San Diego Trip

Just got back from a great trip to San Diego.  Go, go, go.  No relaxing allowed.  If you want to see the pics a bit larger, you can click on one and scroll through them.  Notice the pics of Emilee with all her new stuffed animals--one at every place.

Day 1 - Terrible flight (6 hours on the plane).  Terrible car rental experience (had to drive it 45 minutes south the next day to get a new one).  Terrible first hotel check-in (gave our room away).  By the time we got to bed, it was 2:00AM WI time.

Day 2 - Animal Safari Park.  Awesome, huge place.   Lots of conservation stuff.  Ropes course, interaction with animals, beautiful trails, and great views from the high locations.  Extremely well run with employees who really care.  You could spend two days there, but we didn't have time.

 
 
Day 3 - Legoland.  It's good if you are younger than nine.  Just okay rides, but the models were fun to look at.  Our kids like Legos, so it was worth it just for that.  The shop (pic below) was like Lego-heaven.
 
 
Day 4 - San Diego Harbor Tour, USS Midway, and Coronado Island.  The tour guide was incredible. He knew the name of every military airplane, chopper, boat, aircraft carrier, and sub which was active around us--Blackhawks flying right over us, while they were training porpoises and dolphins for rescues on one side, as a huge a anti-pirate boat motored by on other side, while the top of a sub is headed toward us. USS Midway was very impressive. Coronado Island was busy, with big waves.  We could see Mexico. 
 
 
Day 5 - SeaWorld.  Dolphins, whales, seals, rays, etc.... Great shows, fireworks. Very late night. The picture (where we are all soaked) is after we sat in the front at the Shamu show and then went on a raft ride. Emilee got drenched at both things. And Faith barely got wet at either. 
 
 
Day 6 - Mission Point and Sea Kayaking at La Jolla.  Sea kayaking was an absolute blast. To get through the break/surf, you paddle really hard with someone swimming behind pushing you (a worker)... waves crashing over the top of the kayak.  When you get past the break, you are rolling on 6 feet waves.  You paddle over to a cave area and hang out with sea lions who are swimming right next to you.  Faith even spotted a huge sea turtle swimming under us. The coast line is insanely beautiful.  On the way back, you keep your kayak straight in and just hope you don't go over, which one of our kayaks did.
 

 
Day 7 - Balboa Park and San Diego Zoo.  At Balboa, we went to the Natural History Museum, Fleet Science Center, Air and Space Museum, and Model Railroad Museum. We ate lunch at an award winning restaurant in the park, Prado--super yummy.  San Diego Zoo is actually in the park.  As a zoo, it's quite impressive, but it's nothing like Animal Safari.  They actually are the same organization.
 


 
Day 8 - Back to LaJolla for snorkeling and Birch Aquarium.  Then to Mission Beach and Belmont Amusement Park.  It was a long last day.  Snorkeling was great in La Jolla Cove.  Very crowded and the water was a bit cool at 67 degrees, but well worth it.  Faith, Samuel, and Paul literally swam with the sea lions.
 
 

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