summer travel guide / 202 spotlight /
Be Active in San Diego
Back on land , pay a visit to animal friends at SeaWorld San Diego , where you can soar on the new Manta flying rollercoaster – beware of the 54-foot drop ! – and take in a show like Madagascar Live : Operation Vacation , a live musical show featuring the characters from the “ Madagascar ” movies . SeaWorld San Diego also recently debuted its Aquatica San Diego ( seaworldparks . com / en / aquatica-sandiego ), a waterpark with animal encounters , high-speed slides and rides , and Big Surf Shores , one of the largest wave pools in Southern California at a whopping 500,000 gallons . Finally , revel in the excitement at the 60th annual World Championship Over the Line Tournament , a beach volleyball tourney set for July 13-14 and July 20-21 at Fiesta Island on Mission Bay .
Instead of sticking to the 33 beaches of San Diego , venture away from the shore . Sail away on the Coronado Ferry for views of the city skyline . Rent bikes to ride around Coronado for the day while exploring shops and restaurants . Every weekend until Sept . 29 , the Coronado Ferry Landing Summer Concert Series has free live music .
Have a picnic and listen to acts like Blue Frog Band on July 27 . Keep the marine theme going with a visit to USS Midway Museum ( midway . org ), where you ’ ll learn about the history of the longest-serving Navy aircraft carrier of the 20th century . Adventure RIB Rides ( adventureribrides . com ) takes you in search of dolphins and whales on boat tours .
Entertain the Family in Las Vegas
Family-friendly Vegas is not an oxymoron ; there are plenty of things to do for people of all ages ! The Strip is home to many hotels that have amusement parks , attractions or arcades , such as MGM Grand , New York New York and Circus Circus . What ’ s more , feeding the fam is a cinch with countless buffett options along The Strip .
Mandalay Bay has a shark reef that is sure to impress the kids , and gondola rides and Madame Tussauds at the Venetian will entertain everyone . Catch Cirque du Soleil ’ s family-friendly Mystere , Viva Elvis , The Beatles Love , and Ka ( cirquedusoleil . com ), or snag tickets to the Blue Man Group ( blueman . com ), recently dubbed the “ Best Show ” in Las Vegas Review-Journal ’ s 2013 Best of Las Vegas poll .
Fremont Street Experience . Courtesy of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority .
Take a walk down The Strip to catch free entertainment , including the volcano at the Mirage , the Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain Shows at Forum Shops at Caesars , and Flamingo ’ s Wildlife Habitat . Also free is the Blue Man Group ’ s pre-show procession , an energetic luminescent parade at 6:15 p . m . daily at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino . The Mirage is home to Siegfried & Roy ’ s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat , where you can admire white lions , white tigers , panthers , leopards , and a family of Bottlenose Dolphins . Take an elevator ride to the observation deck at the Eiffel Tower replica at Paris Las Vegas ( parislasvegas . com ) for a birds-eye view of The Strip . Then head to the Fremont Street Experience ( vegasexperience . com ) for light-and-sounds shows that will draw oohs and aahs .
202magazine . com / JULY 2013 / 202 MAGAZINE
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