San Diego with kids

Spend the morning at the San Diego Zoo when the animals are most active, and take the included guided bus tour early to map the giant grounds. After lunch, walk out into Balboa Park itself — the gardens and plazas are free — dip into one museum (the science and natural-history museums are kid favorites) and ride the 1910 carousel near the zoo gate. Everything's within walking distance, with plenty of shade and grass for a stroller break.

Start at La Jolla Cove to watch the sea lions and seals on the rocks (the Children's Pool beach itself closes mid-December through mid-May for pupping). Walk to the Sunny Jim Sea Cave for a quick underground adventure, then the Birch Aquarium just up the hill. In the afternoon head to Mission Beach / Belmont Park for boardwalk rides on the Giant Dipper, or keep it calm at Mission Bay for flat-water swimming and a picnic.

If your kids are theme-park age (roughly 2–12), give the whole day to LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad (add SEA LIFE on the same ticket) — it's ~35 minutes north, so go early and stay late. Prefer to slow down? Do a Coronado day instead: take the ferry from downtown, play on the wide Coronado Beach by the Hotel del, then finish on the Embarcadero at the USS Midway or the Star of India, with the free Waterfront Park playground right there to wind down.