Archive for January 2008

Balboa Park, the gem of San Diego, is not only an incredibly beautiful place to stroll through gardens and enjoy lovely architecture and views of the city, it is also a place to take pleasure in entertaining and educational museums. When taking a child to Balboa Park, there are enough activities to fill several days, so pace yourself. Here are some of the must-see and must-do activities in Balboa Park:

Balboa Park is home to a large variety of museums that will appeal to many different interests. Among the most kid-friendly are the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, and the Natural History Museum.

The Model Railroad Museum is like a train-loving boy’s vision of heaven. The whole building is filled with elaborate displays of towns and countrysides with working model trains running through them. The details are impressive, from the teeny-tiny towns complete with stores and houses, to the itty-bitty people, cars, and trees. My kids especially love the train display with the ‘50s theme in the back room, mostly because they can press buttons to make different trains move.

Whether your child is interested in trains or not, he’ll enjoy a ride on the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad, driven by a friendly conductor. The short and sweet ride takes you on a ½ mile loop through 4 acres of the park.

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is a popular spot for field trips and playgroups for good reason. This interactive museum features hands-on activities for kids of all ages on topics from space exploration to the creation of sound. There is even a toddler area called Kid City, where younger children can build, create, and dress up. If you have time, check out a huge-screen movie or a planetarium show in the IMAX theater.

The Natural History Museum is another kid favorite, especially when there is a dinosaur exhibit. Consider attending on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. for Nature, Mommy, and Me, when you’ll get a tour of the museum along with story time for your little one.

Be sure to visit the lily pond in front of the botanical gardens. My kids love to run alongside the pond watching the large koi swim. Adults will enjoy the view of the Botanical Building, the most-photographed building in the park. Step inside to show the kids the carnivorous plants eating insects and steal a few moments for yourself to check out the extensive collection of more than 2,100 plants and flowers.

The World Beat Center features African Drumming and Dancing classes for infants to adults, which are popular with playgroups. Nearby is the most popular playground at Balboa Park, Pepper Grove Playground, which has plenty of slides, swing sets, and climbing equipment, as well as picnic tables and shade trees.
Other popular attractions for kids are the Balboa Park Carousel, the Butterfly Garden, the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater, the San Diego Air and Space Museum, the San Diego Automotive Museum, and the San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum.

Be sure to take advantage of Free Tuesdays at the Balboa Park museums. For a complete listing of dates, visit http://www.balboapark.org/calendar/detail.php?EventID=370. Note that some free museum admissions are offered only to San Diego residents. See website for details.

If your kids beg you to take them to Chuck E. Cheese, they’ll probably also enjoy My Kids Clubhouse in Poway. As my 7-year old put it, “My Kids Clubhouse is basically Chuck E. Cheese without pizza or video games.” The large room houses climbing tunnels, 3 wavy slides, a small ball pit, a pretend play area, and a toddler area, in addition to a snack bar and a few tables where moms can sit back and enjoy a latte. Besides the tables, there were a handful of rocking chairs (a thoughtful touch since there were a lot of moms with infants). The scene included just about every type of parent—lots of moms with at least one child, more than a couple of dads, a few grandmas, and a playgroup or two.

My oldest son and his friend (both age 7) ran through the tunnels repeatedly until they were drenched in sweat. My middle son (age 5) tired of the tunnels after about 30 minutes and started following around my youngest son (20 months) in the pretend play area. The play area was sparse, in my opinion, consisting of a few wooden play kitchens, a train table, a cash register, a toy box full of costumes, and a couple of bookshelves with toys on them. I expected more—maybe tools, doctor kits, that sort of thing.

We had planned to stay for 2 hours, but after about an hour, my boys were all ready to leave. On the ride home, their reviews of My Kids Clubhouse ranged from “Awesome!” (from my 7-year old) to “Bor-ing!” (from my 5-year old).

If you’ve been a parent in Southern California for long, you know that most indoor play places are insanely busy when the weather is rainy or very hot. My Kids Clubhouse is no exception to this rule. When I took my kids it was a double whammy—a rainy, cold Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—and My Kids Clubhouse was at or near capacity. However, according to two parents who go regularly, it’s rarely that busy.

