Places To Visit Archives - SoCal with Kids

Koalafornia ~ The Australian Outback Exhibit at the San Diego Zoo!

May 24, 2013 By socalwithkids Leave a Comment

Koalafornia, the Australian Outback Exhibit at the San Diego Zoo is now open! We were invited to a sneak preview of the exhibit prior to it opening to the public, and loved it!

THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK EXHIBIT

Being born and raised in San Diego, I’ve spent a lot of time at the Zoo. As far back as I can remember, the koalas always had the same home, until now! The San Diego Zoo has an incredible new home for the koalas and their marsupial friends inside the Conrad Prebys Australian Outback exhibit, known to many locals as “Koalafornia“.

The Zoo’s Australian Outback is a 3 acre exhibit. It not only houses the 20+ Queensland koalas of the Zoo, but also wallabies, wombats, echidna, and a variety of birds native to Australia. One such bird is the kookaburra, such as Matilda, shown in the picture above at the bottom left hand corner.
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Filed Under: Koalafornia Tagged With: animals, australian outback exhibit, conrad prebys, exhibit, koalafornia, koalas, may 2013, san diego zoo

Gain A New Perspective At The Torrey Pines Gliderport!

May 1, 2013 By socalwithkids

We recently took a trip to the Torrey Pines Gliderport, located across from UCSD, just next to the Pacific Ocean, in La Jolla, California. It had been a long time since our daughter and I had been there, and realized that my husband and our sons had never visited it prior.

It’s a super fun place to take the family and watch paragliders and hang gliders sail above the rugged bluffs above the beach. The view of the ocean and surrounding area is absolutely spectacular! It’s really relaxing with the coastal breeze and relaxed atmosphere, and makes for a unique and memorable day trip. It’s the type of place that helps you appreciate the natural beauty of life.

We visited on a Sunday afternoon, and it was pretty busy with paragliders coming and going. We found a nice viewing area, and enjoyed watching them take off, fly, and land. There were probably more than twenty paragliders flying in and out, relaxing on the grass, and repeating it all again.

Soon after we arrived we saw a man landing his paraglider with a dog in tow. The kids couldn’t believe it! We were pretty surprised too! The dog didn’t look the least bit nervous, as if it was part of his/her daily routine. We found out that there are actually a lot of “flying dogs” that are regulars at the Gliderport.

There’s no fee to visit or park at the Torrey Pines Gliderport. If you go, be sure to obey the signs, and stay off the grassy area reserved for those permitted to fly. Aside from the hang gliders and paragliders you might see model RC planes (remote control) and Sail Planes as well. There’s an on-site restaurant, and lots of tables with benches for seating. They sometimes host special events, such as car shows, and according their website they have live music every Saturday afternoon from 1pm-4pm.

Although our kids don’t have the interest (yet!), according to their website, tandem flights are available for “any age”. We viewed images of kids as young as age 3 flying! Pretty amazing!

We recommend you wear comfortable walking shoes, bring a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen when visiting the Gliderport. If you have the interest, there are some nice hiking trails with easy access from the same area. If you go hiking, be cautious of snakes.

A few weeks after we visited the Gliderport a handful of my friends took their first paragliding flights there. I loved watching their videos, getting the perspective of someone in the air. Here are links to a few of their adventures:

• Dariela Dives Into The World of Hang Gliding
• LaLa’s High Flying Adventure
• Becky Soars Above The Pacific

Here’s a LINK to the Torrey Pines Gliderport website, where you can find more info about tandem flights and more. As mentioned, it’s a beautiful location, and lots of fun to visit with the family. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

Filed Under: Torrey Pines Gliderport Tagged With: fun, gliderport, hang gliding, la jolla, pacific ocean, san diego, scenic, torrey pines

The Safari Park Is All A Flutter With Butterfly Jungle!

March 15, 2013 By socalwithkids

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, formerly known as the Wild Animal Park, is all a flutter with their seasonal exhibit, Butterfly Jungle! We were invited to a media preview of the exhibit, and are excited to share info about it with you!

