San Diego is the perfect place for a family vacation.  Nestled along 70 miles of sunny Southern California coastline and consistently rated one of the top family destinations in North America, San Diego is the ideal destination for children of all ages offering a variety of family friendly activities and world-class attractions throughout the year.  

  SAN DIEGO ZOO

The San Diego Zoo is a world-famous 100-acre tropical garden that houses 4,000 animals of 800 rare and exotic species.  Some of the highlights of the San Diego Zoo are the Conrad Prebys Australian Outback exhibit, which opened May 2013, the Harry and Grace Steele Elephant Odyssey and four adorable Chinese Giant Pandas. There are only 1,600 Giant Pandas believed to exist in the wild today. Spectacular bioclimatic exhibits like Monkey Trails, Absolutely Apes, Ituri Forest, Rain Forest Aviary, Gorilla Tropics, Sun Bear Forest and Tiger River house endangered species in enclosures that mimic their natural habitats. Other popular zoo activities include a three-mile guided bus tour, sky tram, children's petting zoo and baby animal nursery. www.sandiegozoo.org

SAN DIEGO ZOO SAFARI PARK

Located 30 miles northeast of downtown San Diego, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a 1,800-acre preserve where wild animals roam free over vast expanses as they would in their native habitats of Africa and Asia.  Spectacular bioclimatic exhibits like Monkey Trails, Absolutely Apes, Ituri Forest, Rain Forest Aviary, Gorilla Tropics, Sun Bear Forest and Tiger River house endangered species in enclosures that mimic their natural habitats. Other popular zoo activities include the Journey into Africa Tour,, sky tram, children's petting zoo and baby animal nursery.For thrill seekers, Flightline is a zip-line adventure that flies guests more than 400 feet across the park at speeds up to 60 mph. www.sdzsafaripark.org

SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO

Located on Mission Bay and celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2014, SeaWorld San Diego is a 189-acre park featuring six major shows, fascinating attractions and dozens of exhibits containing marine life from around the globe.  One of the park's newest attractions is Madagascar Live: Operation Vacation, an original live musical show.  In May 2012, SeaWorld opened Manta, an exciting new roller coaster experience. Visitors can also see the park's dolphin show, Blue Horizons, and animal highlights include the Wild Arctic, Penguin Encounter and Shark Encounter exhibits.  In other areas of the park, visitors can pet dolphins, touch and feed bat rays, meet Elmo and friends at Sesame Street Bay of Play, hop on the Shipwreck Rapids and Journey to Atlantis thrill rides or take in a panorama of San Diego from the Mission Bay Skyride.  www.seaworldsandiego.com

AQUATICA SAN DIEGO

In summer 2013, SeaWorld opened a new waterpark in Chula Vista in San Diego's South Bay, Aquatica San Diego,™ which features exciting waterslide attractions in addition to guest viewing of a variety of exotic animals. Opened seasonally during summer months, Aquatica San Diego blends up-close animal experiences, waters from serene to extreme, high-speed thrills and a sandy beach for guests of all ages to enjoy. www.aquaticasandiego.com.

  LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA RESORT

 LEGOLAND California Resort, located 30 minutes north of downtown San Diego in Carlsbad, delivers 128 acres of fun, interaction, imagination and entertainment with more than 50 interactive attractions and rides geared to kids aged 2-12. Some of LEGOLAND's newest attractions are the 4-D movie LEGO Legend of Chima, opened Spring 2013, and the Pirate Reef water ride. The heart of the park is Miniland USA, which features famous areas of the U.S. like Washington D.C., New Orleans and New York City, all constructed in miniature with 20 million LEGO bricks.  Other popular areas of the park include the world's first LEGO-themed water park, the LEGO Hero Factory, Land of Adventure zone, the Police and Fire Academy, Pirate Shores, Dino Island, Fun Town and Castle Hill.  http://california.legoland.com/

SEA LIFE AQUARIUM

SEA LIFE AquariumatLEGOLAND California Resort offers 36,000 sq. ft. of play zones, fin facts, quiz trails and marine exhibits designed to educate children about life under the sea.  The aquarium features a seahorse kingdom, 360-degree ring of sting rays and fish, an interactive tide pool and 175,000-gallon aquarium displaying a replication of the Lost City of Atlantis. The aquarium requires a separate admission from LEGOLAND® California Resort.  http://california.legoland.com/

BALBOA PARK

The largest urban cultural park in the United States, Balboa Park is often referred to as the “Smithsonian of the West” for its large concentration of cultural institutions.  Its 1,200 lush acres are home to 15 museums, eight gardens, the San Diego Zoo, art galleries and renowned performing arts venues like the Tony Award®-winning Old Globe theatre. 

Some of Balboa Park's most popular family offerings include the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center with the world's first IMAX Dome Theater and the San Diego Model Railroad Museum.  Other family favorites are the San Diego Air & Space Museum, Balboa Park Carousel, Balboa Park Miniature Railroad, Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater and San Diego Natural History Museum. www.balboapark.org

THE USS MIDWAY MUSEUM AND MARITIME MUSEUM OF SAN DIEGO

The USS Midway Museum pays tribute to the hundreds of thousands of men who served their country aboard the ship and highlights San Diego's rich military history.  The Midway, part of the Navy fleet for 47 years, served during the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars, as well as other conflicts and crises around the world. The museum is an unforgettable adventure for the entire family. Guests can spend the day exploring more than 60 exhibits with a collection of 29 restored aircraft, and those who dare can "take to the sky" aboard one of two flight simulators. The self-guided audio tour, narrated by Midway sailors, brings the carrier's history to life.  www.midway.org  

The Maritime Museum of San Diego consists of several historic sailing vessels docked on San Diego Bay.  The ships include the Star of India, built in 1863 and the world's oldest merchant sailing vessel still in operation today; the HMS Surprise, an 18th century Royal Navy frigate, an authentic B-39 Russian diesel submarine and many more. Opened in 2011, the San Salvador  is a living-history exhibit offering a historically accurate reconstruction of the ship that first breached the San Diego harbor in 1542 under the helm of Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo sailing under the Spanish flag. The Maritime Museum is one of the most popular family attractions along San Diego Bay.  www.sdmaritime.org

  THE BEACHES

If “life's a beach,” then San Diego is the place to experience life to the fullest.  Whether families wish to swim, surf, snorkel, play volleyball or just lie in the sun, there's a perfect beach for everyone along San Diego's 70 miles of coastline. 

One of the most popular family beaches is Coronado Beach, an aquatic wonderland recognized annually by Dr. Beach and the Travel Channel as “the best family beach in North America” and “Best Beach in the United States.”  La Jolla Shores, another popular family beach, boasts a mile-long sandy shore paralleled by a wide cement boardwalk that separates the beach from a large grassy park ideal for picnicking and volleyball games.  Ocean Beach is most popular for Dog Beach, where even the tail waggin' members of the family can enjoy San Diego's surf and sand. 

MISSION BAY

Mission Bay, a 4,600-acre aquatic playground, is the largest facility of its kind in the world featuring separate, designated areas for sailing, power boating, fishing, swimming and water skiing.  Meandering around the beautiful bay's shorelines are 20 miles of paths for runners, bikers and in-line skaters.  A favorite spot for families is Tecolote Shores, an open grassy park popular for flying colorful kites, playing Frisbee and having leisurely picnics. 

OTHER FAMILY FRIENDLY HIGHLIGHTS

Following are some additional suggestions for family fun in San Diego County.

Mission Beach boasts Belmont Park, a historic turn-of-the-century-style seaside boardwalk and amusement park that includes the National Historic Landmark “Giant Dipper,” one of only two remaining beachfront wooden roller coasters on the U.S. west coast.  www.belmontpark.com

La Jolla is home to the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, an oceanographic museum with more than 3,000 fish on exhibit. http://aquarium.ucsd.edu

The Living Coast Discovery Center is a non-profit zoo and aquarium located on the southern rim of San Diego Bay south of downtown San Diego, and features rotating and permanent exhibits highlighting sea and land creatures of the coastal region. www.thelivingcoast.org

Oceanside is home to the longest municipal wooden pier on the U.S. west coast and the California Surf Museum, where visitors can browse a permanent collection of historic boards and photographs. http://surfmuseum.org

San Diego's South Bay is home to the U.S. Olympic Training Center, the nation's first warm weather, year-round Olympic training complex.  Located in Chula Vista in San Diego's South Bay, families are welcome to join a narrated walking tour of the 150-acre campus which features training venues and support facilities for archery, canoeing/kayaking and rowing, cycling, field hockey, soccer, tennis and track and field.    

http://www.teamusa.org/About-the-USOC/Training-Centers-and-Sites/Chula-Vista

Happiness is calling in San Diego. For more information on San Diego's offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority's website at www.sandiego.org.