Panda Birthday Week at the San Diego Zoo

If you are planning on heading to San Diego this week with the kiddos or you have a membership, you do not want to miss out on Panda Birthday Week, taking place this week.

During Panda Birthday Week, Zoo guests  will be encouraged to wear black and white and be part of the fun.  The “Panda-monium” will be held throughout the week as  Su Lin celebrates her fifth birth Today, Zhen Zhen on Tuesday and  Yun Zi celebrates his first on Aug. 5.. The pandas will enjoy ice cakes on their special days and ice “gifts” on the other days of the birthday week.

Additional activities open to the public during the week include:

· Q&A sessions with a panda researcher

·Dr. Zoolittle and a daily plush panda giveaway

·Children can write birthday wishes for pandas

·Unique photo opportunity next to a huge panda backdrop

·Costumed characters

·Extra panda chats with panda experts

 

 

For additional info head here.

San Diego Zoo

2920 Zoo Drive

San Diego, CA 92101

Miramar Air Show- Free General Admission and Parking

Have you ever wanted to attend the best air show in the nation? You are in luck because San Diego is home to the best air show in the country, the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show. The Miramar Air Show will be taking place from October 2nd to October 4th. The theme for the 2009 air show is “A Salute to Teamwork” and is dedicated to the magnificent men and women who are the heart and soul of Marine Aviation and the inventory of aircraft they fly and maintain.

It is a truly a fun family event that is not to be missed. Everyone needs to see this show at least once in their lifetime. The best part is that General Admission, Parking and blanket seating are free of charge! You can also purchase tickets if you would like reserved seating. There are different preserved seating options that range from around $5 for adults and $3 for children. There is something available for every budget. You can also just bring a lawn chair and enjoy the show for free!

I can't wait to take my son to this. He is going to love it. We are going to try to catch the twilight show on Saturday night. To read all about the show, including what you can bring and other questions you might have and ordering your prefered tickets online head over here.

MCAS Miramar Air Show October 2,3&4, 2009 Marine Corps Station Miramar, (San Diego)California

Balboa Park

On our recent excursion down to San Diego, we had the opportunity to explore Balboa Park. The park is well known for being the home to the San Diego Zoo but did you know that it is home to 15 museums and gardens? It is an absolutely stunning place! Our family had an amazing time exploring the different gardens and strolling through the impressive grounds.

You can make a daytrip out of your visit or better yet you can actually make a weekend out of your visit. You need really more than a day to explore this amazing park. We have had the opportunity to check out the San Diego Natural History Museum , and The Fleet Science center and the kiddos had a blast! I really want to head back this weekend and purchase the stay for the day pass, which allows you to visit 4 of the museums for one price.

I also want to head back to enjoy one of the free concerts at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. We missed the concert by minutes on our last visit. They are held every Sunday afternoon from 2-3pm during the summer.

We had a great time exploring the beautiful park and I can't wait to head back down and tell you all about it. Once you cross that beautiful bridge that connects most of the park- it's as if you were in another world. If you had not had the opportunity to visit the park, now is the perfect time to head down. Your family will love it! If you have had the opportunity to visit head down back for more. The cool breezes from down south are beckoning for a visit!

For additional info head on over here.

Comic-Con Fun and Giveaway time!!!

We had the opportunity to attend Comic-Con last week thanks to an invite from Momlogic to watch a preview of the new ABC show The Middle. It's a seriously funny show starting Patricia Heaton, as a busy working mom ,trying to manage it all. We had a great time catching the first episode of The Middle as well as exploring Comic-Con.

Don't know what Comic-Con is? If you don't, let me fill you in, it's a comic book and pop culture convention in San Diego that you and your kiddos will love. I was worried that my four year old would get bored and ask to leave early. Boy was I wrong!! She loved every single minute of it. If you have older kids or teens this would be the perfect place to escape for a summer treat/vacation. It's a little crowded (think 125,000 of your geeky friends) but jam packed with interesting things to see and do. It's also celebrity ville. I have never seen so many actors in one place!

We walked around the convention center for a couple of hours learning all about of the upcoming shows and movies. My daughter had an amazing time at the Nickelodeon exhibit interacting with some of her favorite cartoon characters. The convention features a children's day geared towards the kiddos that my daughter absolutely loved!

