Field Trips in San Diego Archives - Page 2 of 20

$35 Tickets to Celebrate Carlsbad Day at LEGOLAND

Posted on February 14, 2019 | Filed Under: Field Trips in San Diego | 27 Comments

The annual Celebrate Carlsbad Day at LEGOLAND California will take place on Saturday, March 2, 2019 from 11:00 am – 8:00 pm. Specially priced LEGOLAND tickets are available for sale online.

All proceeds from this event support robotics for every 2^nd-grade student in the Carlsbad Unified School District.

How To Purchase Tickets For Celebrate Carlsbad at LEGOLAND

The cost to attend Celebrate Carlsbad Day at LEGOLAND is $35 for a one-day ticket or $60 for a two-day ticket.
The two-day ticket purchasers must use the first ticket on Celebrate Carlsbad Day – Saturday, March 2.
The second-day ticket must be used within the following 9 days by Monday, March 11.
The second-day ticket is available for entry during regular park hours.
Two-day tickets are for LEGOLAND only.
To attend SEA LIFE on both days of a two-day ticket, purchase one regular-priced SEA LIFE ticket at the gate to attend the second day.
The SEA LIFE tickets will be valid for a one-day visit either Saturday, March 2, or Sunday, March 3. SEA LIFE entry is 11 am – 9 pm.
SEA LIFE tickets are available for only $10 as an add on.
Parking at LEGOLAND will be $20 at the gate.

Tickets for Celebrate Carlsbad Day at LEGOLAND are available for individuals ages 3 and up. Advance tickets may be purchased online at carlsbaded.org.

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Best Lunar New Year Celebrations in Southern California

Posted on January 20, 2019 | Filed Under: Field trips in Los Angeles, Field Trips in Orange County, Field Trips in Riverside, Field Trips in San Bernardino, Field Trips in San Diego | Leave a Comment

Celebrated for thousands of years in various countries around the world influenced by Chinese civilization, the Lunar New Year remains one of the world’s most celebrated holidays. 2019 marks the Year of the Pig, an animal wih a beautiful personality and are blessed with good fortune in life.

The celebration of Chinese New Year is a festive, colorful, loud, and incredibly fun holiday to enjoy, even if you aren’t Chinese. So, check out this list of the Best Lunar New Year Celebrations in Southern California and mark the special occasion by attending one with your family.

Best Lunar New Year Celebrations in Los Angeles

Lunar New Year Festival, Monterey Park (Jan. 26-27)

The city of Monterey Park will ring in the the Year of the Pig with this annual 2-day festival. Over the course of five blocks of downtown L.A. streets, festivalgoers will enjoy everything from Asian cuisine, carnival rides, art, lion dances and much more. Admission is free.

Best Lunar Year Celebrations in Los Angeles

credit: Universal Studios

Lunar New Year at Universal Studios Hollywood, Hollywood (Feb. 2-17)

Celebrate the year of the pig during Lunar New Year February 2 – 17. Join Po and Tigress from Kung Fu Panda in Po’s Village and savor Asian dishes at Mr. Ping’s Noodle Shop. Meet Illumination’s Minions in traditional Chinese attire and Mandarin-speaking Megatron from TRANSFORMERS™, and new this year, Hello Kitty joins us for the celebration. Plus, enjoy fun activities, live entertainment and more.

Chinese New Year Celebration at Mount of Olive Lutheran Preschool, Rancho Palos Verdes (Feb. 2)

Ni Hao Chinese invites you to celebrate the 2019 Lunar New Year with a wide variety of activities including traditional Chinese desserts, Chinese food, games and prizes. They also have a pastry chef on hand to make dragon whiskers candy. RSVP and get a free entry into the raffle.

Chinese New Year Gala 2019 at Almansor Court, Alhambra (Feb. 10)

Enjoy a holiday buffet banquet, VIP Speaker, cultural activity booths, spectacular performances, raffle prizes and more! The 2019 Gala will support California Wildfires Relief. Ticketed event.

