By: Amanda Huntsman

There’s never a lousy time to visit San Diego; with an average of 72-degree temperature, it’s the perfect playground any time of the year. This spring, we headed to San Diego to enjoy its year-round sunshine and beautiful beaches. San Diego Mission Bay Resort is located in the heart of San Diego on the Mission Bay Park waterfront. The property is home to an array of beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites; multiple food and beverage experiences; a waterfront pool scene perfect for a day of lounging; the innovative Spa Brezza, and much more. As if that’s not enough, you will have Mission Bay and the greater San Diego sights at your doorstep, thanks to easy freeway access.

Upon arrival, you feel a sense of escape from everyday life. Rooms are modern, open, and airy, welcoming you with natural light, gentle breezes, and touches of sea hues that adorn each room. Our room exuded beachy vibes opening to private patios with a fire pit on the shoreline.

We spent day one at the beach; for parents of young kids, these waveless beaches are perfect for building sandcastles and easily playing at the water’s edge. Pulling up a chair at Covewood for dinner was lovely and convenient after sunbathing, building sandcastles, and wading in the bay. Covewood offers its patrons a waterfront location as well as a superb menu. Led by Executive Chef Roy Hendrickson, Covewood is the resort’s highly sought-after, signature dining experience. Perfectly emulating the concept of understated coastal luxury, the restaurant sits along the sparkling waters of Mission Bay and boasts an airy, inviting indoor dining room with natural light and textures of leather and linen, while outdoor patios complemented by the ocean breeze and multiple fire features. The cuisine celebrates locally sourced items, emphasizing fresh seafood and wood-grilled vegetables paired with local wines and handcrafted cocktails. Covewood has won several awards, including a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, and has been mentioned amongst the world’s best wine lists. This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests can choose between a buffet or an a la carte menu for breakfast. With an array of soups, salads, pasta, and pizzas, there should be something to please the whole group. INSIDER TIP: Order the Prickly Paloma and the Cioppino (huge chunks of halibut with shrimp, clams, and mussels. The broth was seasoned well, and the seafood was cooked to perfection).

Day two started with some relaxation time for me. I was able to enjoy an innovative therapeutic treatment that calmed my body. The MEDITATION HIMALAYAN SALT TABLE at Spa Brezza is a must. Embrace relaxation on a naturally heated Himalayan salt block table. This experience begins with a scalp and foot massage using essential oils to put the mind at ease. Enjoy headphones playing serene music to encourage meditation after they apply a rejuvenating scrub to inspire your soul and revive your senses. It was incredible and like nothing that I had experienced before.

While undergoing the treatment, my family enjoyed brunch on our patio. We had a big day planned at Sea World. San Diego Mission Bay Resort delivers the perfect home base for experiencing everything in the area. Whether you're hitting the beach, exploring the streets, or heading to a theme park, they offer unique activities at or near the resort suited to everyone’s style. Mission Bay puts you right in the heart of the city. You're close to all the action, like SeaWorld, the world-famous San Diego Zoo, a Padres game at Petco Park, and the treasured Balboa Park. Nothing is far away from your new home away from home.

One of the reasons we chose Sea World over the other theme parks was because there are rides and play areas for toddlers, roller coasters for my pre-teen, and lots to do for ages in between. This theme park does a great job of catering to kids of all ages, from toddlers to teens, because you can see Elmo and ride multiple high-speed roller coasters, all while being educated on sea life. SeaWorld San Diego is more than marine life and shows. The Southern California theme park’s fantastic lineup of thrill rides and fun attractions draws visitors worldwide. My toddler loved the Sesame Street Bay of Play. Not all park favorites are thrill rides, and Elmo’s Flying Fish, located in Sesame Street Bay of Play, is a must for young kids. This gentle but fun ride is themed around the favorite Sesame Street character and is similar to the Dumbo ride at Disneyland. Abby’s Sea Star Spin (a mild version of the teacup ride at Disneyland) and Oscar’s Rockin’ Eel are also fun for younger kids.

My husband and son enjoyed the thrill rides. Top of their list was Manta. SeaWorld San Diego excels at integrating multimedia and animal experiences into passages, and the Manta roller coaster is a fantastic example. You’ll start with a tour through a bat-ray-filled aquarium and see the ride in action as it soars past several times. Manta’s loading area is one of the best in the parks, both for things to occupy your time and for their sheer efficiency. Three vehicles load at a time, and there are no “bad” seats, so this ride queue moves very fast for a roller coaster — a nice perk if you are trying to see and do as much as possible in the park. Once aboard, you’ll start with a tunnel packed with digital images and feel immersed in the manta ray world. Things pick up quickly, with a fast launch of up to 43 miles per hour and a thrilling drop of 54 feet.

