Bread & Cie

Address 350 University Ave, San Diego, CA, Tel 619-683-9322 Call, Hours M-F 7am-7pm; Sat 7am-6pm; Sun 8am-6pm, Bus 1, 3, 16, 25, or 908

Bread & Cie is known as the best bread bakery in San Diego. It's a great spot to pick up sandwiches and salads for a picnic at the Zoo or Balboa Park. Try the Roasted Eggplant and Feta cheese sandwich served on black olive bread with roasted red peppers & red onion

Balboa Park

Address Balboa Park, San Diego,

Balboa Park is the country's largest urban cultural park. It houses 15 major museums, performing art venues, and the San Diego Zoo. Of course there are also beautiful gardens and playgrounds. The Balboa Park website lists a changing calendar of events.

Weekends are especially fun for kids, with street entertainers and clowns around El Prado, or check out the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre (performances from Wed through Friday) or the Model Railroad Museum

Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre

Address 2130 Pan American Place, San Diego, CA 92101, Tel (619) 544-9203 Call, Hours Performances Wed-Sun, check website for hours, Cost $3 for adults; $2 for ages 2+

This puppet theatre has performances for all ages featuring hand puppets, marionettes, finger puppets, and other types of puppets. Performances are year round. The theatre has 200 seats, so arrive early for a seat near the front. Weekday morning performances are lightly attended.

The one performance we attended here was a little... odd... but performers change weekly, and we've seen enough good reviews that we'd recommend giving it a try if the performance seems like one your kids would be interested in.

Ruben H. Fleet Science Center

Address 1875 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101, Tel (619) 238-1233 Call,

The science museum has hands on activities for kids beginning at age 2, an IMAX theatre, and changing special exhibits. There is an indoor play area upstairs that's great on a rainy day.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

Address 1649 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101, Tel (619) 696-0199 Call, Hours Tue-Fri 11:00 - 4:00; Sat & Sun 11:00 - 5:00, Cost 15+ $6.00; under 15 free

If your kids like trains, of if you need to get out of the weather, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is a good place to stop. It contains four different model railroad layouts, all of which are works in progress for the model railroad clubs that meet here. Everything is at grownup height, so kids will need to stand on platforms or be held. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the museum hosts kids days with crafts, stories and other activities for kids, and there is also a kids area with three Thomas Train setups for kids to play with. Every winter there is a Lego train exhibit from late Nov to mid Jan.

San Diego Zoo

Address 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA, Tel 619-231-1515 Call, Bus Take the #7 bus from downtown

Considered one of the best Zoos in the country, the San Diego Zoo is spread across 100 acres and animals live in lush "natural" habitats rather than tiny cages. There's also a gondola to take you across the park and a miniature steam train! If you arrive early in the day, a good way to beat the crowds is to take the gondola one way to the far end of the park and work your way back on foot.

Food options are expensive and not fantastic (and we didn't see a single espresso machine) so we recommend bringing a picnic lunch with you.

In October, admission is free for children 11 and under.

Balboa Park Miniature Train

Address Florida Dr and Morley Field Drive, Tel +1 619 239 4748 Call, Hours 11a-4:30p Sa-Su in winter; extended hours during summer, Cost $2 for ages 1 and up

If you're at the park when it's open, a ride or two on the model railroad is reat fun for kids.

The Mission - University

Address 2801 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104, Tel (619) 220-8992 Call, Hours 7am-3pm

The Mission restaurant, popular with locals, specializes in simple, healthy, Mexican inspired breakfasts and lunches. There are three locations, SOMA (downtown), Mission Beach, and University Ave. The mapped location is close to the San Diego Zoo.

Other locations:
3795 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109, USA
1250 J Street San Diego, CA 92101