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» CA.THEME PARKS this relatively new theme park in the San Diego suburb of Carlsbad has quite a bit going on. Sure, the place boasts mind-boggling Lego replicas of famous architectural icons (the Statue of Liberty and the Taj Mahal among them), but it also incorporates rides, eateries and a water park. Still, the most unique area is Miniland USA, which features dioramas of seven areas of the U.S. (including New Orleans, Los Angeles and Washington, DC). The area was built with more than 40 million Lego bricks at a scale of 1:20, and it took nearly three years to complete. Fittingly, it's also home to the Model Shop, the headquarters for the park's 10 master builders (a window allows guests to witness these professionals at work). Other Bay Area Parks The San Francisco Bay Area is home to two other popular parks: California's Great America (in Santa Clara) and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (in Vallejo). Rides at Great America range from scream-inducing (Flight Deck, a roller coaster, has one 360-degree loop and a zero-gravity roll) to family-friendly (the Carousel Columbia is the world's tallest double-decker carousel). For younger children, there's the 60 2 013 travel guide to c al ifo r n i a Peanuts-themed Planet Snoopy; for toddlers, KidZville. The vibe at Discovery Kingdom is more eclectic. In addition to rides such as the Medusa roller coaster, Boardwalk Bumper Buggies and SkyScreamer (a swing ride), the park also is home to a number of animals, including Tava the African elephant, Jocko the walrus and Shouka the killer whale. Many of these animals demonstrate natural and learned behaviors as part of organized shows every day. CityPASS Once you've decided where to go, try CityPASS for saving some money. Southern California CityPASS knocks one third off the price of admission to Disneyland, Disney California Adventure Park, Universal Studios Hollywood and SeaWorld. CityPASS is a single-admission card that's good over a 14-day period and allows you to skip most ticket lines. Buy your CityPASS at any of the above attractions or online at citypass.com/ southern-california. CA » FIND FANTASY YOUR Children's Fairyland fairyland.org Disneyland disneyland.disney.go.com Universal Studios Hollywood universalstudioshollywood.com Legoland California california.legoland.com SeaWorld seaworldparks.com/en/seaworldsandiego CityPASS citypass.com/southern-california California's Great America cagreatamerica.com Six Flags Discovery Kingdom sixflags.com/discoverykingdom LEGOLAND; STEVEN WILSON SeaWorld With three locations across the country, SeaWorld has cemented its position as the most visited marine mammal park on earth. Fittingly, the first of these parks opened in San Diego in 1964. Today, the place is a sprawling homage to nearly dozens of different species of marine life, including dolphins, sea lions, walruses, polar bears and whales. It also is one of only two places in the world where emperor penguins are kept in captivity. Arguably the most famous resident of SeaWorld was Shamu, the name of the first black-and-white killer whale (also known as orca) brought to the park in the 1960s (the name "Shamu" is now used interchangeably as a stage name for all orcas during "performances" where the animals jump on command). More recently, in the 1990s, the facility temporarily housed J.J., an orphaned gray whale calf, until the animal was rehabilitated and reintroduced to the wild. IN LEGOLAND California, above, a small city takes shape; the thrill of the ride at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, left.