Is your yearly vacation coming up soon? If you’re planning to travel to San Diego, you’re in for a real treat!

Whether you’re traveling solo, on a romantic couple’s getaway or vacationing with your family, there’s no shortage of fun things to do.  Using the articles here as a travel guide, you can plan the San Diego vacation of your dreams — making it as invigorating or relaxing as you want.

Simply put, the second largest city in California has a lot to offer visitors and tourists looking for a great time. One of the major attractions of this great city — nicknamed “America’s Finest City” — is its almost year-round sunshine, making just about any time a good time to vacation in San Diego.

You’re sure to have a good time in the Gaslamp Quarter, a historic area comprised of buildings with fascinating architecture, stories and features, many of which now serve San Diego’s vibrant tourist economy as hotels and restaurants.  Although geographically compact, there are over 100 places to eat in the Gaslamp Quarter!  No matter what your taste, you’ll have no problem satisfying your cravings while taking in this historic area’s sites and attractions.

Animals are another big attraction in San Diego. If your family enjoys learning about different animal species, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more suitable vacation destination. While famous for the San Diego Zoo, you should also check out the San Diego Zoo Wild Safari park, Sea World and/or the Birch Aquarium.  And, if you visit during the December-through-March period, you may even catch glimpses of extraordinary gray whales as they migrate along the coast.  Whales are one of the world’s most amazing mammals, and San Diego is the perfect place to learn about and enjoy them.

Be sure to allow ample time to explore Balboa Park thoroughly.  Although it is best known as the home of San Diego’s infamous zoo, it has a lot more than that to offer.  The grounds are nothing short of spectacular, and 15 major museums call Balboa Park home.  There are places for kids of all ages to enjoy and explore, including the outstanding Fleet Science Center and the Natural History Museum.

Last, but certainly not least, you will want to explore San Diego’s beautiful coastline — either by visiting its beaches, taking an educational and entertaining harbor cruise or touring one of the city’s “floating museums” — the USS Midway or the historic tall ships, ferries and submarine in the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s collection.

As you can see, there are several ways to keep pleasantly busy in San Diego as you enjoy a break from your hustle-bustle, everyday life. Be sure to bring a camera to capture all your fun San Diego memories, as it will undoubtedly be a vacation you’ll want to remember for years to come!

Aside from the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Wild Animal Park (renamed The San Diego Zoo Safari Park) is the best place in San Diego to see animals. Over the spread of 1,800 acres, the animal park gives animals the room they need to roam and
play. The animals here play just like they do in the wild, which almost makes you feel as if you are in their native of Africa and Asia when you travel to San Diego.

Throughout the 30 year history of the animal park, the Noah’s Ark symbol of endangered species has grown to dozens upon dozens of animals. Now, every Arabian Oryx found in the wild is the descendant stock from the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

In the park, there are many different paths you can take to visit the smaller animal exhibits. Although the smaller animals are a sight to see, the main thing to see is the hour long trip on the Bush Line
Railway. Along the railway, you’ll see animals that you’d never get the chance of seeing anywhere else, such as the white rhino and the rhinoceros.

If you plan to visit the park in the summer, it’s always a good idea to visit early. On a normal summer day, ten – fifteen thousand people will visit the park. During the winter, the ratio is down as normally 2,000 people will visit. Although it’s much colder in the winter, the park is less frequent with people looking to see the animals the park offers.

You can find the animal park 32 miles north of Escondido in San Diego. The park is in a peaceful area, which makes things a lot better for the animals that live there.

When visiting in the summer, it’s a great idea to walk a while, then take the railway. After you have took the railway a bit, you can walk some more. It’s also good to take plenty of sunscreen with you as well, as summer at the park can get very hot. Water is great as well, simply because the summer in California can be a bit of a scorcher.

The San Diego Wild Animal Park is ran by the San Diego Zoological Society. The society also runs the San Diego Zoo, which is one of the most popular animal parks in the entire world. With the park and the zoo, the society does more than its part to bring the best of seeing the animals to you.

The next time you are in San Diego or if you are visiting for the first time, the Wild Animal Park is a great place to visit. You can check out some truly endangered species and learn more about the types of
animals that you’ll see in this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Although San Diego has many things for grown ups to enjoy, it has a lot of activities for kids to enjoy as well. Custom made for families, San Diego has plenty of public parks, nice weather year round,
several museums, and many things for children of all ages to amuse themselves with. So when you travel to San Diego, take the whole family!

For kids who love animals, there’s the well known San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Animal Park. The zoo is located in Balboa Park, while the park is located a bit north of the city. If you have the time, you
should take a full day for your kids to enjoy the park and the zoo. If the traditional zoo makes your kids uncomfortable, the park is a great alternative.

Kids of all ages also enjoy the world famous Sea World, which is home to Shamu the killer whale and several other marine animals and exhibits. Sea World has been a great attraction for kids for many years, showing them the marine life like never before.

When it comes to the winter months, whale watching is a very popular activity. You can watch them from the coastline or take a cruise. Watching the gray whale is very amusing to kids, openening their minds to new possibilities.

