In part one of this column, which ran last month, I talked about family-friendly places to see in San Diego. This is a continuation:

TORREY PINES STATE NATURAL RESERVE
Some of the best things in life are free – or pretty close to it. For only an eight dollar parking fee, we enjoyed a half day at this 1,750 acre state park. The views are incredible, and the fresh smell of the salt air is delightful. This park is very popular with cyclists, hikers, walkers, and joggers.

The park is named for the rare Torrey pine, which the winds often twist into unusual shapes. The easier of the hiking trails are flat and wide, but it’s still kind of hard to roll a stroller on it. There are also some shallow stairs. We did, but it was not that practical. We’d love to return when Olivia is older. Either that, or we’ll transport her really good BOB jogging stroller next time.

There are no food vendors in the park, so definitely bring your own food and water. There are only port-a-potties.

http://www.torreypine.org/

TORREY PINES GLIDERPORT

We stumbled across this fun activity as we left Torrey Pines. Diane decided she wanted to soar in a paraglider. A 20 minute tandem ride costs $150, but if you pay in cash you get a $10 discount. A splurge, but she says it was worth it. You can look at it all you want from the ground, but being up in the air is a whole different matter!

MISSION BASILICA SAN DIEGO DE ALCALA

In 1769, Father Junipero Serra founded this mission – the first of many as he traveled north up the coast of California. It’s called the Mother of the Missions for this reason. It’s a cute, historical site, but not super stroller friendly.

There are some three dozen steps to walk up at the entrance, so I don’t think my mother-in-law would like that, either.

http://www.missionsandiego.com/

The National Park Service honors California’s early explorer, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, with the Cabrillo National Monument. Established in 1913, the park has a stunning view of the harbor, some really cool tidepools for the kids, the Old Point Loma lighthouse, and a military history exhibit near the visitors’ center.

http://www.nps.gov/archive/cabr/juan.html

MARITIME MUSEUM
The Maritime Museum of San Diego features one of the world’s finest collections of historic ships. You can walk on board five vessels to see fascinating exhibits and lively characters in period dress. The museum also has a reputation for restoring, maintaining and operating historic vessels.

The only hard thing about this is no strollers are allowed, and there are lots of stairs. Diane gave up after taking Olivia down into the Cold War-era Russian submarine. Bring quarters for the metered parking.

http://www.sdmaritime.com/

BELMONT PARK
Belmont Park is a theme park located on the shores of Mission Bay. It’s got the same kind of rides you’d find at the 50th State Fair: a roller coaster, the Tilt A Whirl, a drop tower, and a historic swimming pool that opened in 1925. The best thing about the place, we thought, was the free parking.

The park and the beach area in front of it have seen better days. It might have appeal if you’re still in, or just barely out of, your teens, (in spring 2006 the park hosted MTV’s Total Request Live) but other than that, it’s kind of grubby and faded.

That’s too bad, because the park has a distinct Hawaii connection. It’s the brainchild of sugar magnate John D. Spreckels, a major force in San Diego's development. In Hawaii, he negotiated permits with King Kalakaua to set up his own sugar refinery, allowing Spreckels Sugar to be the only company to export refined (not raw) sugar, making the company an immediate and profitable world leader in sugar exportation. He spent several years living in Hawaii, managing the sugar refinery on the island of Maui.

http://www.belmontpark.com/

FOOD

Our relationship to the dining out experience has completely changed with the addition of a little one. In other words, we couldn’t really eat out in comfort, so buying food to eat at home ended up being the easiest thing. A 16 month old is extremely active, and we spent most of the time chasing her around or else she would squawk in her high chair. One parent eats and the other watches the baby.

A few nights, we gave it a shot when something tempting came across our path. We really liked Vincenze Ristorante Italiano in the clean, charming, and delightful neighborhood of Little Italy. Sometimes, one person can make a difference between a good and a great experience. The owner, Gina, has a warm and sincere personality that just made us feel like we were dining at home.

www.vincenzoristorante.com

DISNEYLAND
With Anaheim being just one hour north, we found it easy to pop over to check out a few must-see attractions there, including the self-titled Happiest Place on Earth. We met up with Diane’s cousin Valerie. This was actually a great time to see Disneyland, because there weren’t any crowds. I’m pleased to point out that my own hometown of Copenhagen has a role in the planning of Disneyland; Walt Disney visited Denmark’s Tivoli Gardens while looking for inspiration for his theme park.