Exhibit Entry
Up until a few years ago, you likely had to wait in a long line to enter Butterfly Jungle. That’s not the case anymore! Nowadays you go to the kiosk, just next to Oasis Deli, across from the Hidden Jungle, and receive a timed entry ticket to enter the exhibit. Get your ticket in advance, and return at the designated time. From our experience, it’s super easy to obtain your ticket, and a much shorter wait in line to see the exhibit. Unlike many special exhibits elsewhere, Butterfly Jungle is included with your Safari Park daily entrance fee, or membership entry. No extra cost or hidden fees!

Inside The Exhibit
Inside Butterfly Jungle you’ll find 30 different species of butterflies, as well as incredible botanicals throughout the exhibit. The butterflies seem to be attracted to bright colors, so wear something colorf to attract them to you! Not familiar with the different varieties? Take some pictures, and when you get home, check out the Safari Park’s great Butterfly I.D. Guide to the different butterfly species. For the protection of the butterflies, tell young kids to shuffle their feet (and remember to do so yourself), as oftentimes butterflies will land on the ground. Also, you should never touch a butterfly. Doing so could likely cause them harm, leaving them unable to fly. One last thing to know is that it is humid inside the exhibit, as they want to replicate the native environment of the butterflies. You may want to stash that jacket!

What To Know Before You Go
If you will be visiting Butterfly Jungle with a baby or small children, you should know that they do not allow strollers inside the exhibit. You will need to park your stroller in a designated parking area prior to entering. I wore our baby in a wrap, and at a wee 6 months, he already enjoyed looking at the butterflies.

Butterfly Gear
As seen in many of our images, our kids have worn their butterfly wings to Butterfly Jungle the past few years. We are consistently stopped asking where we purchased them. We bought ours at the San Diego Zoo, but they are also available at the Safari Park. We did a little looking around, and found them at the Bazaar gift shop. If you’re looking for other cool butterfly merch, we saw a lot of neat butterfly related items for sale inside the Oasis Deli. They had bags, hats, hanging butterfly decor, and lots more!

Butterfly Jungle Contests
The Safari Park is holding several contests, including an Instagram Contest where you could possibly win a Safari Adventure for 4! Other contests include a Kids’ Coloring Contest, Pinterest Contest, and more! Check out this LINK to the Safari Park website for all the details.

Butterfly Jungle is taking over the Hidden Jungle area of the Park from March 16th-April 7th, 2013. If you’re like us, and love butterflies, it’s SO worth taking a trip to the Safari Park to experience for yourself. While you’re at the Park, be sure to check out everything else that makes it so incredible. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

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As stated above, we were invited by the Safari Park to preview Butterfly Jungle. As longtime passholders to the Park, we’ve experienced Butterfly Jungle many times previously. No monetary compensation was provided for this post. Our opinions are our own.

Filed Under: Butterfly Jungle at the Safari Park Tagged With: butterflies, butterfly, butterfly jungle, exhibit, safari park, san diego, zoo

Family-Friendly New Year’s Eve Celebration at Knott’s!

December 18, 2012 By socalwithkids

No more need to stay in on New Year’s Eve now that you have kids! Ring in the New Year at a family-friendly celebration at Knott’s! This event offers something for everyone, including all-day admission to the park until 1am, PLUS the following:

Fun NYE Show at the Camp Snoopy Theatre
Watch “Happy New Year Charlie Brown!” at the Camp Snoopy Theatre where Charlie Brown & the Peanuts Gang will ring in the New Year in song & dance, including some audience participation!

Memory Making with the Peanuts Gang
Grab a hug & take a memorable photo with the Peanuts Gang!

Incredible Seasonal Ice Skating Show
Catch a performance of the incredible “It’s Christmas, Snoopy” ice skating show. Believe me, it’s great! Phenominal skating, which we can’t wait to see again!

Snoopy’s Magical Night of Lights
See “Snoopy’s Magical Night of Lights” in Camp Snoopy, featuring thousands of beautiful lights and holiday music starting at dusk, and continuing until 1am.

Comedian Magician
Watch a Kenny Metcalf, a family friendly comedian magician and a trip back to the 70’s with Elton John- The Early Years.

