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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