San Diego - Cabrillo National Monument

Originally we were going to spend Sunday afternoon at the children's pool in La Jolla taking photos of the seals, but there was a concert in the park and the whole city was over run with tourists. (for Being a tourist, I sure dislike hanging out with them...). Parking was a nightmare and Hannah had just fallen asleep - finally. We decided to scrap the plans and go to the Cabrillo National Monument instead. It was a nice 30 minute drive and a weeklong admission to the park was only $5. Perfect.

Low tide was at 4:30 and we arrived at 3 o'clock, so our first stop was at the tide pools. Chris took Hannah down a natural rock staircase to the tide pools below, while I followed behind with the camera. He pointed out sea anemones and snails while H oohed and aahed. We should have changed her into crocs instead of her nice white sandals, but I'm glad we grabbed a sweater because the winds were pretty chilly.

So. Cute.   

{Once I overlook that she's touching a snail, that is.}

Sea Anemone

This was the next picture on my camera.  

I'd bet money she's sucking anemone juice off her finger....

We walked up to the cabrillo monument but didn't have time to climb to the lighthouse before the park closed at 4:30. If we lived in the area we would definitely buy the annual pass because the tide pools were a LOT of fun.

Mister Cabrillo himself.

Chris dangling our heir over the rocky cliff.

 Hannah's real thoughts on the ocean waves.

Verdict: 
Keep this park in mind as a backup in case other plans fall through, or move it to the top of your list if you don't mind getting a little wet or are on a budget. This is a much more affordable option compared to aquarium entrance fees, and the hands on aspect is bound to win over the kids. Bring your telephoto lens for amazing shots of local surfers and military flyovers.

 Keep little ones close - there are fall hazards. Make sure you wear appropriate water friendly shoes with traction (not cheap flip flops) and keep a change of shoes in the car with a towel and possibly some water to rinse off your feet as I didn't see any feet washing stations nearby. Hannah sat in the water multiple times and her whole outfit had to be changed, so a swim diaper would have been useful.