If you’re into hiking, rare trees, towering cliffs, sweeping panoramic views, the ocean, beaches, salt marshes, and waterfowl, then Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve (not park) is for you. Why the distinction between a reserve and park? Well, the Torrey pine is found in only two places, Torrey Pines Natural Reserve and Santa Rosa island,… Read More Torrey Pines State Reserve
A cheese lover’s paradise, Venissimo Cheese offers a wide variety of cheeses from around the world. Their friendly and helpful staff will let you sample the products and will help educate you before you make your decision—and making a decision is a tough prospect here. You can choose between cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s milk cheeses… Read More Venissimo Cheese
Each spring, 50 acres of hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Carlsbad are washed in the brilliant colors of thousands of Tecolote® Giant Ranunculus flowers. Typically, the bloom season is early March through early May, but that can vary based on weather patterns each year. The 2016 bloom season opens 1 March. You can wander… Read More The Flower Fields of Carlsbad
My grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Germany in the 1920s, and I speak enough German to embarrass myself—a skill that isn’t all that handy here in San Diego given the prevalence of Spanish speakers. (Although my rudimentary German has been helpful interacting with guests from Germany and Austria when volunteering at Cabrillo National Monument.) When I feel… Read More A Taste of Germany at Tip Top Meats
The Imperial Valley Desert Museum (IVDM) certainly takes small, regional museums to the next level with its interactive displays, exhibitions, activities, and easy access to their curatorial staff. The IVDM Society worked for nearly 40 years to create a space to house and display the archaeological collection of the Imperial Valley Community College, and their… Read More Imperial Valley Desert Museum
If you’ve ever felt that your day is going in circles, here’s a perfect opportunity to just embrace that feeling. The Balboa Park Carousel has been letting people ride in circles for over 100 years. Built in 1910 by the Herschell-Spillman company in North Tonawanda, New York, the carousel first landed in Los Angeles before making its way… Read More Balboa Park Carousel
Full disclosure: I love trains (and pretty much anything that rides on rails). As a toddler, rather than playing with my Tonka trucks in a sandbox like the other kids, I lined mine up in a row and drove them along imaginary tracks. Go figure. I also enjoy historical things and places, so it made sense… Read More Ride the Vintage Trolley
Tucked away on the most southwestern point in the continental United States is the 800-acre Border Field State Park. As its name implies, its southern border is the U.S.–Mexico border. Like many things in San Diego, the park is diverse in its offerings. The park is part of the larger Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve,… Read More Border Field State Park
More often than not, Cabrillo National Monument is the first place that I take my out-of-town visitors. The expansive views of both the Pacific Ocean and the city are a great way to orient someone to the city. Cabrillo National Monument is part of the National Park Service and is San Diego County’s only national… Read More Cabrillo National Monument
I was looking for something to do on the first day of my four day holiday weekend, and I was reminded of the large sand dunes east of Brawley while checking out Google Maps. I had seen the southern end of the dunes near Yuma on my way into California on I-8, but had never seen… Read More Algodones Dunes
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