We come to this area so often, I can't believe this is our first visit!…read more This place is magical My littles loved visiting here so much They did not want to leave They loved feeding the animals (tortoises, chickens, and pigs); So much outside space to explore; They loved seeing the hawks and falcon; Can't forget they got to touch the snake and lizard ...Best Day Ever Logistic Notes: Free Parking and Admission Indoor bathrooms and hand sanitizer at all animal areas; Lots of park benches to have snacks and lunch; Inside play areas and gift shop

Soo cool! Such a surprise. You think it's a small community center, but it's packed with…read moreactivities, light snacks, coffee, a stage, play rooms, books, toys, and best of all - animals! There's a pig that gets walked by a staff member intermittently, turtles you can get up and personal with, chickens, owls, hawks, falcons, snakes, starfish, etc. This is a great venue to take your kids. They have activities such as story time, and they also have an area where you can learn about the natives. There's areas to hike around the beautiful lagoon. You can be a member or take a look for the day for about $15 which is very reasonable. I believe it's worth it. They really maximized the space. It's a wonderful place!

Despite being a California native, I've never been to a California Welcome Center, despite living…read moreto much closer ones. We wanted to stop by for a restroom break and to stretch our legs and eat some of our snacks before making our final voyage to San Diego and we saw the welcome center when we turned out of the freeway. Definitely stop here over a regular rest stop or fast food joint. We came in around 15-20 minutes before they had to close and all the ladies working there were super friendly, welcoming, answered all of our questions. Restrooms are super clean and smells nice too. They have a sign in sheet for visitors, lots of brochures for nearby attractions, an entire car inside for photos, lots of neat bits and pieces of history of the area and sights to see including info about pro-skater Tony Hawk, the surfboard museum or something nearby, and much more. Lots of neat gifts and trinkets for you to take back on your trip too. There's also books, and goods made by local artists. My friend from Texas got a cute kitchen towel with the art of all the animals and such from California. Cute! There's a discount corner and everything is reasonable and affordable. At the side there's also someone posted there to assist you with booking hotels and I'm sure other things like tickets to events or attractions, I'm sure. Going here has inspired me to eventually visit the other Welcome Centers too!

One of the things I love to do when traveling is to visit the local welcome center and I find…read moremyself always looking got them when away from home, so I was super excited to find that Oceanside has a Welcome Center! Yippee! The last one I went to was in Ventura and that was also fabulous! This Welcome Center is smaller than the one in Ventura but it was very solid! The two ladies that helped me today were sweet and knowledgeable. Since it's gonna hella rain the next couple of days, I asked for some indoor suggestions and they both were well prepared to answer my questions! One lady even pulled out a handout that had many rainy day activity sessions! I was pointed to go visit the Mission San Luis Rey, which I promptly did later and it did not disappoint but also got plenty of indoor suggestions like a vintage market to check out, go to the mall and go to the movies (I will probably do all of these things and more!). I also loved that they had very informative magazines, brochures for North Coast, and all of Cali and other states too! I was in heaven with all this information! Definitely give this place a visit if you like doing research on your travels! I loved it!

Talk about up close and personal!…read more This is a small airport, so don't get too excited to see big jets or constant activity. BUT there's only a 4ft fence between you and the planes, so you have constant viewing pleasure. There's at least 5 picnic tables next to the fence (with plenty of trash cans) and logs to sit on. They've made it quite comfortable. We pulled our car right up between two tables, rolled our windows down and just enjoyed the view. It was so nice. There's a constant breeze as well - this was nice today since it was 89 degrees. Felt like summer! I don't have small children anymore, but if I did, I know they'd get excited to be here. We saw a couple planes land/take-off and also a sheriff helicopter do both also. It was really cool. This airport is on one of the tallest plateaus, so the views are far and wide. It's up against an avocado orchard too. Funny thing, there's a pay phone in the parking lot for anyone who may not have a phone and needs to make a call while hanging out here. lol Love it.

Took the kids for lunch at the airpark. They have picnic tables to eat lunch at. You can bring he…read morefamily for lunch and watch the planes coming in or practicing. I have been in Fallbrook for 5 years and wish I had tried this sooner. We plan to return on a weekend for lunch with the who,e family. We heard there's a lot more action on a Saturday. Great free activity to take the kids. I enjoyed it a lot myself.

A friend of mine was showing her art here and I came for the reception. It is back in the original…read morelocation from the last time I was here. It's a cute little spot. They have a lot of different art in various mediums. There were several pieces I was drawn to and most are for sale. I wish I had more wall space. They had a table with small bites and red or white wine. They announced the winners and handed out prizes. It was a nice event. Congratulations to the winners.

Today was my first visit to the North Coastal Art Gallery and I was very impressed. Not only is it…read morea free gallery, many of the pieces are for sale and fairly priced -- especially for their level of skill. When I walked into the space, the man working greeted me quickly and said I could fill out a small paper choosing my favorite piece, and they do a 'best in show' every month, based on the votes. That painting will be featured and the artist gets a ribbon too. It made the experience interactive, which I really enjoyed. Can't wait to see who wins!

