I’ve lived in San Diego (almost) my entire life but there’s still so much left for me to see and do in this beautiful city. Living in central San Diego, I never ventured out much into north county but over the past year we’ve been making more and more excuses to make our way up there. Everyone who lives in San Diego knows that central and north county San Diego are like completely different worlds, and they just seem so far away from each other. So whenever we get a chance to make it up to north county for the day, we try to pack in as many activities as one since we don’t go up there much often.
I’ve put together a round-up of some of our favorite things to do with kids in north county.
1. Eat at The Patio on 101 in Encinitas
If you’re looking to eat at a kid-friendly restaurant that is both trendy and delicious, I recommend trying out The Patio on 101. The girls and I ate there a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved it!
The cheese board was to die for and the kids really enjoyed their pizza as well. I also ordered the cheeseburger with parmesan fries, which I highly recommend. I also loved that there were lots of other families in there so my kids didn’t feel out of place. The decor was also so cute and made for really great photo opps after our brunch.
2. Visit the beaches
I love the beaches in Encinitas and Carlsbad. They are so laid back and reminds me more of an OC vibe. I’m not a big fan of taking the kids to Pacific Beach or Ocean Beach since I feel they are covered in bars near the water. Parking is always a challenge (as in any beach city) but if you head out early enough you shouldn’t have a problem!
3. Shop at the outlets
Another one of my favorite excuses to go up to north county– shopping! I love shopping at the outlets for good deals and the Carlsbad Premium Outfits have so many great stores to choose from. There are also located near the flower fields (open during spring) so if you are in the area during the season, I would recommend doing both.
4. Visit The Park 101 on Carlsbad
I love this little bar! It’s located right in Carlsbad Village and is the most kid-friendly bar I’ve ever seen. San Diego is big on kid-friendly breweries but I feel The Park 101 takes it to another level with their large patio, life-size board games and cotton candy, that’s served right at the bar.
5. Visit Legoland
We don’t go here often, as it is always crowded but if you aren’t from San Diego, it’s worth the trip. The mini Lego city is always so fun to see and Ari loves the playground inside the park.
