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Nikki
My family is traveling to San Diego soon, and I would like to know if it is possible to get around the city without renting a car. Our plans are to go to the Zoo, Sea World, the beach, and see the sights. Also if you have any recommendations to what we could do there please add them.
Answer
Yes... Though whether it's easy or not depends on how big your family is (are there really young kids?), where you plan on staying, and how much time do you have.
I suggest you stay in downtown area and get a MTS day pass for each adult (can buy them at vending machines at Trolley stations or at Transit Store at 1st and Broadway). They're $5 a piece and is good on buses and trolley for the day (every Saturday & Sunday, two children 12 and under ride free with any paying passenger 18 and over). You can pick up specific bus route maps/timetable at the Transit Store, Santa Fe Depot, or at the local library (the central library in downtown is on E St. just east of 8th St).
Hopefully you'll have at least 3 days to spend... Remember these buses ( http://www.sdmts.com/Tripplanner.asp ):
#923 - Downtown - Ocean Beach : takes you thru the Embarcadero pass the airport and thru Pt. Loma to Ocean beach (a bit of walking at the end will take you to Sunset Cliff - an ideal spot to watch the sun setting into the ocean in the evening).
#28 - Old Town - Shelter Island : if you get off #923 at Rosecrans Blvd, you can catch this bus west to Shelter Island Drive and then catch the
#84 that'll take you to Cabrillo National Monument & Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery (spectacular view of the bay and downtown skyline on a clear day). Make sure you know the bus schedule, tho, the last bus back from Cabrillo leaves there at 5:28PM and you really don't want to miss it. Should allot at least 4 hrs to visit Cabrillo and be sure to get down to the tide pools.
#30 - downtown - UTC/VA Hospital : This is the bus that takes you from downtown via a scenic route to La Jolla. You can catch this bus north, then transfer to #101 at VA Hospital, which will take you north along the 101HWY (if you want to visit Torrey Pines State Reserve & beach, Solana Beach, Del Mar... where the horse track is). Or you can get off at the corner of Girard and Silverado in downtown La Jolla, head left on Silverado until you hit 'Coast Blvd' and walk north (right) along the spectacular shoreline. You'll pass the famous Children's Pool where the seals are, and keep walking on the walkway along the coast pass Ellen Browning Scripps Park and La Jolla Cove. You'll see a 'Cave Store' as the path goes uphill... if you pay $4 per adult there, you can go down a long and narrow stair down to Sunny Jim's Cave ( http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1745014/walk_the_la_jolla_coast_great_hiking.html?cat=16 ). La Jolla is full of boutique stores and great restaurants. You can spend an entire day down there (but hopefully no less than 4 hrs).
#8/#9 Old Town - Pacific Beach loop : These two run the same route the opposite way from Old Town Transit Center thru Mission Bay (where Sea World is) to Pacific Beach. From downtown, I'd hop on the blue line trolley at Santa Fe Depot to Old Town Transit Ctr. If you plan on visiting Old Town in the morning then catching the #9 to Sea World in the afternoon, that's one very good sight-seeing day! Don't forget to visit the Presidio, Heritage Park Row of Victorian era houses, and Whaley House when you're in Old Town.
#3 Euclid Trolley - UCSD Hospital in Hillcrest : if you want to visit Hillcrest neighborhood or Balboa Park (where the zoo is, but it's on the other end, so a long walk). This one goes up 5th Ave and down 4th. Get off at Laurel and walk east (left) to get to Balboa Park.
#7 Downtown - La Mesa : this one goes up Park Blvd/12th Ave. The bus to get on if you want to go to the Zoo, Ruben Fleet Science Ctr at Balboa Park.
#901 Iris Trolly - Downtown : this one goes across the Coronado Bridge to Coronado Island and down Silver Strand to Imperial Beach ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7M5LHR4OY ). You won't be able to get off on the bridge (it is a car-only bridge. No pedestrian), so be sure to sit on the right side of the bus with camera ready when you cross to Coronado. The bus takes you past the gate to North Island Naval Air Station, downtown, Hotel Del Coronado (beach access). Really should spend at least 4 hrs here. If possible, I'd take a bus there, and return via the Coronado - San Diego Ferry (it's only $3.75 one way adult fare).
And while you're visiting downtown, you might want to also visit the Maritime Museum on the Embarcadero ($17 discovery package entry fee also includes a 45 minutes bay cruise), Seaport Village, Gaslamp Quarter (where the hip nightlife is), Petco Park. Be sure to go up to the 40th floor of the Harbor Tower at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel. There's a lounge up there that also serves as the highest waterfront observational deck on the US West Coast. Great view!
Yes... Though whether it's easy or not depends on how big your family is (are there really young kids?), where you plan on staying, and how much time do you have.
I suggest you stay in downtown area and get a MTS day pass for each adult (can buy them at vending machines at Trolley stations or at Transit Store at 1st and Broadway). They're $5 a piece and is good on buses and trolley for the day (every Saturday & Sunday, two children 12 and under ride free with any paying passenger 18 and over). You can pick up specific bus route maps/timetable at the Transit Store, Santa Fe Depot, or at the local library (the central library in downtown is on E St. just east of 8th St).
Hopefully you'll have at least 3 days to spend... Remember these buses ( http://www.sdmts.com/Tripplanner.asp ):
#923 - Downtown - Ocean Beach : takes you thru the Embarcadero pass the airport and thru Pt. Loma to Ocean beach (a bit of walking at the end will take you to Sunset Cliff - an ideal spot to watch the sun setting into the ocean in the evening).
#28 - Old Town - Shelter Island : if you get off #923 at Rosecrans Blvd, you can catch this bus west to Shelter Island Drive and then catch the
#84 that'll take you to Cabrillo National Monument & Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery (spectacular view of the bay and downtown skyline on a clear day). Make sure you know the bus schedule, tho, the last bus back from Cabrillo leaves there at 5:28PM and you really don't want to miss it. Should allot at least 4 hrs to visit Cabrillo and be sure to get down to the tide pools.
#30 - downtown - UTC/VA Hospital : This is the bus that takes you from downtown via a scenic route to La Jolla. You can catch this bus north, then transfer to #101 at VA Hospital, which will take you north along the 101HWY (if you want to visit Torrey Pines State Reserve & beach, Solana Beach, Del Mar... where the horse track is). Or you can get off at the corner of Girard and Silverado in downtown La Jolla, head left on Silverado until you hit 'Coast Blvd' and walk north (right) along the spectacular shoreline. You'll pass the famous Children's Pool where the seals are, and keep walking on the walkway along the coast pass Ellen Browning Scripps Park and La Jolla Cove. You'll see a 'Cave Store' as the path goes uphill... if you pay $4 per adult there, you can go down a long and narrow stair down to Sunny Jim's Cave ( http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1745014/walk_the_la_jolla_coast_great_hiking.html?cat=16 ). La Jolla is full of boutique stores and great restaurants. You can spend an entire day down there (but hopefully no less than 4 hrs).
#8/#9 Old Town - Pacific Beach loop : These two run the same route the opposite way from Old Town Transit Center thru Mission Bay (where Sea World is) to Pacific Beach. From downtown, I'd hop on the blue line trolley at Santa Fe Depot to Old Town Transit Ctr. If you plan on visiting Old Town in the morning then catching the #9 to Sea World in the afternoon, that's one very good sight-seeing day! Don't forget to visit the Presidio, Heritage Park Row of Victorian era houses, and Whaley House when you're in Old Town.
#3 Euclid Trolley - UCSD Hospital in Hillcrest : if you want to visit Hillcrest neighborhood or Balboa Park (where the zoo is, but it's on the other end, so a long walk). This one goes up 5th Ave and down 4th. Get off at Laurel and walk east (left) to get to Balboa Park.
#7 Downtown - La Mesa : this one goes up Park Blvd/12th Ave. The bus to get on if you want to go to the Zoo, Ruben Fleet Science Ctr at Balboa Park.
#901 Iris Trolly - Downtown : this one goes across the Coronado Bridge to Coronado Island and down Silver Strand to Imperial Beach ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7M5LHR4OY ). You won't be able to get off on the bridge (it is a car-only bridge. No pedestrian), so be sure to sit on the right side of the bus with camera ready when you cross to Coronado. The bus takes you past the gate to North Island Naval Air Station, downtown, Hotel Del Coronado (beach access). Really should spend at least 4 hrs here. If possible, I'd take a bus there, and return via the Coronado - San Diego Ferry (it's only $3.75 one way adult fare).
And while you're visiting downtown, you might want to also visit the Maritime Museum on the Embarcadero ($17 discovery package entry fee also includes a 45 minutes bay cruise), Seaport Village, Gaslamp Quarter (where the hip nightlife is), Petco Park. Be sure to go up to the 40th floor of the Harbor Tower at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel. There's a lounge up there that also serves as the highest waterfront observational deck on the US West Coast. Great view!
What is a good beach to take a toddler to in Orange County?
superh2ogi
. I live in California... looking into orange county beaches.
I have a baby sis and we want to go to the beach this weekend... My mom doesn't like the beaches where it's hard to LUG around a bunch of stuff up and down everywhere... is there anywhere that we don't have to deal with this problem?
somewhere with shops just in case we need something for the baby? Help
Answer
Best toddler beach on a weekday is 9th Street, on the Newport peninsula, on the Bay side. No fire pits, no hazards, very gentle (almost flat) slope into the water, and you're on the bay, so no waves. Because it's not a bay-side beach, it's not heavily trafficed - mostly mom's with small kids. Downside is there's no parking lot, just street parking, so weekends are tough. However, you can pull up to the curb, carry your stuff 5 feet, and you're on the beach. There isn't anything in this section of the peninsula to draw tourists, so even on weekends, you can *usually* find parking within reasonable walking distance.
If you can be there early, Corona Del Mar is a great choice. There's a SMALL beachside parking lot (thus the caveat to be there early), food stand, bathrooms, and the nearby tidal pools provide a fun, educational adventure. The beach is sheltered, so the waves are generally pretty small, but if the surf is too rough, there's also a bay-facing beach for lake-like calm water.
Finally, (and again, this is all focused on toddler-friendly beaches), there's Newport Dunes - a lagoon on the backbay. Big flat beach, playground area, food, bathrooms - and because it's a shallow lagoon, the water is significantly warmer than the open-ocean beaches. It's a private facility, so there's a fee. But last time I checked it was only $10 - and since it's paid access, parking isn't a problem.
Best toddler beach on a weekday is 9th Street, on the Newport peninsula, on the Bay side. No fire pits, no hazards, very gentle (almost flat) slope into the water, and you're on the bay, so no waves. Because it's not a bay-side beach, it's not heavily trafficed - mostly mom's with small kids. Downside is there's no parking lot, just street parking, so weekends are tough. However, you can pull up to the curb, carry your stuff 5 feet, and you're on the beach. There isn't anything in this section of the peninsula to draw tourists, so even on weekends, you can *usually* find parking within reasonable walking distance.
If you can be there early, Corona Del Mar is a great choice. There's a SMALL beachside parking lot (thus the caveat to be there early), food stand, bathrooms, and the nearby tidal pools provide a fun, educational adventure. The beach is sheltered, so the waves are generally pretty small, but if the surf is too rough, there's also a bay-facing beach for lake-like calm water.
Finally, (and again, this is all focused on toddler-friendly beaches), there's Newport Dunes - a lagoon on the backbay. Big flat beach, playground area, food, bathrooms - and because it's a shallow lagoon, the water is significantly warmer than the open-ocean beaches. It's a private facility, so there's a fee. But last time I checked it was only $10 - and since it's paid access, parking isn't a problem.
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Title Post: Is it possible to get around San Diego without renting a car?
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Rating: 95% based on 9878 ratings. 4,5 user reviews.
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