San Diego Adventures

We chose to dine at The Fish Market at the Embarcadero based on the recommendation of locals and based on guidebooks that indicated that this restaurant offered the freshest seafood in San Diego (SD). The restaurant even has its own fishing boat to ensure the freshest catch!

The restaurant itself offers three main dining options: a fresh seafood market, a casual lower-level dining room, and a more upscale upper-level restaurant (called Top of the Market restaurant). We chose the casual dining room.

The restaurant is located in downtown SD, at the Embarcadero, next to the USS Midway and overlooking the bay. My husband, young daughter, and I were lucky to get an indoor bayview table for dinner. See the pictures.

The restaurant was bustling and loud the evening we went. (Lots of conventions going on.) The restaurant's structure also contributes to the noise level, as it is essentially one large multi-level room. I thought the "bustling atmosphere" added to the restaurant's appeal, much like a fish market.

My husband ordered a house salad and mesquite-grilled Pacific red snapper with fries, my daughter ordered chicken strips and buttered pasta, and I ordered a skewer of red snapper, shrimp, and scallop with rice.

"Fresh" is the operative word. The salad was fresh and delicious. Special touches like unusual mixed greens, buttery crisp croutons and small shrimp made it special. All three entrees were done well. The snapper that my husband and I had was a bit bland, though. My husband loved the chicken strips that my daughter didn't finish. Crisp, juicy, and fresh-tasting (they breaded it themselves). The Pacific sea scallops were as tender as butter, well-flavored, and unbelievably good! The shrimp and rice were also excellent.

For dessert, we shared a warm apple crisp à la mode and crème brulée. Both were "yummy," as my daughter put it.

Located in the food court on the 5th Floor of Westfield Horton Plaza, this Indian fast food restaurant offers beef or veggie samosas, spicy chicken curry, chicken tikka masala, Indian spinach, chickpeas, naan, and white or yellow rice. The Plaza is an open-air mall. Seating is available in an adjacent outdoor common area. Be sure to dress warmly for dining outdoors.

I tried the chicken tikka masala, yellow rice, spinach, beef samosa with cilantro sauce, and naan. (See picture.) The samosa was very good. I had mine with cilantro sauce on the side. The yellow rice was neither basmati nor lemon-flavored but tasted fair for fast food. The chicken tikka masala had a sweeter, more buttery, less creamy, and less spicy flavor than what I was accustomed to. It was fair. The naan was more like a pita than naan, but was appreciated when I ran out of rice. The spinach was the same texture as I've had at Indian restaurants, but it lacked the creaminess of cheese. In all, the food was a decent, quick, and economical ethnic meal but don't set expectations too high; it's not up to the quality you generally find at an Indian buffet.

We dined outside on picnic tables under an umbrella overlooking the picturesque San Diego Bay. Hang on to your napkins though because this area can be breezy.

Asiaggo advertises a Chicago-style pizza. Not knowing what this meant, we were surprised when they delivered a very thick-crust pizza pie. Take a gander at the picture. My husband and 7-year-old daughter shared a medium-sized pizza. Half of it was cheese only and the other half stuffed with meats. My husband commented that the pizza contained “lots of cheese, more than I expected, so a medium pizza would be a more reasonable portion for four, not two.” Of course, this depends on how hungry you are.

They also split a salad with vegetable toppings. My husband thought the salad was "a bit old, the lettuce was somewhat wilted." Overall, though, he enjoyed the pizza, but at $20, I thought it was a bit pricey.

Hint: Pick up a VIP Shopping Pass (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) from the Seaport Village Management Office for a considerable discount on restaurants and shops, including this one.

Purchasing: I purchased this card through their website in 10/2006, about 6 months before our 4/2007 trip. It was on sale on their website: advertised as a "fall special" for $135/adult (13+) & $92/child (3-12). The cards and guidebook came in the mail about a week later. For the latest pricing and included activities, check out Go San Diego Card.

How It Works: The price of card includes a guidebook and admission to most of the San Diego (SD) activities we wanted to try: the SD Zoo, Balboa Park Museums, SD Bus Tour, SD Harbor Tours, Legoland, and many more we couldn't get to. It also includes discounts on restaurants. The Card did not include SeaWorld at the time of our purchase. The price per person above is for the 7-day Go SD card (can also be purchased at lower cost for shorter durations—i.e. 1-, 2-, or 3-day cards). The card is activated the first time it is used. It is then valid for the number of consecutive days that have been purchased.

