Outdoor

The free guided tour inside the San Diego Mormon Battalion Historical Site in Old Town is fun, interactive and impressive!

The tour guides are all friendly and extremely animated, really getting the crowd involved. There are great special effects, like interactive hologram photos which spoke to us. Learning about the journey that the Latter-day Saint families took from Iowa in 1846, and about their 2,000-mile march west to California, was so interesting. The exhibits displayed historical treasures and artifacts from their trip, such as muskets, a gold pouch, baskets, actual bricks from the foundation of the Old Town courthouse, and a cannon that the battalion rolled across the United States.

I highly recommend bringing your family, as it is a great place for kids. You can even pan for gold! Best of all, it’s free!

The Mormon Battalion Historical Site is at 2510 Juan St. in San Diego’s Old Town. It’s open daily.

with tours available in both English and Spanish. Call (619) 298-3317 or visit http://mormon.org/mb.

By Carolyn Howard
Passport to San Diego

Nestled along the San Diego Bay with its coastal breezes and views of the Coronado Bridge, Seaport Village is a stunning 14-acre waterfront shopping and dining complex in downtown San Diego. It offers eclectic shops, fine and casual dining and family-friendly entertainment.

Finding a favorite flag, trying on eco-friendly clothing or appreciating exclusive art are just a few of the offerings at the 50-plus diverse shops dotting the village. Visitors can also grab a bite at more than a dozen eateries cooking up everything from Greek and Mexican food to pizza, pretzels and gourmet cupcakes.

Savor fresh and flavorful fare at Seaport Village, the vibrant shopping and dining destination at the edge of San Diego Bay. Both mainstay and brand-new waterfront restaurants include Spill the Beans, a specialty coffee and bagel shop; San Diego Burger Co., dishing up top-notch burgers and fresh-cut fries; and Mike Hess Brewing, a bay front biergarten from San Diego’s premier craft brewery, featuring 23 crafted beers, plus tacos and burritos by Quiero Tacos. Coming Fall/Winter 2023, Malibu Farm will debut a stunning, farm-to-table dining destination in the heart of Seaport Village, while other exciting 2023 openings include Gladstone’s, an iconic SoCal seafood restaurant, Shorebird, a coastal eatery offering a modern take on classic Americana flavors, and more!

Free outdoor musical entertainment, ranging from blues, jazz, country and swing, is offered year-round. Street performers and caricaturists, face-painters and balloon sculptors attract and delight crowds. Families also love the 1895 antique carousel with hand-carved animals by Charles Loof. Signature events at Seaport Village include the “Spring Busker Festival” “Easter Bunny Photos,” “Traditional Santa Photos” and the arrival of “Surfin’ Santa.” Check the latest upcoming events at https://www.seaportvillage.com/events-calendar

With four miles of meandering cobblestone pathways bordered by ponds, lakes, fountains and colorful landscaping plus a quarter-mile slate boardwalk along the San Diego Bay, it’s easy to enjoy an afternoon wandering through the shops, walking the promenade and taking in the scenery.

Seaport Village is at 849 W. Harbor Drive in San Diego. The complex is open daily from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Call (619) 235-4014 www.seaportvillage.com.

Perched on a bluff above the Pacific and featuring more than 60 habitats of fish and invertebrates, the aquarium hosts daily animal-feeding and hands-on educational visitor activities. Birch Aquarium also offers seasonal outdoor excursions such as whale watching, grunion runs, pier walks and more. Other programs include Summer Learning Adventure Camps. Also not be to be missed are living tide-pool displays allowing visitors to touch sea stars, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers and other other unique animals local to San Diego’s tide pools. Open year-round.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla (858) 534-3474 aquarium.ucsd.edu