Trip motivation
In March 2019, we flew to the West Coast for a 4-day weekend in San Diego. Because my parents live in Hawaii, a far distance from Nashville, we try to often look for destinations on the West Coast where we can both take a non-stop flight and meet up for some quality family time. We had recently been to other Western cities, including L.A. and Portland, and decided San Diego would have great weather and lots of fun activities for the kids.
Flight: BNA to SAN
Getting There: Nashville (BNA) to San Diego (SAN) Fri 6:40a-9:10a (4h 30m)
Coming Back: SAN to BNA Tue 6:25a-12:20p (3h 50m)
Using Southwest Points
Ben + Jenn: $370/person RT
Carter + Ellie: Companion pass for Carter! Ellie was a free lap-baby at the time.
We love flying Southwest. At this point in time, we did not have extra Chase or Southwest points, so we paid cash At this point in time, we had a Companion Passes so Carter just had to pay taxes. Companion passes are a perk of getting a ton of Southwest miles in a year. We had 2 in 2019 from credit card sign-ups . This is an amazing perk and we definitely took advantage of the kids flying for free when we had the pass. You can earn Southwest points from Southwest Credit Cards or by transferring Chase points using the Chase portal. See more tips on using points and miles here.
Airport Lounges and Other Perks
When traveling with layovers or to new cities, we always check the website of the airport and the Priority Pass Lounge website prior to the trip (link here). The Chase Sapphire Reserve card (in addition to others) comes with Priority Pass, which gives you access to lounges at various airports. Often, it is more common internationally. Our timing didn’t work out for any lounge visits on this trip, but if you’re traveling to San Diego, be sure to check the website to see if any of the locations work for your needs.
Another perk we get from several credit cards is Global Entry/PreCheck. PreCheck is a program that offers faster TSA lines at airports. There are separate lines for PreCheck travelers, and you don’t have to remove shoes, laptops, liquids, etc. It is amazing and has saved us so much time and makes it SO much easier to travel with kids. For more on this benefit and how to use a credit card to receive it for free, see here.
Van Rental
We rented a van through Costco travel. Because we were doing part of the trip with my parents, we needed more seats than a typical car. Also check the large 7-seater SUV prices. The van was a costly $390 for 4 days, but we needed it to get around. For more info on car rentals and the best credit card to use, see this post. The airport was a close 10 minute drive to our hotel and the Sea World area.
Hotel
We spent 4 nights at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay. This trip was prior to our recent Hyatt Loyalty status, so we didn’t get to experience some of the perks we get now, such as free breakfast and upgraded suites. We still really enjoyed our stay. We were able to get a corner suite with a pull-out couch for our family and an adjoining standard room for my parents. Total cost was $210/night for each room. This hotel also offers point stays for 12k which would be a good value. You can earn Hyatt points from Hyatt stays, the Hyatt credit card and Chase points, which can be transferred to Hyatt. Learn more about points here.
We spent a lot of time at the hotel pool. There were a few small water slides that the kids enjoyed and nice outdoor sitting areas with lawn games and smores. The hotel location was less than 10 minutes away from Sea World, although not quite walkable.
Activities in San Diego
There are so many fun things to do in San Diego! We planned out our must-dos and looked for deals. We purchased a Go City Explorer Pass to save some money on our combo Zoo/Sea World tickets. There are also options to add in bike rentals, trolley tours, museums, and other attractions. Also check your family memberships to see if any of them offer reciprocal benefits to some of the hotspots.
San Diego Zoo
We spent a full day at the San Diego Zoo. Many people consider this the best zoo in the world. There are so many animals to see – over 4,000! Take a look at the map and see if it makes sense to use the double-decker bus or tram to save some walking time. We started in a mostly counter-clockwise direction and only saw half the zoo, even with a full day. Highlights included the monkeys, gorillas, panda, elephants, and koalas. We ate lunch at the Treetops cafe near the gorilla area. There are also playgrounds and other kid-friendly areas to get energy out. Definitely a must-do.
Sea World
When I think of Sea World, I think of Shamu shows. But it’s so much more! Beyond the shows, there are tons of animals and aquarium-like exhibits, restaurants, events, and rides big and small. Like other amusement parks, take a glance at the map and event schedule to see if there’s anything you want to prioritize. We were able to get a second day for free when we bought the Go City Explorer Pass, which made us less stressed on the first day making sure we saw all the shows. The Sesame street area had meet and greets and small rides such as swings, up and down rides, and others with no height requirements. We also loved exploring the animal exhibits. There were stingrays, whales, sea lions, and tons of other animals. The kids especially liked the touch pools. And of course, we made sure to make time to see the dolphin and orca show.
Belmont Park
The Belmont Boardwalk is a fun afternoon stop. We enjoyed playing at the arcade, doing a round of golf, and eating lunch in the area. There are also small carnival-type rides, but we didn’t do any on this trip. We also made a quick stop to Mission Beach near our hotel. There was a playground nearby as well. At this age, Ellie was still a sand eater and we generally preferred pool life to beach life. But it was gorgeous! On our next stay, we’ll need to go find the seals at La Jolla beach!
Favorite Restaurants
We spent 2 of our 4 days out and about at the zoo and Sea world. On these days, we ate at the attractions in the middle of our days. We also ate at the hotel restaurant on one of the evenings. At the Zoo, the food at Treetops cafe was slightly elevated and better than standard fare. At Sea World, we had standard chicken nuggets and burger meals.
Other restaurants we enjoyed around San Diego included Poke Chop, which had great poke, a favorite Hawaiian dish. The west coast always seems to have better Asian and Hawaiian options for this Hawaii gal. Nashville is getting better at having more options, though! Amplified Ales was a 10 minute drive from our hotel. They had an awesome rooftop beer garden with beach views and Mediterranean platters. I love outdoor spaces with kids so there’s a little less pressure to stay quiet and still.
Final Thoughts
This was a really fun trip we may look into repeating soon. Now that our kids are a little older, we could repeat some of the activities and explore new places as well. If my parents can meet up with us again, maybe we can leave them and go on a date night!