Guidebook: The pocket-sized guidebook is handy to help plan your trip and was also a good on-the-go reference. The book divides the city into regions (Downtown, Coronado, Balboa Park, Old Town, La Jolla, North San Diego, etc.) with maps for each region that locate the activities included. Each listing in the book contains pertinent facts (addresses, phone numbers, websites, hours, seasons of operation) plus pictures and a description. It even includes listings for SD activities that don't charge admission. Having this information was invaluable in discussing an itinerary with my family and making the most of our trip to San Diego. If you purchase the GO SD Card a long time before you actually go, first, make sure it doesn't expire when you plan to use it and second, make sure you review their website before you go in case they have added activities since the time of your purchase.

Worth It? Definitely. This card has saved us a significant amount of money as compared to buying passes separately. Vendors accept it—-no questions asked. Many of San Diego's major attractions are included in the card, and I was able to efficiently plan our trip.

COST: One admission per GO San Diego cardholder per day is included in cost of card. However, normal costs for 2-day passes are $69/adult and $56/child.

GETTING THERE FROM DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO: You can purchase two round-trip coaster train tickets right outside the Santa Fe Depot (at intersection of C Street & Kettner Blvd.) for $22. Fare includes transfer to Breeze Bus #344 at Carlsbad Village Station. Coaster took 50 minutes, but offers incredible views of the CA coastline and avoids traffic. Be sure to exit promptly as it follows the schedule closely. Bus trip takes 20 minutes. (Compare to taxi of $150.)

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS: Legoland is ideal for younger kids aged 4-13 years with themed attractions geared to this age group and with most rides having minimum height requirements between 34” – 40”, depending on whether the child is riding alone or with a parent. My 7 year old daughter liked that she could go on all of the rides that she wanted. We generally avoided going on rides in the Pirate Shores area since we would certainly get wet, and I thought the weather was too cool to be walking around with wet clothes (60 F). The water rides and water fountains were happily enjoyed by other guests, however. The park itself is clean and colorful, and the staff helpful and friendly. It truly felt like you were in a land made of Legos. Even adults were impressed by the amazing cities and monuments in miniature.

Our friendly City Sightseeing bus tour driver, Emmitt, a lifelong San Diego native, suggested we disembark to spend a half day at the San Diego Zoo. So that’s what we did. Having heard about "the world-famous San Diego Zoo," we were nevertheless surprised by its size. Being pressed for time, we decided first take in as much as we could via the zoo’s own bus tour. I recommend taking this tour when you arrive—preferably in the early morning when the animals are out. Try to sit on the right side facing the driver to get a better view. We were lucky to see so many animals from the bus. The only animal that didn’t make an appearance was the polar bear. Our driver noted special shows or feeding times for some of the animals.

The tour also helps you get the lay of the land: you’ll traverse much of its 100 acres, learn about its exotic plant life, and plan which areas to revisit. With our overview of the zoo complete, we realized the enormity of our task: we had to hustle to see our favorite animals up-close and catch our city bus home. We were able to revisit our favorites: the hippo, pandas, monkeys, and koalas. The hippo was visible underwater through a transparent wall. It’s amazing how long it could hold its breath before raising its nostrils above water. We had fun trying to hold our breath for as long. Human lung capacity doesn’t compare to a hippo’s. The pandas drew us too. My 7 year-old daughter commented that the large crowds were "annoying" since they blocked her view but said she "learned a lot" from the commentary of the panda expert. She was surprised that pandas aren’t aware that they are giving birth until they actually see their baby. I think this fact pleased about her mom’s attentiveness…

My daughter loved the antics of the Allen’s Swamp Monkeys, even remembering their names when questioned about her favorite animals at the zoo a month later. She was fascinated by their acrobatics, their tail-grabbing, and their general frolicking as they played in their tree house. We had to pry her away half an hour later. To us, the cutest animal was the koala. You could see the koalas both in their native habitat, the eucalyptus tree, and up-close, in a special glass viewing exhibit. Shy creatures, they tended to avoid eye contact with humans. Be patient for them to turn their heads towards you, and you’ll be rewarded with vulnerable-looking teddy-bear smiling at you. Memories of a visit to this zoo will leave you smiling, too. Enjoy your excursion to the zoo, but if you have time, spend an entire day there. Your family will appreciate taking their time, and your legs will, too. Boarding the city tour bus to leave the zoo, we were pleased that during the city tour to be seated.

COST: Included in GO San Diego Card purchase. Cost varies according to tour purchased. Check out the website or call for the latest info as the tour company seems like it's a work in progress. Just was added as an available tour on the GO San Diego card.

THE BUSES: These double-deckers were originally in service in Great Britain. They are open at the top for better views. We sat at the front seat on the upper level (seats were easy to snag since the tour bus wasn't busy). These seats offer the best views, in my opinion, but watch out for overhanging branches (seriously). My daughter sat next to Heather, one of the tour guides, who showed her a button on the upper level that the British patrons of the bus used to push to get the bus drivers to stop. It now serves only to annoy the tour bus driver! Very fun for Heather and my daughter.

