Family Fun

The San Diego botanic Garden is a garden of discovery! Located 30 minutes north of San Diego in Encinitas, California, the 37-acre San Diego Botanic Garden offers visitors a chance to see all sorts of lovely foliage: rare bamboo groves, desert gardens, a tropical rainforest, California native plants, Mediterranean climate landscapes, succulent gardens, an herb garden, a subtropical fruit garden, and native coastal sage natural areas. It`s a wondrous place! Kids love the Hamilton Children`s Garden and its climbing structures, a petting zoo, interesting crafts, and a new scavenger hunt every month!

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is 2,000-acres of wonder. There are eight miles of trails that wind through the unspoiled land full of chaparral and Torrey pine trees, offering stunning views from many lookout points. The Reserve has miles of unspoiled beaches and a beautiful lagoon. Stop by the interactive education center for an opportunity to learn more about California`s early history. Free public guided walks for families and small groups are available on weekends and holidays. The Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is pure perfection!

Did you know San Diego is a mecca for fascinating wildlife and sea creatures? Take your time exploring the tide pools. Here are few places you and your family will enjoy: - Point Loma: sea hares, crabs, sculpin, octopi, shrimp, starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, mussels, limpets, hermit crabs, sea anemones. - Shell Beach, La Jolla: The big attractions are the seals and sea lions that come to sunbathe. - Tourmaline Surfing Park: Hermit crabs and sea snails are very common here. During low tide, you may see an octopus if you are lucky. - San Onofre State Park: Hermit crabs are common, and in the mid-intertidal zone there is a dense mussel bed. With some luck, you may observe an Ochre Starfish. Please keep in mind that the tide-pools are alive. Be respectful of the beaches and pools and do not touch or remove any of their inhabitants. Enjoy one of our favorite San Diego treasures!

Discover why San Diego is called "Americas Finest City" with a guided sightseeing tour. Why worry about finding your way around San Diego, let someone else do the driving. See much of what San Diego has o offer while the friendly staff narrate the tours with a fascinating and fun mix of trivia and humorous stories. Hop on and hop off as you please at numerous stops to explore San Diego top destinations by foot. Old Town Trolley Tours highlights the best San Diego Attractions. Their fleet of orange and green trolleys travel frequently throughout San Diego and over the iconic San Diego-Coronado on a continuous 25-mile loop visiting 10 neighborhoods with 10 destination stops. The Hopper offers premier double-decker buses that stop at nine hot spots to explore San Diego in comfort and style. From the San Diego waterfront to the Gaslamp district full of restaurants and entertainment. The bus features climate control, free refreshments, on-board restrooms & included attraction tickets. Hop on and Hop off to discover Americas Finest City! Trolley Sycuan Green line; Bus Routes 8, 9, 10, 28, 30, 35, 44, 84, 105, 150. OLD TOWN TROLLEY TOURS (619) 786-3774 THE HOPPER (833) 743-3467

San Diego is a cyclist`s paradise! No matter what your skills level, you`ll find a ride that`s right for you. One of the most popular and easiest rides is on the Bayshore Bikeway is a 25-mile ride along San Diego Bay to Imperial Beach and up to Coronado. Once in Coronado, riders have the option of turning around and following the trail back or hop on the Coronado Ferry to cross over San Diego Bay back into downtown San Diego. Bikes and Beyond in the Coronado Ferry Landing has bikes for all ages including tandems and surreys. Want to cruise around on an electric bike? Bike and Kayak Tours also at the Ferry Landing has you covered. BIKES AND BEYOND (619) 435-7180 BIKE AND KAYAK TOURS (858) 454-1010

Sit back, relax, and let MTS move you while you take in all the sights San Diego has to offer. Whether you are traveling by bus, the coaster, or train, throughout the decades, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System has proven to be a dependable a convenient way to travel. You can catch the us at Lindbergh Field Airport to be taken to your desire destination. The Trolley, which runs throughout Downtown San Diego, can enable you to take in the sights of the city while you are transported around the historic Gaslamp Quarter. Whether your site seeing in old Town or taking in an event at SDCCU Stadium, there`s no need to drive when you can hop aboard a trolley or bus that can get you where you need to be in just minutes. With its easy to read schedules you will be able to travel in and around the city of San Diego without the hassle of paying high gas prices, parking fees or sitting in traffic. Find out how your time in San Diego can be made better with the Metropolitan Transit System.

Winter in San Diego is just as gorgeous as summer with warm sunny days and crisp evening air. Perfect for ice-skating! From November through January San Diego has some terrific outdoor skating rinks that bring the feel of "winter" without the chill-inducing weather. Skating by the Sea is an outdoor ice-skating rink adjacent to Coronado Beach and the Hotel del Coronado. The Sycuan`s Fantasy on Ice, located at Liberty Station is a fun, festive activity the whole family will love! The Viejas Outlet Center in east San Diego County is home to Southern California`s Largest Outdoor Ice-Skating? Outside? In San Diego? Yes!

In Carlsbad, there is a beautiful 27-acre canyon where nestled within, you`ll discover the Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park. Gorgeous agave, bougainvillea, Birds of Paradise, and plentiful trees surround you as you drive through the unique entry gate. This former working ranch once owned by actor Leo Carrillo, contains and protects adobe buildings, windmills, a reflecting pool, and many other historic structures. There are dozens of brilliant peacocks that call the ranch home. Volunteer tour guides are available to share the history of the ranchero and the surrounding grounds.

