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It's almost time for the 2nd Annual "Best of Family Fun" Contest! We'll feature YOUR TOP PICKS of San Diego hotspots: biking & hiking trails, family-friendly restaurants, local parks & more! We'll start taking nominations in March...so be sure to come back and nominate your favorite local family destinations!

Watch a video from the event where we invited your winners to our office and presented them their awards. See who was there!

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Here are last year's winners:  Hundreds of readers voted, and here are your 2011 Best of Family Fun Winners and Top Picks!

Best place to enjoy a family picnic:
• La Jolla Shores (beach or cove)
“Beautiful scenery and lots of grass for the kids to run around in!”

More Top Picks:
• Mission Bay Park/De Anza Cove
• Coronado Ferry Landing


Best beach for families:
• Coronado
1500 Orange Ave., Coronado (behind the Hotel Del Coronado)

More Top Picks:
• La Jolla Shores
• Del Mar


Best local family campground:
• South Carlsbad State Beach
7201 Carlsbad Boulevard, Carlsbad
www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=660; 760-438-3143
“Beautiful views! Not as crowded as some local campgrounds and quiet.”
“Nice bathrooms and accommodating staff.”

More Top Picks:
• Santee Lakes
• Campland on the Bay


Best hiking trail:
• Cowles Mountain and Mission Trails Regional Park
One Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Carlos

www.mtrp.org; 619-668-3281
“Lots of kid-friendly tours and easy hikes for all levels, short or long. The visitor center is awesome.”

More Top Picks:
• Torrey Pines/Guy Fleming Trail
• Cuyamaca Rancho State Park


Best place for a family bike ride:
• Mission Bay bike path
Start your ride at the Visitor Information Center on East Mission Bay Dr., near the Clairemont Dr. exit from Interstate 5.
“Cool breezes and you can stop to play on the way at a playground.”
“Great flat ride, gorgeous scenery, people watching!”

More Top Picks:
• Lake Murray/Mission Trails Regional Park
• Coronado Ferry Landing


Best place to take the kids fishing:
• Santee Lakes
Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve
9310 Fanita Parkway, Santee
www.santeelakes.com; 619-596-3141
“Awesome, awesome, awesome!”

More Top Picks:
• Lake Poway
• Shelter Island Pier


Best place to watch the ducks:
• Lake Poway
14644 Lake Poway Rd., Poway
www.poway.org/Index.aspx?page=671

More Top Picks:
• Heritage Park, Chula Vista
• Chollas Lake, College Grove

Best family-friendly hotel/resort:
• Hotel Del Coronado
1500 Orange Ave., Coronado

www.hoteldel.com; 800-468-3533

More Top Picks:
• Renaissance Paradise Point Hotel
• Bahia Resort


Best place to go for a day trip:
• Disneyland
Disneyland.com

More Top Picks:
• Julian
• Knott's Berry Farm


Best place for a local weekend adventure:
• Big Bear
www.bigbear.com
“Year-round outdoor fun! Hiking, fishing, skiing and lots more, just three hours from San Diego.”
“The ski lift is fun even in the summer time!”

More Top Picks:
• Julian
• Palm Springs


Best museum for families:
• Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
1875 El Prado, Balboa Park

www.rhfleet.org; 619-238-1233
“Kids play area for 5 and under, IMAX movies, cool scientific crafts!”
“The Kid City Exhibit is the greatest for little kids and lots for big kids as well.”

More Top Picks:
• The New Children's Museum
• San Diego Natural History Museum


Best children’s library:
• Mission Valley Public Library
2123 Fenton Parkway San Diego
www.sandiego.gov/public-library; 858-573-5007
“Drop by for preschool story time and let little ones play in the creek.”

More Top Picks:
• Bonita Sunnyside Library
• Scripps Ranch Library


Best outdoor playground:
• Pepper Grove playground, Balboa Park
Park Blvd., north of  the World Beat Center.
“Spacious playgrounds, grass and picnic areas, and proximity to museums and restaurants make this our favorite weekend hangout.”

