San Diego: A Playground for Kids and Adults - 2

Old Town State Historic Park

Old Town, just north of the city center, is where the earliest San Diegans settled outside of the mission. The restored and reconstructed buildings in Old Town are like a Westernized version of Colonial Williamsburg. Guides and shopkeepers dress in period costumes, and visitors will find historic reenactments of military maneuvers, period artisan demonstrations like rope making and nearly 40 themed buildings—including museums and shops—that highlight the early pueblo era of 1821-1872.

Young children will enjoy a trip to the Blackhawk Livery Stables to view historic carriages. My daughter’s favorite attraction is La Casa de Estudillo, an expansive home built for the former commander of the mission presidio, which has been restored with period furniture and decorations. The Plaza del Posado (a themed shopping and dining area) within Old Town offers several period-style restaurants. We love the churro stand, which sells hot, sugary Mexican donuts. 4002 Wallace St., tel. 619-220-5422. www.parks.ca.gov

 

• A trip to Old Town will transport you back to the old days in San Diego.

Joanne DiBona

Petco Park

The spectacular home of baseball’s San Diego Padres draws locals and tourists to the revitalized East Village to enjoy the park-like surroundings. Catch home games from early April through October. For only a few dollars, visitors can watch the game from the extremely popular Park in the Park located behind center field; this is a pretty grassy park adjacent to the actual ballpark. The area is elevated so that patrons can see the game field. Kids love to run the bases of the small baseball diamond that’s located in the Park in the Park.

There are also “beach” seats (bleachers located in a sandy lot near the field), as well as standard park tickets. Baseball fans can arrange a behind-the-scenes tour of Petco any time of the year, and the Park in the Park is open and free on nongame days. Parking and traffic in baseball season will challenge anyone’s patience; be sure to come early and plan to stay late, to let the worst of the crowds dissipate before you try the roads. (Better yet, take the bright red San Diego Trolley to Petco; the nearest stop is a short walk from the stands.) 100 Park Blvd., tel. 619-795-5011.

 

• A hippo at the San Diego Zoo attracts a lot of attention.

Joanne DiBona

San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo is the city’s best-known tourist attraction and widely acknowledged as one of the finest zoos in the world. Guests will find more than 4,000 rare and endangered animals housed in realistic enclosures spread across more than 100 acres. My favorite exhibit is the Polar Bear Plunge, a 130,000-gallon water tank where two sets of twin polar bears are on display. The bears frolic and seem to interact with onlookers: Several years ago, when my daughter was 6 or 7, one of the bears looked through the glass tank and directly into her eyes as he played with an oversized volleyball. Other favorites include Gorilla Tropics, the Koala Exhibit (note that these adorable nocturnal animals are generally asleep during the day), the Giant Panda Research Station (expect long lines to view the pandas, especially Zhen Zhen, the newest panda baby), and Monkey Trails, a series of lush pathways meandering through a tropical forest that mimics what would be found in Asia and Africa.

The Children’s Zoo, near the front entrance, offers kids the chance to pet and feed deer and other gentle animals. Don’t miss the Skyfari Aerial Tram, a gondola-and-cable ride that will carry you over the tops of the enclosures and offers tremendous views of the city beyond. (The “Skyfari” terminal near the entrance is usually quite crowded. Walk to the west end of the park and board near the polar bear exhibit; you’ll have a much shorter wait.) 2920 Zoo Dr., tel. 619-234-3153. www.sandiegozoo.org

 

• Killer whales perform at SeaWorld San Diego’s Shamu Show.

Joanne DiBona

For visitors looking for a more adventurous animal excursion, make plans to see the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, located about 35 miles north of San Diego, near Escondido. This attraction is mostly a wildlife sanctuary with more than 3,500 animals, many from Africa, Asia and Australia, spread across 1,800 acres. The park offers nighttime safaris, and this summer added its Wild Animal Camp program for kids, entering grades 1-9. www.sandiegozoo.org/calendar/wap_summer_camp

SeaWorld

Rivaling the San Diego Zoo’s popularity as a tourist destination, SeaWorld on south Mission Bay is part aquarium, part amusement park and part botanical garden—and deservedly beloved. Animal shows are the draw; be sure to get a map and show schedule at the front entrance when you arrive. Plan your day around “Believe,” which features Shamu and other killer whales in a performance mixed with live action, video and music, staged in and around a saltwater tank that holds more than six million gallons of water. Plan to arrive about 45 minutes before the show to get a good seat—and watch where you sit! Marked bleachers in the first dozen or so rows are within the “soak zone,” guaranteeing patrons sitting here will get drenched. (This might sound like fun on a hot day, but remember that the water is about 50 degrees and smells like fish. Consider yourself warned.)