James has got this thing about fish in aquariums. He loves them. So we figured he’d love Sea World. I’m more ambivalent about the place, but perhaps I’ll discuss that more later.
Having a family can be expensive. Taking that family to Sea World can be astronomically expensive! I know they have to feed the whales, but it was $162 for us to get into the place! It would have been $206 had James not been under 3. Add to that the cost of lunch ($36 for two people and one child) and souvenirs (Cheap at only about $25) and that makes for a very expensive day at the park.
Both my telephoto lens and my new 2GB CF card got a workout trying to capture the action at the performances. I got several “good†action shots, but I have a lot of photos to delete. For lack of any particular talent at photography, the shotgun approach will have to suffice.
James loved the whales. After we’d seen the whale show, and we walked into the gift shop, he grabbed a whale off the shelf and wouldn’t give it up. He was pretty much inseparable from it for the rest of the day.
Because of the cameras, camcorders and a sudden and mysterious terror I now how about getting my electronic gear wet, (Hmm, I wonder why?) I made sure we were seated well away from the “soak zones†during the performances. Michelle felt cheated and wanted to get wet, so Chu-Wan took her on the Shipwreck Reef ride. She loved it the first time through and got a little wet.
They decided a go a second time, and while they were getting started, I realized I’d exhausted my 2GB CF card. I switched to one of my two 1GB backup cards and discovered it was full. Now, in a rush, I switched to the third card, just as Michelle and Chu-Wan passed by. I barely caught them on the second pass, but I could see Michelle was hunkered down for some reason.
It wasn’t hard to tell why when she came out the other side – she was soaked to the bone. Chu-Wan switched her into her swimsuit for the rest of the day, but it was clearly time to go.
We tried to let James see the whales up close, but they wouldn’t come over to the window, which was a disappointment.
After going back to the room and drying off, we headed out in search of food. We finally found a mall and ate Indian food, which wasn’t too bad. Unless you actually know what you’re looking for and where it is, San Diego is just like Phoenix or Tucson, just with a really crap layout. It’s just that never-ending sprawl of suburbia. (Well, suburbia was invented in California, afterall.)
Tomorrow… hmmm, tomorrow’s plan isn’t cast in stone yet.
Flickr Photoset of Sea World Here
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Is the first week in October a good time of year to visit San Diego? Thanks!
Is the first week in October a good time of year to visit San Diego? Thanks!
Yes, I’d say so. The weather was quite nice, with the occasional bit of rain.
Yes, I’d say so. The weather was quite nice, with the occasional bit of rain.