Studio Ace was fantastic for my son's 8th birthday party! I can't say enough good things about…read moreMichelle and everything she did for the boys and our party guests. She was extremely hands-on, professional, patient, and amazing with the kids from start to finish. The amount of artwork and activities available kept everyone engaged, and we absolutely loved the Japanese-inspired artwork and overall vibe of the studio. I was honestly surprised to learn this place is a nonprofit. For about $250 for 15 kids, it felt like a great value. Unfortunately, three kids didn't show up, but the setup still worked out perfectly. The layout is on the smaller side, so I wouldn't recommend too many adults, but it created a cozy atmosphere where everyone could still enjoy themselves comfortably. One of the best parts was being able to bring our own food. We had pizza, and because we're Filipino, we also brought pancit and lumpia, which everyone enjoyed. The location was convenient as well. Parking was decent for the middle of the day, and having a dollar store right next door was perfect for grabbing a few last-minute party items. Overall, the two-hour party felt like two minutes because the kids were having such a great time. We enjoyed art, pizza, cake, and quality family time together. Highly recommend Studio Ace for a fun, creative, and stress-free kids' party experience!

What a fun experience for our kiddos! It's nice to have a place that teaches art and they are well…read moreorganized. The kids and I passed by often going to the library and they have free coloring pages hanging outside in a creative way. So to get to take classes after a year of passing it by, well my only regret is not enrolling them earlier. Check it out! Last class (an hour long) hubby and I had a little early dinner together next to the art studio. There's two teachers and a large window and kids completed fun art pieces I've not seen before. And I've been doing art for decades. So much fun!

We visited Olivenhain Farms for the first time for their Monday morning animal play session with my…read morealmost 3-year-old and had such a fun morning! It's a cute, small farm right across from the San Diego Botanic Garden with easy parking right out front. They have miniature ponies, goats, a pig, rabbits, chickens and quail. The experience was very hands-on the kids fed the animals lettuce and Cheerios, brushed the ponies, went inside the rabbit enclosures, and got to interact with the pig and chickens outside their pens. They also had painting activities, a super cute mud kitchen with bubbles and utensils, and ended with fresh fruit in the shade and story time. Just wholesome, messy toddler fun! The instructor was great with the kids--laid-back, friendly and informative. I think the Monday morning session is especially perfect for kids under 4. We drove up from Chula Vista, so I'm not sure I'd make the drive specifically to do the same session again, but it was absolutely worth experiencing once for $40 and we had a great time! Bonus: walk across the street to the San Diego Botanic Garden afterward and make a whole day out of it!

I enrolled my grandson in a summer farm camp at Olivenhain Farms. He had a great time. Ms Natalie…read moreis very organized and surrounds herself with great volunteers to help with the camp. The area used for camp is well kept and clean. The kids made crafts, held some of the animals, planted sunflowers and washed the pig. It was a great place for my 4 yr old grandson to spend outside time and play with other kids.

Such a wonderful experience coming here! For those interested in architecture, design, and/or art…read morethis place is a gem! Reservations are required so make sure you pick a time and day that works for you. Starting in June, admission prices will be $10 or $7 for students and military veterans. There is no parking lot, but street parking is available. I would say to give yourself about a 20-30 minute cushion to find parking and then walk over to the institute. The staff here are very helpful and accommodating. There are security guards on patrol, but they are also very nice and welcoming as long as you don't go over the top with your Instagram pics.

STUNNING. Who knew…read morean institute could be the perfect runway for Luis Vuitton?! They hosted LV for a fashion show in Spring 2022. There has got to be something special about the ambiance, landscape, view, and architecture! Let me show you! The place is NOT open to the public unless you have reservations. Parking is free if you can find a spot at the institute. Check in with front and get your access band, and then you are on your merry way to explore and take photos. It is an institute and there are a ton of researchers working - do not disturb the peace as I did. Security be watching folks like a hawk so be mindful and respectful of the rules. I got lost in the architecture and went in the building (curious yet unintentionally) - my bad. And then reescorted back to ground zero. However, at times I felt like I was encapsulated in a scary movie. Quiet, weird building architecture, no people around except a bird here and there. Then It felt so peaceful and you ask yourself "where the heck am I?!" Pictures don't do justice but videos do.

We stumbled upon this Farmstand when we were killing time before a performance at The Hive up the…read morehill on a Sunday afternoon. While we didn't buy anything because we were headed to a show and didn't want it to wilt in the hot car. We were pleased by the variety of offerings. Theodore favorite is rainbow chard and they had some for sale. The staff was friendly, it pay what you can with suggested prices and for those who can't afford veggies you can check out in a special line with staff assistance. I was delighted to discover this hidden gem and will be back to support them!

Our friends told us about this farm and we were honestly blown away. We were visiting North County…read moreand kept saying the whole time how much we wish we had a place exactly like this closer to us! The farm stand is absolutely adorable. I love the concept of making fresh food accessible to everyone and anyone. It's such a great mission. The highlight for us was the nature play area; my little one could have stayed there for hours. They've done a fantastic job creating an outdoor experience that's genuinely fun and engaging for kids of all ages. I also loved the "lead experiences" they host every hour. We joined the chicken feeding, which was a huge hit thanks to Daniel! We felt very safe throughout our visit, and the security team was incredibly helpful and a special thanks to Stephanie for that. We're already looking forward to our next trip back!