Children and parents can explore the natural world, learn about the environment, play freely and create their own arts. The New Children’s Museum provides opportunities for free play riding on wheels, sliding and building with mattresses, or rock climbing. Creative play and exploration for children of all ages can be found in the rain house, the car paint, sculpture making, shadow world and dress up. Toddlers have their own activity room featuring bears in the woods, with soft “grass” to play on and tree hollows to hide and seek in. Each day and hour brings special activities throughout the museum where children and parents can interact, play and create.

These hands-on science and technology exhibits open a window into the future. Take a multi-sensory simulated space mission and encounter a rogue comet. Also found here is the world's first Omnimax Theater, a dome 10 times larger than a typical movie screen. If the exploration of the science center makes you hungry, pay a visit to the museum's Galileo Cafe for a snack or a cup of coffee.

The centerpiece of the blissful Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo is a prolific destination for adults and children alike. Spread over 98.84 acres (40 hectares) of diverse landscapes, the zoo is home to an excess of 3,500 fauna that belongs to 650 species or subspecies. Established in the year 1916, it is one of the few non-profit wildlife conservation zones to nurture the highly-endangered Giant Panda. Laden with man-made habitats that emulate various topographies from around the globe, the park's most-visited exhibits includes the Monkey Trails, the Polar Bear Plunge, Elephant Odyssey, Tiger River, Koalafornia and the Panda Trek. Virtually every nook and corner of the zoo is made conveniently accessible by the beloved Skyfari, a gondola system that spans across nearly 75 percent of the property.

Manufactured by Nautica International, this R.I.B. is navigated by one of three U.S. Coast Guard captains through the waters of San Diego and Mexico. Along with the weekly excursions, Adventure R.I.B. Rides offers team-building and corporate events such as whale- and dolphin-watching excursions, naval heritage and wildlife tours, tours of the Coronado Islands, snorkeling, scuba diving and more. Adventure R.I.B. Rides also offers packages that include lunch on board or on a secluded beach. For the aquatic enthusiasts, the R.I.B. comes equipped with chart driver GPS, radar, video depth sounder, and more. For those who just cannot get enough, the three captains of this R.I.B. will rent it out by the hour.

Founded in 1769, Mission San Diego de Alcalá was the first mission founded by Father Junipero Serra in The Californias. Like many of the Spanish missions that were built along California's famous El Camino Real, the mission is actually the namesake of the major city it's near--in this case, San Diego. The mission experienced a tumultuous history since its founding, and its church building has since been rebuilt five times on the same site. Today, the mission stands as a remarkable example of early California history and is currently registered as a National Historic Landmark.