THE SCHEDULE: There are two loops that can be purchased, either separately or together. The first is the Harbor Loop (Red Line) that visits the Embarcadero, USS Midway, Seaport Village, Harbor Drive, Convention Cneter, Petco Park, Gaslamp Quarter, Broadway Ave., Financial District, and Little Italy. The other is the Parks and Zoo Loop (Blue Line) that visits Heritage Park, Sunset Blvd., San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, US Hwy. 163, Cabrillo Bridge, and Bankers Hill. We took the Red Line and got off at the zoo. After the zoo visit, we got on the Red Line to finish the loop and got off at their office in Old Town. There we got on the Blue Line to complete our overview of the city. (Tour did not include Coronado Island.)

IMPRESSION: Fun, very friendly guides who work to earn your business. Since they aren't as well-known and busy as the Old Town Trolley Tours, you'll likely get more of your individual questions answered in between their spiel. Don't know how they compare to the other bus tour companies in terms of being able to get off/on the trolley. The City Sightseeing tour doesn't go to Coronado Island.

Cost: 1 admission/day as part of Go San Diego Card price. (I think it was under $10/person without the card: a good value.) Who should go: Will be enjoyed by the whole family. Favorite parts: The museum is housed in a beautiful building. The appearance was carried inside to the exhibits and carried a good WOW factor. The exhibits themselves fascinated my seven-year-old daughter (and her mom). We liked it so much that we visited again the next day. Most were interactive and well-designed. Because it was much less crowded than the San Diego Science Museum, access to the exhibits was much better. We both learned quite a bit about dinosaurs and geology. Be sure to catch the movie "An Inconvenient Truth." It was eye-opening, albeit a bit long for my daughter. After two hours she was ready to go. Mom enjoyed the break at the end of a day of walking around Balboa Park.

Designed to be tranquil, beautiful, and refreshing, the Japanese garden also recreates these qualities within the visitor as well. One leaves the garden feeling rejuvenated by nature's sights and sounds.

The first sound you hear as you enter the park is the sound of water trickling through a bamboo rod, the Shi-Shi-Odoshi. When the rod fills, it tips over and hits the rock basin beneath it. This sound supposedly keeps evil spirits away.

The path leads you to a stone lantern, the Oribe-doro. The original lantern has an interesting story behind it. Commissioned by three wealthy Christian followers of a famous tea master, the specially-designed lantern was supposed to have a carved Buddha within it. Because no one was permitted to be a Christian in Japan at the time, the lantern actually contained a hidden image of a cross.

The path then leads to an exhibit house. Within are exquisite Japanese dollhouses in the traditional Japanese design. Also impressive were the beautiful and colorful mizuhiki, dyed cords for wrapping letters which serve to function as wax seals in the West—once tied, they cannot be tied again. Also on display are banners of lovely Japanese characters. My favorite said: "Kissako. Trust yourself. Do your best in small daily matters."

Outside the exhibit house is the rock garden, its barrenness a stark contrast to the lush, flowering Japanese garden before, and the koi pond and waterfall that lie beyond. However, its stillness adds to the feeling of tranquil serenity one gets from visiting the garden.

At the end of the path is a bonsai display. Some of the more interesting bonsai are created by native California shrubs.

The Japanese garden provides a peaceful interlude in an otherwise rushed visit to Balboa Park.

This place was overrun with kids when we visited one afternoon during spring break. My 7-year-old daughter had a tough time competing to get her hands on the interactive exhibits on the main floor.

We decided to watch the IMAX movie "Hurricane on the Bayou" first. The person who ran the IMAX film gave interesting background information on the IMAX theatre prior to the show.

After the movie, we returned to the exhibits and learned about vision and "grossology" (the ickier aspects of the body that, not surprisingly, was a big hit with most kids). Some of the vision displays were quite intriguing: how so much of what we "see" is not as it is in reality since it has been interpreted by our minds.

The lower level contained a large "video game" that allowed kids to travel in space, participate in an archaeological dig, and explore the ocean. This fun *but educational* activity occupied my kid for hours! Mom liked it and learned a lot, too.

Overall, a fun visit. It's educational too but your kid won't mind. In fact, my daughter spent the ENTIRE day there (we left shortly before it closed) because she wanted to see EVERYTHING. If it's busy, it will be a tiring but worthwhile day.

Cruise either the North or South San Diego Bay, or both. We originally picked up tickets for the full 2-hour bay tour but left the boat after the first hour's North Bay tour. The North Bay tour sights include: the Naval Air Station, Harbor and Shelter Islands, the Naval Sub Base, and the Cabrillo Park.