I could honestly say we had one of the most amazing times as a family exploring the convention floor and people watching. Comic-Con is the place to people watch. Everyone dresses up as their favorite character. I found a bench to sit outside of the convention center and gazed for an hour at the different characters walking by. It was by far the best people watching session I have ever had.

We loved everything about comic-con (well everything except $30 parking and lack of food options).My husband was able to take in a couple of different show panels which included a Q and A session with sci-fi icon Ray Bradburry. My hubby the total geek ,was in geek heaven!! We had such a great time that we are planning on making a vacation out of it next year. We plan to head down to the Con, book a hotel across the street and take in all 4 days. I'm planning early since tickets sell out quickly.

I was able to pick up some Comic-Con "swag" and wanted to do a little giveaway. The "swag bag" giveaway is made up of a fun Momlogic Canvas bag, WB Harry Potter Bag, Mythbuster Bag, Sci-fi pins, an inflatable sword(big hit with the kiddos), two Scooby Doo DVD movies, a WB Classic 3 DVD set and other little goodies. All you have to do is leave a comment under this post and you will be automatically entered to win. You have until next Sunday to enter. Winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

If you want to learn about next year's event head over here.

Adventures in San Diego- A ferry ride to Coronado Island

A couple of weeks ago we were invited by Country Inn and Suites by Carlson to head down to San Diego and explore the city. The hotel chain has a fun road trip itinerary if you are heading down south. We decided to check out their Mom's pick, Balboa Island, but were a bit disappointed when a big parade and festival happened to be going on the day we decided to explore the park. We decided to explore Balboa Park the following day and started searching for other affordable outings in the city.

We love anything nautical in our family and decided that we wanted to take a little boat ride. I remembered reading a while back that there was a ferry to Coronado island. It was settled we would head over to Downtown SD and take the ferry to the island. It's a fun 15 minute ride into another little world. The ferry leaves San Diego from either the Broadway Pier in Downtown SD or the Convention Center area in the Gaslamp District. Tickets are $3.25 one way and $6.50 round trip. Children 4 and under are free.

We loved our little ferry ride. The weather was perfect and we found a great seat. The kids loved every single minute of our ride and before we knew it the ride was over and we were off to explore the island. We had a fun time looking through all the shops and had an inexpensive and yummy lunch at KFC (which is about a block away from the Ferry landing). We had a fun and inexpensive outing for less than $25.00. The kids loved every single minute of our little outing. In fact there were a couple of tears when it was time to head back to our car.

Here is the nitty gritty on our little outing- Make sure to take quarters. There is coin operated parking machines all along the harbor area. We easily found a spot and walked only a block or two to purchase our tickets. The Ferry leaves at the top of the hour from the Broadway Pier and departs from Coronado island at the half hour mark. Make sure you take plenty of sunscreen and be prepared for some fun. Bring your stroller and bicycles-you can squeeze them on the first floor of the ferry. We had a great time and hope you will also!

For additional info head on over here

SeaWorld Annual passes- EZ Pay Payment Option

This past weekend my family and I headed down South to San Diego. We had a fantastic time and I can't wait to share my experiences with you during the next couple of days. We also had the opportunity to visit SeaWorld. We have usually just bought the SeaWorld Fun Card which basically boils down to buy one day and get the rest of the year for free with some black out days and no parking. This year we decided to mix it up a bit as we are looking to stretch our dollar a bit. We like to head to San Diego often and decided to upgrade and purchase a Silver Passport instead. We figured we could head down a couple of more times this summer and on the weekends once tourist season is over. The Silver passport is around $30 more than the fun card but it includes parking and is more like an annual pass- since the pass expires 12 months from the date of purchase. The best part is that you can buy your pass in payments- with no financing! It's called EZ pay and our Silver Passport will cost us around $8.25 a month per person. We only paid the first payment on Saturday. I believe we paid $24.75 and will have 11 more payments throughout the year. It's a great deal for us because we know we will get much use of our pass and because sometimes coming up with a couple of hundred dollars for admission can be a bit overwhelming. I know that breaking it down for us makes it much more affordable. I can't wait to share with you our adventures down south and to also pick a winner for the Angel's 4 pack. Will share tonight. Have a fantastic week!