More Top Picks:
• Hilton Head Park, Rancho San Diego
• Nobel Park, UTC


Best indoor playground:
• Kid Ventures
5066 Santa Fe St., Pacific Beach; 858-272-2266
851 Showroom Pl., Chula Vista; 619-651-8622
www.indoorplaysandiego.com
“An amazing place for kids and parents.  Really clean, safe and creative.  They do parties, classes, camps and have a great cafe as well.”
“Friendly staff, clean and safe place for children to explore freely.”

More Top Picks:
• Kidding Around
• Playtown

Best playground for children with special needs:
• Kid Ventures
www.indoorplaysandiego.com
“It has areas for all kids without pointing out their disabilities”

More Top Picks:
• Playtown
• Montevalle Park, Chula Vista


Best skate park:
• Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Center, East San Diego
6845 University Ave., San Diego
www.kroccenter.org; 619-287-5762

More Top Picks:
• Clairemont Skate Park
• Carmel Valley Skate Park


Best hangout for tweens and teens:
• San Diego Ice Arena
11048 Ice Skate Pl., Mira Mesa

www.sdice.com; 858-530-1825
“Friday nights, nice music with live DJ and a snowball fight.”
“Teen Melt Down is just incredibly fun and there isn't anything like it anywhere else in San Diego.”

More Top Picks:
• The Boardwalk, El Cajon
• John's Incredible Pizza, National City


Best place for a kid’s birthday party:
• Kid Ventures
www.indoorplaysandiego.com
“Their private parties are that are amazing!”
“They take care of everything, and keep the kids busy and having a blast.”

More Top Picks:
• Kdding Around
• Pump It Up


Best amusement center/park:
• Disneyland
Disneyland.com

More Top Picks:
• Sea World
• Legoland


Best “sprayground”:
• Santee Lakes
www.santeelakes.com
“When kids get tired of the sprayground, there’s lots of other stuff to do there.”
Gated sprayground “is inexpensive and small enough to track kids.”

More Top Picks:
• Otay Ranch Town Center
• Hilton Head Park, Rancho San Diego


Best local parade:
• 4th of July Parade, Coronado
www.coronadovisitorcenter.com/CVC/AnnualEvents.html

More Top Picks:
• Big Bay Balloon Parade, Downtown
• Mother Goose Parade, El Cajon


Best frozen yogurt shop:
• Yogurt Land
www.yogurt-land.com; multiple locations
“Tasty flavors and lots of topping choices. It's great that new flavors are introduced each month.”

More Top Picks:
• The Yogurt Mill, El Cajon
• Tutti Frutti, North Park


Best local ice cream/gelato:
• Maggie Moo’s
www.maggiemoos.com
10550 Craftsman Way, 4S Ranch; 858-312-1366
1570 Camino De La Reina # C, Mission Valley; 619-574-6667
“The owners are wonderful, and the ice cream is even better. Great place for a fun birthday party, and they also give group tours on how the ice cream is made. We love that they have dairy free options, too!”

More Top Picks:
• Chocolat, Hillcrest/Downtown
• Gelato Vera, Mission Hills


Best restaurant with an arcade/entertainment:
• Corvette Diner
2965 Historic Decatur Rd., Point Loma
www.cohnrestaurants.com/menu-restaurants/corvette-diner; 619-542-1476
“Play games in the arcade, rock out to classic hits from the 1950s and enjoy the antics of the dancing and singing wait staff. Dine & play packages are available.”

More Top Picks:
• Fuddrucker's, La Mesa
• John's Incredible Pizza, National City


Best kid’s menu:
• Red Robin
Locations in La Jolla, Mission Valley and National City.
www.redrobin.com

More Top Picks:
• Rainforest Cafe
• IHOP


Best family-friendly restaurant:
• Corvette Diner
www.cohnrestaurants.com/menu-restaurants/corvette-diner

More Top Picks:
• Souplantation
• Chick-Fil-A


Best “kids eat free” deal:
• Denny’s
Multiple locations.
www.Dennys.com

More Top Picks:
• Island's
• Chevy's


Best mother’s lounge for nursing moms & babies:
• Nordstom’s
Multiple locations. Shop.Nordstrom.com
“Clean and private. It’s a nice break from shopping.”

More Top Picks:
• Westfield Shopping Centers: Mission Valley, North County Mall, Parkway Plaza and Plaza Bonita
SeaWorld

Watch a video from the event where we invited your winners to our office and presented them their awards. See who was there!

Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site