Coming to LA and San Diego

Hi All

I'm coming to San Diego for work in late July/early August. I have a few days spare. At this stage I intend to:

1. get a car when I arrive in LA -go to LA Zooand te drive on to San Diego
2. a couple of days in San Diego free for the zoo and animal park
3. maybe a whale watch
4. not sure about Sea World

I've been to all these places before but it has been about 6 years.

I notice lots of extra tours you can do on the zoo site. Which ones are worth doing? Is there an equivalent at LA Zoo.

Anywhere else I shoudl go if I have one more day free. I like to see primates and any unusual or not often seen.

Thanks

Greg

 

The San Diego Zoo stays open until 9pm at that time of year, and night zoo is an experience not to be missed. (Unfortunately, they no longer do evening hours at the Safari Park, which is a real shame).

If you like monkeys, the Santa Ana Zoo (though not very big or impressive) has quite a few monkey species. It is directly (and I mean directly) next to the freeway (I-5) halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. Would be quite easy to stop there and walk around for one or two hours before driving on.

Aquarium Of The Pacific (in Long Beach) is pretty nice if you like aquariums (I would take it over Sea World any day).

If you like wolves, there is a wolf center with daily guided tours not far down the road from the Safari Park.

The Living Desert in Palm Desert is great, but summer is not the time to go there.

 

You will be in the area just in time to see blue whales and humpback whales in the California Channel Islands. There are regular whale watch excursions to the Channel Islands National Park about 1 mile north of LA. Information about the Channel Islands National Park and trips out to see them can be found from their official concessionaire (islandpackers.com).

There is also the Gibbon Conservation Center in Santa Clarita, just north of Los Angeles. Blackduiker went on a tour recently and put some pictures in the gallery. They have several gibbon species and have tour information on their website: Index

 

thanks Guys. Will add a stop in to Santa Ana and see what I can do for Long Beach. Arriving Thursday early from Oz and then going to try to see LA Zoo and get to San Diego same day so I dont have to go to SD Zoo on a weekend (I assume crowds will be worse).

The conference is in San Diego amd will have one spare day at the end as I head back up to LA for flight home. Will add Long Beach in then unless I don't see Giant Otters in LA on way down in which case I will try again on way up.

Thanks for the advice. Will definately add night stay to zoo. Of all the Tours and Animal Interactions on the website (Backstage Pass, Inside Look) which is the best to see and photograph some of the off exhibit animals.

 

Anyone been to this place and have any comments on whether it is worth a look?

thanks

Greg

 

Wow - you get major bonus points for finding a southern California animal place that no one on ZooChat has mentioned before. First I have heard of it - very interesting! If you do go, we will eagerly be awaiting a report!

 

Might stop off on the last day trip back up to LA. You can never see too many toucans

 

Only reason I personally would not go is the tour fee is outrageously overpriced ($35).

 

yes I wondered if that was to discourage tourists since they seem to be in the business of selling the birds