It was Halloween time at Disneyland. Many attractions and Disney characters were outfitted with seasonal decorations and costumes. With the kids being age seven and under, the majority of the time was spent riding rides in Fantasyland, Mickey's Toontown, and Tomorrowland. 

Each child had their own favorites; Donovan, age seven, enjoyed Autopia and the Matterhorn Bobsleds; Camryn, age four, loved the Princess Fantasy Faire; and Carson, age two, found the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage exciting. Olivia's favorite was the King Arthur Carrousel. 

Everyone thought Disney's Parade of Dreams was spectacular.  There were over 50 favorite Disney Characters, amazing performers and colorful floats.  We liked it so much, we saw it twice.

disneyland.disney.go.com

DISNEYLAND’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

This 55 acre theme park is located adjacent to Disneyland Park, and is part of Disneyland Resort. It’s a tribute to regions in California, but this park has undergone some hits, because of a low attendance and complaints about the park’s focus. We had a great time there.

We spent an entire day at Disney's California Adventure Park. We started the day having breakfast at Ariel's Disney Princess Celebration at Ariel's Grotto. It's a family style breakfast hosted by Ariel, where many of Ariel's royal friends like Snow White, Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine and Cinderella will greet each table and spend quality time with guests.

It was a perfect opportunity to get autographs and capture magical moments. Another favorite entertainment attraction was Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage. It's a 20 minute interactive show, where kids can sing, dance and play along with special friends from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, and Little Einsteins.  The show is mostly geared towards the toddler age, though the seven year old enjoyed it as well.  Must sees are the new Toy Story Midway Mania, California Screamin', and the Pixar Play Parade. 

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/parks/landing?name=DisneysCaliforniaAdventureLandingPage

LEGOLAND

Legoland is a chain of Lego themed theme parks, including the original one in Denmark! The Beginning, Dino Island, Explore Village, Fun Town, Knight's Kingdom, Miniland USA, Imagination Zone, Pirate Shores, and Land of Adventure. All the rides look like they’re made from Legos. There are roller coasters, but we liked that the emphasis is on rides suitable for young children.

If you are a fan of LEGOs, Legoland is the place to be. There were many attractions that were enjoyed by everyone. The toddlers had fun in Dino Island and Explore Village, while the older ones sought their thrills at Pirate Shores, Castle Hill and Land of Adventures. Miniland USA was an impressive display of reproductions of American landmarks and historical icons, built with over 24 million LEGO bricks.  

Next door to Legoland is the newly opened Sea Life Aquarium. Since we only had a day to spend, we weren't able to check this out.  

http://www.legoland.com/

CELEBRITY SUITCASE

Media personalities Perry and Price

You probably know Perry & Price as KSSK’s top rated morning drive team; they’ve been together since 1983. In addition to their weekday program, Perry & Price host the Saturday Morning Show, a live breakfast show broadcast from the John Dominis Restaurant.

Michael W. Perry, a former Naval officer, is also an actor and television host. Dr. Larry Price is an award-winning journalist, martial arts expert, former L.A. Ram, former coach of the University of Hawaii Rainbows football and volleyball teams, part-time college professor, and a recipient of the University of Hawaii’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

We caught up with them at the live Saturday Morning Show to find out a little bit about their travel habits.

1) What three things can you NOT travel without?  

Michael W. Perry: Cell phone charger - learned that the hard way. Laptop and broadband card to stay in touch.  Purell... there's a lot of germs out there!

Larry Price: Cell phone, phone book and camera.

2) How much do you travel per year?

Michael W. Perry: Four times per year. Short vacations, since morning radio requires you to be on a short leash from the microphone. No long trips. Those are the breaks.

Larry Price: Once a year to Vegas. Once a year outside America. I never stay more than a week.

3) Where do you go, and why?

Michael W. Perry: Staycation favorite - Ko Olina Marriott.  Vacation favorite - any cruise, any time.

Larry Price: Always go to Vegas to work. Travel outside for education, cultural enlightenment.