A last minute getaway-roadtrip and a little giveaway

I'm going to be heading for a quick roadtrip down south this weekend. This year because of the economy and changes in my job we will be skipping a traditional "vacation" and doing a little weekend getaway or two instead of a traditional week long getaway. Country Inns & Suites by Carlson is actually providing me with two free nights and a fun roadtrip itinerary in San Diego. We will be heading down south for a quick, fun and hopefully inexpensive getaway. The roadtrip itinerary that was provided by Country Inns & Suites has us heading off to explore Balboa Park and other excursions that are inexpensive and some that are off the beaten path. I want to pose a question to you - What’s your idea of the best last-minute vacation? I want to hear from you! Just leave your answer under comments and you will also be entered to win a family 4 pack of Angel tickets to a Big Bang Friday game. Thank you in advance! Looking forward to reading about your favorite last minute vacation tips!! I forgot to add you have until Sunday to enter. Thanks!

Our visit to The Birch Aquarium at The Scripps Institution of Oceanography

My family had the opportunity to visit the Birch Aquarium at The Scripps Institution of Oceanography this past weekend. We have been on a marine/sea life quest recently and from what I had read on the net the Birch Aquarium is THE place to visit. Let me tell you folks- It most certainly is. The aquarium is absolutely breathtaking. The Birch Aquarium is nestled on an ocean bluff and overlooks beautiful La Jolla Shores. I was in love from first sight and so was my family.

We parked our car in the aquarium's adjacent parking lot(which had plenty of parking and was complimentary) and walked over to the entrance of the beautiful aquarium. From the moment we walked in we were greeted by a friendly volunteer who was tickled by my kids excitement. She offered us a map and encouraged us to explore the Hall of Fishes.

It was the perfect suggestion for our little family. The kids loved learning about the different types of marine life. My husband and I were equally thrilled. We made a promise that we would definitely be coming back on a date sans kids. We learned about the sea life that inhabits the waters of the Pacific Ocean from the Pacific Northwest, through the California coast and ending in the tropical waters of Mexico. We could have strolled through the Hall of Fishes for hours!! The kids loved all of it!! You can also observe animal feedings - which we sadly missed by a half hour. Next time we will make sure to get there with plenty of time and be able to catch a glimpse.

We then headed out to the Tide Pool Plaza and let me tell you- my kiddos were in tide pool heaven. I was not only in love with the tide pools but also with the spectacular view of the California Coast. The view from the Tide Pool Plaza has to be one of the most breathtaking and beautiful views of the California Coast. I could go on about the view but trust me on this- It is something you have to see for yourself. You will not be disappointed!!

The Tide Pool Plaza featured three living tide pool displays which my kiddos loved. They had the opportunity to get up close in personal with a starfish and a sea cucumber. We had an unforgettable moment and one that I know my daughter Lauren will remember forever. One of the volunteers brought out a starfish for Lauren to touch. The look on my daughter's face was priceless. She loved not only being able to touch the starfish but to also learn about it's body structure and how the starfish lives and feeds. Lauren was in heaven and has not been able to stop talking about her magical experience.

We were all so impressed with the individual attention we received from the staff. Everyone had a bright smile on their face and was happy to be working there- and yes this was the 4th of July. I can't rave enough about the amazing staff!! We had to tear the kiddos away from the tide pools- they could have stayed there for hours.

After exploring the tide pools we made our way to my children's favorite exhibit, The Wonders of Water in the Smargon Courtyard. The exhibit is made up of two outdoor water playstations. My husband and kiddos spent at least an hour playing with the water tables. I coudln't blame them ,it was addicting!! My son Michael, who is only two and a half, was able to use the panels in the water table and able to make a path for his boat. He was mesmerized by the water station and there were plenty of tears when we told him that we had to leave. We did manage to catch a glimpse of the Shark Reef on the way out. It was amazing and I wish we had additional time to observe the sharks.

Closing time was upon us and we had to leave. We spent almost 4 hours at the Aquarium and yet if felt like one. Time just flew by. We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the 4th of July. I have been on many outings and this will definitely now be on the top of my list . It is in my opinion that the Birch Aquarium is one of the MUST places to visit in Southern California. From the beautiful setting to the wonderful staff - The Birch Aquarium is a shinning star.

The best part is that for the price of a movie ticket, you can explore another world and make priceless memories. I had a reader recently email me that she wants her son to make memories of exploring sealife and not just have memories of playing on his playstation or surfing the net. This really stuck with me and I couldn't help but think of this as we were exploring the Aquarium. I promise you that your entire family will fall in love with the Birch Aquarium and make priceless memories!!

Admission is $11.00 for adults, $7.50 for 3-17 year olds and Free for kiddos 2 and under. The Birch Aquarium is part of Museums on Us - which gives you free admission with your B of A debit or credit card on the first weekend of the month. We actually paid only $7.50 for my daughter since my husband and I both bank with B of A and were able to get in for free. It is an incredible deal!! You can also receive $1.00 off each admission with your AAA card.

Hours: 9am to 5pm daily

Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day

3 hour courtesy parking provided

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

2300 Expedition Way

La Jolla, California

For additional information head over here

The Carlsbad Flower Fields

A little-known attraction in the San Diego area is the Carlsbad Flower Fields. They are easy to spot as you travel along the San Diego freeway. These fifty acres of flowers have been blooming in the hills above the Pacific Ocean for around fifty years. Visitors can walk the fields or take an open-air tractor ride through the flowers.

The Carlsbad Flower Fields can be found at 5704 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad, CA 92008. The flower fields season just began this month in March and runs through mid May. The fields are open to the public seven days a week from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Prices: $9.00 for Adults, $8.00 for Seniors 60+, $5.00 for Children 3 - 10, Children 2 and under are Free Wagon Rides: $4.00 for Adults, $3.00 for Children 3 - 10. Information Line: (760) 431-0352 To get there fom from Los Angeles and Orange County: Head south on Interstate 5 to Palomar Airport Road exit. Head east (left turn) on Palomar Airport Road to Paseo Del Norte and turn left. Make an immediate right into parking lot.

Sea World Fun Card

Our family loves Sea World. It really is a fun place to visit as a family. We usually go early in the year and pay for the Fun Card. What's the fun card you might ask- well pretty much you pay for one day at the park and get the rest of the year for free!! Yes absolutely free!!! We've fully taken advantage of it and loved it. There are so many shows and things for the kiddos to do. My little ones especially loved the Sesame Street Bay of Play.The pass also lets you enjoy spring into the night celebration, summer nights, Halloween celebration and much more. It's a fantastic deal and a steal at $65.00 for adults and $55.00 for a year of fun!! For additional information click here.

San Diego Zoo/Wild Animal Park- Kids Free in October

If you read this blog you are probably well aware that I love sharing anything that won't cost you a single cent. I found something that is almost to good to be true, but don't worry it really is true!! The San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park are offering free admission to children 3-11 during the entire month of October. If you're looking for something to do this month- you might want to check it out. October is turning out to be Freetober!! I love it!!

Legoland - Land of Adventure Expansion

Just in time for Spring, Legoland California just opened their latest expansion called the Land of Adventure. The highlight of the new area is the Lost Kingdom of Adventure dark ride where riders will take a 1920s-esque off-road vehicle evocative of a Hudson Motor Car touring sedan. During the interactive journey, visitors ride through ancient temple ruins while shooting at animated targets with laser blasters.

Adjacent to the hidden ruins, a different adventure awaits with other new rides Cargo Ace and Beetle Bounce. Cargo Ace helps imaginations soar as children become pilots as they board one of eight airplanes and fly up to six feet into the air. Beetle Bounce boosts children to even bigger heights, nearly 15 feet to be exact, as they are launched up one of two towers nearly touching the gigantic LEGO beetles above them. At Pharaoh’s Revenge, children and parents can fire thousands of foam balls at targets and each other in an oasis of fun.

Legoland California is currently open Thursday through Monday from 10 AM to 5 PM. Longer hours kick-in at the end of May.

