Photos: San Diego Zoo Safari Park (June 20, 2020)

As I mentioned in a previous post, my sister invited us to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on Friday, but we couldn't get it together in time. I've long avoided both the Safari Park and Zoo on weekends, but then I thought harder about maintaining that stance. First of all, Saturday was the official reopening to the public, but the announcement had come relatively quickly, so I figured that there would still be fewer tourists than normal. I also figured most members go early in the day and since there's currently no re-entry allowed for day passes or memberships, we took our chances on a late afternoon trip. 

We arrived around 5pm and stayed until the 8pm closing. We always like to map out a plan for the park. This time, we went up to the Australian Outback first, up to the condors and mountain goats, down through Tiger Trail, then through the center of the park. From there, we went down to the Elephant Valley, wrapped around the African Plains Trail, through Lion Camp, then around the African Loop back to the elevator then out of the park. It was a lovely afternoon and we thoroughly enjoyed the longest day of summer. 

It's really hard to wear a mask for hours on end, but these little jaunts are much easier and we'll enjoy them as much as we can until the weather gets too hot for comfort. There are a lot of changes for the safety of guests, staff, and animals, but they're mostly minor and easy to get used to and also give a lot of peace of mind. 

I know people are still having a financially difficult time right now, and who knows what's gonna happen once EDD cuts back to normal after July, but if you have the funds, I don't think there's a better value in San Diego than Zoo Membership, and I don't think there are many lower risk places than the Safari Park and Zoo right now. 
Get all the info on the park and membership here. 

San Diego Summer: Family Outings, Summer Camps, & Things For Kids To Do

Nova has already finished 6th grade. Last Friday was her last day of school and we're in full how-to-occupy-her-time freak out. How are we going to keep her busy and prevent her from saying the forbidden word (B-O-R-E-D) when we still have to work around here? A couple years ago I did a post about Summer Camps because I was busy researching for her, but now that she's 12 (and spends a month in St. Louis during the peak of summer vacation), we tend to find fun stuff to do more readily, but I still thought I'd update this post for other parents out there who might be hunting for ways to keep the kids occupied. I'd love to hear your favorite spots or camps in the comments. And we'd love to be invited to your pools on a moments notice. Lists after the jump...

San Diego Zoo Safari Park Summer Safari Celebration in Effect

It's the most wonderful time of the year! The San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park (WAP to the natives) kicks off their summer celebrations. I'm posting the full press release for SDZ Safari Park after the jump, but the TL;dr is that the Safari Park will be open until 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays through September 1st, and starting this week, until 8pm on Mondays and Tuesdays through July 30th. On top of that, from June 16-September 2nd, the Zoo will be open until 8pm. If you don't have your annual pass, there's no better time to get it than now. Make sure you get at least the Keeper's Club level to get the free parking at Safari Park, otherwise you're throwing down $15 per visit. Also, pro-tip: if you're driving North on the 15, jump in the carpool lanes, exit at Del Lago, loop to the right through the mall (Beethoven) and you'll cut some time on the drive. Press release and adorbs animal photos after the jump. (All photos taken at the Safari Park from regular public viewing areas throughout the park over the past few years)

Ditch The Kids: Super Cool Summer Camps in San Diego

I know that summer kid stuff isn't typically what I post around here, but summer is here and with that comes the responsibility of filling up those kids' schedules. Nova is in derby year-round, we'll be getting our fall soccer roster soon, we're loaded up with our passes to Aquatica, Magic Mountain, and the San Diego Zoo, and we plan on lots of time at parks, at the beach, and hiking around San Diego, and pretty soon she'll be taking off to St. Louis for four weeks, but it still leaves us with stuff to plan, stuff we wish she could do but can't, and stuff maybe one day she can do should our summer arrangement ever change. So while thinking of all this stuff, I just kept getting more and more cool camp offers that I thought I'd share with you. Of course, San Diego County YMCA, San Diego Parks and Rec, and San Diego County Parks have plenty of activities, too, in addition to most of the 19 cities of San Diego County, plus all of your typical martial arts, sports, music, and arts facilities. Comment your favorites and I'll add them to the list!!

Mission Trails Summer Day Camps-
$125 per week. $100 per week for all four. Ages 6-12.
M-F, 10am-2pm
June 26 to 30 - River Camp
July 10 to 14 - Creepy Crawly Camp
July 24 to 28 - Nocturnal Creatures Camp
August 7 to 11 - Nature Detectives Camp

San Diego Humane Society Animal Adventure Camps
M-F, 9am-3pm, $240/wk, K-8
June 26-30
July 3-7
July 10-14
July 17-21
July 24-28
July 31-August 4
August 7-11


Digital Gym 2017 Summer Camps
Summer Youth Media & Tech Camps 
Weekly (June 19 – August 25), 8:30am-3:00pm, Ages 6-14, $245/week

Mesa Rim Indoor Rock Climbing 4-DAY SUMMER ADVENTURE ROCKS! 
Camp at a Glance:
 $335 for 4-Day Adventure Camp, 9am-3pm, Ages 4-14.
Max capacity of 15 kids (smaller ratio of camp staff to climbers)
Snacks are included, bring your own lunch

Bilingual Kids Summer Camps @ Centro Cultural de la Raza
Offering Spanish or Mandarin Immersion, Ages 4-12
Full day $295 (8am-4pm) | Half day $195 (8am-12pm) | Single day $65
June 26-30
July 3-7
July 10-14
July 17-21
July 24-28
July 31-August 4
August 7-11

Rock n' Roll Camp For Girls San Diego @ San Diego Performing Arts Center
July 24-28, Showcase Concert on July 29 at House of Blues
M-F, 9:30am-5pm, Ages 8-17, $375, (financial aid available)

Lux Art Institute:
GRADES K-12 | 9:00AM-2:00PM (extended day options available)
COST | $275 members| $350 guests per week
Week 1: (June 26th- 30th): Time Machine- Registration Closed
Week 2: (July 10th - 14th): Cultural Studio
Week 3: (July 17th-21st): Do-it-Yourself
Week 4: (July 24th-28th): Good Earth
Week 5: (July 31st - August 4th): 20th Century
Week 6: (August 7th - 11th): Building Design

Balboa Park Day & Week Camps (Various Locations/Pricing)
UC San Diego Youth Camps and Enrichment Programs (Various Ages/Locations/Pricing)
Summer Camp Programs at UC San Diego (Various Ages/Locations/Pricing)
Computer Science Summer Camps in San Diego - ThoughtSTEM
Aztec Science Camp (Various Ages/Locations/Pricing)