Three-day Thanksgiving trip to San Diego for non-special forces and kids: recommended itinerary

Taking advantage of the Thanksgiving long weekend, we traveled from LA to San Diego, visiting two zoos and some major attractions. Because we were traveling with kids, we adopted a relaxed approach, giving them a nap each day. On the first day, Thanksgiving, the Safari Park closed early at 3 PM, so it wasn't too crowded. After entering the park, we went straight to the Africa Tram, waited in line for about 15 minutes, and saw giraffes, antelopes, rhinos, and other African animals. Afterwards, we had breakfast at Okavango Outpost. After breakfast, we visited the elephant, tiger, goat, and kangaroo enclosures, seeing some animals that interested the kids. After the visit, we returned to the main park entrance, rode the carousel, bought souvenirs, and left the park around 2:30 PM, just in time for the kids' nap. We then had lunch at Xiangcun Renjia. For accommodation, we took advantage of a Chase Reserve Edit deal and chose The US Grant Downtown. In the evening, we walked to the Midway Museum and saw the statues. (Figures 2-8) The next morning, we went to the San Diego Zoo. We headed straight for the bus upon entering, but still waited in line for 30 minutes. I recommend sitting on the right side of the bus for a better view of the animals. On the bus, we saw tigers, elephants, lions, bears, and more, all from the right side. After getting off the bus, you can go directly to see the flamingos, and then follow the trail to see various monkeys and orangutans. Finally, we took an elevator down to the panda enclosure, waited in line for 30 minutes, and only saw a sleeping panda! 🤣 Afterwards, you can take an elevator across the bridge to the cable car entrance, and take the cable car back to the park entrance. We left the park around 2 PM. The kids were sleeping, so we rushed to La Jolla Cove. We had dinner at the lounge of The Marine Room, a restaurant with a sea view. We took advantage of a Chase Reserve deal; the view was beautiful, the food was delicious, and it was definitely worth it. Because it was Black Friday, we ended the second day's itinerary with shopping at Fashion Valley on the way back. (Figures 9-15) The third morning, we visited Balboa Park. Parking is convenient; you can directly access Casa del Prado Theatre from there. Parking spaces are limited but very convenient. Lily Pond and the Botanical Building are must-sees, filming locations for the Korean drama "The Heirs." The California Tower landmark is also worth seeing, offering a panoramic view of the park. Finally, you can finish with Bea Evenson Fountain. On the way back to LA, we ate at Xiangcun Renjia again; all the dishes were excellent and none were disappointing. (Photos 16-18)