Six Flags Marine World, Vallejo

My first opportunity to take my then-3 year old out without his new brother attached, I chose a trip to Marine World.  My hope was to let him see some incredible animal shows (what kid isn’t amazed by seeing animals up close) without having to wait around a lot in between shows trying to entertain him. To my amazement, this wish was granted even better than I could have expected. The shows are each 20 minutes and they start on the half hour, leaving ten minutes to dash to your next location, which turned out to be just right. There were several shows to pick from, and we ended up doing the show dash for the full few hours that I had scheduled away from the baby.  Now that said, I am sure glad I didn’t have a baby and stroller to contend with, as you must park your stroller away from where you will be seated. Not having to wade through the stroller traffic jam that sometimes came after the shows was a definite bonus.  Aside from the animal shows, which were very entertaining, is the amusement park part of Marine World which we didn’t even glance at. Its my understanding there are rides for all ages here, so that could add up to enough fun for a full day.

Parking is pretty pricey ($15) and requires either a good trek from the park or lots of patience waiting for the parking lot tram.

Check out craigslist for discounted tickets.