Best Chinese New Year Celebrations in Southern California

credit: Citadel Outlets

Chinese New Year Celebration at Citadel Outlets, Los Angeles (Feb. 3)

Citadel Outlets is thrilled to welcome good fortune and joy in the Year of the Pig with vibrant, family-friendly celebrations for both the local community and Los Angeles-bound traveler. Live dancers and artists from the Los Angeles Chinese Cultural Center will perform a variety of Chinese dragon dances, folk dances, traditional songs, drum ceremonies tai-chai displays and more.

For four weeks this January & February, shoppers will have the chance to enjoy festive red and gold lanterns, twinkling lights and an authentic 17-ft Chinese pagoda decorating Center Court.

Chinese New Year: Shanghai Nights at the Queen Mary, Long Beach (Feb. 5)

Chinese New Year: Shanghai Nights will honor the Year of the Pig with traditional Chinese culture, cuisine, and entertainment featuring Wushu Shaolin lion and dragon dancing, Wushu Warriors Shaolin acrobatics, a guzheng ensemble, and much more. Located on board the Queen Mary in the famous Queen’s Salon, this limited seating event will be a feast of the senses surrounded by stunning decor. A buffet-style dinner featuring classic Chinese cuisine will begin at 6 pm, followed by live entertainment.

Tickets to Chinese New Year: Shanghai Nights aboard the Queen Mary are currently on-sale starting at $99.99 general admission adult and $49.99 for children ages 4 to 11. All tickets include dinner and entertainment.

Golden Dragon Parade & Chinese New Year Festival at Chinatown Central Plaza, Los Angeles (Feb. 9)

For over a hundred years, people have gathered in the streets of Los Angeles’ Chinatown to celebrate Chinese New Year and enjoy the Golden Dragon Parade, a tradition for the past 120 years. The parade includes beautiful floats, marching bands, government officials, various dignitaries, entertainers, local business leaders and cultural groups.

The free outdoor festival that runs throughout the day includes live dancing and music entertainment, cultural artisan classes, vendors, and local food trucks.

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Where To Go Whale Watching in California

Posted on January 15, 2019 | Filed Under: Field trips in Los Angeles, Field Trips in Orange County, Field Trips in San Diego, Field Trips in Santa Barbara, Field Trips In Ventura | 7 Comments

This post may contain an affiliate link.

Did you see the video last spring of the birth of a False Killer Whale that a group of tourists got to experience while whale watching off the coast of Dana Point? The whales were swimming alongside the catamaran, when suddenly a little calf was pushed up by his or her mother to the surface to take its first breath. The false killer whale is the third-largest member of the oceanic dolphin family and lives in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world.

In addition to the 40 or so False Killer Whales that they saw, they also got to see 27 Gray Whales, 1 Fin Whale, a Minke Whale, over 2,000 Common Dolphins, a dozen Bottlenose, and a handful of Pacific White-sided Dolphins.

Best Time To Go Whale Watching California

Southern California is a wonderful place to see whales at their finest. During whale watching season in Southern California, which takes place along the coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego, you’ll find plenty of ways to see the migration.

The season itself runs from mid-December through April with migrating Gray Whales being the most common species. Every winter, more than 20,000 Pacific Gray Whales travel 10,000 miles round-trip from Alaska to the lagoons of Baja California. To see females with their calves, it’s best to go late in the season as they take their babies back up north with them.

The best way to see whales migrating in Southern California is to go on a whale watching tour. Most whale watch trips are fairly short and some companies even guarantee that you can go again for free if you don’t see any whales the first time.

Whale Watching Los Angeles

Anytime you want to go whale watching in Los Angeles your chances of spotting whales are very high. From January through May you can actively spot California Gray Whales in the Greater Los Angeles Area. On the way down to Mexico, the majority of pregnant females end up giving birth just above Los Angeles and swim down along the coast with their small babies in tow.

