D i ego San H Dreaming of
EXPLORING BEYOND OKLAHOMA
CLICK FOR MOBILE-FRIENDLY VERSION
BY ERIN PAGE. PHOTO (ABOVE) BY JOHN BAHU , COURTESY OF SANDIEGO.ORG. OTHER PHOTOS PROVIDED.
Day 1 We booked an early morning flight (because, let’s be honest, when it’s vacation day, the kids will be up at the crack of dawn anyway!) to ensure time to play once arriving in San Diego. After picking up our rental car, we headed straight to Seaport Village , a beautiful hub of waterfront dining, shopping and outdoor entertainment. Our kids were intrigued by the antique carousel, danced to live music, begged for ice cream (wishes granted) and enjoyed strolling along the pier. From Seaport Village, it’s a quick walk to the USS Midway Museum , the longest-serving naval aircraft carrier of the 20th century, now a historic museum, where the kids got in free. A self-guided audio tour of more than 60 locations in the carrier takes you though this city upon water, narrated by Midway sailors, from the flight and hanger decks featuring more than 30 restored aircraft to below-decks exhibits exploring how thousands of sailors made this ship home and even a peek at the engine room that kept the craft running. We marveled at the kitchen that served more than 14,000 meals a day, the hospital ward and the size of the sailors’ bunks (tiny!) Other highlights included several climb-aboard aircraft and cockpits (with my Top Gun - loving husband calling first dibs to command the Maverick aircraft). An audio tour especially for kids, including a scavenger hunt to complete for their very own set of wings, kept my trio engaged for several hours.
While traditional vacations may not be viable for all families or destinations for awhile yet, dreaming of future bucket list family vacations and reminiscing on past favorites are never off limits! As we await the time when we can book family adventures again, I’ve been thinking back on our 2019 fall break trip to sunny San Diego that generated a lifetime of memories for our party of five. Even sweeter, October is “Kids Go Free” month in San Diego, and this mama needed no more prompting than the promise of frugal family fun to hit “reserve” on our 2019 fall vacation. Whenever you’re dreaming of visiting San Diego, during fall break to take advantage of kids’ free admission at local hot spots, summertime to sun on the beaches or winter in search of warm weather, our family can promise yours that a trip to the birthplace of California will result in sunshiny memories for years to come. Tuck away our five day itinerary for future planning!
AT THE USS MIDWAY MUSEUM, THE KIDS CHECK OUT A RESTORED AIRCRAFT ABOVE WHILE BELOW DAD IMITATES MAVERICK FROM TOP GUN .
26 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / JUNE 2020
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker