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Taking the Kids: San Diego during kids-free month

By Eileen Ogintz, Tribune Content Agency on

Do you have time to smell the flowers? In San Diego's Balboa Park, located in the heart of the city, you can do that and a lot more. This is, after all, considered the Smithsonian of the West because it is home to 15 museums, the world-famous San Diego Zoo (don't miss the panda), celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and three theaters, including the popular Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater, carousel and even the old-fashioned miniature railroad.

No wonder families have been coming here for 100 years. San Diego, of course, is a great bet for families all year round -- sunny weather, 70 miles of coastline (take your pick of 30-plus beaches), theme parks (SeaWorld and LEGOLAND) and plenty of history -- this is considered the birthplace of California because Old Town San Diego was the first Spanish settlement on the West Coast.

San Diego is also an excellent place to learn about the history of the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Midway, now an interactive museum where you may be able to take a tour guided by a former sailor. (San Diego is home to one of the nation's largest concentration of military personnel stationed at the fourth biggest naval base in the U.S., Naval Base San Diego Navy, and the Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton.)

San Diego is even better in October with the Kids Free San Diego program, offering 110 kids-free deals all month at more than 30 museums, restaurants, hotels and more. Truth be told, I wish hotels didn't limit free kids' meals to the kids' menus. But there is much to take advantage of that will save you significantly, whatever you choose to do. Yu may need to purchase an adult ticket for each child's free ticket; in other cases the offer is more generous. Try something you might not have otherwise -- surfing or paddle-boarding, maybe? You'll find all of the programs here. Here are a dozen guaranteed-to-please options:

-- Ride free with Flagship Cruises in San Diego Harbor -- two kids per paying adult; One child per paying adult on the San Diego Speed Boat Adventure.

-- Ten kids (1 and under) per each supervised adult ticket go free to the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the place to get up-close views of wildlife through safari-type experiences.

 

-- Ride free with Bike and Kayak Tours La Jolla.

-- Whale watch free at Newport Landing Whale Watching Cruises.

-- Surf Free at the Surf Diva Surf School.

-- Play and Ride Free at Belmont Park at Mission Bay.

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