Dance The Night Away
Join in the Salsa Dancing at Knott’s Fiesta Plaza, or Country Line Dancing in Knott’s Wilderness Dance Hall. Don’t worry if you’re a beginner, there will be instructors to guide you on how to move those hips!

Live Music
See a live performance by the popular band Clueless Remix Featuring DJ Resso!

Fireworks & Celebrations
Countdown to Midnight at Calico Square with an aerial fireworks display, stilt walkers, party hats and horns!

We’re excited to make some great memories at Knott’s family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration. It sounds like it’s going to be a great time, with something for everyone in the family. Click HERE for further details about the event. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

P.S. Knott’s is expanding the park this coming year, including a new California Boardwalk with games, rides, and more. Now, for a limited time, Knott’s 2013 Season Passes are just $66.99, with NO blackout dates, certain discounts at food and merchandise locations, AND include one visit in 2012, which may be used for Knott’s NYE! This is an awesome deal, and could make a great holiday gift, and you even have the option of paying 6 low payments of just $11.16. You can find more info about Knott’s Season Passes HERE.

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Disclosure: We were invited to attend Knott’s Family-Friendly New year’s Eve. We wanted to share info about it with our readers, as we believe many would also enjoy the event with their families. Our opinions are our own. Many thanks to Knott’s, LaLa Castro, and Giga Savvy.

Filed Under: Knott's Family-Friendly NYE

Knotts Merry Farm Sparkles During the Holiday Season!

December 12, 2012 By socalwithkids

During the holiday season Knott’s Berry Farm is transformed into Knott’s Merry Farm with beautiful holiday decor, delicious treats, special seasonal shows, and and much more! We went to Knott’s to check it out ourselves, and had a great time! Some of the fun of Merry Farm includes is as follows:

“It’s Christmas, Snoopy” Ice Show
This ice skating show is spectacular! The kids, my husband, and I were all impressed by the performance. The skaters were incredible, and just as good as those you’d see in a professional ice skating performance at a large ice arena. We highly recommend you see it! The show is running December 1-2, 8-9, 15-18, 20-24, 26-31, and January 1, 3-6, 2013.

“A Peanuts Holiday Parade”
The Peanuts Holiday Parade includes seven themed floats featuring the Peanuts Gang. We missed the parade during our visit, but plan to see it on our next visit, later this month. I’m a huge Peanuts fan!

Knott’s Christmas Craft Village
Here you”ll find strolling carolers, dozens of artisans selling unique treasures, and beautiful Victorian decor. The kids loved some of the wooden toys, knitted hats, and other potential holiday gifts we saw in this area. The Christmas Craft Village is where we saw Santa, who’s available for pictures daily (additional fee), until December 24th.

Bird Cage Theatre Productions
If you enjoy live theatre, or want to introduce your kids to it, head over to the Bird Cage Theatre to see a live performance of Charges Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, or O’Henry’s “A Gift of Magi”. We enjoyed “A Gift of Magi”, which ran approximately 25 minutes.

Elf Mountain
Get a peek at Santa’s Elves getting ready for the big day when you go on Timber Mountain Log Ride!

Snoopy’s Magical Nights of Lights
Be sure to walk through Camp Snoopy after dark to experience hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights set to a festive holiday soundtrack. We spent a few hours here, and loved it!

Winter Wonderland
Catch Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and JT perform on a wintery wonderland stage at Camp Snoopy!

Calico Christmas Tree Lighting
The Peanuts gang deck the halls in a fun-filled musical show as part of the nightly Christmas Tree Lighting. If you miss the show, be sure to check out the beautiful 45′ tree once it’s lit. It’s beautiful!

While we were at Knott’s we sampled a few of the stuffed churros, Canadian Maple Syrup Lollipops, decorated gingerbread cookies, and ate a delicious meal at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. The churros were absolutely delicious, the lollipops (which are a holiday treat there for Merry Farm), the kids gobbled up their gingerbread, and our meals at the restaurant were all delicious! My personal favorite were the biscuits from Mrs. Knott’s restaurant. Melt in your mouth delicious!