The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum celebrates the extraordinary legacy of the men and women of U.S. Marine Corps Aviation with aircraft, artwork, artifacts, uniforms and photographs. See 31 historical aircraft dating from World War ll to present day up close at this family-friendly museum. For a limited time only see exhibits on World War ll flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient, Joe Foss and on Military Working Dogs. Admission and Parking are always FREE. The sentry-free entrance is located on Miramar Rd, 3.9 miles east of I-805 or 1.3 miles west of I-15. Look for the American and Marine Corps flags! www.flyingleathernecks.org Bus Route 31 FLYING LEATHERNECK AVIATION MUSEUM (858)693-1723

If you had to pick one thing that San Diego is known for more than anything else, you`d have to say its gorgeous beaches. San Diego has more than 70 miles of coastline. There are endless ways to enjoy the beach. How about a game of volleyball on the sand in Pacific Beach? Perhaps a picnic on the shore in Coronado, where the famous Hotel del Coronado serves as a backdrop? Up in northern San Diego, Encinitas and Oceanside boats some of the best surfing in all of California. And in La Jolla, you can spend hours exploring the tide pools and discovering new kinds of life you didn`t even know existed! With endless beaches, San Diego has endless options for fun. So, grab a towel and the sunscreen and let`s go!

The Mormon Battalion was the only religiously based unit in United States Military history. It served for a year in the mid-1840s. The Battalion played a pivotal role in the U.S.`s successful push to secure land in the western states. During its service, the battalion marched nearly 2,000 miles from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego. The Mormon Battalion Historic Site in Old Town San Diego tells the whole intriguing story. Take a guided tour, pan for gold, build bricks, and explore the site. Your family will be intrigued and educated when you experience the Mormon Battalion story. Trolley Sycuan Green Line; Bus Routes 8,9,10,28,30,35,44,84,105,150 MORMON BATTALION HISTORIC SITE (619) 298-3317

When you take a stroll along the Embarcadero boardwalk that runs along Broadway on the east side of San Diego Bay, you`ll wind past a beautiful waterfront park on Harbor Drive, the San Diego cruise ship terminal, the Star of India and seven other historic vessels belonging to the San Diego Maritime Museum, and various restaurants and shops from the North Embarcadero down through Seaport Village. You`ll also walk past amazing sculptures, each designed and fabricated by a different artist. The Embarcadero is a wonderful way to get to know all San Diego Bay has to offer.

Kids of all ages LOVE carousels and luckily San Diego is home to a few full-sized carousels which your kids are sure to enjoy. At Seaport Village you`ll find a carousel with 54 wood carved animals and 2 chariots. Completely renovated in 1992, these works of art now go around and round pleasing children and adults alike. The 1910 Balboa Park Carousel, adjacent to the San Diego Zoo, is a menagerie of animals and all but two pairs are original with hand-carved European craftsmanship. Also original are the hand-painted murals surrounding the upper portion of the carousel and the military band music. This carousel is one of the few in the world still offering the brass ring game for everyone taking the 5-minute ride.

The San Diego Police Headquarters was built in 1939 and is listed on The National Register of Historic Places. In keeping with its legacy as a landmark of San Diego culture, this reincarnated icon has become "The Headquarters", a brand-new destination, giving residents and visitors a premier shopping as dining experience along the waterfront. While at the headquarters, be sure to explore the fully restored 8 cell jail block which houses historic photos and police memorabilia and don`t forget to snap a photo at the lineup wall. This is one time you`ll have fun going to jail! Trolley Sycuan Green Line

If the United States maritime history spurs tour imagination, then you`ll definitely want to add the Maritime Museum of San Diego to your must-visit list. Located in the San Diego Bay, the Maritime Museum of San Diego sustains one of the largest collections of notable sea vessels in the United States. You`ll see sailings ships, steam powered boats, submarines and more. The centerpiece of the museum`s collection is the famous 1863 Star of India, whose storied history includes collisions, mutinies, cyclones, and more than a quarter century hauling immigrants from England and Ireland to New Zealand to begin new lives. The Museums latest addition to their fleet is the San Salvador. The ship is a replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo`s ship that arrived at the port we now call San Diego on September 28, 1542. Bus Routes 923, 992, and Rapid 280 & 290.

The New Children`s Museum, located downtown is a dynamic new model of a museum that empowers children to think, play and create through participatory exhibitions, engaging art-making activities, captivating artistic performances, and in-depth educational opportunities. Get tour hands messy and make clay creations to bring home, take a trip outside during your visit and see what`s growing in their organic garden or stop by the museum park and experience the fun of bubble making. There are so many fun THINGS TO DO at the New Children`s Museum! Trolley Sycuan Green line (619) 233-8792 www.thinkplaycreate.org

Check out the Children`s Pool in La Jolla for an extraordinary glimpse of nature as dozens of seals happily lounge under the sun or play in their natural habitat. The Children`s Pool is a seawall built in 1931 and partially protects this small beach area. The original intention was to close off the channel and create a safe bathing area for children. In 1970, seals began to frequent the protected cove and eventually overtook the beach area. Since then the controversy regarding whether or not the seals should be allowed to stay has been hot topic in the community. So far, the seals have won, and the area remains their safe heaven. The Children`s Pool is a wonderful spot too linger, watching the seals play, while the waves splash all around and the sea breeze rustles your hair. Bus Route 30