| less than a mile from interstate 8, this straightforward hotel is 15 miles from the san diego zoo, and 16 miles from dining and shopping options at seaport village. pets are welcome for a fee. kids stay at no charge with an adult. there's also a coin-operated laundry. continental breakfast and parking are complimentary. check-in time: 3:00 pmcheck-out time: 11:00 am. modest rooms come with free wi-fi and flat-screen tvs, as well as microwaves, minifridges and coffeemakers
San Diego International Airport 23 min
Sycuan Casino Resort (20 min)
Table games, slots & poker, plus 5 eateries & live entertainment, keep this lively casino humming. Mission Trails Regional Park (15 min)
7,220-acre recreational park featuring 60-miles of trails, along with a lake for boating & camping. Museum of Us (21 min)
Museum in an ornate 1915 building featuring eclectic anthropology exhibits & a panoramic tower. Fleet Science Center (21 min)
Educational center featuring hands-on exhibits, a planetarium, IMAX theater & interactive displays. San Diego Air & Space Museum (21 min)
Popular place with historical aircraft/spacecraft & interactive exhibits, plus a gift shop & grill. San Diego Model Railroad Museum (22 min)
Kid-friendly museum featuring many working scale models of California rail lines & landscapes. Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala (15 min)
Visitors can explore the grounds of this 18th-century, still-active mission, the state's first. Botanical Building (22 min)
Domed building from the 1915 Panama-California Exposition & a garden with more than 2,000 plants. The San Diego Museum of Art (23 min)
Venerable art museum with acclaimed works, plus a courtyard bar/bistro with sculpture garden views. Sycuan Casino Resort (15 min)
Mountain offering marked hiking trails with city views from the highest point in San Diego. Lake Murray (14 min)
Hiking, kayaking & angling at a lake formed by a 19th-century dam, home to herons & rare blackbirds. San Diego Zoo (21 min)
Zoo features giraffes, koalas, apes & more, plus a safari park for tours & a conservation society. San Diego Natural History Museum (22 min)
Large natural history museum with rotating displays on animals, dinosaurs & earth science. Japanese Friendship Garden (22 min)
Balboa Park's Japanese gardens have koi ponds, bonsai trees, a teahouse, garden tours & more. Balboa Park (18 min)
Sprawling outdoor destination is home to the city's renowned zoo, 17 museums, gardens & more. | 
