Fall Family Weekend in San Diego

San Diego is a beautiful city on the Southern California coast known for its ideal climate, miles of beaches and location on the Mexican border. It has a rich heritage built around sailing and is home to the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy. One of the top family travel spots in the country, San Diego also is well known for its part in the wildlife conservation movement, being home to a SeaWorld theme park and the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.

Visitors to the city can also enjoy activities from whale watching to scuba diving to rock climbing, or visit one of its many notes sites, including Balboa Park, the Old Globe theater, Legoland, the nearby resort town of La Jolla, the San Diego Maritime Museum or Old Town, with its preserved buildings and icons of the Spanish heritage of San Diego.

With a prime waterfront location offering a resort-like setting with shopping, entertainment, and dining at Seaport Village, the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, formerly the Hyatt Regency San Diego, has easy access to the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld®, golf courses, tennis, and beaches. It's only three miles from the San Diego International Airport and the trolley to Mexico stops directly across the street.Amenities include an outdoor lap pool, a sundeck overlooking the bay, an outdoor whirlpool, eighty miles of beaches minutes from the hotel, a full gym, spa services include facials, massages, hydrotherapy, reflexology, Chakra body balancing, foot treatments, body polish, and lovely bicycling trails.Each room is equipped with irons, ironing boards, AM/FM alarm clocks, hairdryers, coffeemakers, mini bars, voice mail and computer hook ups.

This mission is an artifact of North American history. California's first church, it was founded in 1769 by Father Junipero Serra himself. In 1775, it was burned down by protesting native Americans. Then after being subsequently rebuilt, it was once again severely damaged in 1803 by an earthquake. Guided tours are available and the mission frequently hosts events. Still an active Roman Catholic Parish, it now sits in the midst of busy Mission Valley.

A sturdy, spicy meal offered here is the Chimichange de Pollo, a deep-fried flour tortilla wrapped around chicken and topped with melted cheese, chile sauce and tomatillo-jalapeno salsa. Not sure about spicy Mexican food? A good compromise is the Carne Asada Plate, flavorful sirloin steak quick-seared and served with refried beans, Mexican rice and guacamole. Ten different beers on draft, a full bar and appetizers are available in the Coyote Cantina or served to your table. Patio dining puts you in the middle of Old Town shoppers and gawkers. Cafe Coyote opens at 7.30am daily.

A prime example of early Mexican architecture, this stucco dwelling, Casa de Estudillo was originally built as the home of Mexican Army Officer Jose Maria Estudillo. Abandoned in the 18th century, historians of San Diego restored the house in 1910. Located in Old Town near many other historic sites to see in this area where San Diego first began. There is no admission fee, so it makes a great place to take the children to learn about the city's history. Admission is free.

Fun for adults and kids, this museum-on-water is the focal point of San Diego's historic Embarcadero Promenade. Comprised of several painstakingly restored historic ships, it is a tribute to the sea-faring age. One of the ships showcased at Maritime Museum of San Diego is the Star of India (1863), a stunning vision that graces the coastline as the world's oldest actively-sailed, square-rigged ship.

This bright, noisy, cheerful restaurant is not the place for a relaxing meal, but it is great fun. A popular venue for birthday parties, graduation celebrations and other family nights out, the restaurant also offers a full bar for the adults. You can get even enjoy chewable alcohol in the form of Jello shooters. The menu consists of hamburgers and retro home-style cooking, with a few contemporary choices. If Mom's meatloaf makes your mouth water, you can find a re-creation of it at Corvette Diner.

This world-famous establishment is clearly no ordinary zoo. Walk or ride a double-decker bus throughout this expansive park, home to over 4,000 rare and exotic animals exhibited in beautiful garden habitats. More than a park, San Diego Zoo is a major research facility although it is cleverly disguised with entertaining shows and inspiring exhibits like Polar Bear Plunge and Hippo Beach.

The world-renowned San Diego Zoo is only one part of this magnificent 1,200-acre city park that was built for the 1915-1916 Panama-California Expo. California's Hispanic roots were celebrated as the city erected breathtakingly ornate Spanish-style buildings. The California Building was modeled after a Spanish colonial church and is topped off with a polychrome tile dome. Balboa Park is home to the zoo, 14 museums, a pipe organ pavilion, botanical gardens, a Tony award winning theater, an antique carousel and a miniature-scale train. Of particular interest is Balboa Park's Christmas on the Prado that is held the first weekend of December each year.

San Diego's only anthropological museum is home to 70,000 artifacts, folk art and archaeological finds from all over the world. With mummies and ancient carved monuments, the treasures inside San Diego Museum of Man are abundant, but the building itself is also a San Diego treasure and city symbol. The California Building with its tile-capped tower was designed in 1915 by Bertram G. Goodhue and reflects a whimsical "California Mission" style of architecture. Exhibits inside explore the culture and lives of ancient civilizations of the Inuits, the Mapuche, and the Mayans, among others.

A trip to the Zoo or Balboa Park is not complete until you try for the brass ring at the 1910 carousel. The antique animals such as lions, tiger and bears are ferocious and are hand-carved with real horsehair was used for the tails. Rates are $1.25 per ride, unless of course, you grab the brass ring and get a free ride.

Stone walls, comfortable red couches, transparent curtains, typical Thai statuettes and authentic Thai cuisine are the elements that attract guests to Rama Restaurant. Both, San Diego Magazine and San Diego Reader have conferred this restaurant with the title of 'San Diego's Best Thai Restaurant'. Rama spicy rice, gai qua (a Bangkok specialty), Penang curry and masaman curry are hot options on the menu. Thai BBQ and seafood as well as wine and beer are available too. So, go ahead and enjoy your meal!

San Diegans of Italian ancestry are working hard to restore and revitalize this seaside district just off downtown San Diego and the results are fabulous. Visitors will enjoy the plethora of Italian markets and bakeries, may watch a game of bolla at the local park or light a candle at the Our Lady of the Rosary Church where Italian fishermen of San Diego's once-massive tuna fleet used to seek blessings. In October, a three-day festival brings 50,000 visitors to the area. Credit card acceptance varies.