We had the best day at Sea World. Here are some recommendations to make the most of your visit:

Check out the schedule in advance so you know what shows you want to see; those could fill up about 15 minutes before the shows start.

All the exhibits are excellent. My favorite is Wild Arctic to see the beluga and walruses. Fun fact – SeaWorld San Diego is 1 of 3 Zoos and Aquariums in the U.S. with walruses, and they have five big ones!!

They also have a new app to help during your visit. Download at https://seaworld.com/san-diego/mobile-app/

Ride Journey to Atlantis in the heat of the day with a change of clothes.

Bring quarters and cash for Sea Lion and Flamingo food.

Ride Bayside Skyride or Skytower at Sunset

We stayed at Seaworld until the park closed. We recommend catching Sea Lions LIVE. It’s a funny comedy show featuring real sea lions, Clyde & Seamore, and their otter buddy OP. Dolphin Days is another popular show where Bottlenose Dolphins get seriously airborne. Be aware that some seats can get splashed. You must see the killer whales in the Orca Underwater Viewing exhibit. Shamu is still the park’s mascot. My favorites are the beluga whales which you can see in the Wild Arctic section. Seaworld was incredible. We are already making plans to return this summer.

On the morning of day three, we headed to Mission Joe, the resort’s signature coffee shop. They serve Zoka coffee brands and other hot and cold drinks. You can order bagels and muffins. A variety of pre-made meals are also available. Their grab-and-go options helped us to get to our boat reservation in time.

It’s a short walk to Action Sport Rentals on the property, where you find thrills with various water sports, or you can take it to the boardwalk with a bike or surrey. We, of course, tried both. First, renting a power boat, we cruised the waters of Mission Bay for two hours. If speed is not your thing, Action Sport Rentals also offer Duffy Boat and Funcat rentals. Once we got our land legs back, we rented a surrey, they are a lot of fun for kids, and you’ll get in some exercise. They’re great for cruising around the bike paths. Surreys can hold anywhere from 2 – 4 people pedaling, with seating for babies and toddlers in the front. We were grateful for another memorable day on the bay.

At last, all good things have to come to an end. Before checking out and heading home, we took one final dip in the waterfront pool, which offers beautiful views of Mission Bay and a wading pool, perfect for families and younger children. We lunched at Solrisa, the resort’s signature poolside stand. Solrisa brings the vibrancy of Mexican cuisine through a menu of bites and beverages. INSIDER TIP: Order the carne asada tacos with a lime-topped cerveza. Each evening they have a sunset ritual that celebrates the end of each glorious day with a signature cocktail and yet another opportunity to connect with those around you.

San Diego Mission Bay Resort is the ultimate launching pad for creating summer memories with the ones you love. They have it all; stretches of sandy beaches to sink your toes in, a waterfront pool meant for relaxing and splashing, and unlimited ways to find sun-up to sun-down fun in the heart of San Diego.

Top things we loved about the resort:

Renovated rooms with fire pits (and seasonal beach roasts for all on the beach)

Large lawn areas are ideal for letting the kiddos loose on

Beach food and drink service

Bayfront pool with a children’s pool

The boardwalk in front of the hotel for biking

Dog-friendly up to two 75-pound dogs per room (additional fees apply)

Proximity to Sea World and other San Diego attractions

Summer Offerings Include:

Learning how to shake up refreshing vacation sips at their cocktail-making classes or gaining steps and fun historical knowledge of Mission Bay on Adventure Walks. Delight in daily yoga flows, arts and crafts, poolside games, and every activity under the California sun. Take a peek at their "Resort Vibes" page to learn more.

If you are planning to visit Mission Bay soon, here are some fun happenings to plan your vacation around:

Special “3rd of July” Fireworks program exclusively on Mission Bay this summer. VIP viewing locations for resort guests.

Follow Discover Mission Bay on Instagram and Facebook for seasonal giveaways, including free room nights, family fun packs at quintessential Mission Bay experiences, and more.

Think “Kids Free October” and join Mission Bay resorts for special free activities for kids!

For the planners, December will bring back the “Parade of Lights” featuring holiday-themed, decorated boats with VIP viewing locations and winter experiences all around the bay.