We also enjoyed going on many rides, strolling through the shops decorated in beautiful holiday decor, seeing Snoopy Santa in the park, and all that makes Knott’s so much fun. Merry Farm is happening now through January 6th, 2013.

Right now, through January 13th, 2013, Knott’s 2013 Season Passes are just $66.99, with NO blackout dates, and include one visit in 2012! This is an awesome deal, and could make great holiday gifts. You can find more info about Merry Farm HERE, and more about the Season Passes HERE. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

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Disclosure: We were invited to attend a Media Day at Knott’s to experience Merry Farm. We were not asked to write a formal review, but we had a wonderful time, and wanted to share info about it with our readers, as we believe many would also enjoy Merry Farm with their families. Our opinions are our own. Many thanks to Knott’s, LaLa Castro, and Giga Savvy.

Filed Under: Knott's Berry Farm, Knott's Merry Farm Tagged With: buena park, christmas, family, festive, fun, holidays, kids, knotts merry farm, oc, orange county

Ideas To Make Your Trip To The Disneyland Resort Even More Special!

October 19, 2012 By socalwithkids

We’re huge Disney fans, and are often asked for ideas of how to make a visit to the Parks even more special. There are quite a few ways to make your Disney experience more unique and memorable. Here are some ideas we came up with to share:

Free Pins
Pick up your free pins such as “I’m Celebrating”, “Birthday”, “1st Visit”, “Anniversary”, etc… from City Hall, when you enter Disneyland. You may also pick them up at the Guest Relations office at the entrance to California Adventure. You’d be surprised how attentive the Cast Members are to guests wearing the pins, with greetings throughout the visit.

Character Dining
Get lots of face-time with characters, including many photo opps by eating at one of the Character meals at the Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian, Disneyland, or California Adventure.

Search For Hidden Mickeys
Buy a Hidden Mickey book at one of the gift shops at the entrance to Disneyland and search for Hidden Mickey’s throughout the Parks. This is a lot of fun, and a great thing to do with the entire family. Once you start, you’re hooked!

Signature, Please!
Buy an Autograph Book, or bring your own, and have characters sign it during your visit.

Visit Downtown Disney
Be sure to take a walk around Downtown Disney. Visit the shops and restaurants, listen to music by one of the live performers (from our experience they mostly perform at night), sit, relax and take in the moment.

Pin Trading
Trade pins that you’ve purchased with pins belonging to Cast Members or visitors wishing to trade. Pins are available for purchase throughout the Resort. These are different pins than the ones that are free from Town Hall. Many times we see people trading near the bakery inside Disneyland, but if you see a Cast Member with a pin you’d like, stop them anywhere and ask to trade.

Pressed Coins
Collect pressed coins from around the Parks. You can pick up a free map showing where you can find the coin pressing machines from Town Hall, inside Disneyland.

Eat One Special Meal
Eat one special meal within the Parks, such as at the Blue Bayou. Here you can watch the boats of Pirates of the Caribbean float by the restaurant as you dine.

Get A Photo Pass
Have Park photographers take photos of your family, which they’ll put on a free Disney Photo Pass. Each time you have a Park photographer snap your shot, hand them the Photo Pass to add the photos on for you. You can view them for up to 30 days from the time they were taken, purchase the ones you’re interested in, or buy nothing at all. Sometimes it’s hard to get all of the family in the same shots on your own, but it’s easy to have a Disney photographer do so, and add to a Photo Pass.

Special Tours
Take a special tour, such as Walk in Walt’s Footsteps. This is one thing that we have yet to do, but have heard great things about. Sounds super fun!

Jump On Board the Main Street Vehicles
Take a ride on the double decker bus, horse drawn carriage, and old car at Disneyland. You can hop on one of these modes of transportation from either Main Street, or in front of the Disneyland Castle for a one-way trip. We’ve often taken one after the other for a fun and memorable experience just as we enter the Park. You can now also take a ride on the trolley inside California Adventure. The trolley is also a one-way trip, so ask the attendant the details prior to boarding. Super fun!