My Kids Clubhouse is available for birthday parties and offers several different packages and pricing options. However, note that the clubhouse is open to the public during parties, so it could easily get very crowded with kids other than your guests.

Admission is $7 for the first child and $5 for each additional sibling. Infants under 1 year are free with paid admission. Adults are always free. Check out the San Diego Family Magazine for a discount admission coupon and don’t forget to wear socks!

Even if you’ve never dreamed of competing in the Indy 500, you’ll love the exhilaration of racing your own kart around the indoor track at Miramar Speed Circuit. I’m no speed demon out on the roads (how quickly do I really need to get to the grocery store?), but those little karts bring out the Dale Earnhardt in me.

My family has made a tradition of racing at Miramar Speed Circuit for the past few years around Christmastime and everyone enjoys it. We’ve battled relatives from my 70-year old uncle to our then-6-year old son. The competition can be fierce (my husband and brothers are a wee bit aggressive on the track), but the track marshals keep a close eye on the drivers to ensure that no bumping occurs and that everyone stays safe.

Before you can drive, you are given a safety briefing and an explanation of how the karts work. After you pick out a helmet and neck guard, it’s race time! I don’t know much about go-karts (or racecars, for that matter), but these little karts are so freaking fast! You can get up to 40 mph on the straightaways and then zip and skid around the hairpin turns of the technical asphalt track. The karts turn on a dime and are much easier to drive than one might think. After a 10-minute race, each driver is given a lap time report that tells their overall race time and how he or she placed against the other drivers. Let the gloating begin!

Junior karts are available for kids who are under age 12 and at least 48” tall. Drivers of the adult carts must be at least 54” tall. All drivers must wear closed-toe shoes.

Regular admission is $23. Discounted rates are available for members ($60/year) and for groups. Tuesday nights are 2-for-1 race nights and there is a lunch special Monday-Friday.

Brazilian BBQ isn't just a meal, it’s part feast, part endurance test. You may think that last sentence was a joke, but anyone who has been to a truly great Brazilian BBQ would agree with me. When I first strolled into a Brazilian BBQ (or Churassco in Spanish) a couple of years ago, I had been warned by a friend that the whole experience may be a bit overwhelming at first. Brazilian BBQ is a completely unique experience from any other type of eating, which can intrigue some and intimidate others, so I will lay down the ground rules for the inexperienced. Take notes, because you will be tested.

Rei Do Gado has a reasonable price of $25 dollars per person for a Brazilian BBQ Lunch. The way Brazilian BBQ works is that once you sit down, you receive a placard with a green side and a red side on it. The green side is to indicate to the waiter (or Passador in espanol) that you want to be served, and the red side is to tell the waiters to stop bringing you food. "Why would I ever want to put it on the red side?" you might be asking, "I can eat a lot!". Well, I bet you can, but each Passador comes around with a skewer wrapped in meat that has been marinated and grilled fresh. The meat menu is rather large and includes top sirloin, kosher beef, ham and pineapple, lamb, filet mignon WRAPPED in bacon (Only Homer Simpson could come up with this stuff) I mean...the list of meats goes on and on.

I didn't even know that many varieties of meat existed before I stepped into Rei Do Gado. The smell of freshly grilled lamb and the concept of having a buffet come to you rather than the other way around, combined with the enthusiastic waiters who want you to try everything, can easily overwhelm a newcomer. If you get distracted by the whole experience and keep your placard on green for too long, you might look back to your plate and find a huge pile of meat that you didn't expect stacked on it. A good tactic is to keep you card on green for a couple of meats, then flip the card to red so you can relax and enjoy your meal without feeling pressured to eat too much too fast. I promise you the waiters will still be there when you flip your card back over.

Besides the freshly grilled meat, with your $25 dollar "cover charge" you also get unlimited access to the appetizer/salad bar, which has a wide variety of salads, roasted vegetables, sweets and other appetizers to choose from in case you need to balance out the 20 pounds of beef ribs on your plate. My only complaint is that some of the appetizers were empty, leading me to believe they were either really good or the wait-staff was too busy to refill them, leaving me a little disappointed.

