Planning a short trip to Orange County & San Diego?

Question

I'm planning a trip for 4 days to cover OC and SD, any suggestions for must visit places in both cities and relatively cheap hotels to stay? Young couple here...

Answer 1

If you've only got 4 days, personally, I would spend them all in one region -- not both. However, if you've just GOT to visit both, then spend one day in Orange County, and decide between Disneyland or the new Disney California theme park.

San Diego --

Balboa Park. Museums, the space theatre, beautiful large park, and of course, the world famous Zoo.

Ocean Beach. It's the hippest part of San Diego, and a great place for young folks. Trendy, cheap eateries, and a nice, long pier that takes half an hour to walk, and a nice view at the end.

La Jolla. La Jolla Shores is great for swimming or body surfing. (Or boogie boarding). Get there early. If you're not swimming, go to the La Jolla Cove. LJ is expensive, but if you're satisfied walking, holding hands, and picking your spots, you'll be happy.

Coronado. Nice (free) drive over the bridge. Go to the Ferry Landing (turn right on Orange, then right on 1st St.) Restaurants are cheap to moderate there, and a nice view of the San Diego harbor, and skyline.

If you're downtown, go to Horton Plaza. It's a nice mall, and though you'll see familiar stores, it doesn't feel like most malls. Afterwards, you can walk to the Gaslamp District and, if the Padres are in town, you can watch a ballgame. Tickets start at just $5.

Answer 2

On the I-15, El Norte exit there is a Best Western in Escondido that is very nice and not too costly. You will be close to Wild Animal Park and there are some wineries in the area offering tastings. Balboa park is in downtown San Diego and a great place to spend the day. You also have the world famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Hotel Del Coronado is a great place to have a drink and watch the sunset. Old Town San Diego is interesting historically, but really has turned into little shops and restaurants catering to tourists. You might enjoy the Gaslamp District downtown, a lot of clubs and restaurants. By staying in Escondido you will be a little closer to San Diego than OC, but there is more to do down here.

Answer 3

There are many of passions to follow in San Diego and this hotelbye is the spot to begin finds what San Diego needs to offer. In the San Diego holiday you will step outside of your comfort zone and you'll investigate new actions while you're here and you might only discover that acquiring a fresh pursuit is definitely an experience in itself. Among the areas must see from San Diego is Balboa Park. This park has around a 1400 acre and here you can find traditional buildings, numerous museums, gardens, and green space. The park was made for the Panama California Exhibition of 1915-1916. The commonplace architecture is Spanish-Mexican type, minimal stage houses that merge with the normal surroundings. On the list of shows of the park would be the Botanical Gardens and lily pond, the Museum of Man, the Museum of Natural History, the San Diego Museum of Art, and the popular San Diego Zoo. Even although you never go into a building the park is just an attractive place.

Answer 4

Definitely look into staying at a Super 8 Motel. I know, I know, you probably saying "but that's a motel!" Yes, and let me tell you...it is a really nice one, too! I have to budget as well so I know what you mean about staying somewhere relatively "cheap". :o)

My son and I have frequent the San Diego area every year now for the last 3 years and out of those three visits we have stayed in a Super 8 Motel. The rooms are nice, they serve a really nice Continental breakfast every morning from 6-9am, and they even have cable and internet connection in the rooms!

Housekeeping is great and the grounds are really nice. We've stayed in Carlsbad, CA. and then in Escondido. Both of these cities are on the outskirts of San Diego.

Not sure if you have any kids, but Legoland is definitely a big hit..not only for the kids but for the adults as well! Very colorful and exciting. Are you into animals? Well if so, check out The San Diego Wild Animal Park. VERY NICE! You also have Sea World and the San Diego Zoo as well. There's so much to do. It just depends on what you fancy. You can even head on down to the border and experience Tiujuana if you get a chance. Some really good shopping there, too.

Well, I hope this helps. I've included some sites below that might be of service.

Enjoy!

Answer 5

Four days definitely isn't going to give you a lot of time to see the sights.

