We were three moms, five children, and three strollers...
For Anna’s 4th birthday we took the Amtrak train from Irvine to San Diego, the #7 bus from downtown to the Zoo and back again. You’ll notice that there are not any pictures of animals – we didn’t see many! Besides which, once we were on the go, there wasn’t much time for photo-taking.
The whole day was a travel adventure and we had so much fun that Anna’s older brother asked if we could do the exact same thing for his birthday next month.
While the Amtrak is considerably more expensive than Metrolink – it’s the only service from OC to San Diego. A trip of comparable distance (OC to LA) on Metrolink costs $15 or so on the weekend (20% less than during the week) and you can purchase a Friend and Family Pack which costs $29 FOR FOUR ADULTS ALL DAY! The Metrolink ticket (for the time being) also includes free rides on the LA subway and bus system the same day.
But the view to San Diego is waa-aay nicer. You ride along the coast and get a great view the whole way up and down. Worth the $40 round trip once, I guess.
Here’s a short clip from our return trip.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkWAXnhsOZ4]