Living Coast Discovery Center

The Living Coast Discovery Center is one of San Diego's most underrated family attractions -- a small nature center on the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Chula Vista that offers intimate animal encounters at a fraction of the cost and none of the crowds of the major attractions.

The center's signature residents are endangered green sea turtles housed in a large outdoor pool. These turtles swim right up to the viewing walls. During feeding times, naturalists answer questions while the turtles eat.

The stingray touch pool is the other marquee experience. California bat rays glide through a shallow pool. The raptor aviary houses non-releasable birds of prey -- red-tailed hawks, barn owls, great horned owls.

The center's location on a wildlife refuge adds a dimension that indoor facilities cannot replicate. Walking paths wind through salt marsh and mudflat habitat where great blue herons fish, snowy egrets stalk through shallows, and fiddler crabs wave their oversized claws.

At $16 per adult and $11 per child, it is significantly more affordable than the San Diego Zoo ($67/adult) or SeaWorld ($70+/adult) while offering a more personal, less overwhelming experience.