Adventure in San Diego

Description:

This is the most popular kayak tour. If you can ride a bike you can kayak. After a brief paddle instruction and safety talk, you take your kayak down to the beach. And launch your kayaks from La Jolla Shores and paddle to the La Jolla Sea Caves taking in the gorgeous views and watching for the abundant wildlife. You can see numerous types of sea birds and usually sea lions, seals and sometimes dolphins. You then kayak into the fascinating kelp beds of the La Jolla Ecological Reserve and enjoy the surf zone on your way back. Kayaking is fun for all ages! No experience necessary.

What to Expect: Be prepared to get wet! For safety reasons, the tour operator does NOT guarantee going into the caves on tours. This tour is not recommend entering the caves for pregnant women, small children or inexperienced kayakers.

This tour is recommended for ages 6 and up. Participants must be able to swim.

Special Offer - Book and travel by December 31, 2008 and the price displayed includes 10% off the recommended retail price - BOOK NOW!

Description:

Start at La Jolla Shores. You will ride on the bike path overlooking the ocean, through the beautiful back streets of La Jolla, through Bird Rock, Wind'n'Sea, Pacific Beach and then return to La Jolla Shores. Short stop at La Jolla Cove and Children's Pool on the way back and you will usually see quite a few seals or sea lions!

What to Expect: The pace is not strenuous, but expect to do some pedaling! This tour is mostly flat, with a few hills (that can be walked up).

MINIMUM 2 PASSENGERS REQUIRED PER BOOKING

This tour is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Our Local Expert Says:

Don't leave without trying the Panzerotti - the hottest seller - and basically a calzone with ham and cheese (or ask for the special of ricotta and spinach)

Description:

If you want to experience a piece of Italy, look no where else in San Diego than Mama Mia's - owned by local Italians, this Pacific Beach treasure was once a local secret and has since expanded to the area's favorite Italian destination. Upon entering you'll be greeted by a loud and boistorous crew of "fresh off the boat" Italians who loved food just as much as you do. Owned and operated by the husband and wife - the husband who will greet you with a warm Italian welcome while the wife works away in the kitchen - is just the local flavor Pacific Beach needs more of. From fresh pastas of ravioli, lasagna- a small corkage fee for bringing in your own bottle, salads and meat entrees, you'll never leave without a fresh feeling of Italy.

Our Local Expert Says:

Mission Bay isn't just a place for college kids - with tons of fine restaurants, a boardwalk and "celebrities" it's a great place to relax, enjoy the beach and eat!

Description:

Near the manmade islands of Mission Bay, this beach runs along Mission Boulevard and boasts a fabulous boardwalk. One of the best places in San Diego to soak up the city's beach lifestyle, this is an unsurpassed area for people watching or building sandcastles. For a faster pace, rent a bike or in-line roller skates. Or better yet, take a ride on Belmont Park's world-famous wooden roller coaster. Whatever attraction you choose, be prepared for large crowds and limited parking. Dogs allowed on leashes before 9am and after 6pm.

Description:

Enjoy the fun this Mission Beach icon has been offering for decades. Fully renovated, but still clattering, this roller coaster, offering 2600 feet of thrills and 13 hills, was part of the original Belmont Amusement Park, built in 1925. Today, Belmont Park offers 12 other rides such as bumper cars, an edless wave for surfing fun, and a carousel, game arcades, and shops and restaurants.

Our Local Expert Says:

Go on Thursday nights where the beats are popping!

Description:

A new echelon of hip, casual sophistication is ushered into Pacific Beach with the arrival of Bar West and its downtown-meets-the-beach vibe. Offering California coastal cuisine, re-imagined, Chef Larry Abrams injects flavors from Louisiana and around the world into the menu, creating savory plates designed to be shared. A cool, inventive seafood bar anchors the interior's loungy atmosphere, where patrons can indulge in a variety of the freshest local seafood.

