Traveling with Kids: Lunch at the Hotel del Coronado

On my recent visit to San Diego for Blogher, I went a day early to stay with some very good friends. They picked me up from the airport and we headed right to Coronado Island with her two young children for lunch. I had been flying all morning and was quite hungry and ready to enjoy their company.

I have been to the Hotel Del Coronado many times, yet I have yet to stay there. It is a luxury hotel right on the water. In the 1990s, my mother and sister were staying there while I was visiting friends in the city. I have vivid memories of spending the day with them on the beach. I had just lost my job and was quite miserable. We went into the ocean, rode bikes around the island, drank cocktails by the pool. The day had a magical effect on me, and I often look at the photos from the day to take some of that feeling in.

Also, if you haven’t been and are trying to picture the hotel, it’s a historic landmark and the film, “Some Like it Hot” was shot there in the 1950s.

But this was the first time I went for lunch at their restaurant facing the ocean front, Sheerwater. We sat on the terrace, enjoying the beautiful view and we both ordered salads. My friend’s children are ages 6 and 8, and I was curious what kind of meal they were going to get for the grand price of $10.

The menu for kids is called “Under the Sea” and they start out the meal with a serving of Sheerwater Trail Mix: goldfish, pretzels, dried fruit and cheerios. We actually weren’t served this appetizer, but for older kids, it really isn’t necessary. For the meal, the choices include pizza, a cheddar cheese burger, beef hot dog, oodles of noodles, mac & cheese, a rice bowl, fish & chips, grilled ham & cheese, pb&J and crispy chicken fingers. They all come with a side of french fries or baby carrots and a drink. The servings are really, really plentiful. Dessert includes a banana split, vanilla bean cheesecake or a a chocolate brownie. By the time dessert came, the kids were pretty full.

After lunch, we took a walk around the hotel and by the water and we took pictures of my friend’s children. It was a spectacular afternoon, and I highly recommend it.

Disclosure: I was not compensated to write this review and all opinions are my own.