Hello and welcome to episode 31 of the Ready Set Depart Podcast. We are so glad you’re here!

It’s been a strange year in a lot of ways, and if you’re anything like us, you’re more than ready for some sunshine and a trip that actually feels fun for the whole family. So today, we’re talking all about what to do in San Diego, California with kids, especially if you’re planning a spring break trip and trying to decide what’s really worth your time.

To make that a little easier, we’re keeping the Olympic spirit alive and handing out gold, silver, and bronze medals across eight different categories, plus a few honorable mentions. We came up with the list together, but Trooper is the official judge and he’s back to help hand out the awards. Let’s go!

Our first category is Museums in San Diego. Trooper, what is our bronze medal winning museum?

Trooper: Well, Mom, that one has to go to the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

Ashley: Ah, the Air and Space Museum. That’s a good one. Brent will be sad that this one is only getting a bronze this year. It would always be his favorite! But, he wasn’t a judge this year, so let’s talk about the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

The Air and Space Museum is in Balboa Park, where a lot of our favorite attractions are. It is full of different airplanes, from a replica Wright Brother’s Flier to an Apollo Space Capsule, you and your kids will love it! Don’t miss the World War I room!

Ok, Trooper, which museum wins silver?

Trooper: The silver medal goes to the San Diego Museum of Art. A bit of a surprise but it totally deserves the silver!

Ashley: I think we were surprised by how much we liked this museum too! The San Diego Museum of Art is again in Balboa Park, though in a different area than the Air & Space Museum. The thing the Trooper really loved about this art museum was trying to find the OLDEST thing there. I believe it was from 1300 BC if I’m remembering right. 

This museum wouldn’t be for tiny kids but older elementary and up would LOVE it!

What’s our Gold medal winner Trooper?

Trooper: That would be the Natural History Museum!

Ashley: Ah yes, the Natural History Museum, also called the Nat, can be found in Balboa Park - I promise, it’s well worth spending a few days in the Park - and it’s perfect for fossil lovers, and bug lovers, and dinosaur lovers, and bone lovers, and butterfly lovers, and local fauna lovers. It is just full of some amazing things! 

And don’t miss the new exhibit, Amazement in the Basement, where they share a bunch of things that they have never shown before.

Stop by for a picture with the HUGE Moreton Bay Fig Tree in the front of the museum. It’s pretty darn impressive.

Trooper, do we have any honorable mention museums?

Trooper: Sure do! There is the Model Railroad Museum which was fun but a little old looking…

Ashley: Also in Balboa Park.

Trooper: Yep. Then there’s the Automotive Museum over by the Air & Space Museum. We felt it was really small for what you paid, but if you have a car or motorcycle lover, it might be the place to go.

Ashley: For sure, there were a lot of motorcycles when we went.

Trooper: And last but not least the Comic-Con Museum.

Ashley: The Comic-Con museum is interesting but not amazing in our opinion. When we went, the main exhibit was about Dr. Who, which isn’t our favorite. But the exhibits change a lot and it is interesting to see what people do so if you can get a discounted ticket, or go on a free day, it wouldn’t be a horrible idea.

Our next category is Flowers. I know that not all kids love flowers, but we have some interesting suggestions. Trooper, what’s our Bronze Medal winner?

Trooper: That would be the Marigold Fields in Carlsbad.

Ashley: Ahh…yes! Those are beee-utiful! The marigold fields are only open in the fall at the Carlsbad Strawberry Company. It is part of their Pumpkin Season activities. Marigolds are a big part of Mexican Culture, especially around Día de los Muertos. Being in the middle of huge fields of marigolds is pretty cool. They also have pumpkin patches, petting zoos, bounce houses, and a corn maze. Definitely a fun place to go in the fall.

What’s our Silver Medal winner for flowers, Trooper?

Trooper: The Ranunculus Fields of course.

