Taking the kids: Three days in San Diego

By Genevieve Brown

updated 4:51 p.m. ET May 3, 2006

Kids want nothing more than to play on the beach? No problem - San Diego offers 70 miles of sandy fun. Mom and Dad are museum junkies? Balboa Park offers a collection of the world's finest in one place. And when you're ready for something you'll all enjoy together, you can head straight to the San Diego Zoo or Sea World - because no matter how young or old you are, these places always please.

San Diego is small enough to feel manageable and large enough to offer plenty of choices in the way of hotels and dining to fit into every budget. You can easily take in all the city's attractions in three days and have plenty of time left over for building sandcastles.

Amazing Freebies Worth Pursuing
Admission to the San Diego Zoo every day in October for kids under 12 and on the first Monday of October for everyone; tours of Balboa Park (four different tours leave from the visitors center); admission to Balboa Park museums on Tuesdays (rotating basis); watching the whale migration every December through March at the Whale Overlook in Point Loma; exploring the marine life of Point Loma's tide pools; walking tours of Old Town (twice daily); fishing from any of the city's municipal piers.

Home Away From Home
It's not just the fact that the Holiday Inn San Diego Hotel on the Bay is centrally located on San Diego's Embarcadero, but this good value chain, which caters to families, also has a pool and an on-site restaurant (great for those nights when you're simply too tired to go out).

For families who want the full-service experience, including a kids' activity center, surfing lessons, a teen lounge and a beach rated as one of the best for families in America, try the legendary Hotel del Coronado. This pricey and historic property is across the bridge from San Diego's urban center. Other pluses? A plethora of restaurants, both on-property and nearby, that cater to appetites of all kinds.

Day One
Start your visit to San Diego by visiting its most famous attraction: the San Diego Zoo. The zoo is one of the best in the world and houses the largest number of giant pandas outside of mainland China; the squeals of delight heard at the sighting of a pregnant panda last spring were just as frequently coming from adults as kids. (Since my visit in May, a cub was just born at the zoo and named Su-Lin, meaning "a little bit of something very cute.") When you arrive at the zoo, get your bearings by taking a bus tour or the Skyfari tram. Many of the animals get sleepy mid-day and might be harder to see while they nap - making this an opportune time to get some lunch and let your kids rest too.

Young children will love the Children's Zoo where they can pet animals, watch baby creatures being bottle-fed, take in a science show and visit Bugtown, where insect species are showcased in miniature versions of their natural habitats - it's known as The Itty-Bitty City. Admission to the Children's Zoo is included in the price of your general admission.

The San Diego Zoo is located in Balboa Park; pick one of the thousands of acres of grass to settle in with a picnic lunch. The park encompasses a collection of some of the world's best museums, and a free tram runs through the park every 10 minutes. Chances are your kids won't get thrills from ancient art or sculptures, but they will enjoy a stop at the Natural History Museum. You can take a break from the sun and take in one of the nature-themed films featured in the museum's giant screened theater or learn about endangered species through the many exhibits.

After the museum, take the kids to see a puppet show presented by the Balboa Park puppet Guild in the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater, located in the Pan American area of the park. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for kids. Hours vary depending on the season.

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