The Blue Whale season starts in early summer. June through September you can see one of the world’s largest animals, weighing up to 400,000 lbs, feeding on krill and swimming right off the LA coast.

You can take a highly rated whale watching boat tour for one, two or four people in Los Angeles with either LA Waterfront Cruises, 22nd Street Landing Sportfishing or San Monica Cruise Tour & Travel Center.

Whale Watching Long Beach

When you go whale watching in Long Beach, you never know what you might see! You could catch a glimpse of the majestic Pacific Gray Whale during its annual migration from Alaska or you just might see the incredible Humpback Whale flip breach the surface. No matter the time of day or season, creatures of the sea are never far from view, from orcas to fin whales, minke whales to dolphins, and so much more.

Harbor Breeze’s Whale Watching Cruise is your best chance to channel your inner Jacques Cousteau and create some lifelong memories. And since one of the country’s best aquariums is right next door, you’re in good hands on this seafaring adventure. An educator from the Aquarium of the Pacific will guide you as you marvel at gray or blue whales (depending on the season), plus others majestic creatures, like the distinctive humpback, killer whales and several kinds of dolphins.

Marina Del Rey Whale Watching

The waters around Marina del Rey teem with seasonal gamefish. Beneath the ocean’s surface, halibut, sand bass, and barracuda swim from Rocky Point to the Big Kelp Reef. Sea lions, dolphins, sea birds, and several whale species also make their home in the water. This diversity of wildlife prompted the owners of Marina Del Rey Sportfishing to start their whale and eco tour, during which sightseers can admire the ocean’s majestic creatures and the teams of Aquamen who groom them.

Marine Del Rey Whale Watching offers a 3-3.5 hour on water adventure that departs at 10 am on weekdays, and at 10 am and 1:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. From a 65-foot-long sightseeing boat, passengers might spot gray whales, blue whales, fin whales, and other species. Other wildlife may make appearances, including dolphins, sea turtles, and seals.

Whale Watching Newport Beach

Newport Beach offers some of the best whale watching California has to offer. With one the largest marine protected parks just outside of Newport Bay, whales and dolphin of all types can be viewed as soon as you leave the bay. It is not uncommon to see giant blue whales and finback whales just outside the bay during the summer and fall months. Multiple gray whales are often seen in this same area during the winter and spring months while on their annual migration.

Some of the top rated whale watching companies in Newport Beach include:

Whale Watching Dana Point

Dana Point is located about halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles. Along with hosting such events as the Festival of the Whales, Dana Point also is home to the Ocean Institute a non-profit research educational center teaching kids about marine life and marine mammals. As you would expect, whale watching in Dana Point is a very popular activity amongst locals and visitors alike. Dana Wharf Whale Watching offers a great captain narrated two-hour tour through the Pacific in search of gray whales, dolphins, and sea lions.

Whale Watching San Diego

If you want to get up close and personal with Pacific Grey Whales migrating along the San Diego coastline, a whale watching tour around San Diego harbor is your best bet. You can book a tour through any number of whale watching companies. Most depart from Point Loma, San Diego Bay or Oceanside. Besides seeing some beautiful whales, you will often spot sea lions, dolphins and other types of marine life.

Whale Watching Santa Barbara

Whales splash around Santa Barbara entertaining onlookers eight months out of the year. Tour companies offer gray whale watching trips from late December through mid-April from Ventura and Oxnard while Blue and Humpback whale watching trips are available from mid-June through mid-September.

Humpback and endangered Blue whales feed on swarms of unsuspecting krill around Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary. Feeding whales tend to be near the western end of the northern Channel Islands and the journey there is often filled with playful visits from dolphins, seals, and California sea lions, and occasional visits from Orca whale pods.

Blue whale watching trips take visitors on a journey past Painted Cave, one of the largest sea caves in the world on the west end of Santa Cruz Island. Weather and sea conditions permitting, you might have the opportunity to see the cave up close. Gray whale watching is a half-day adventure that takes about 4 hours. Since Gray whale watching occurs in the winter, visitors are encouraged to dress warm.