Ashley: We love a field of flowers, don’t we? The Ranunculus Fields at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad are something to see! Rows and rows and rows of these beautiful flowers that look a little like a giant buttercup or even peonies. They are breathtaking! There are food vendors and a butterfly encounter, when the weather is nice, and a playground that’s named after Santa. It’s a fun outing for all ages!

How about our Gold Medal winner?

Trooper: This is hands down the prettiest place we went to in the spring in San Diego - The Japanese Friendship Garden. 

Ashley: It was so fun to check the website to see when the cherry blossoms would be in bloom! And when they were, it was BEAUTIFUL! Here is one warning about The Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park….it is HILLY! Like really hilly. But it is beautiful any time of year, but especially when the cherry trees are blooming! It’s a little like being in Japan.

Any honorable mentions for Flowers?

Trooper: Just one, the San Diego Botanic Garden. We went when the corpse flower was blooming and it really smelled like rotting flesh. So interesting!

Ashley: We also went at Christmas time when they have Lightscape. That is a cool light display all throughout the gardens. 

Trooper: Yeah, that was really pretty! And nice to not be too freezing! 

Ashley: So true!! 

Our next category is Animals. What’s our Bronze Medal winner?

Trooper: I love this category! Our Bronze Medal winner is the Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista.

Ashley: Yes! That one was cool! It’s a little bit south of San Diego and kind of off the beaten path but it’s full of native animals. We saw a native octopus, a road runner - and they don’t go “beep beep” - and owls. They had a lot of great information and the volunteers loved to talk about their animals!

Trooper: Yeah, that one surprised me.

Ashley: Me too!

What’s our Silver Medal winner for Animals?

Trooper: The San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Ashley: It’s too bad that we can’t give two Gold Medals because that is a good one. The Safari Park is in Escondido, which is about 45 minutes north of San Diego. It’s hotter inland so keep that in mind. But this is an amazing place if you love animals. We have a whole episode just talking about it. If you want to go to the Safari Park, definitely check out episode 13 and be sure to download the scavenger hunts - there’s one for big kids and one for little kids, plus the map of how to see it all.

Trooper: It can get hot there, but I love it!

Ashley: Me too Trooper, me too!

Ok, what’s our Gold Medal winner?

Trooper: Could it be anything else? The San Diego Zoo.

Ashley: Oh how I miss the Zoo! I don’t know if I can say enough good things about this Zoo! We dedicated episode 12 to the Zoo and I even put together a map that will help you not have to push your stroller up any hills, all while seeing everything you want. Don’t miss the pandas! Even if the line seems long, they are worth the wait! 

Go by the orangutans and say hi to Kaja for us. He’s about 2 right now and a HOOT! 

If you’re there on a weekend, why not feed a giraffe? They are lovely and sweet and it’s a fun experience.

So check out episode 12, download the map, and know that I’m jealous that you get to be there!

Ok, Trooper, any honorable mentions?

Trooper: Absolutely! The Birch Aquarium.

Ashley: Yes! The Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla. It is small but it is staffed by the marine biology students of nearby UC San Diego so that adds a fun aspect to it. They also have blue penguins which are tiny, and if you catch them when they’re not molting, really blue. It’s a great half day trip so it’s a great add on to another thing!

Ok Trooper, let’s talk about Amusement Parks. What’s our Bronze Medal winner?

Trooper: Well, Mom, we don’t have one. There are only 2 amusement parks we recommend so we only have a Gold and a Silver.

Ashley: Ah, yes, I remember now. So, what’s our Silver Medal winner?

Trooper: It has to be Legoland.

Ashley: It does indeed. We LOVE lego in our house so we definitely needed to check this place out. It is more for the younger crowd - Trooper was 10 when we went and probably at the upper end of who would enjoy it. They have places where you can build things with legos - like cars or boats - and then race them, which was fun. The apple fries were yummy, especially if you like apple pie. 

And Halloween is the time to go! They have a Halloween Party throughout the holiday season and it doesn’t require a separate ticket. They handed out a TON of candy and even some lego blocks. It was really fun.