Get A FASTPASS®
Whenever possible, get a free FASTPASS® for each member of your party, for each ride you’d like to go on. The FASTPASS® kiosks are located near the rides and will give you a return time for you to get on the ride. You could potentially save yourself a lot of time by using the FASTPASS® option.

Take It All In
Find a comfortable spot, buy a treat, sit, and take in the atmosphere. Part of what makes Disney so special are the little things, like the music, the smell of freshly popped popcorn, and beautiful decor. Be sure to take some time to simply sit and enjoy your surroundings.

These are some of the things that we thought of that can make your trip to Disney even more special. What ideas do you have to enhance a trip to The Happiest Place On Earth? Perhaps we’ll see you there!

Not a sponsored post. We are big Disney fans, and visit the Parks often. Our opinions are our own.

Filed Under: Making Disney Even More Special Tagged With: california adventure, celebrate, disney, disneyland, family, kids

Summer Safari ~ A Wild Time at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park!

July 1, 2012 By socalwithkids

It’s that time of year again at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, time for Summer Safari! This special event includes extended hours, live entertainment, hands-on activities, neat animal encounters, and more! We had the opportunity to check out the festivities the day before the official kick-off, and saw much of what’s in store for Safari Park visitors.

Summer Safari entertainment and activities, which are all included with Park admission, are happening in the Safari Base Camp area, not far from the entrance. Here you can make a beaded bracelet, participate in an African Drum Circle, and watch performers such as drummers from Ghana and Kenya, Zuma Zuma Acrobats, performers from the African Dream Circus, pole climbing acrobats, foot jugglers, and life-size animal puppets. The performances happen approximately 15 minutes apart, and run from 11am – 7pm. You’ll also find neat Animal Encounters in this area, which are up close interactions with Animal Ambassadors and their Keepers. Our kids always love the Animal Encounters!

Aside from the special events happening for Summer Safari, you’ll want to check out all the Park has to offer. If you haven’t been before, be sure to pick up a map at the entrance. The back of the map is filled with a daily schedule of events, as well as dining and guest service information.

We love taking a trip around the Park on the Africa Tram. By taking the tram, you’ll get a closer look at the animals than you would by foot. The trip is a 25 minute guided tour, and a great way to get off your feet, relax, and learn fun facts.

One of our favorite areas to walk around the Park is the African Loop, past the Africa Tram entry. It’s a beautiful walk, and has a neat water play area near James Research Island. Follow the loop all the way around, and you’ll see animals such as Okapi, which look like they might be related to the Zebra, but are actually related to the Giraffe. I highly suggest you take the time to explore this incredible area.

If you time it right, you can exit the African Loop, and check out the Cheetah Run Safari, which I believe happens at 5pm during the summer (check the schedule on your map). The area surrounding the Cheetah Run Safari fills up fast, and it’s a good idea to get there a good 1/2 hour to an hour before the time of the run. If the area is filled when you arrive, another good vantage point is high on the deck, next to the elevator that leads to and from Nairobi Village. It’s amazing how fast the cheetah runs!

One of the SoCal Kids’ favorite things to do in the Park is to feed the Lorikeets, located in the Hidden Jungle. They also love playing in the water play areas (located in Lion Camp and in the African Loop), and playing at the Fisher-Price® Samburu Jungle Gym, located below the Samburu Terrace restaurant. The water play area near Lion Camp, as well as the Fisher-Price play area are great places for parents to sit, relax, and watch the kids play.

Other ideas for fun are the Frequent Flyers bird show, Conservation Carousel, Hidden Jungle (lots of neat botanical and birds), and a walk around the Lagoon Loop. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, as you’ll likely do a lot of walking. If you’re visiting with little ones you can easily push a jogger or stroller along the paths. Be sure to bring your camera.

Summer Safari happens June 30th – August 19th, 2012. Be sure to check out our images below from the Safari Park. You can find more information about the event HERE. As yearly pass holders, we visit often, especially during the extended summer hours, so perhaps we’ll see you there!

Disclosure: We were invited to visit the Safari Park for the Summer Safari Preview. As yearly passholders, we would have visited the Park to experience the fun on our own had we not been invited. We were treated to lunch, and the kids were given nice goody bags, but we were not compensated by any other means. Our opinions are our own. Thank you to the Safari Park for hosting us. We had a great day!