Rei Do Gado is one of the best Brazilian BBQ places I have been to, and I was impressed by every aspect of the place, from the tranquil setting (great place to bring a date) and variety of meats offered, to the eager servers who were more than willing to load up your plate with food. The location was right near the hip gas-lamp district of San-Diego, so its centrally located in case you want to go to the mall or bar-hop after you eat (That is, if you can gather the strength to move after eating so much).The price was also fair for the lunch BBQ, however the price for the dinner BBQ is rather expensive, hovering around $45 dollars per person. The dinner menu is supposed to be have a lot more variety than the lunch menu, but honestly, whether you spend 25 or 45 dollars on your Brazilian BBQ experience, you'll be so full you wont want to move for the next 8 hours.

So that pretty much sums up Rei Do Gado and Brazilian BBQ in general. The key to Brazilian BBQ is to stay calm, be sure to come hungry and bring pants that will stretch out. Trust me, you'll need em.

With abundant bars and fashionable dance clubs, San Diego shines in all its brilliance after dark. You can party under the moonlight at the hottest spots in Downtown San Diego

If you want to be in the center of the center of San Diego's nightlife, then the Gaslamp Quarter is an absolute must. The area boasts a diverse variety of restaurants to satisfy your palate and about twenty nightclubs to entertain you after dinner.

Looking for a younger crowd? Head to Tremors near Mission Beach and you won't miss a beat with a two-level dance floor and expansive patio. If you're looking to impress a date, dine at The Prado at Balboa Park, voted most romantic spot in San Diego.

Do the two-step at the recently renovated Mulvaney's in East County as you soak up the latest country western music. Want to really be in the center of it all? Head downtown and step into On Broadway, one of the hottest contemporary nightclubs. If you're looking for wholesome fun, play detective at the Mystery Cafe Dinner Theater.

Make a stop for a Red Trolley Ale at the popular Karl Strauss Brewery as you head to the legendary Gaslamp District in the heart of San Diego. While you're there, make time to do an Irish jig at Maloney's Tavern or sip a cocktail at Onyx.

Hungry? Dine at one of the ninety restaurants the chic District has to offer. State law prohibits serving alcohol past 2am, so finish off the night with a latte and chocolate at Ghirardelli.

When you are out visiting in the beautiful city of San Diego, the one thing that you absolutely must do is eat! Food critics come from all over the world to experience the eclectic cuisine and culture of San Diego.

Seaport Village

San Diego's Seaport Village is another marvelous area in which to find fabulous cuisine. The best-known restaurant there is the San Diego Pier Cafe. Don't be fooled by the name, it has picturesque views, and seafood that tastes like it just jumped onto your plate from the bay.

The Gaslamp Quarter

One of your first stops should be The Gaslamp Quarter, one of San Diego's liveliest neighborhoods. With over 90 restaurants to choose from, you better come with an empty stomach. There is no better place to fill it then at The Field Irish Pub. From the signature Guinness Beef Stew, to the Fish and Chips you can't deny the hearty Irish quality that is in every dish they prepare.

Downtown San Diego

Downtown San Diego has the most diverse restaurants, and is also considered one of the premier places to eat. With highly rated local restaurants such as Bertrand at Mister A's, Trattoria La Strada Restaurant, and a French favorite, Laurel Restaurant, you don't always have to find yourself in a crowd to find delectable cuisine. Some of San Diego's best restaurants are hidden behind the hustle and bustle of tourists; you just have to know where to look.

San Diego is a great place to look for a romantic interest. It has a very large population and has a large mixture of people.

The city boasts beautiful beaches which are utilized all year long. Many of the San Diego beaches also have boardwalk type areas with bars and restaurants right up against the sand. It makes it a lot easier to find a potential mate when there are so many people around. The weather in San Diego is very mild, and even in the winter it does not get very cold.

San Diego is home to Navy and Marine Corps bases. If you are interested in men or women in uniform, San Diego is the place to be. On the weekends the clubs and bars are filled with Sailors and Marines looking to find that special someone.

San Diego is known for the Gaslamp District which on the weekends is crammed full of singles. There is every type of bar or club you can imagine, from piano bars to gay bars.

If you are a little older, don't despair. San Diego has a very diverse population. You could head out to Coronado Island where extravagant houses and shopping abound. The crowd there tends to be a little more mature and it is easy to find someone nice to talk to!

