San Diego: Family Friendly Edition

San Diego Zoo: The San Diego Zoo is consistently ranked in the top 10 best zoos in the US. Spanning over 100 acres, the zoo houses more than 12,000 rare and endangered animals. The zoo is easily walkable but also has sky buckets to take you from one side of the park to the other and also has a double-decker bus that takes you on a 35-minute round-trip guided tour of the park. (Both included with admission!) The SD Zoo also has a new kids area with awesome areas for the littles to climb and run around! (If coming in warm weather, bring those swim suits as they have an awesome splash area!)

San Diego Safari Park: Less than 35 miles to the north of San Diego Zoo, we have the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The safari park stretches over 1800 acres and really focuses more on African and Asian wild animals. They have an amazing tiger trail, as well as an Australian walk-through with kangaroos and wallabies AND is home to the only two platypus outside of Australia! Included in your admission is also the Africa safari tram, which is a must-do! Keep your eyes out for giraffes, elephants, Cape buffalo, zebras and so much more! (If visiting during spring, keep an eye out for those babies!)

Belmont Park: Down in Mission Beach is this beachfront amusement park filled with rides, games and food for the whole family! From traditional amusement park rides like the tilt-a-whirl and bumper cars and the historical wooden roller coaster named "The Giant Dipper", there’s something for everyone, thrill seeker or not. Pop into The Draft for some burgers and a nice cold craft brew or margarita for the parents, then grab some dessert from Beach Treats or Sweet Shoppe!

Balboa Park: Trails, gardens, parks and museums, Balboa Park is 1200 acres with so much to offer! There are 18 museums throughout the park, ranging from art, air and space, natural history, railroad, science museum and a new children’s museum with a great kids area to play and learn! (If you are an SD local, check out their calendar to see which museum is free for residents every third Tuesday of the month!) Don’t forget to check out the Japanese friendship garden (cherry blossoms!), the botanical building and lily pond and let the littles run their energy out at one of the parks.

USS Midway Museum: The USS Midway was the longest-serving aircraft carrier in US naval history (47 years!) which began at the beginning of WWII all the way through Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Climb aboard with a self-guided audio tour, weaving your way through the ship, walking through awesome areas like the mess hall, combat stations, sick bay and even the jail on ship! See where the sailors worked and spent their time during the day, and where they laid their heads at night. Head up to the flight deck and check out the helicopters and fighter jets on board!

Old Town: Old Town is split into the town market area and the historic park. The market area has over 40 unique shops where you can find beautiful art, Day of the Dead dolls and tons of historical souvenirs. Along with the great shopping, the restaurants here are top-notch! Get some great authentic Mexican food with tortillas made fresh in front of you and excellent margaritas to wash it all down. There always seems to be something going on with live music and events, so make sure to check out their event calendar! The historic state park side is committed to preserving the early days and history of San Diego, with many historic buildings still standing. Check out the blacksmith demonstration or walk through the sheriffs museum and peek through the windows of the old schools.

Check out a Padres game at Petco Park: In San Diego during baseball season (usually end of March to September), head to the number one ranked MLB stadium, Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres! Right in the heart of downtown, the beautiful skyline in view past the outfield and some of the best stadium food and drink selections, it really is no surprise that Petco Park is ranked number one. When coming with littles, Gallagher Square (or Park at the Park) is the perfect place to be! Picnic space to stretch out, a playground and play areas for the kids, it really is a great spot so the parents can watch the game and not have to worry about the little ones falling down the bleachers.

Legoland: "Everything is awesome" at Legoland! With plenty of rides for all ages, a water park and an aquarium, it really is a one-stop shop for the whole family! Check out Dinovalley with the littlest of the littles; have the kids get their "drivers license" in Fun Town; play in one of multiple play areas throughout the park and don’t forget to check out Miniland where you can see lego-sized recreations of places like NYC, Vegas and San Diego. They also have two great resort hotels, with themed rooms, a kids sleeping bunk area and a fun scavenger hunt with a prize at the end!

Where to Eat (with kids!):

Liberty Public Market - San Diego’s first 7-day-a-week public market located in Point Loma’s Liberty Station, there is something here for everyone! Walk inside and grab food at one of their 20+ different eateries ranging from Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican to pasta, then go grab a table at their outside dining area. There is also a bar inside with great craft beer, as well as wine and other options! With an awesome area for the kids to play around, and it being on the flight path to watch planes fly above, it’s sure to be a hit for the little and big kids in your life!

My Yard Live - Up in North County San Diego, My Yard Live is the perfect place for families. They have a great outdoor area with tables and chairs for the adults to sit on (with a beverage of their choice) while they keep an eye on their kids on their awesome play structure. Just inside is fun for all with video games, air hockey, skeeball and more. They have an array of food from delicious wraps and salads to burgers and nachos, and their bar serves yummy cocktails and their own brewed craft beer. Their "front yard" has a stage in the corner and they often have live music!

Draft Republic - With over 100 beers on tap, an extensive cocktail list, 70+ TVs and arcade games, this place has something to keep everyone entertained! There are two locations (Carlsbad and San Marcos) with the Carlsbad location having a golf simulator, and the San Marcos location a small bowling alley waiting for you! Draft Republic is great for any day but is really the perfect spot for those NFL game-day Sundays!

Windmill Foodhall - Similar to Liberty Public Market, The Windmill Foodhall offers an array of culinary choices with a bar to pair your favorite beverage with your food. Nestled in the corner are some fun games to keep the little ones entertained and don’t forget to pick up some mini donuts on the way out!

Where to Drink (with kids!):

Stone Brewing - Stone Brewing actually has a few great location options depending on where in San Diego you are! Their Escondido and Liberty Station locations also offer a full restaurant in addition to their amazing craft brews. They both have a great outdoor garden area that you can also just grab a drink and hang out. Their Oceanside taproom is small but is in such a peaceful setting, perfect for grabbing a drink during your downtime and maybe letting the kids watch something on those iPads!

Orfila Vineyards - While children are not allowed in the tasting room, right outside is a great outdoor area they call "Rose Park" that the whole family can enjoy. There are picnic tables so you can bring your own food and grab a glass (or bottle to share) and enjoy that San Diego weather! (Pro tip: Orfila is literally on your way out of the San Diego Safari Park, what a great way to end your day!)

Deft Brewing - Deft Brewing has 15 taps, and while you will find the ever-popular IPA on tap, they are really inspired by European style craft beers that you normally wouldn’t find in your San Diego craft scene. They have a great courtyard that they share with Lost Cause Meadery, Oddish Wines and Pizza Cassette to create "The Gärten." (FYI: Pizza Cassette does not operate on Mondays and Tuesdays, and you are more than welcome to bring outside food on those days only)

Park 101 - Park 101 is a multi-level, plaza-style complex steps from Carlsbad beaches. While their upstairs area is strictly 21+, their indoor/outdoor downstairs is perfect for those with kids! Choose from their PRK101 storefront for burgers, tacos and bbq or go to the Trap Shack for Maine lobster and seafood. They have 25+ taps of beer, seltzers and hard kombucha, wine by the glass or bottle and craft cocktails. With good food and drinks, a great area for the kids to run around and a huge screen playing whatever game is on, it’s the perfect place to enjoy after a day at the beach.