Ask your San Diego questions here

[Tink33]

Sometimes questions about San Diego get buried in threads. I thought it would be nice to have a central place to ask questions about San Diego.

If you need help with San Diego, let us help you plan the best vacation to America's Finest City.

 

[diberry]

Great idea - thank you! We are coming over from UK in August and plan to spend a couple of days in San Diego one of which (at least) will be spent at Seaworld. What else is a "must-see" please?

 

[lap3]

I've got one: Do you guys still have Alberto's taco shops out there? That's like the best mexican food ever!

 

[jel0511]

O.K. Here are my questions?

1. Best Mexican Food.
2. Is Old Spaghetti Factory as good as everyone says it is?
3. Fun things to do with kids, that isn't Sea World and San Diego Zoo related.

Thanks!!!

 

[iceskatejen]

Yep, Albertos are everywhere. They're not my favorite though. Me, I like Miguel's Jr. Better tasting beans and they're cheaper (Bean, rice & cheese burrito and a chicken taco for under $3), but unfortunately they aren't in the SD area (not really in mine at this point either). They're mostly in NW Riverside county.

As for the next post:
1. I'm not familiar enough with SD area restaurants to answer.
2. Haven't been in a long time, but I used to love getting a combination of regular tomato sauce and the mizithra cheese. But there's probably better Italian food other places. I do like their house salad dressing, which is a creamy pesto dressing.
3. There's various museums in Balboa park and there's a small seaside amusement area called Belmont Park. You can get an all-day pass or buy tickets in smaller quantities. It's largely kiddie rides, but there's a good antique wooden roller coaster there. Just be prepared to be thrown around a lot if you ride it.

 

[kikipug]

We'll have about a day and a half in San Diego before an upcoming covention in mid-march... how should we BEST use our time? It will be 6 couples ranging in age from 30's - 50's... also, we don't want to stay in the convention hotel the first night (too pricey)... if you've got a suggestion for what we should do Sat & Sunday (we land at 11AM Sat.), any suggestions for reasonably priced, but not 'budget-type' accomodations would be great! Thanks.

 

[poohj80]

I haven't been in awhile, but I consider San Diego home so will try to answer as best I can.

Besides Sea World, the other MUST DO is the SD Zoo. The Zoo is in Balboa Park so you can make a day of it with the zoo and museums. I always loved the Reuben H Fleet Space and Science Museum and well as the SD Hall of Champions (San Diego SUPER Chargers!).

For quick Mexican food, my favorite has always been Lolitas for carne asada burritos and Rubios for fish tacos.

As for the Old Spaghetti Factory, it is more for the experience than the food. I love all the old buildings downtown so eating in a bed booth was always cool to me. The food is good, but I'm sure you could find better Italian restaurants with less atmosphere.

My ALL TIME favorite restaurant is the Corvette Diner (http://www.corvettediner.signonsandiego.com/ or http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/cohn/cohnrestaurants/corvette/index.html ) which is also in the area of Balboa Park and the Zoo. It may sound odd, but the Rory burger is REALLY good!

Hope this helps someone!

 

[geffric]

Is the wild animal park worth a visit.. we are planning Sea World and and the Zoo. thanks

 

[poohj80]

Wild Animal park is fun - animals more out in the open than in confined settings - but don't go in the summer as it can get VERY hot. Also, the Wild Animal Park is further north than the other areas.

 

[karylrocks]

We will be going to SW and SDZoo on our upcoming trip. Any ideas on whether it is worth the trouble to fly into SD and stay there a couple of nights, then move to a hotel near DL for the next 5 nights, flying out of Orange County? Or should we just stay the whole week in the OC area and drive to SD on those days? How long does it really take to drive to Seaworld from Disneyland at 8 or 9 in the morning? Lodging for 5 (we need a suite) seems pretty spendy in SD compared to around Disneyland. Any ideas on a good place if we do decide to stay there?

 

[tawasdave]

which is better the zoo or the wild animal park?

 

[msteddom]

which is better the zoo or the wild animal park?

If you must choose one go with the Zoo. The pandas are there, plus it's easier to get around. Much of the Wild Animal Park is set up like a game preserve, so you have to board a monorail and view it from the perimeter. I enjoy both parks though, and will visit which ever one strikes my fancy.


Melissa

 

[poohj80]

Any ideas on whether it is worth the trouble to fly into SD and stay there a couple of nights, then move to a hotel near DL for the next 5 nights, flying out of Orange County? Or should we just stay the whole week in the OC area and drive to SD on those days?

I would definitely recommend getting a room in SD for the days you want to spend. Traffic can be hit or miss but the last thing you want to do on your vacation is sit in rush hour traffic when you could be enjoying your destination.

 

[KyMattDisney]

hi....we are looking to do SD for 3 days before moving on to DL.....will be going with our 2 boys (ages 5 & 10) so we will looking to concentrate on the Zoo and SeaWorld....

What are some good hotel recommendations....both for close proximity and features (pool, breakfasts)....

thanks

 

[lvmymcky]

O.K. Here are my questions?

1. Best Mexican Food.
2. Is Old Spaghetti Factory as good as everyone says it is?
3. Fun things to do with kids, that isn't Sea World and San Diego Zoo related.

Thanks!!!

FYI-Old Spaghetti Factory is no longer there. They are closed for renovation till about late spring (i think) but that the newly renovated restaurant will no longer be OSF. The management/owner is the same but the style of the restaurant will be more mediterranean (sp?). There is still OSF but the other location is located in San Marcos next to some industrial buildings and close to Cal State San Marcos.

 

[RamblinRed]

I am attending a conference at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in May and will be bringing my family - wife, 2 kids (2 and 11).

Would love any feedback on the hotel as well as places my wife can take the kids while i'm at the conference. We will have a rental car.

Thanks
RamblinRed

 

[zakerdog]

This is a great idea for a thread for San Diego, we are going to be there for a week in May and I've got lots of questions. I'll start with:

1) how long will it take to drive from SD to DL on a Sunday morning?

2) recommendations for hotels in SD along the ocean?

3) recommended day tour companies?

thanks

 

[Eeyorecln]

We were planning on a week in SD before DL. We were planning on a day each at the zoo, animal park, Sea World, and Legoland. Does anyone know a good budget hotel in the area? Also,does SW take a whole day, or more? We are so excited for our first trip to CA. Thanks to all of you regulars for sharing your knowledge and expertise on these boards. Without the help I would feel overwhelmed with trying to figure it all out.

 

[poohj80]

I would plan a whole day for Sea World. That will give you plenty of time to catch all the shows without feeling rushed.

 

[disneysteve]

I have a question about accomodations. We're coming in August and I've been looking at Marriott's website for hotels. Prices are kind of steep but the SpringHill Suites has a decent rate. It is at Scripps Poway Parkway at Interstate 15. Is that an okay area to stay? Is it located in a good area as far as being near tourist stuff or is it too far out of the way? I don't mind doing some driving but I don't want to be stuck in some industrial park or be on the opposite end of the world from everything we want to see.

Also, how far away is Legoland from San Diego?