Rather than trade pins like other amusement parks, they trade mini figures. It is a REALLY fun thing to do when you’re in the park.

Oh, and they do have a little aquarium too. I loved seeing the lego figures in with the fish.

Trooper: I liked that too. And there’s a water park, but we’re not really water park people so we didn’t go.

Ashley: But we saw a lot of people who did! That’s a good Silver Medal recipient.

Who is our Gold Medal winner?

Trooper: Come on Mom, it had to be Disneyland.

Ashley: That is another home to us, for sure! Disneyland is about 1-½ hours north of San Diego, depending on traffic, so it’s an easy day trip if you want. We are Disneyland lovers, so we always try to make it up there. Episode 26 and episode 6 is where we share a ton of Disneyland information so listen to those!

Now, I think there are two other amusement parks we need to talk about for just a minute. The first one is Universal Studios. We haven’t been there but it’s just over 2 hours north of San Diego - and that’s with no traffic. Though as we’re recording this, I just checked and it’s close to 4 hours because of an accident. Universal Studios is fun once you get over 60” tall because then you can ride all of the big roller coasters. And big roller coasters they have. That’s probably why we haven’t gone just yet because I am not a roller coaster kinda gal, but Brent and Trooper love them. 

And the other amusement park is SeaWorld. If you love SeaWorld, that’s great. But we choose not to go because they still have orcas in captivity. My gauge whether or not an animal should be kept in captivity is how long they live. If they live longer in captivity, then they are being well taken care of. In the wild, the southern resident whales, which are the type of orca in the Puget Sound, live an average of 70 years, with one being documented to live over 100 years. Her name was Granny. 

The orcas at SeaWorld, some of whom were taken from the Southern Residents, only live about 35 years.

I don’t say this to sway you to go or not to go to SeaWorld. I’m just explaining why we don’t go.

Alright Trooper, our next category is National Parks. Which one is our Bronze Medal winner?

Trooper: That would be Cabrillo National Monument.

Ashley: Cabrillo is pretty cool! You can see everything coming in and out of the harbor up there, as long as the fog parts - which it does really quickly most days. There’s also a lighthouse that you can tour and a great visitor center. At certain times of the year, you can see gray whales on their migration from Mexico to Alaska and back again. And you can see the beautiful Shaw’s Agave bloom with fluorescent flowers that attract hummingbirds, insects, and bats. 

As you’re driving to Cabrillo, you’ll see the Fort Rosecrans National Military Cemetery. Stop and pay your respects to those who served our country.

Who is our Silver Medal winner, Trooper?

Trooper: Sequoia National Park.

Ashley: Ooooh, that’s a good one! It is about 5-½ hours away, but it is a great place to visit! You will find some of the biggest trees in the world in Sequoia and they are absolutely breathtaking. Don’t miss General Sherman - which is the biggest tree in the world by volume. 

A fun little side note, when there are wildfires near the big trees of Sequoia, there is a group that will come and protect them from the fires with a lot of aluminum foil and not a little bit of prayer. 

We thought driving through the tree was pretty fun and the trees are amazing! You do have to drive a ways before you see any Sequoia Trees, and the road is often closed in the winter, but if you can, go see the big trees!

And if you want to learn a bit more about Sequoia National Park, it’s coming up in a couple of weeks!

I think I know where our Gold Medal National Park is.

Trooper: I’m sure you do Mom. It’s Joshua Tree.

Ashley: I love Joshua Tree National Park. It’s so weird and wonderful!

We would highly suggest you not go there in the summer because it is the desert and it gets HOT. But the winter months are lovely. It’s only a 2-¾ hour drive from San Diego, so a doable long day or weekend. If you want to hear our tips and tricks for Joshua Tree, just listen to episode 20.

Now we are going to go to our next category - Food.

Trooper: I love this category. 

Ashley: Me too. What is our Bronze Medal winner?

Trooper: Burritos of course!