Filed Under: Summer Safari Tagged With: acrobats, animals, drumming, entertainment, escondido, family, kids, san diego, san diego zoo safari park, shows, socal, summer safari, wild animal park, wildlife, zoo

Pirate Reef to Make a Big Splash at LEGOLAND® California Memorial Day Weekend!

May 25, 2012 By socalwithkids

Pirate Reef at LEGOLAND® California

Pirate Reef is making a giant splash at LEGOLAND® California just in time for Memorial Day weekend! The multi-million dollar new ride at the family theme park in Carlsbad invites guests to plunge 25 feet down a chute between two massive pirate ships making a giant splash beneath a bridge below. The fun doesn’t stop there: Upon exiting, guests aim water cannons at each other from the ship of either Captain Blue Brick or Captain Red Brick and take a chance on getting drenched again as they walk the bridge between the two ships.

“Pirate Reef encompasses three things we know are already a hit with children: Water, LEGO® and pirates,” said LEGOLAND California Resort General Manager Peter Ronchetti. “This is an amazing addition to our rapidly growing Resort and I’m excited to see our guests’ reactions when they get to experience Pirate Reef for the first time this Memorial Day weekend.”

Throughout Pirate Reef, guests encounter more than 30 pirate-themed models including pirates, monkeys, parrots and frogs, all created out of more than 223,000 LEGO bricks. Pirate Reef is located between Pirate Shores and LEGOLAND Water Park making it the first of the more than 60 rides, shows and attractions at LEGOLAND California Resort that is accessible from both LEGOLAND Water Park and LEGOLAND California. Splashing down at 26 miles per hour, guests are guaranteed to get soaked on this new interactive ride at LEGOLAND California!

LEGOLAND® California Resort includes LEGOLAND California and SEA LIFE™ Carlsbad Aquarium, both geared for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. At LEGOLAND California, you’ll find more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including the 5.5 acre LEGOLAND® Water Park, the all-new LEGO Star Wars Miniland and Pirate Reef opening this summer. SEA LIFE incorporates LEGO models into a child’s voyage to the depths of the ocean and features play zones, fun facts and quiz trails and its newest attraction, Claws. For more information, log on to www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO.

: Pirate Reef at LEGOLAND® California

: Pirate Reef at LEGOLAND® California

: Pirate Reef at LEGOLAND® California

Images courtesy of LEGOLAND® California

Filed Under: Pirate Reef at LEGOLAND® California Tagged With: family, fun, kids, legoland, pirate reef, san diego, socal

Zoomars Petting Zoo in San Juan Capistrano ~ Great fun!

September 23, 2011 By socalwithkids

Zoomars Petting Zoo, located in beautiful San Juan Capistrano, in Orange County, is one of our family’s favorite destinations! They have a large, walk-in bunny & guinea pig petting area, goat and sheep petting area, pony rides, a little train for kids to ride, gem panning area, playground, corn box, hay bale maze, lots of other assorted animals including cows, chickens, mule zebras, and much more! Check out their website for further details. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

Website: Zoomar’s Petting Zoo
Twitter: @zoomars
Facebook: Zoomars on Facebook

Filed Under: Zoomars Petting Zoo Tagged With: animals, family, fun, kids, oc, orange county, petting zoo, socal, zoomars

The Balboa Park Carousel ~ Fun to take a spin!

July 22, 2011 By socalwithkids

The Balboa Park Carousel was built in 1910 by the Herschell Spillman Company, which was known for elaborate, hand-crafted menagerie carousels. It’s one of the few remaining operational carousels of it’s kind. It’s also one of the few remaining carousels with a brass ring game for riders.

The carousel was in several different locations prior to being placed at it’s current location in Balboa Park. It runs from 11am – 5pm on the weekends & holidays, and in the summertime through Labor Day. Young kids might also like the flying ride, located right next to the carousel. Tickets for both may be purchased at the ticket booth next to the carousel. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

Website: Balboa Park Carousel