Taking the wife and 10 year old daughter to San Diego for a 3 day weekend.

Looking to go to the beach, and maybe try zip lining.

But never been. Any recommendations?

The zoo is super cool, the wife and I went earlier in the year on our trip and enjoyed it.

If your family is up for a hike the ones at Torrey Pines park are relatively easy and have awesome views on the cliffs. Get to watch the hang gliders too.

Have you looked into zip lining at the Safari Park that the zoo owns? It's a few minutes outside town but lots of fun. The zip line is pretty high up and you cruise over the lions and other plains game.

Take a coat. I've never been to the beach in San Diego that it wasn't cold.

If you've never seen a sunset over the ocean, it's great.

Annie's canyon is a fun short hike.

Go to La Jolla and see the seals and sea lions and grab some seafood overlooking the water.

As someone else said, the zoo is one of the best in the world. You could spend most of a day there.

Plenty of breweries.

The USS Midway is there and a cool visit.

E said:

---

The zoo is super cool, the wife and I went earlier in the year on our trip and enjoyed it.

If your family is up for a hike the ones at Torrey Pines park are relatively easy and have awesome views on the cliffs. Get to watch the hang gliders too.

---

We will definitely book a trip to the zoo in that case. I think we will do that on Sunday morning.

Torrey Pines I never would have thought of, but that sounds right up our alley. Good suggestion thank you!

BSD said:

---

Have you looked into zip lining at the Safari Park that the zoo owns? It's a few minutes outside town but lots of fun. The zip line is pretty high up and you cruise over the lions and other plains game.

---

I will check that out now. That does sound fun!

jja79 said:

---

Take a coat. I've never been to the beach in San Diego that it wasn't cold.

---

I didn't consider that. Thank you!

Esteban du Plantier said:

---

If you've never seen a sunset over the ocean, it's great.

Annie's canyon is a fun short hike.

Go to La Jolla and see the seals and sea lions and grab some seafood overlooking the water.

As someone else said, the zoo is one of the best in the world. You could spend most of a day there.

Plenty of breweries.

The USS Midway is there and a cool visit.

---

Great suggestion on sunset over the ocean, It is amazing, you are right.

These are all great suggestions. Annie's Canyon, I think we were planning on going to La Jolla, and the zoo seems like it is recommended so we will plan at least a 1/2 day there also.

Def go to la jolla and see the seals/sea lions

Where you staying at?

For first time visit, do the Balboa zoo. Safari Park is awesome, but first time visitors should do Balboa first. Plan on doing the rest of Balboa while there. A LOT to do in Balboa.

If here during a low tide, consider Cabrillo. Worth going to regardless, but if low tide, hit up the tide pools.

La Jolla is cool, just watch out for the obnoxious docents yelling at people to stay away from the seals. If low tide, there are sea caves you can see too.

I would avoid downtown as much as possible. Full of homeless camps. Police finally pushing some of them out.

Ballon ride. Must

AggieStan said:

---

Ballon ride. Must

---

Great idea! I am booking that right now.

Do you recommend going private, or is it ok to get a shared basket? I think they said up to 10 people, but I don't know if I want to be with a bunch of people on a tight balloon basket.

Shared is ok

Pro Sandy said:

---

Where you staying at?

For first time visit, do the Balboa zoo. Safari Park is awesome, but first time visitors should do Balboa first. Plan on doing the rest of Balboa while there. A LOT to do in Balboa.

If here during a low tide, consider Cabrillo. Worth going to regardless, but if low tide, hit up the tide pools.

La Jolla is cool, just watch out for the obnoxious docents yelling at people to stay away from the seals. If low tide, there are sea caves you can see too.

I would avoid downtown as much as possible. Full of homeless camps. Police finally pushing some of them out.

---

Gosh, we are staying at a mixed bag on this trip:

Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
Hyatt House San Diego/Sorrento Mesa
The Seabird Resort

So is the Balboa Zoo the same as the San Diego Zoo? Is the Safari Park the Zoofari Park?

I just checked the tide on hte days we will be there, and it is between 3.4 and 5.0 feet on the days we are going to be there. I am assuming that is high tide? Can you snorkel at Cabrillo? What are some great suggestions for snorkeling?

Yeah, I got plenty of the seal watchers in Kauai LOL. I saw them verbally berate a woman when she was looking down and almost walked into six seals. There is no doubt the volume of the chastising would have disturbed the seals more than the lady. I think most women would have fell to the fetal position in the water and cried it was so bad. But she stopped, paused, and then walked around them like a champ.

Good tip on the downtown.

The zoo is inside Balboa Park, but there's more at the park than just the zoo.

The safari park is another campus, or whatever, of the zoo, but it's about a half hour away from the zoo.

Can't snorkel at Cabrillo. You'll want to do that in the cove at La Jolla with the leopard sharks

GF and I did a segway tour of Coronado Island, was really fun.

Go hike around in Torrey Pines. That area along the coast is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

For the beach I would do Coranado

As far as dining options, I suggest Cardellinos, superb Italian restaurant in Mission Hills neighborhood.

CORONADO HOTEL

GAP76 said:

---

CORONADO HOTEL

---

I wasn't aware of it, but I wish I booked us there instead. I got some free nights with this trip, such is the reason for the Hyatt properties.

We usually either stay at the Del and just hang out on Coronado on the beach and in town or do all the San Diego stuff and stay at some other Hilton property on the mainland. Ditto all the recs but especially the zoo and the midway, both good times. They also have a tall ship like the Elisa that's kind of cool. Lots of great breweries around town as well.

Oh if you have Hyatt nights the resort over by sea world is pretty decent.

Esteban du Plantier said:

---

If you've never seen a sunset over the ocean, it's great.

Annie's canyon is a fun short hike.

Go to La Jolla and see the seals and sea lions and grab some seafood overlooking the water.

As someone else said, the zoo is one of the best in the world. You could spend most of a day there.

Plenty of breweries.

The USS Midway is there and a cool visit.

---

Thank you for the suggestions! We really liked Annie's Canyon, especially my 10 year old daughter.

LaJolla was great, and really a place you have to go if you go to San Diego.

The zoo was fun too, it's a lot to take in. It's more like a Disney world with everything going on.

Sounds like you guys had a fun trip, glad to hear that.

Traveling with my family is pretty much the most important thing to me.

Esteban du Plantier said:

---

The zoo is inside Balboa Park, but there's more at the park than just the zoo.

The safari park is another campus, or whatever, of the zoo, but it's about a half hour away from the zoo.

---

Wild animal park. It's up north and better than the zoo in my opinion.

GAP76 said:

---

CORONADO HOTEL

---

One of the best beach properties there. But the quality of the hotel has gone down the last 10 years. Really needs a refresh on the inside.

You can pay to access the beach area and not be a guest. Probably the best value.

JT05 said:

---

Go hike around in Torrey Pines. That area along the coast is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

---

Make sure you check out the gliderport after brunch at The Grill at Torrey Pines (get a reservation as there's often golf tournaments).

Be careful with the beach below. There a nudist area.

With Hyatt points (hopefully you have status) and availability, I'd opt for the Park Hyatt Aviara. Great pool set up with your 10 year old and a newly remodeled 5 star hotel.

The seabird is really nice. Give it a shot.

Can't do it - with globalist and abundance of points… park Hyatt aviara is the way to go.

Seabird and Mission look great though

AgLA06 said:

---

You can pay to access the beach area and not be a guest.

---

You don't have to pay for access. You can walk through the lobby and the shops, the yards, the beach, all free.

Correct, only thing you'd have to pay for is parking on site.