We just got back from San Diego last Saturday. We have a three year old and she loved the San Diego Zoo and The Wild Animal Park. We got the two park pass which is good for unlimited admission for five consecutive days. It was cheaper than the individual park admissions and included the Savannah Ride, Dino Mountain, and most of the other extras. There is also a three park pass with SeaWorld included if you like.

We went to LegoLand and the Wild Animal Park on the same day. It was a very long but nice day. My daughter liked LegoLand but my wife and I weren't impressed. Admission price was high ($161 for two adults and one child even with the AAA %10 discount) and the lines for the rides moved very slowly even mid-week when we were there. I did like Miniland and I thought the renditions of NYC, Vegas, and Washington D.C. was all very well done. Overall, I think Idlewild, our local kid oriented amusement park, is better run and nicer than LegoLand for about half the price. YMMV...

We also did the Birch Aquarium which is nice but on the small side. There exhibits are mainly oriented towards the sea life you would see along the west coast of the USA. They also have a Shark Tank (smaller sharks) and some artificial tidepools where kids can touch sea anemones, starfish, and other sea life. We did the aquarium in the morning and then drove through La Jolla in the afternoon to see the coves. The Sea Lions and Seals typically start coming back to the cove around 4PM. We were there a bit early but still saw a bunch on a rock outcrop not too far from the shore. If you like snorkeling there were lots of folks taking advantage of the marine underwater park in La Jolla. It looked nice but we didn't snorkel. Finally, we didn't check it out but the concierge at our hotel said the Gliderport in La Jolla is a fun place to hang out (pun not intended) and watch the motorized hang gliders launch.

The USS Midway and the maritime museum both looked nice but we didn't have time to check them out either.

Another tip, for beaches and swimming every day started out overcast and chilly; however, by noon the sun would typically come out and it would warm up. Even so with the coastal winds and the temperatures in the mid to high 70's it still was a little chilly for swimming. There is some kind of standard "gray affect" for the San Diego Area where the mornings are overcast. From what I read it is typically occurs mainly in June. So you may not experience it. Coronado Beach is really nice and I recommend checking it out. There is free parking in the street next to the beach. The beach itself is large, so it is still a long walk to the water. Check out the Hotel Del if you got to Coronado Beach. We didn't get to it but a friend of mine highly recommended it. It is an old classic Victorian style hotel.

Overall, we loved San Diego and would go back. There is tons to do for folks of all sorts. Even with a hotel award stay (Marriott Coronado Island Resort), we still found it to be on the expensive side (food and admission to the sites) and I recommend you budget accordingly. I hope you have a great time on your trip.

--Jon