Visiting San Diego/LA This Summer (Los Angeles, Orange: car rental, to rent, taxi)

[moved]

There are no actual restaurants at Seaport Village. The only food there is from expensive food concession stands. I wouldn't try to watch the fireworks from there, though. The parking is horrible, and you have to pay for it. You can watch for free from anywhere along the Bay, but you'll have to get there early to get a spot.

You're not going to have enough time to go through the USS Midway, go to Coronado, then to Escondido to the Safari Park. It's either one or the other, you can't do it all in one day.

Don't count on approximate times driving to San Diego from LA, you never know what the traffic is going to be like. Why can't you just fly into San Diego?

[christhewriter]

Hey it sounds like fun!
Im from Los Angeles but I recently moved to San Diego and Im loving it.

You should also go to Mission Bay Park https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-re...al/missionbay/, it's very close to Sea world and it's beautiful! There's so much things to do there.

Mission & Fashion Valley are beautiful Malls you should visit as well. Balboa Park near the Zoo and the Downtown.

You can move around the city by MTS buses, trolley or by Shuttle https://shuttlewizard.com which are cheap and safe options.

I've eaten at Casa Guadalajara Restaurant Casa Guadalajara Best Mexican Restaurant & Cantina Old Town San Diego California and food is great!

Have a nice trip!!

[RosieSD]

Have you ever driven on a California freeway? With jet lag?

I would not recommend driving for from LAX to San Diego immediately after you land. This is not Dutchess County, NY driving.

Either fly into San Diego, or switch your itinerary to do San Diego after you've done the LA leg of your trip. You'll be glad you did.

[RosieSD]

Choose either the Zoo OR the Safari Park. There's really no need to do both! They both have the same animals, and are the same organization. The money you save by only doing one could buy you a couple of really nice meals while you are in California.

It will be blazing HOT in Escondido in July, so I'd probably pick the Zoo. However, if you think you'd prefer the Safari Park, allow a full day between driving up there, seeing the park, and driving back to downtown. Don't bother spending the money and time to go all the ways up there for an hour or two in the park (Which is all you'd have if you try to cram both the Midway and Coronado AND a trip to Escondido into the same day). It just won't be worth the money.

The Zoo is located in Balboa Park Balboa Park | A landscape of Arts and Culture which is right downtown. After you do the Zoo, walk over to the historic heart of the Park, the Presidio (it's a five minute walk from the Zoo). Instead of eating dinner at Seaport Village, eat at Panama 66 in Balboa. It's a great open air restaurant, and they sometimes have live music there in the evening. Balboa Park | A landscape of Arts and Culture

If you feel you simply *must* do both, then switch your itinerary around and the day you have earmarked for the Zoo, go to the Safari Park. Then do the Zoo after the Midway. But again, unless you are a Zoologist, you don't need to do both!

But rather than do the Zoo AND the Safari Park, I'd recommend picking one and then using the time you have on your schedule for the other to do or see something else while you are in the San Diego area.

Also, don't eat at McDonalds. You can eat that anytime in NY. Find a taco stand like Californians do. Taco places are on nearly every street corner here. If you want a fast food chain, look for a Rubios Fish Tacos.

(As I mentioned previously, many restaurants in San Diego are closed for dinner on July 4. The ones that are open will be packed since so many are closed. You may want to plan ahead and buy some sandwiches at the airport if you're serious about driving down here).

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by bloom

Also, try some authentic local food over Seaport Village.

You're being sarcastic, right Bloom? There's no "authentic local food" in Seaport Village. Just touristy (and expensive) restaurants.

Actually, a better choice than Seaport Village might be Little Italy. Still kind of touristy, but at least you have a chance at getting some 'authentic local food" there.

[RosieSD]

Just FYI:

Zoo ticket is $50 per person. (free parking and right downtown)

Safari Park ticket is $50 per person + $12 parking. (plan on at least half a tank of gas for the trip; we have some of the most expensive gas prices in the country)

Combined Zoo/Safari Park ticket is $90 per person + $12 parking at the Safari Park plus gas.

Seaworld Aquatica is (2015 prices) $38 per person plus $20 parking plus $14-$20 for locker rental (a must if you don't want things stolen while you're enjoying the water).

Birch Aquarium is $18 per person, free parking

Midway Museum ($20 per person; if you're not staying downtown, parking will cost you another $10 or so)

So, with your current plan, you're looking at $180-$200 a person just in entry fees, and parking for these (and that doesn't include food and sodas while you're at the zoo, the Safari Park, or Aquatica; they will let you bring in food/drinks).

Then, let's look at the cost of tickets for some other amusement parks you might be considering during your California trip:

Six Flags is $77 per person plus $20 parking.

Universal Studios LA is $74 to $80 per person plus parking.

Knotts Berry Farm is $72 per person plus $17 parking.

Disneyland is $95 per person plus parking.

You could easily pay almost as much for entry fees as you will for airfare to get here.

There are SO many wonderful FREE and Low Cost things to do in San Diego and throughout Southern California. Perhaps you might want to rethink how you'll be spending your time unless you all have unlimited budgets.

If you don't have unlimited money to spend, Prioritize. Pick 2-3 "must do" costly things to do during your time in California, then fill the rest of your time with all the fun free and low cost stuff. That way, you'll also see and experience more of our beautiful state than just a bunch of amusement parks.

We locals are never bored and most of us don't spend much time at amusement parks. Ask us how we'd spend a day having fun without spending a lot of money, and we'll be happy to give you ideas.

[bloom]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

You're being sarcastic, right Bloom? There's no "authentic local food" in Seaport Village. Just touristy (and expensive) restaurants.

Actually, a better choice than Seaport Village might be Little Italy. Still kind of touristy, but at least you have a chance at getting some 'authentic local food" there.

Reading carefully, I wrote authentic local food Over seaport village.
Bracero Cocina is TJ-style Mexican in Little Italy - to be honest, it was good not super great upon one visit.

[XC_Runner]

Okay, we will cut the Safari Park, but we really want to do the Stone Brewery. And what is so bad from the LA-SD drive? I drove from JFK to Dutchess County before and was perfectly fine.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by jamesa123

Oh, the only reason why we thought of Palm Springs was because it has a Wet N Wild. We wanted to hit Six Flags Hurricane Harbor and Knotts Berry Splash City. Is the Wet N Wild in Palm Springs worth it? Or should we just stick to the two close to LA?

Magic Mountain I have not been to in years, so I don't know what it is like now. Knotts has a great water park, loads of fun -- Soak City. If you insist on a water park, there is a great one in San Dimas, Raging Waters.

I don't see what you would do in Palm Springs.

[bloom]

Originally Posted by jamesa123

And what is so bad from the LA-SD drive? I drove from JFK to Dutchess County before and was perfectly fine.

Lol.
There is a second Stone Brewery in Liberty Station in SD - much more convenient and same brew.
Again, I'm partial to the beer gardens of Karl Strauss in Sorrento Mesa/Valley.