Places I would recommend visiting as they are unique to San Diego:

Balboa Park and the Museums. Be sure to check out the Organ Pavillion. The museums are very interesting as well. If you're on a fixed budget, certain museums have free admission on Tuesdays. Check out this link http://www.sdnhm.org/about/freetuesdays.html for information.

Of course Sea World and the Zoo are also places worth visiting.

I would also recommend checking out Petco Park, especially if you're a baseball fan and if the team is in town when you visit. The adjacent Gaslamp Quarter has some pretty good places to eat.

Speaking of eating, I recommend dining at Hash House a Go Go on fifth avenue. A very unique dining experience and enough food for at least two meals (each plate feeds two people easily). http://www.hashhouseagogo.com

As far as finding lodging, take a look at the San Diego Convention and Visitor's Bureau web page (linked below) where you can find rooms at a fairly reasonable price. Of course, you could always try one of the online travel agents such as Orbitz, Priceline, or Travelocity to find discount travel.

Now for Orange County. The OC of course is home to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. Both are pretty interesting places to visit, but the latter is geared more toward the adult audience.

I would also recommend taking a look at the Queen Mary and Spruce Goose in Long Beach.

I have linked the Orange County Visitors Bureau below. Since I'm not from the OC, I'm pretty limited in my knowledge of places to visit, but I'm sure the bureau can give you some ideas.

Answer 6

OC- Go to the beaches, they line the highway and the more remote, the better the scenery and waves... Not a whole lot to see and camping on the beach is about the only way not to pay your left nut.
San Diego- Go into the gaslamp district downtown and there is some other smaller areas can't remember the name of it Hillside or something, it's a gay neighborhood but very intresting (that's where a lot of the live bands and nice resturants are). The cheaper places to stay are going to be in Point Loma. There are a lot of affortable nice hotels there and not to far from all the action.

Answer 7

For reasonable hotels you need to try Priceline. The last time I stayed in downtown San Diego, I went through Priceline and stayed at the Doubletree in Mission Valley for $64 a night. Very nice hotel, close to the trolley station for visiting downtown without driving and shopping. In Orange County I have stayed at the Marriott in Anaheim and the Hyatt in Garden Grove for as low as $32 a night. Check with www.biddingfortravel.com first before you bid on Priceline to check for prices and hotels that people are getting on Priceline to give you a better idea of what to bid to receive the lowest price.
As for places to visit, there is so much to do it depends on what you are interested in. In Orange County of course Disneyland, Medieval Times, shopping, Knott's Berry Farm. Knott's seems kind of rundown but go if you like the roller coasters.
In San Diego there is the Zoo and museums in Balboa Park, the Wild Animal Park, beaches, Seaworld, Seaport Village, or a ferry boat ride to Coronado. If you are interested in boats and Navy ships, at the harbor you can tour the aircraft carrier Midway or visit the Maritime Museum and for about $8 you can tour several boats they have docked there including the ship that was used in the movie Master and Commander, and take a short cruise on the bay. Hope this helps!

Answer 8

In SD, the La Jolla area, there's a beach where about a hundred seals hang out, it's a pretty cool sight to see. The SD zoo is always cool. I was disappointed with the Long Beach Aquarium, I thought there would be more to it. I'd take the drive down the 1 and see the beach and ocean all the way from OC to SD.

Answer 9

4 days is not a lot of time...... if in San Diego county there are lots to do gas lamp . pet co park(baseball), old town, the beach, the wild animal park the zoo, scripps aquarium, la jolla the cove, in O.C. there is laguna beach it's an artsy town, there is Disney land, there in knotts berry farm, there are beaches, Medieval times, wild bills (are dinner theater places) , umm it's not to far to Huntington library the have pretty art exhibits and gardens....But it's gonna take you at least 4-6 hours to get from San Diego to o.c. depending on time of day and traffic ( we drive like psychos ) so be prepared.

Answer 10

yeah you should deffinitly check out the zoo and sea world also in san diego. theres great wine tasting places there. and also theres a boat ride there that you should deffinitly go it takes you all around san diego great view youll love it its awesome.