San diego, Universal, BH

tink89

DIS Veteran
Joined
Nov 13, 2017
So i am planning a trip to San Diego. We have never been and would like to take a few days in the summer. I am planning on Flying there from the bay area and then renting a car and driving back. I wold like 1 or two days in San Diego just to relax. I am not sure what else is there to do. I have seen Old Town looks beautiful and maybe balboa park and a nice shopping mall? No on Sea world DD is against it and the Zoo i have heard is pretty much like any other zoo just double the price.

I wold then like to drive to the LA area and get another hotel and go to Universal we have been one maybe two years ago. One day at universal is enough.

Any suggestions on hotels is San Diego or where to stay in the LA area. We like the Hilton/sheraton type.
Does not have to be next to everything but close enough.

how many days would you plan for. I would like a very relaxed trip.
 
Old Town San Diego is a nice place to walk around, but it only takes a couple hours. Plan on doing other things that same day. There is a trolley tour you can board from there that stops at several other places of interest in San Diego.

Balboa Park is huge and has too many museums to visit in one day. I'd look online and choose which ones I wanted to do before going there.

I completely disagree with the Zoo being the same as any other zoo. If you like exotic plants and animals, it is a must visit. They have some behind the scenes tours that get you up close to some of the animals.

There are lots of Sheratons/Hiltons in San Diego. You might like Sheraton Harbor Island or Hilton Mission bay if you want a waterfront hotel that has a lot of stuff to offer. There's an Embassy Suites in downtown that lets you walk to many points of interest. You will find that everything within the city limits of San Diego is an easy drive.

I don't like shopping so I am not impressed by any malls. In fact, most of the bigger ones have a lot of stores closing at this point. Brick and mortar shopping malls are going out due to online shopping. If you must go to one, Fashion Valley is still pretty active and has higher end stores. A couple miles away is Mission Valley which has lower end stores. It's not too unusual that I go to Fashion Valley for something and then hop over to Mission Valley to go to Target. Sadly, Horton Plaza downtown is a ghost town.

In Los Angeles, I'd probably just stay at Hilton or Sheraton at Universal. I've stayed at both and I will stay there again if I ever go to Universal again. They are very convenient and you can easily walk to/from the park or take the free transportation they offer. Because driving can be so inconvenient throughout Los Angeles, I like to stay right where I am going to be.

If I were you, I'd plan for 5-6 days for a relaxed trip.

Depending on what types of things you like to do, there are lots of things to do. There are several tea rooms, which is very relaxing, but I believe most need a reservation. There is one right in Old Town San Diego.
 
Old Town San Diego is a nice place to walk around, but it only takes a couple hours. Plan on doing other things that same day. There is a trolley tour you can board from there that stops at several other places of interest in San Diego.

Balboa Park is huge and has too many museums to visit in one day. I'd look online and choose which ones I wanted to do before going there.

I am thinking Balboa park is like our Golden Gate park in SF. I will look in to what museums they have. thanks

I completely disagree with the Zoo being the same as any other zoo. If you like exotic plants and animals, it is a must visit. They have some behind the scenes tours that get you up close to some of the animals.
I guess i will run this over by DD10. She is very "free the orcas" right now and loves animals. She sometimes likes the zoo sometimes not. I guess many of the reviews were just ok.[/QUOTE]

my parents and my younger siblings might also tag along. So i just want to make sure everyone is having fun.
 
I agree with all cruisehopeful's suggestions. I've stayed at the Sheraton Shelter Island a couple times and it has a nice relaxed vibe. Balboa Park is a lot like Golden Gate Park, though smaller. Very nice day to take in some museums, walk the gardens, lunch at Prado. Skip the malls. The zoo is much better than most other zoos and has some really nice newer exhibits.

For LA, stay at the Sheraton/Hilton at Universal for convenience. If you like malls, hit the Grove. My kids love riding the trolley, taking in everything going on, and finding new treats at the Farmer's Market.
 



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