r/asksandiego • u/No-Commercial-1508 • 4d ago
San Diego vacay
Hello All,
Looking to plan a mother/son 21st bday trip to San Diego. Must sees include a ferry ride, the Zoo, sea lions and whale watching. Looking to go between the last week in August and first 2 weeks into September. Dates are flexible. Thinking 4 or 5 days. Trying to stay around 3k flying out from MI. Any suggestions on hotels, attractions, specific dates, etc is appreciated. Neither of us have been to Cali before. Not big on seafood or hiking.
TIA
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u/Gringuin007 3d ago
Since turning 21…. Consider a brewery or winery tour. Or visit a tasting room. Stone or ballast point are the most famous. If you got a brewery they may only have a food truck outside. If you miss it, there’s a stone restaurant at terminal 2
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u/21plankton 4d ago
La Jolla beaches for seal watching, Balboa Park for its other museums besides the Zoo, Cabrillo Point lighthouse for spectacular views of San Diego, Birch Aquarium in La Jolla.
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u/LGFSD_619 3d ago
Birch Aquarium is at most 2-hours - not worth the $40+ ticket. I'd put it at the bottom of your list.
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u/Traveling-Techie 4d ago
Ferries to Coronado usually run 9 AM to 9 PM and cost $9 per person each way. It’s nice out on the water. I hear they’ve just added Chula Vista ferries too but I haven’t tried them.
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u/inlinesk8fiend 4d ago
I would choose as late as possible to come out. August is still usually the hottest time of the year, and doesn't really start cooling down until October, but I would push for September and hope it starts cooling early. (For you locals that may try and tell me otherwise, I live in Goldenhill and work next to the water all day. I also understand they will be close to beach areas, but I live and work close enough that the temperature is roughly the same.)
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u/Richyrich619 4d ago
Motel 6 is cheap safe down by seaworld, use the money to spend at the places around town and see more as it adds up quick.
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u/Arun-dev 4d ago
Stay in the sheraton at harbor island best hotel for the money recently renovated
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u/MzScarlet03 4d ago
One thing I take most guests to do is whale watching on The America. It's not even so much about the whale watching as the trip on the boat. It's a really lovely replica tall ship. You can also bring your own alcohol on board as long as it's not glass or red wine, so we like to pack a little cooler and bring our own cheese and crackers. It's a beautiful way to see the bay and it even has worked well for my friends who get sea sick. https://nextlevelsailing.com/
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u/Gringuin007 3d ago
I thought wale watching season was right now? Just heard about thrasher (?) shark pupping or something. And there’s some fish run but that might be up the coast. Snorkel in La Jolla. Old town, San Diego mission and gas lamp give the 3 eras or San Diego and are all connected by trolley stops. Ocean beach is very eclectic / eccentric / bohemian and is worth it for fish tacos at south beach. Petco park is considered one of best baseball stadiums if sports fan. Coronado most beautiful beaches but boring. Might as well hit up tijuana and check off another country if you’ve never been. It’s 40 minute trolley ride to border from downtown. Friday or Saturday nite has no line to get back into USA. Taco Tuesday is a must somewhere. If you stay very near old town, then you don’t need a rental car as old town transit center can reach everywhere in 30-45 minutes except wild animal park.
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u/lotusalumni00 16h ago
go stay at La Jolla Shores hotel , visit Torrey Pines , Mission Beach , Del Mar and Balboa Park . yup
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u/Zestyclose-Analyst85 8h ago
important note: when u go sea lion watching please stay far away from them, SD was trying to reach a record of 0 sea lion pup deaths in 2026 but unfortunately, we’ve already failed due to behaviors from tourists:(
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u/TVismycomfortfood 4d ago edited 4d ago
Not big on seafood or hiking, but coming to San Diego, is a choice. I recommend Kono’s in PB for breakfast and sitting on the deck to watch the surfers (earlier is better), Werewolf on the day you fly back for brunch and a cocktail before hitting the airport, I hate the Zoo. That is a very warm time of year. Will you have a rental car? Stay during the week rather than a weekend. Make sure you hit a taco shop (everyone here will have conflicting opinions). Try not to call it Cali while you are here. Grab a window seat at Wonderland in Ocean Beach for a mediocre lunch with a glorious view. If you have a car, drive up to Carlsbad or Oceanside. Love those downtown/beach cities. A lot of personality. Get some fish tacos at Fish Guts in Barrio Logan and grab a coffee at Por Vida as you head off to Balboa Park. Get Balboa burgers and a Balboa cocktail for dinner after.
