By Barbara Beckley We’re talkin’ totally terrific tiki! Don your Hawaiian shirts, leis and Betty Page garb and hightail it to San Diego for Tiki Oasis, the world’s original and largest Tiki event, July 31 – August 4, 2024, at the Town and Country Resort. This year’s theme is “Way Out West” – and you …
By Kathy Strong There may be hundreds of hotels and resorts in America that claim haunted histories, but only a handful actually offer guided tours filled with spine-chilling tales of its past and legendary ghost sightings. Too spooked to check in? No problem. Most of these tours are also open to non-guests. The Stanley Hotel, …
By Barbara Beckley Wine tasting. Hot air ballooning. Tasty cuisine. Stylish accommodations. Now you can add “Wine-Bottle Art” and “blend-your-own-wine” to the list of reasons to visit Southern California’s award-winning wine region, Temecula. Sitting under a grape vine-covered arbor, I thought “outside the lines;” wielding my paintbrush with care to create wisteria blossoms circling …
Just in time for spring getaways, the San Diego Tourism Authority has partnered with Tripadvisor in a first-of-its-kind immersive mural art campaign that captures the SoCal destination’s sunny optimism and positivity. Running now through April 30, “The Sunny Side of Things” mural art campaign will appear in three of the largest U.S. cities: New York, …
Fall is a special time to visit San Diego, a perfect few months to escape crowds and discover new reasons to love the SoCal city from Halloween attractions to family-friendly events and new restaurants. Monstrous Halloween Fun For the first time, The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular is coming to Sesame Place San Diego this year on …
SoCal’s Oceanside may be straddling more than three miles of northern San Diego’s summer-perfect coastline, but you have to admit that it is the less glitzy counterpart to nearby beach-going communities—a casual, grittier throwback to California’s authentic beach spirit. Oceanside continues to hit its stride as SoCal’s coolest, under-the-radar beach town with a host of …
Story & photos by Barbara Beckley So. I’m driving through Mission Beach in San Diego… Predictable oceanfront apartments, quirky clapboard beach houses, corner bars. Then I turn right – Oh My Gosh! I’m in Polynesia! Behind the “Bamboo Curtain” Entering the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa, I truly am in another world. High-beamed Fiji-style …
Kids and San Diego go together like sand and surf. Constantly rated one of the top family destinations in America, San Diego offers 70 miles of coastline, seemingly endless outdoor recreation opportunities and an ever-growing list of offerings for families to enjoy together or even apart. Parents can relax at the spa, indulge in culinary …
No one can argue the fact that al fresco fun and San Diego go together in the summer. From open-air movie and music venues to an array of outdoor dining options and recreational offerings, there is no shortage of ways to revel in the sunshine while safely enjoying all that SoCal’s San Diego has to …
From events to restaurants and art, you have lots of new reasons to visit San Diego. Take a peek at what Spring has in store. Events Mission Fed ArtWalk is back for its 38th year. This free premiere arts and culture event in San Diego’s Little Italy runs from April 30 – May 1, providing …
With San Diego’s recent Blue Line Trolley extension, you can now ride all the way from the U.S.-Mexico border to La Jolla in the north. And with the expansion comes all sorts of new adventures, including sight-seeing, shopping and, of course, taco tasting—a favorite local pastime. It’s a natural San Diego’s proximity to Mexico, plus …