Channel Islands Whale Watching out of Oxnard specializes in Eco-Tourism and Wildlife Adventures. Their tours take place in the pristine waters surrounding Channel Islands National Park and National Marine Sanctuary. During a whale watching tour, the company offers wildlife interpretation with informative narration of this unique region, often referred to as the Galapagos of the Northern Hemisphere.

Happy Field Tripping!

Jilleen

More Things To Do with Kids in Southern California

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60+ Places To Explore With Kids in Orange County

8 Airport Tours For Kids in Southern California

Free SeaWorld San Diego Preschool Fun Card

Posted on January 10, 2019 | Filed Under: Field Trips in San Diego | 12 Comments

January is the time of year when numerous Southern California theme parks offer local residents discounts, freebies, and deals to come and visit! SeaWorld San Diego just announced the introduction of their 2019 SeaWorld Preschool Fun Card! It’s also a great time to check out their all new Orca Encounter educational show.

SeaWorld San Diego will offer a free 2019 SeaWorld Preschool Fun Card to the first 10,000 registered preschoolers. After that, a $10 Fun Card will be available for purchase. The fun card grants kids ages 5 and younger unlimited admission to SeaWorld San Diego through Dec. 31, 2019.

Guidelines for the SeaWorld Preschool Fun Card

The free SeaWorld Preschool Pass is only available for San Diego and Orange County, CA residents.
The card is valid for children ages 3 to 5 years old at time of redemption.
As long as your child is 5 years of age on or before the date you redeem the Preschool Fun Card for your first visit to the park, your child is eligible to apply for a card.
The card can only be used at SeaWorld San Diego.
Your preschooler receives unlimited admission through December 31, 2019.
Valid for visits to SeaWorld San Diego on regularly scheduled operating days through Dec. 31, 2019, with the following blockout dates: Dec., 31, 2018; May 26, July 4-5, July 27, August 3, August 10, Sept. 1, and Dec. 29, 2019.
The SeaWorld Preschool Fun Card offer is not available at the park; advance online registration required.
The SeaWorld San Diego Preschool Fun Card eVoucher must be redeemed at the park by April 30, 2019.
A Photo Entry verification system is used with the Annual Pass, Fun Card and Multi-Visit products. Upon your first visit, a photo will be taken using a handheld device and then stored locally for future visits.

SeaWorld San Diego is delighted to offer a free 2019 SeaWorld Preschool Fun Card to the first 10,000 registered preschoolers. A $20 Fun Card will be available for purchase after that. This fun card grants kids ages 5 and younger unlimited admission to SeaWorld San Diego through Dec. 30, 2019.

photo credit: Mike Aguilera/SeaWorld® San Diego

How To Sign Up For A SeaWorld Preschool Fun Card

In order to apply the 2019 SeaWorld Preschool Fun Card you need to fill out the online registration form. Then bring a copy of your Preschool Fun Card eVoucher, along with a valid form of ID for your child (a copy of your child’s certified birth certificate or travel passport) to Tickets and Reservations at SeaWorld San Diego by April 30, 2019 in order to take part in this promotion. Please note, the 2019 SeaWorld San Diego Preschool Fun Card offer is not available at the park.

So jump online today and fill out the online registration form before it is gone!

photo credit: Mike Aguilera/SeaWorld® San Diego

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Best Family Friendly New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Southern California

Posted on December 27, 2018 | Filed Under: Field trips in Los Angeles, Field Trips in Orange County, Field Trips in Riverside, Field Trips in San Bernardino, Field Trips in San Diego, Field Trips In Ventura, Holiday Events | Leave a Comment

Are you looking for a family-friendly New Year’s Eve Celebration to take your kiddos to this year?

If so, then SoCal Field Trips got you covered with the Best Family Friendly New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Southern California! In fact, if you attend one of these events you might just be able to tuck your children in before the ball drops at midnight in Times Square!