San Diego offers anyone a chance to find their one true love.

Just north of Mexico lies seventy miles of beautiful Pacific beaches with a warm and sunny climate all year round. California's second largest city, San Diego, is bordered by mountains to the east with the Anza-Borrego Desert just beyond.

San Diego is rich in culture, not just a strong Mexican influence, but Portuguese and Sicilian as well. The rich ethnic culture of the city is evident in the unique cuisine. From fish tacos and burritos to pizza and panini, there is something for every taste.

With such a diverse landscape and culture, it should be no surprise that San Diego offers an even more varied range of activities to enjoy. Relax on the sandy beaches or take in a game at one of the many arenas. With museums, parks, theaters and more, boredom is seldom an issue under the sunny San Diego skies.

Transportation options are also in abundance. San Diego offers freeway and highway systems for auto traveling. There is also trolley, train, and bus services all around the city. San Diego has miles of bike paths for recreational cycling.

San Diego is home to several colleges and universities, including three accredited schools of law. The city also houses the Pacific Fleet of the US Navy, along with numerous other Navy and Marine stations. Diverse culture, beautiful lands, and a wonderful Mediterranean-type climate make San Diego an ideal location to visit. Over three million people call San Diego home.

With the perfect weather, the rolling mountains, and 70 miles of coastline, the number of things to do in San Diego are endless.

The San Diego Zoo

One of the most popular attractions is the San Diego Zoo. It is considered one of America's best zoos, as it is home to some of the rarest animals in the world, all shown in their natural habitat from the Arctic Tundra to the Rainforest.

Museums, Parks, and Attractions

Balboa Park is one of the most admired urban parks in the United States. Once you are done walking the park, you can catch the Old Town Trolley, which is a two-hour bus tour through the city. It will take you through the Seaport Village, which is a 14 acre shopping, dining, and entertainment Mecca, and then onto the Cabrillo National Monument. The monument, named for the explorer who discovered San Diego Bay, is home to the Point Loma Lighthouse, which sits 433 feet above the ocean. It offers a museum, and absolutely amazing views of the bay and skyline.

San Diego is also an art lover's paradise, boasting wonderful art museums and some of the most comprehensive collections of art in the country. History, art, marine life, great parks, spectacular zoos, it can all be found in San Diego.

Right off of the I-15 is a hidden gem where fitness fanatics and nature lovers alike come together—Miramar Lake. Surrounded by a 5-mile paved road is a beautiful and calm reservoir where anyone can go to escape the craziness of modern-day living. Bustling with activity most days, you’ll find everything from kids on training wheels to die-hard cyclists, from fishermen in waders to the Scripps Ranch firefighters getting their daily exercise, from hot moms jogging in fashion workout attire to cute little grannies out for a morning stroll.

Nature lovers will enjoy the views of the lake and the city, as well as the ducks and birds that populate this area. Watch out for the psycho geese, though! While I’ve actually witnessed someone hand-feed a goose at the lake, I’ve also seen these birds attack more than one pedestrian who did nothing more than innocently walk by them on the path. You should be safe tossing breadcrumbs to the ducks, though, a favorite activity of my own kids. You can also rent rowboats Saturday-Tuesday and try your hand at reeling in a trout or a wide-mouth bass.

If you’re at Lake Miramar for exercise, you’ll appreciate the mile markers every ¼ mile, the abundance of port-a-potties along the path, and the clean restrooms and water fountains near the parking lot. If you’d like to venture off of the main path, there are some great trails below and above the paved road. Don’t wear your clean new sneakers on the paths, though. Even if it hasn’t rained recently, the lower path can still be muddy. And just like most places in San Diego, be sure to watch out for rattlesnakes, especially in warmer weather.

While I run at Miramar Lake regularly and have always felt safe, keep in mind that there was an attempted sexual assault there in December 2006, so stay alert if you run, walk, or bike solo. It seems much safer since the dam was re-opened last summer because now there are pedestrians moving around the entire lake all day. Obviously, your best bet is to go when there are plenty of people around.

Even if you’re neither a workout extremist nor a bird watcher, the lake is a great spot for a picnic as there are loads of picnic tables and barbecues. Crack open a beer (canned—no glass allowed), sit back, and enjoy the view!