Description:

Los Peñasquitos (meaning little cliffs) Canyon Preserve lies between Rancho Peñasquitos and Sorrento Hills to the north and Mira Mesa to the south. Stretching approximately seven miles from the I-5 and 805 merge to just east of I-15; it encompasses some 4,000 acres of both Peñasquitos and Lopez Canyons, with trails perfect for hiking, biking, and equestrian use. Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve attracts people with its natural beauty and rich natural resources both today and in the past. Native American history within the Preserve dates back as far as 7,000 years ago. More recently the area was part of the first Mexican land grant in San Diego County, and the ruins of pasts adobes are still visible. There is a full variety of habitat, a year-round stram and riparian woodland, a small waterfall cascading over volcanic rock, grasslands, scrublands, groves of sycamore and live oak, and a fresh water marsh. Wildlife is plentiful, including coyotes, bobcat, and mule deer and numerous raptors, such as hawks, eagles, kites, falcons and owls soar overhead. A multitude of birds are found in the wooded areas. There are several convenient entrances to the Preserve. The east entrance, or staging area, is located at the intersection of Black Mountain and Mercy Roads. The western staging area is on the south side of Sorrento Valley Boulevard, approximately 1 mile east of Vista Sorrento Parkway. A convenient northern entrance is near Peñasquitos Creek Park at the intersection of Park Village Road and Camino Del Sur in Rancho Peñasquitos. A staging area for Lopez Canyon is located at the intersection of Pacific Mesa and Pacific Center Boulevards in Mira Mesa. Look for the information kiosks located at each of these entry points that designate the trail head and provide additional park information.

Our Local Expert Says:

Padres games can also be enjoyed from Altitude Sky Bar, the rooftop bar at the Marriott Hotel across the street.

Description:

Home to the San Diego Padres, Gaslamp's PETCO Park is one of the most distinctive features in downtown San Diego. Concrete walls separate the rest of the city from it's major league baseball players, where every summer hundreds of fans from all over the country come out to show their support for the blue and gold (officially "sand"). Just outside the massive doors are some of Gaslamp's most lively bars and nightclubs, perfect for before or after game drinks, while inside fans nosh on Friar Franks, beer and peanuts. In true San Diego fashion, the cheap seats offer up families and big parties grass seats, while kayakers can often be spotted catching the wide screen from the adjacent ocean. 

Description:

This San Diego Gaslamp District Segway Tour is the perfect way to see all the important sites! Hop on a Segway and glide from sight to sight on this cool narrated tour that is sure to please tourists and natives alike!

This tour is narrated and offers a brief Segway instructional session.

Stops include: 

• China Town
• Convention Center
• Seaport Village
• USS San Diego Memorial and USS Midway
• Museum Hub
• Rose Gardens
• San Diego Bay

Our Local Expert Says:

With great PR reps on hand, you can bet Quality Social will be hosting an event you're dieing to attending this year!

Description:

The newest addition to downtown San Diego is Quality Social, an upscale bar and restaurant that serves both drinks and locally grown dishes late into the evening. Right in the heart of San Diego's Gaslamp district, the venue offers outdoor seating for the summer months and an expansive space filled with two bars, booths and a VIP room. Unique entrees fill the menu that serves up everything from hot dogs and grilled cheese to hamburgers with fried eggs and Portuguese fish. While it tries to steer clear of the typical upscale bar in downtown, most notably without a cover charge, Quality Social still maintains an upscale feature ideal for downtown lovers.

Description:

A far cry from the tired burger-and-memorabilia joint over on Fourth Avenue, this new 12-story condo-hotel has a sweet location -- right at the gateway to the Gaslamp Quarter -- and plenty of star power in the personages of master chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and nightlife tastemaker Rande Gerber. Matsuhisa, who has partnered with actor Robert De Niro on restaurants in New York, Milan, Tokyo, and London, adds San Diego to that heady list with Nobu, the Hard Rock Hotel's signature eatery. Lounge impresario Gerber works his magic with two bars, one on the ground floor, Sweetwater Saloon, and one on the fourth-floor pool deck, Moonstone Lounge. The Black Eyed Peas weigh in, too, with a million-dollar "doped-out" suite specially designed by the group. It's one of 17 "Rock Star" suites, some of which include private decks, fire pits, outdoor hot tubs, and 270-degree city views. Standard rooms are hip and modern, with sophisticated furnishings and 42-inch TVs; accommodations are also well soundproofed from the Gaslamp hubbub. The Hard Rock also features two music venues (Folsom, a 500-person-capacity indoor space, and Woodstock, a 9,000-square-foot area next to the pool), a full-service spa, and a retail boutique.

In Rooms: A/C, HDTV with on-demand video and video games, Wi-Fi, 2 dataports, personal electronics docking station, minibar, hair dryer, iron, safe, 2-line telephone, alarm clock, daily newspaper