Sea World

A couple of weeks ago we took a little trip down south to Sea World. I can't tell you all enough how much I love this place. I've been there a couple of times and it seems the more I visit the more I like it.. We got there about a half hour after the park opened and as soon as we pulled in you have the option of either choosing general parking or the premium parking. Hmm I thought about it for a split second and chose the premium parking. It's 5 dollars more than general parking but it is worth every penny if you have a stroller or are dealing with young children. I highly recommend this- trust me at the end of the day when you have cranky little ones the shorter the walk the better!! You can either purchase your tickets at one of the automated kiosks-the lines are short and fast but you can't use any discounts or AAA card. If you are a AAA card member you get 5 dollars off each ticket. Sea World has the fun card option which is basically paying 5 dollars more than the daily admission and being able to come back for the rest of the year. We bought the fun card since we plan on going back again this summer.

We were a bit hungry since we didn't stop off for breakfast and ate at Mama Stella's Pizza kitchen. Not the best in my opinion. Their food was a bit stale and bland. If you are looking for a better place try out Calypso Bay smokehouse or if budget is not really a concern for you try Dining with Shamu - It's a close-up experience with Shamu- this is buffet style and reservations fill up early so if you this sounds like something you might want to try make sure to reserve your tables as soon as you come in the park. There are plenty of places to snack and I have to say that both my niece and daughter loved their kids meals. They both said their food was tasty and they loved the cute Shamu boxes that their meals came in.

Once our thirst was quenched and our appetite satiated we headed over to Shamu Stadium to watch Believe-the Shamu show. The kids got a kick of this and if you want to get wet make sure to sit in the wet zone. Get there early since there is limited wet zone seating. Another quick tip- if you have an infant make sure that you also bring a carrier. Strollers have to be left at the bottom of the climb to the park and babies are not so fun to carry around bare arms with the hot sun blazing and throngs of people pushing your way. After the show we decided that Shamu was really the main show we wanted to see since both of our kids are so young and that we wanted more of a hands on experience with the animals. I have seen most of the shows before and I would have to say that Dolphin Discovery is my favorite show(I actually like it more than Believe).

We then headed over to Rocky Point Preserve. This really was the highlight of our trip. You have to head over when it is feeding time. You can buy a tray of fish for 5 dollars(okay I don't know what's up with this but it seems that everything at Sea World is in 5 dollar increments)and experience feeding the dolphins. This was a blast. We all had the opportunity to feed the dolphins and pet them. I can't recommend this enough. After feeding the dolphins we went on to Forbidden Reef. You can pet and feed bat rays. This was also much fun. We also were able to feed the seals at Pacific Point. This was very entertaining. The seals are very animated and they are a crack up to watch. I think they act very much like dogs.

Once we had our fair share of animal interaction we cruised the aquarium and on to Shamu's happy harbor-this is what I wished someone had told me - if you want your kids to play here make sure to bring a towel or two and an extra extra outfit. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. You can play in a water maze, splash down slides, climb a two-story net or even build a sand castle. The 5 and under set will love this. Trust me on this one!!!

Once we had horsed around for a bit we headed off to the Wild Artic exhibit. This is where the polar bears are - the polar bears are breathtaking. They are beautiful and I was just intrigued that I could be observing Polar bears in sunny San Diego!! I felt like I was in an episode of Lost!! There are also beluga whales, walruses, arctic foxes and seals. You'll feel the freeze as you pass through Wild Arctic's ice tunnel, complete with foggers, misters, simulated snow and a 25-foot-long ice wall.. Next door to Wild Artic is the Penguin encounter. There are over 300 penguins on display and they also are so fun to watch. After this much excitement we were all exhausted and our warm weather soon vanished- I think this happens quite often- better safe than sorry - make sure you pack some light jackets or blankets. I can't tell you enough as we headed out the park after our exciting day how happy I was that I had chosen the premium parking- I could see our car from the gate and I realized that the 5 dollars I could have used for some cheesy souvenir were definitely spent well!!

SeaWorld San Diego-500 SeaWorld Drive
San Diego, CA 92109

Phone:
Please call (800) 25-SHAMU (1-800-257-4268)

Open 9am -11pm every day in July- and most of August- the rest of the year open usually from 10-5 weekdays and either 10am -6p or 10-7:30 on weekends

Admission $57 for guests age 10+.
$47 for guests ages 3 through 9.
Free for guests 2 years old and younger

Hope you visit soon.