Canadian Mom and Son (6) San Diego adventure...August 4-12...suggestions?

[Moneeka]

Hi there, I'm new to CHOW, but great to see so many foodies here....

I am coming down to San diego in a couple of weeks, I love food and the outdoors and a lot of my passions (other than my son :-) ) revolve around that and I"m trying to instill that in my son.

I am super excited to come down to a beautiful San Diego, but as I am on my own, I have blow my budget almost with this trip! eek

I have gotten some good deals on hotels and am going to rent a bike for a chunk of our stay. We will be staying around the Bay and in Gaslamp Q. for the first 8 days....we generally don't frequent the "McD" establishments and so I am looking for suggestions on somewhere we could go to buy easy and good food, baked goods for breakfast maybe, good lunch spots that offer real food for cheap (tacos are a good bet?).
I was thinking of buying ready-made at Whole Foods...but have only been a couple of times so I'm not sure of pricing.

Anyone able to offer ideas for getting the most of the food/outdoor experience for our 12 day stay, on a budget, and any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. Events - arts? food? etc?
Thanks so much!! Monika

[melee]

Hi Moneeka!
We actually have two bays in San Diego - San Diego Bay (which borders our downtown area) and Mission Bay. If you can let us know where you're staying we could probably give you some good recs that are within an easy walk/bike ride.

Inexpensive, kid-friendly places in the Gaslamp aren't quite as easy to find since it's our tourist/convention center central and the rents tend to be on the high side. If trolley tickets are in your budget you can explore a greater area (including Little Italy & Old Town) which will give you more options.

Balboa Park is fun to explore, there's a great Farmer's Market in Little Italy on Saturdays and the beach is always free :-)

[Moneeka]

Thanks for your reply melee...we are right on the marina which is San Diego Bay from what I see...we are definately up for longer bike rides and trolley...it's more the morning meals and end of day that I was thinking that we may want to find a location close to the hotel. We will be going to the Zoo and SeaWorld and a farm-stay for at least 2 nights at Flip Flop Ranch.

[melee]

In the Gaslamp my 6 year old likes Cafe 222 for breakfast and Basic for pizza. There's also a Ralph's Grocery Store for loading up on drinks & snacks - not as many prepared/gourmet options as Whole Foods, but cheaper.Farmer's Market in Little Italy on Saturday is another great way to stock up on fresh fruit and snacks.

At the end of Broadway you could put your bike on the ferry to beautiful Coronado. You can cruise around the charming little "island" and spend a day at the beach. At the far end of Coronado, just south of the Hotel del Coronado, is a great spot for finding sand dollards. At the end of the day you could hit up The Brigantine for happy hour - they have great fish tacos and a $5 kid's menu.

Depending on how far you're willing to bike you could also follow Harbor Drive along the bay over to Liberty Station. They have great bike paths and parks along a pretty inlet. Stop in Con Pane for great baked goods and sandwiches. Tender Greens is another great option (check oout their menu online for pricing). Liberty Station also shows movies utdoors in the summer, but I'm not sure about the schedule.

The zoo and Sea World are both pretty expensive with pretty mediocre food. You can bring food inside the park, so if you plan ahead you can eat pretty well on a budget.

Have fun and please report back!