Ashley: There are so many good burrito places in San Diego. Watch for a lot of cars and get the California burrito if you can - it has french fries in it and it’s better than it sounds!

How about our Silver Medal winner?

Trooper: Fish Tacos!

Ashley: Oh my gosh - talking about fish tacos is making my mouth water! Our favorite place is The Fish Shop in Point Loma. So, so good.

How about our Gold Medal?

Trooper: That goes to …. Ramen at Nishiki.

Ashley: Yes! That is the perfect Gold Medal finalist for food in San Diego. That broth…YUM!

Our next category is Outside. This is a bigger category because, well, sunny San Diego but what is our Bronze Medal winner?

Trooper: The Little Italy Farmer’s Market.

Ashley: Yes! Held every Wednesday and Saturday, this farmer’s market is full of wild and wonderful food, flowers, and fun. If you see ice cream beans, get them. They are crazy and good. And if you see the Real Tiny Plants, take a look. They are adorable.

How about our Silver Medal winner?

Trooper: Old Town!

Ashley: I love Old Town. Old Town is where the first Europeans settled in California, so it is full of history, amazing food, good entertainment, and even some ghost tours. The Whaley House is said to be the most haunted place in the area, but we didn’t visit to find out. 

I know we’re talking about spring travel right now but if you happen to be there in October, the Dia de los Muertos celebration is amazing!

There is a little shop called Old Town Jerky and Rootbeer, and we loved getting a few different kinds of rootbeer - they have TONS - and doing a taste test. 

What about our Gold Medal winner?

Trooper: Well, that has to be La Jolla.

Ashley: We do love it there! There are beaches, cliffs, seals that pup in the spring, and sea lions that pup in the early summer. You can spend a whole day there and never get bored. Definitely gold medal worthy.

I feel like we’re going to have a lot of honorable mentions, aren’t we?

Trooper: Not a lot, but two. The first one is sports.

Ashley: Oh yes. If you like baseball, the Padres are a fun team to watch. There are college football games in January where you have to worry about whether you’re on the sunny side of the stadium. We were but the sun did go down. There is soccer and hockey and everything in between so if you like sports, San Diego is the place to be!

Trooper: It is fun. I love going to Padres games. Our other honorable mention is Balboa Park. 

Ashley: I feel like we’ve already talked a lot about Balboa Park but there is so much to do there. A bunch of museums. A tram that’s fun to ride. Acres of grass to walk on. Shops to enjoy. An organ that often has concerts. A zoo. And so much more. Unfortunately, starting in January 2026, you will have to pay to park at Balboa Park so keep that in mind as you’re planning your day.

Our last category is history. What is our Bronze Medal winner?

Trooper: Well, we could only come up with 2 so our Silver Medal winner is the Mormon Battalion.

Ashley: In Old Town. Yes! It’s a museum that talks about a group of about 500 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who joined the US Army in 1846 during the Mexican-American War. They marched nearly 2000 miles across the southwestern US and ended up in San Diego. You can learn about those who marched with an interactive video tour, along with volunteers dressed in period costumes, historical artifacts, and demonstrations of gold panning and brickmaking. It’s free to visit so totally worth your time!

What is our Gold Medal winner for History?

Trooper: The USS Midway of course. 

Ashley: It seems fitting to end on the USS Midway. The Midway was the longest-serving aircraft carrier in the 20th century. When it was time to decommission this great ship, after a few years in Bremerton, Washington, it was moved to San Diego to become a museum in June of 2004. In the ship, you will find aircraft, a great audio tour, and a junior pilot program that Trooper really enjoyed. 

If you’re there over Memorial Day weekend, get your tickets to watch Top Gun on the flight deck. It is so fun. But it sells out quickly so if this is something on your list, watch for when they go on sale.

That was great Trooper! Thank you for helping out today!

Trooper: No problem Mom!

And as always, let’s keep making traveling with your family easier, one trip at a time. See ya next time.