I have to preface my comments with the fact that I am not a boat person. I tend to get seasick quickly, so that definitely limits my pleasure in the experience, to say the least.

You take in the scenery from the top level of an open yacht, the Marietta. We had our choice of seats as we boarded early and the top level was only at 30% capacity that morning.

Our narrator gave a wealth of information but unfortunately, the intercom was not loud enough to overcome the ship noise to clearly hear everything he said. It didn't help me when we moved closer either. He also tended to speak rather fast and packed in lots of facts, so that, too, made it difficult to make out clearly what he was saying. A very knowledgeable and informative tour guide.

My favorite part of the tour was seeing the sea lion island. My husband liked watching the Hornet fighter jet take off from the Naval Air Station.

One hour in an open seating with reflected sun off the water was enough for our family. We were rather tired also of the wave motion and were eager to see Legoland, so we exited before the South Bay tour began.

My daughter and I had chosen to lunch with my husband in the Seaport Village since it was a short walk for him from the San Diego Convention Center. Having been in sunny San Diego for a week without seeing a hint of rain, I decided that very morning to leave my waterproof windbreaker at the hotel to save a few pounds out of my backpack. During our 15-minute walk to the Seaport Village from our downtown San Diego hotel, we only felt a few drops. After our lunch, of course, it poured. So not entirely by our design, my daughter and I spent an entire rainy afternoon exploring the Seaport Village shops, running from shop to shop for shelter. As it were, Mother Nature seems to have led us to the Discover Nature store.

What a treasure we discovered by accident! This quaint, earthy little shop offers beautiful products derived from nature and from historical artifacts as well as fascinating, inexpensive gifts of the type that you’d find at Brookstone. We even started a family tradition at this store. Discover Nature offers lovely sterling silver pendants and bracelets. A friendly clerk at the store spent half an hour patiently removing the pendants we liked from the glass case and placing bracelets on our wrists. We finally chose a dolphin pendant for my daughter to remember our trip to San Diego and plan to add pendants on future trips to remind us of our times together.

Kids will also love the fun pens and toy trinkets that they sell. Many of them have samples out that you can try out or play with.

In one corner of the store surrounded by glass windows, they displayed a variety of perpetual motion toys. These shiny, see-sawing toys were so mesmerizing that I bought one with a nautical theme for my husband.

Mom bought as keepsake a cross made from first-century glass from the Holy Land. The cross and chain are made of sterling silver but the glass behind it looks pearly, like the inside of a shell. The glass’ patina comes from years of weathering, as the glass interacts with the earth it’s imbedded in and with the climate. Each piece of jewelry has a unique design as well as unique coloring—according to the certificate that accompanied the necklace.

You should take a look at the wonderful pendants made from butterfly wings (don’t worry, they’re not harvested from them while they’re alive). They look amazing; I almost bought one but had already spent too much that day.

Hint: Pick up a VIP Shopping Pass M-F 9am-5pm from the Seaport Village Management Office for a considerable discount on restaurants and shops, including this one.

On our first trip to Legoland, my husband, my 7-year-old daughter, and I took the coaster train from downtown San Diego to Carlsbad and took a taxi from the second Carlsbad coaster station to Legoland. We purchased our coaster tickets outside the downtown San Diego Santa Fe Depot (located at the intersection of C street & Kettner Blvd.) for approximately $11/person round-trip. The coaster ride took 50 minutes and is highly recommended.

The coaster train itself is clean and safe (spoke with a policeman on board). Most passengers appeared to be commuting to work. Not only is it clean, economical, and fast (few stops, adheres uncompromisingly to the published schedule, and avoids freeway congestion), the coaster ride offers spectacular views of the California coastline (see pictures). Be sure, however, to gather your stuff and exit promptly when you arrive at your destination since they open and close doors very quickly!

After arriving at the Carlsbad Village coaster station, our family took a taxi to Legoland for about $15 including tip. During our ride, we asked the taxi driver how much it would cost to taxi directly from Legoland to downtown San Diego. He indicated that the approximate fare would be $75 (one way) and would take about an hour. Based on this information, I would definitely recommend the coaster.

My daughter and I felt safe enough on the coaster to go alone the next day. On this trip, we found out that the round-trip coaster fare includes a free transfer to the Breeze Bus #344 at Carlsbad Village Station, saving us the taxi fare. The bus stop is right outside the coaster station, on the other side of the trains. You just need to save your validated coaster ticket to give to the bus driver. The bus trip took about 20 minutes, and they drop you off right at the front entrance to Legoland.

I would suggest calling 1-800-COASTER (coaster stops/times) and 1-800-COMMUTE (bus routes/times) to verify coaster stops (it doesn’t always stop at every station) AND to verify that you have adequate cushion time to transfer from the coaster to the bus.