Please visit each individual celebration’s website for dates, times, pricing and locations.

New Year’s Eve Celebrations in the Inland Empire

Annual New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade at Snow Summit, Big Bear, 12/31 @ 7:00 pm – Midnight (FREE)

Ring in 2019 at the 54th annual Snow Summit Torchlight Parade. Watch 100+ skiers and snowboarders light up the night as they make their way down the face of the mountain in the dark with torches to create a spellbinding spectacle of light before the (snow)ball drops. After the Torchlight Parade, stick around for a live performance by Digital Underground, most known for the 1990 hit, “The Humpty Dance”. Other activities include DJ entertainment, activation booths, face painting, champagne toast, stilt walkers, fire dancers, a photobooth and bounce house for kids.

New Year’s Eve Grape Drop, Temecula, 12/31 @ 6:00 pm – 12:30 am (FREE)

Ring in 2019 Temecula-style at the annual Grape Drop with two countdowns – east coast style (9 pm) and west coast style (midnight). The celebration offers live bands and a free fun zone for kids with hat making, calligraphy art, face painting and a giant slide. Patio heaters and some chairs provided. Bring jackets to keep warm and extra chairs for extra seating.

Pennypickle’s Workshop New Year’s Event, Temecula, 12/31 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm (TICKETED)

Celebrate the New Year Pennypickle-style at noon instead of midnight! You won’t want to miss the Professor’s very special party for those too young to stay up late. The Workshop will only be open on Dec. 31 from 11 am to 12:30 pm for this amazing event. Call 951-308-6376 to reserve tickets. Space is limited.

J0hn’s Incredible Pizza, Riverside & Montclair, 12/31 @ 7:00 pm – 1:00 am (TICKETED)

John‘s Incredible Pizza will celebrate New Years Eve with special hours and celebration packages. Each John‘s location will be open from 7:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. on December 31, 2018.

Package details:

Celebration Package

$19.99 includes Buffet + Beverage
Unlimited Rides
75 Fun World Credits ($18.75 value!)
New Year’s Accessories including a Hat, Glow Necklace and Blowout

Premium Package

$29.99 includes Buffet + Beverage
Unlimited Rides
200 Fun World Credits ($50 value)
New Year’s Accessories: Hat, Glow Necklace and Blowout

New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Los Angeles

LA Zoo’s Family New Year’s Eve Party, Los Angeles, 12/31 @ 6:00 – 9:00 pm (TICKETED)

For the fourth year in a row, the LA Zoo is hosting a Family New Year’s Eve party. Celebrate the new year in style with express entry to L.A. Zoo Lights, a dinner buffet that includes soft drinks and dessert, a carousel ride, games, DJ dance party, and live broadcast of the Times Square ball drop. Raise a toast to the new year with complimentary champagne for adults (21+) and sparkling apple cider for kids. Festive photos courtesy of PRIMs Photo Booth. After the party, families are welcome to enjoy L.A. Zoo Lights until closing. Fun for all ages!

Grand Park N.Y.E.L.A, Downtown Los Angeles, 12/31 @ 8:00 pm – 1:00 am (FREE)

Dance your heart out and into 2019 with best friends, sweeties, friendly neighbors, and those cousins from out-of-town at the West Coast’s flagship New Year’s Eve celebration. Grand Park and The Music Center’s N.Y.E.L.A. is the place to dream together and welcome new beginnings with a countdown on City Hall, live music, food, and photo booths in one big, beautiful, colorful Angeleno experience to remember! This will be an alcohol-free, family-friendly event.

Zimmer Children’s Museum New Year’s Eve Party, Los Angeles, 12/30 @ 1:18 pm – 3:18 pm (TICKETED)

1010… 9… 8… let the countdown begin! Join us for our annual New Year’s Eve (eve) balloon drops at 1:18pm, 2:18pm, and 3:18pm! Decorate your own accessories and noisemakers as we get ready to ring in 2019! This program is free to the general public with paid museum admission.

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