Every year for 3 years now, our little family has made a trip to San Diego to decompress, relax, and have adventures. 2013 is no different.

Travel days as a family don’t get documented very well; we’re pretty busy just trying to get from place to place on time and without forgetting anything. As a result, these are the only two photos we have from the time it took us to get down there.

The next day, we didn’t have anything definite planned. Which is something of an oddity for us. So we planned something. Everywhere else, these are called the Ducks, but in San Diego, they’re called the Seals.

It starts as a guided bus tour of downtown San Diego. The guides were funny, and the weather was perfect.

Then the bus just drives right into the water, and we take a six-mile-per-hour ride around Mission Bay. We had several close encounters with dolphins, and got up close and personal with 40 sea lions napping on a barge.

Will and Lucy were even invited up to the cab to do a radio check.

Our ride ended in downtown San Diego on a beautiful day, and it turns out there was a rather famous busker festival going on! We zoomed past it to get some less-touristy food, then strolled back through the varied entertainment.

It took at least 5 minutes to convince the kids that this guy wasn’t an actual robot.

The bird man let the kids choose their parrots. Lucy seemed a bit nervous, but Will went big.

This guy’s act was part comedy, part Harry Houdini. The kids didn’t get most of the jokes, but loved seeing him hanging upside down.

Our second day on the ground was scheduled for the Safari Park. This is actually part of the San Diego Zoo system, and while it gets less attention to the other park, it’s totally worth the trip if you’re in town.

I took this one; Becky wouldn’t get close. It’s because of Will’s friend on the rock there.

We stopped for a picnic lunch at a balcony with a grand view.

And detoured to the playground.

It was around 80°, which is way too hot for us northwesterners. Will and Lucy cooled off in a splash park.

This happened.

Behind the scenes:

These butterflies are fake.

…but these ones aren’t:

We deliberately made for the less-trafficked parts of the park to escape the crowds. This is the area dedicated to California, and the until-recently-endangered native condors.

Of course, no trip to any zoo is complete without a stop at the goat-petting zone.

Stick with us; we’ll post the rest of the trip soon!