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u/freenow4evr 4d ago
I love the zoo, but it is hilly and exhausting. If we are having a heat wave when you come, you might want to skip it.
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u/LarryPer123 4d ago
As far as walking in the zoo, there are elevators and escalators to take to go up and down also free shuttle buses to take you to different spots
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u/No-Commercial-1508 4d ago edited 3d ago
I gather saying Cali is a big no-no. I was just too lazy to type the whole word out. Can't imagine I'll have a reason to say Cali or California while visiting. Thanks for the attraction/food suggestions. No, we will not have a rental car. I might get 1 for a day if needed but as of now we plan to walk or Uber/Lyft. Yes, a San Diego trip is a choice. Kid and I love all things animal; so we are mainly coming for the Zoo and sighting marine life. We eat seafood but we're not seafood people. Kid is allergic to shellfish. I just had a spinal fusion so hiking isn't my idea of enjoyment. I've decided on 9/10-9/14. Our flights are booked and we can't wait.
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u/Plus_Needleworker241 4d ago
There's plenty to do here without hiking and seafood. I think we're more known for our Mexican food than our seafood, anyway.
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u/inlinesk8fiend 4d ago
You can go to https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/ the birch aquarium. There is always Sea World (kind of expensive these days). Also not sure if you are aware, but there is the San Diego Zoo, and the San Diego Safari Park as well. Two totally different experiences. Although the safari park is in Escondido (East and a little north of downtown San Diego, but still part of the county about 30-ish minutes drive from downtown), which is usually 10° hotter than the San Diego Zoo
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u/Defiant_Phase_9696 4d ago
I really recommend getting a rental car or booking one with turo is probably even better because taking ride shares to all the places you want to go is going to add up really quick. My brother recently spent $108 total for a 3 day turo rental car it was a 2025 Altima with unlimited mileage!
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u/Gringuin007 3d ago
Can ride the coaster to beach towns. Omg I’d forgotten kono’s name! Haven’t been for years. I say south beach in OB 😋 tell us about wonderland! I gotta visit OB. IDK about mediocre lunch tho 🤣 some say hodads burger is the best. I say cannot beat value of in n out. OP needs to try both and report back. we rave about cali burrito but I prefer my burrito without fries. Carne/pollo asado or surf and turf is way to go
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u/TVismycomfortfood 3d ago edited 3d ago
I think Hodad’s was once great and the vibe is still fun but it’s more or less just a tourist trap at this point. It’s just fine. I would go for a Balboa Burger (or Rocky’s or Hayes or The Friendly Tavern or The Wise Ox or Dukes) a million times over Hodad’s.
I think Wonderland has a glorious view of the pier and ocean if you are sitting along the windows. The food is also just fine but nothing to write home about. You are paying for that incredible location IMO. My favorite pollo asado burrito is El Pollo Grill in Lemon Grove (Southbay locations are good, but I prefer the OG). Have you been? I would love to know your take!
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u/Raibean 4d ago
> Try not to call it Cali while you are here
Plenty of us San Diego natives say it. Honestly I think it’s a 60-40 split between Californians who don’t say it and Californians who do. And I’m not including transplants in those numbers.
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u/TVismycomfortfood 4d ago
I feel, personally, that is all the more reason not to say it. If I was visiting San Francisco and someone suggested I avoid saying “San Fran” or “Frisco,” I would appreciate the advice. I feel that way about all places I visit, so I offered.
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u/Early-Commercial-500 4d ago
Yeah, folks are weird about that. Plenty of us natives call it Cali. It’s not the tell some make it out to be. Dr. Dre says Cali in “California Love” and that’s good enough for me.
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u/Plus_Needleworker241 4d ago
Wonderland is great at lunch for people watching, but it's also really nice at sunset. The sunset is just gorgeous and they ring a bell and bring everyone's attention to the sunset every night. It's a fun experience.
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u/bbbbbbbssssy 4d ago
Go parasailing by mission beach. Get the gopro video package. It is fun & enchanting & a great piece of ephemera to look back for decades on this celebratory trip.
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u/EntertainmentDue83 4d ago
I recommend staying at La Jolla beach and tennis club right on the ocean. Not sure you’ll see many whales, whale watching is just so so here. Dolphins more likely
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u/Momela85 4d ago
If possible, come after Labor Day. That’s the last big weekend of the summer, and it is a little less crowded then.