San Diego Has a Lot More to Offer Summer Tourists Than Just Sand and Water. SeaWorld Should Be the Main Attraction for Your Family Adventure to California

Out of all of the things to do and attractions to visit in San Diego, California, Sea World stands out as one of the most thrilling. every visitor to this enchanting park never leaves unsatisfied,as there are so many exhibits and shows to see, you really need two days to experience them all. One of the most exciting exhibits for true animal lovers to visit is the "Penguin Encounter", which features more than 300 penguins frolicking and playing with one another in their cold and cave-like environment.

More than 100 construction workers have re-designed the penguin's environment to really bring you eye-to-eye with the 20 Emperor penguins on display. Sea World has actually helped hatch 20 Emperor chicks at the park, which helps keep the fragile existence of these magnificent birds alive. In addition to constructing these new digs for the penguins benefit, Sea World have brought in 12 tons of river rocks which allows all of the 300 penguins to build their nests to their own specifications just like they were at home at the North Pole. Talk about hospitality!

If it's real interaction with the friendly creatures of the ocean you seek, then you can't go wrong with a visit to "Wild Artic Interaction" where you can actually feed and pet the many beluga whales that are featured in the huge 300-gallon tank in the exhibit area. For a fee of $160 you can pull on your wet suit and climb into the whale's area to actually swim and feed the magnificent whales in the 55-degree water. You will also be swimming only a few feet away from the various seals and walruses also featured in this interactive environment.

For the thrill seekers out there who miss the excitement of roller coasters and other fast rides, you have to check out "Journey to Atlantis" which is an actual one-of-a-kind water roller coaster that will have you screaming in delight at the fast speeds and 40 foot drops straight down into the mist of the surrounding pond. Since waterfalls surround you on your wild ride, your vision is too obscured to know when that next plunge will come and take your breath away as you are plunged down eight stories to the water below.

Another thrill ride not to be missed is the wild river ride called "Shipwreck Rapids" which takes you on an adventure through white river rapids while you are strapped into a raft along with six other unfortunate souls. Your raft will be trying to avoid the dripping cargo nets while sending you through an underground cavern and traversing the murky waters of a tropical island. This is not a ride for the squeamish, so make sure to leave the kiddies behind to wait on the closest sidewalk to avoid the chills and thrills of this adult water ride adventure.

Top off your Sea World experience with a look at "R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse", which is a 4-D special effects extravaganza guaranteed to scare your pants off as sharks and other deadly creatures of the sea leap out at you from the highly realistic 4-D movie screen. For a less scary but still exciting theater experience, be sure to visit the "Cirque de la Mer" acrobatic water show which combines the antics of mysterious creatures,music and special effects to bring you a show that you will not soon forget.

One day tickets to Sea World are $57 for adults and $47 for kids 3-9. Be sure to check out their website for group discount tickets. The great fireworks display that the park shoots off with great fanfare begin every night starting May 26 through September 3.

As long as you are in the area and you feel like going for a swim, your best bet is to go take a look at some of the prettiest beaches
in all of southern California. Mission beach is one of the most popular areas for the locals to go for a boogie board ride, or they can enjoy a quick thrill while riding the roller coaster featured on Mission Beach's main boardwalk.

Most visitors to the San Diego area never realize that they are in fact in the vicinity of a huge cultural mecca of the United States. There are plenty of museums
in the area such as the "San Diego Natural History Museum", the oldest natural history museum in southern California. For the low admission fee of $11.00 for adults and $9.00 for the kids, you can spend hours looking at all the exhibits featuring fossils, bees, bugs and other wildlife for a true eye-opening experience on how nature works its daily miracles.

At the end of your long day you will probably be famished, so make sure you have dinner at one of San Diego's finest and exclusive restaurants
such as "Humphrey's by the Bay". This is where you can dine on their specialty meat dishes such as the Grilled Skirt Steak which is basked in peanut dressing and served with their famous asian slaw, which delivers an exquisite flavoring to your $9.00 dinner meal. If you have a hunger for a real Italian dish, then you must order the Crisp Fried Calamari, which is lightly breaded and and fried with Sambal tomato sauce. That meal is also only $9.00, so you won't have to get a second mortgage on your house to enjoy fine cuisine on your California trip.

All in all, you should enjoy this summer by making your reservations to a nice hotel in the area and enjoy all the pleasures that San Diego and Sea World can bring to you and your family.