San Diego: Activities You Should Never Miss

A city in the US state of California, San Diego City sits on the coast of the Pacific Ocean and about 120 miles south of Los Angeles. Considered as the “birthplace of California”, it served as home to the Kumeyaay people. When Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo landed in US soil in 1542, he claimed San Diego Bay for the King of Spain. 200 years later the Alta California first settled in the area and in 1769, the Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá formed the first European settlement which later becomes California. 

The city’s main economic industry includes tourism, international trade, manufacturing, military, and defense-related activities. With the foundation of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and affiliated UCSD Medical Center, San Diego became as the biotechnological center in the state. 

If you are thinking of going in a quick getaway but on a tight budget, you might want to drive in San Diego as the city offers a lot of free things to do for families. Here are some of the best free things you can do: 

Enjoy the Beach 

As with another west coast, you can enjoy the beach whenever you go. But San Diego has all-day free access to the beach which is one of the best beaches in the country. You can swim, surf, and hang around to get the perfect tan. Kids will love building sandcastles, run around the beach, and comb for hidden treasure in the sand. 

For a more memorable family bonding moment, fly a kite in the Tecolote Shores of Mission Bay Park. Feel the soft grassy field on this 4,600-acre aquatic park. There are no trees or overhead wires, just the sky and ample supply of relaxing breeze blowing all day long. Just bring along your picnic basket and get ready to have the best family day ever: no gadgets, no emails, and no pesky phone calls, just pure family fun. 

Teach your kids how to Bird Watch 

Kids love the outdoors – before cell phones, game consoles, and gadgets were invented. Teach them again how fun it is to be with nature. The city is known to have a year-round bird migration in the country, go bird watching in some of San Diego's natural wetland reserves like Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Famosa Slough in Point Loma, or in Tijuana Estuary. With over 500 species of birds along the migratory path, kids will love how birds of different species share common things in life. 

Visit museums 

San Diego has several museums that offer free days like the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego which opens for free during the third Thursday of each month. Or visit Flying Leatherneck Aviation during Tuesdays to Sundays and marvel at the 31 historical and famous aircraft. They even offer free of charge programs like Open Cockpit Days and Pilot Talks. 

To end your amazing vacation, get the full view of the city and drive to the very top of Mt. Soledad in La Jolla. It offers a great 360-degree view of San Diego and snapped that perfect family picture.