I carefully planned our San Diego trip around the weather forecast, and it turned out perfectly—we enjoyed great weather the entire time. Here's a day-by-day breakdown of what we did:

Day 1: August 5 – San Clemente Pier and Ocean Beach

We began our journey with a visit to the San Clemente Pier, enjoying a late lunch at Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar. It was definitely worth the stop—the ocean view from the restaurant was as gorgeous as ever.

Afterward, we headed to Ocean Beach (known as OB by the locals), where we stayed for three nights. We rented a charming guesthouse just a few blocks from the beach and local restaurants. The hosts were wonderful, and the guesthouse was thoughtfully decorated with beautiful touches. The only drawbacks were the limited parking and the constant noise from planes overhead, as the area is directly under the flight path to San Diego International Airport.

In the evening, we walked to the OB Playground, an open-air food court designed to accommodate both kids and pets. It was beautifully decorated with canopies and lights, and the kids had a blast playing games like foosball and giant Connect 4. We ended the night with dinner at City Tacos, where I was pleasantly surprised by the most scrumptious veggie gourmet tacos I’ve ever had.

Day 2: August 6 – A Rough Start and a Scary Beach Experience

Unfortunately, the kids didn’t sleep well due to the air conditioning not being set properly overnight, which led to some morning squabbles. After an emotional start to the day and a challenging trip to Target to buy a phone charger—where, yet again, a kind stranger offered to pray for me (a recurring theme lately, but I'll gladly accept it!)—we finally made it to the beach, which was conveniently within walking distance from the guesthouse.

Setting up the umbrella on my own was a small victory, and I even managed to get some rest. However, things took a scary turn when my son wandered toward the ocean currents and didn’t return when I called for him. Since I don’t swim, I was terrified, but thankfully, the lifeguard was right there and quickly pulled him out. They mentioned that he likely would have drowned if they hadn’t been so close. It felt like nothing short of a miracle that he was okay, and I resolved to give swim lessons for my son another try.

After returning to our guesthouse and freshening up, we headed back to the OB Playground and City Tacos, which provided the perfect end to an otherwise difficult day.

Day 3: August 7 – Scrabble and Sunset Cliffs

We decided to take it easy today, dancing to fun music and playing a relaxing game of Scrabble at the guesthouse. One of our hosts, Vinny, stopped by to fix something, and we had a nice chat with him while he worked.

Later, we visited the OB Farmers Market, which featured an incredible array of vendors from all over Southern California offering healthy and delicious food. We sampled everything from lemon ginger green juice to cilantro garlic hummus, pineapple kefir, fermented hot sauce, vegan chocolate chip banana bread, organic cinnamon granola, and more.

After the market, we made our way to Sunset Cliffs, arriving just in time for the breathtaking sunset views. The hike to the bottom and back was both manageable and fun with the kids.

Day 4: August 8 – Safari Park

The drive to the Safari Park from Ocean Beach took about 45 minutes, and I noticed that the kids had become somewhat disconnected after the long car ride (I’ve listed some games below that you can play to avoid disconnection on long car rides). I appreciated the Safari Park experience more than a typical zoo since the animals had much more space to roam. It was also reassuring to know that a significant portion of the park's revenue supports efforts to protect endangered animals in the wild. The kids’ favorite moments of the day were the tram ride, balloon ride, and merry-go-round—each of which, interestingly, served as grounding experiences that kept them connected and fully engaged.

Day 5: August 9 – Legoland Adventure

Our Legoland adventure began with a challenging moment when my son became overstimulated at the Lego store, leading to a meltdown where he even lashed out at other kids. My daughter was understandably disappointed that we couldn’t spend more time at the store. However, after I explained that our visit to Legoland was about enjoying a shared family experience and ensuring a positive atmosphere for everyone, she understood and agreed to focus on activities that would help calm her brother.

We then went on rides that my son enjoyed, including Explorer River Quest, Queen Watevra’s Carousel, and even two flying rides—Emmet’s Flying Adventure and Sky Patrol. Lunchtime was another highlight with a surprisingly delicious Thai tofu curry.

After lunch, we made our way to the Water Park, where my son bravely went down the water slide multiple times. We then let loose and enjoyed the warmth of the heated pool, lingering until closing time. As the day came to a close, we enjoyed an engaging submarine ride and chowed down on Granny’s Famous Apple Fries. The kids were also excited to take a ride on the Royal Joust horses by themselves. Finally, we tried our luck at the game booths, winning a few stuffed animals before wrapping up our day.

Overall, Legoland was a huge success! I’d choose it over Disneyland any day, especially considering how uncrowded it was in August, which meant virtually no lines and a remarkably smooth experience. 

Day 6: August 10 – Heading Home

Our San Diego adventure turned out to be quite a memorable experience with my kids. Despite the ups and downs, I’m grateful that I stepped out of my comfort zone and shared this time with them.

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Suggestions for Long Car Rides

Long car rides can be challenging for children, especially those with special needs, as they may struggle to maintain body awareness. Here are some strategies that work for us (just ensure you stay focused on the road!):

Car Games:

1. ABC Game: Take turns finding road signs with letters in alphabetical order.
2. "I Went to Grandma’s House" (or whatever special name your kids use for her): Players list items they "brought" to Grandma’s, starting with "A" and continuing through the alphabet. Each player must repeat all the previous items before adding their own. For a more advanced version, make up a word for each letter and invent its meaning (e.g., an “asheema" is a blue flower with green polka dots that grows in Fiji).
3. 5-Letter Game: One person gives five random letters, and another creates a silly phrase or sentence where each word starts with those letters (e.g., "ABCDE" can become "Anand Brings Cheerios Daily - Excellent!").
4. Fortunately, Unfortunately: Alternate between positive and negative twists in a story about the main character, starting with "Fortunately" and then "Unfortunately." (e.g., "Fortunately, Blippi went to India. Unfortunately, Blippi ate spicy food that was too hot."
5. Two Truths and a Lie: Each player shares three statements about themselves: two true and one false. The other players then guess which statement is the lie. Kids love it when you include stories or facts from your childhood!
6. Food Game: One player starts by naming a food item, and the next player must name a food that begins with the last letter of the previous one. The game continues this way, with each player building off the last.
7. Humming Game: One person hums a tune and the others guess what it is.

Car Toys: Pop fidget toys are perfect for keeping kids entertained and grounded.