cliffs that overhand the Pacific in ways reminiscent of the more rugged views in Northern California.”

After that, we can enjoy watching hang gliders navigate the wind at Cliff Hanger cafe. That’s something we don’t see everyday in Atlanta.

5. Balboa Park – Home of the San Diego Zoo. The country’s largest urban cultural park also houses other museums, performing center and open-air theatre. Even though Mr. Z announced his separation from Thomas, I’m pretty sure that he will run to be the first to ride the Balboa Park Miniature train.

6. Mission Beach – Technically, there will be more beaches in San Diego than you can choose. But at Mission Beach, kids can enjoy the beachfront amusement park at Belmont Park. With free parking and free admission, it’s a good outing for a family.

7. USS Midway Aircraft Carrier – I love taking our kids to visit places or sights that we don’t normally see in our own hometown. The USS Midway is one of such place. It’s not often that we will be in the area that we can visit and explore the US Aircraft Carrier. Ok.. This one is for me, Ok? I want to see the inside of the carrier and learn about life at sea.

Now. This is probably not a complete list of what San Diego has to offer. So have at it… What else should I consider while soaking up the Sun in the South Cal?

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) Things to Do with Kids in San Diego is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog