San Diego - Arlington,TX

It's pricey, but the Hotel del Coronada is great for families. It has a nice beach, an ice cream parlor, bicycles, etc.

Can't help too much with hotels, but SD is AWESOME! Born and raised and raising kids here.

I would add Legoland to your visit. We went for the first time and it was a lot of fun, especially for kids 6 and 4. They are opening a water park there too...don't know if it will be open in time for your visit though.

San Diego is easy to drive, so I would look for a hotel that is maybe a little farther from the beach or downtown than most tourists would. You will save some money and still be 20 minutes from most places. Look for a place with a kitchen too.

I would recommend maybe Rancho Bernardo or even Poway for hotels. They are safe, kid friendly areas, so there will be parks nearby to play and your standard kid friendly restaurants (vs expensive places closer to downtown or the beach).

As far as the Wild Animal Park: it can get hot, so I recommend visiting there later in the day. The animals are more active and the kids will be happier.

Check out Old Town too...it's a fun visit for the family with traditional Mexican food (very different from tex mex).

And make sure to check out the Hotel Del Coronado...it is awesome! The nearby beach is a good one too.

Have fun.

W.

Have fun!

We lived in SD for about 4 years. The zoo is amazing, so glad you have that on your list. The zoo is located in Balboa Park which also has LOTS of neat museums to check out (my 2 year old daughter loves the train museum!) Definitely check out Hotel Del Coronado...it is one of my FAVORITE places in SD. They have an amazing Sunday brunch, and the beach is gorgeous. For Mexican food, head to Old Town...Old Town Mexican Cafe is one of our favorites, but just know that there is almost always a wait (but it's worth it!) Haven't been to Lego Land, but hear its a must do for kids. Pacific Beach is a fun place to stroll along the boardwalk...lots of restaurants, surf shops, etc. La Jolla is also really pretty...check out the children's pool which is now inhabited be California Sea Lions. The kids will love it! Birch Aquarium is also in La Jolla. If you like hiking, go to Torrey Pines national park. Sea Port Village is also fun for shopping and seeing the harbor with all the ships. If you have the time to fit in a day trip, head up to Disney Land. It's only about an hour and a half away...and SO much fun!!!!
My best advice...make sure your bring jackets/sweatshirts and at least one pair of long pants! As soon as the sun goes down the temperature drops. And the days in June can sometimes be overcast which also makes the temperatures cooler.
As fas as hotels, I hear the Marriot near Sea Port village is nice.
Have fun! San Diego is a GREAT place to go on vacation!

I am from San Diego, we moved here 8 yrs ago to raise a family. If you have the money, I would stay at the Marriott on the Marina. It is next to Seaport Village that has great tourist shops and restaurants. Plus the pool there is amazing! And it is on the water! Views are to die for. Or there is the Marriott on Coronado. You have to go over the bridge so you need to add about 10 min to any trip but it too is on the water with amazing views and pool! We stay at both with our 7yr old son. If price is an issue, try the Hotel Circle area of Mission Valley. It is very central and several hotels include a breakfast. I recommend the Hilton. We usually spend a day at Disney (an hour and 45 minute drive from SD, the SD zoo and local attractions. This year it is legoland as well. Hope you have a good time. The mexican food is really good- very fresh!

We love San Diego! We vacation there about 1-2 times a year. This last time we rented a luxury condo in La Jolla that was cheaper than a hotel, but had all the great amenities like BBQ grill, pool, exercise room, tennis, basketball, 24 hr security. www.sandiegobeachrentals.com and we stayed in the La Jolla towers. They are about 10-15 min away from Sea World. It was great to make our own breakfast and have a fridge and washer and dryer. Also love the Birch Aquarium, cheap admission. Little Italy San Diego has awesome food and is kid friendly. Midway Aircraft carrier is really neat for the kids to see all the airplanes on top of the ship. Good luck, message me if you have any questions.

We stayed in Carlsbad at the Carlsbad Inn and Beach Resort. It was perfectly located and only a short drive from the Zoo, Wild Life Park, Sea World, etc. There was a great shopping and dining area directly across the street and it had beach access. Have fun!

go to Hotel Coronado for Sunday brunch. It's pricey but you'll never experience like it. The Drive to Del Coronado island is fun, too and you'll enjoy the beach and the old Hollywood-style hotel. The famous Marilyn Monroe movie, "Some like it Hot" was filmed there. have a great time!

Just to add to some of the great recommendations that there are several hotels near Legoland (in Carlsbad) that are kid friendly. Also, if you are planning on going to the San Diego Zoo area there are great museums just around it that many kids like. There is also a new Children's Museum in downtown. Hope you have a great trip!

Hi TL
I have a good friend who lives in SD and I've aksed her to help me with the same thing! I'll try to remember to post some of her suggestions and recommendations once I get all the info from her. We have two boys who will be almost 3 when we go in July. Our plan is the zoo and legoland and we want to stay on the beach.