Balboa Park is a great place to visit as well, as it has a lot more than the San Diego Zoo. There are places for kids to explore, with the children’s museum, the Fleet Science Center, and the Natural History
Museum.

Another popular park for kids is Legoland California, which is located north of San Diego. There are a lot of things to see in this park, with a majority of the park being built from the popular Lego blocks.
Overall, this is one of the best and most quiet options for younger children.

Hitting the beach is great as well, as San Diego has many different beaches for kids of all ages. On the beaches, kids can build sandcastles, rent boogie boards, or just enjoy the swimming that San Diego so proudly displays.

Older kids will enjoy the true recreation mode for San Diego – roller skating and rollerblading. Along Mission Bay there are great spots, along with playgrounds and parks. You can fly kites here as well, which is a great break from the ordinary.

Amusement Parks are a great attraction in San Diego, with Belmont Park being very popular. There are many rides here, amusing kids for hours on end. The Giant Dipper and the Plunge are among the best, for younger or older kids.

If San Diego is on your family vacation list, rest assured that there will be plenty for your kids to do on your stay. They will feel right at home with the many things to do – while you your mate are
occupied with plenty of things for you to do as well.

It’s no secret to anyone that the coast of San Diego is the ideal place to watch the annual migration of the gray whale. Looked upon as one of nature’s ultimate spectacles; the migration of gray whales is nothing short of breathtaking and should be included when you travel to San Diego. The coastline of San Diego is one of their migratory points as they travel from the waters of the Arctic to the warmer regions of the Baja (California), where females also give birth.

Every year, roughly 26,000 gray whales will make the long journey of 10,000+ miles from the Arctic to the Baja and back. If you look at this journey and compare it to any other mammal, you’ll notice that the gray whale by far has the greatest amount of traveling at hand.

If you’ve never experienced whale watching, you’ll be happy to know that anyone will find it memorable – young or old. Spotting a gray whale along the coastline is something that is truly a memorable moment, making you stop for a second and truly appreciate these awesome mammals.

If you ask the Birch Aquarium in San Diego, you’ll find that gray whales are seen most frequently from December through March. While they travel in dozens normally, it’s nothing to see pods of them (2 – 3) as they travel during migration. Throughout the coast of San Diego, you can easily spot these whales as they are somewhat slow swimmers.

During their swimming, they will normally dive to a depth of 100 feet or more for a few minutes, then surface and blow. Then, they will do a few shallow dives, before making that deep dive again. When watching whales, figuring out this pattern makes the success of watching them all the more fun and exciting.

While there are many common places to watch whales, such as on a Newport beach vacation nothing seems to compare to the excitement of watching them from aboard a cruise. There are many cruises that take place in San Diego, many of which offer unbeatable deals. From H&M Landing to the Birch Aquarium, cruises are some of the best ways to see the beauty and tranquility of the traveling gray whales.

The beauty of the gray whales can also be seen from many points of the San Diego coast, including the Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma or the cliffs of Torrey Pines State Beach. Along these points, you can see the whales as they make their travels.

Whether it’s a cruise or just watching from the coast, whale watching in San Diego is something you truly have to see to appreciate. You can take your kids, family, or even your friends. Whale watching can definately be exciting, all you have to do is plan your day and enjoy everything that the beauty of the gray whale will provide you with.

If you ask anyone in California where the best beaches are, they’ll tell you they’re at Coronado Island in San Diego. Travel to San Diego and find out for yourself why they feel that statement is so true. Linked to the downtown area of San Diego, connected by the Island Bay Bridge is Coronado Island. It’s also the home to the SEAL’s training center as well as the Naval Air Station Coronado, a military powerhouse.

The Coronado Beach is located here as well, along the Travel Channel. Just north of the beach, you will find the Great Weekend Getaway Beach. No matter when you go, even in the summer months, Coronado Beach is never crowded. You and your family will have plenty of room to enjoy the best beaches that California has to offer.

Don’t want to drive over to the island. then take a ferry to The Ferry Landing. The Ferry Landing is also a great addition to what the island has to offer. The marketplace has over thirty shops, restaurants and art galleries. Walk around and take in the view or just take visit to the Tidelands Park. There are some great places to walk or take a bike ride with an awesome view of San Diego’s skyline. If you find yourself there on a Tuesday, you can stop by the farmer’s market.

If you want to see some beautiful landmarks, Coronado is home to the famous Hotel Del Coronado. A Victorian style seaside hotel that was built in 1888. The hotel has been hosted by some famous people like Marilyn Monroe and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. You will receive some of the best service in California hen you’re at the Coronado. One of the best restaurants is also located in the hotel. This world class hotel is visited by thousands each year because it’s that good.

If you’re one of the many people who love to take a guided tour of the area, you can do so at Glorietta Bay Inn. There are tours several times a week that will show everything that the area has to offer. If you rather not drive, you can let someone else do so by taking a pedicab tour.

If you want to get to the Island, you take the Coronado Bay Bridge off of I-5. You can also catch a ferry in San Diego that runs hourly from 9am-10pm. From there it’s only a little over a mile to the Hotel Del Coronado.