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    Dave's Rock Garden

    4.9 (18 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours

    Dave's Rock Garden Photos

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    Beautiful Aloe with white flowers!
    Vin S.

    Dave has done an amazing job of creating a beautiful little public garden near Moonlight State Beach. It is always fun to see what new stuff has been added. Dave even allows you to paint your own rock and place it in the garden. He is often around for a chat while weeding, raking, and basically keeping the magic happening! Next time you are walking down B Street (Encinitas Boulevard) on the way to the beach, stop by and spend a little time enjoying the artwork! You can't miss the garden located between 2nd and 3rd.

    On the path.
    Timothy R.

    What a cool place, spawned from one man's vision to make a patch of weeds on a small hillside next to Moonlight Beach into something the community could enjoy. It's quite a story. Once Dave Dean finally got it cleaned up, artist Candace Jesse Jessup painted a thank you to him on a rock and placed it there. This token of appreciation, thanks to Dave, blossomed into the attraction it is today: thousands of painted rocks from people all over. Dave's Rock Garden is inspiring, beautiful, and fun. And it's right next to Moonlight Beach, making it a perfect diversion for a few minutes. Next time I'm there, I'll add a rock to the garden as a thank you to Dave and all the other artists who've created this small oasis.

    Kristin Leigh M.

    What a super cool place! I found this rock garden accidentally - I was out for a walk and then literally came upon it. It is HUGE! I've never seen anything like it. I believe Dave must have been there, as there was music playing and a gentleman walking around. I would have said "hello" but was running late. Definitely worth a visit. It's incredible. I even sent photos to one of my friends who paints rocks, too! 2021: 9/100

    Ani G.

    Very beautiful rock garden. Owner Dave was amazing ,sharing stories about the garden he made. Please donate him when visiting his garden. Super cool man.

    Your garden is absolutely outstanding and Amazing!! I'm Angi from Oceanside, and 2yrs. Ago I also cleaned out a city side strip area that sits on wisconsin Street directly across from the 101CAFE. It was growing and doing quite well until "somebody complained" and on Apr. 1st, city came and removed all the painted rocks and decor ! I am heartbroken! I often checked in with all surrounding businesses and people used to drive by and walk by and thank me for what I was doing( even got handed a $100 bill one day! ) but now it's gone and I could really use any advise or tips on what I can do. I have a petition of over 170+/- signatures supporting my efforts but would like to meet with you. Help!

    Clarissa T.

    Cute little garden right by D Street Viewpoint! Visited it before going to the beach, it's free to walk into! It was a nice little unique place! Very artsy.

    Volkswagen collection 2021
    Franklin M.

    If you love art and rocks and love to paint rocks then you shouldn't miss this rock garden near the beach. There are some beginner rocks and some really nice professionally painted rocks showing the various talents of the locals. I left behind a small rock I had painted and I hope it brings joy to the visitors.

    Henry M.

    I loved this place! I brought my parents down to the area expecting to stop here for five minutes and then continue on to the botanical garden, but we stayed here so long we never made it to the botanical garden. Dave's Rock Garden is this unadvertised hidden oasis of rocks. Each rock is painted, glazed, and placed by Dave. Dave even supplies paint and brushes so anyone who visits can decorate a rock and leave it for him to glaze and place in the garden. It might all seem random, but there definitely are themes (like an area that's all college teams) and lots of the rocks are very impressively painted. There are some real works of art here that you find as you wander around looking at the rocks. This place screams SoCal and is perfect for a little 30 minute side trip. We got to meet Dave as well and he seems like such a happy and wonderful person. He's not paid to do any of this and shells out his own money for the paint, but it seems like he's so content with the garden and that makes me happy too.

    Our addition
    Brittany H.

    Squeeeeeee!!!! We finally added a rock. We live no where near this place but every time we came to the area we drove by and kept saying we have to add a rock. Today, we remembered and finally added a Halloween rock. I love that a town came together and protected this place from being taken out. It is so special to see a growing piece of art that you can come back time and time again and always see something new. We didn't notice till we walked through, but, you can even paint your own rock there if the inspiration hits:) Such a cool idea and I can't wait to come back and add my next rock :)

    View from the southwest.

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    4 months ago

    This place is just super chill. No matter how many times we have visited we still always find new and inspirational rocks.

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    Ask the Community - Dave's Rock Garden

    Review Highlights - Dave's Rock Garden

    And it's right next to Moonlight Beach, making it a perfect diversion for a few minutes.

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    Little Italy

    Little Italy

    4.4(342 reviews)
    23.7 miLittle Italy

    The walk through the Little Italy area the walk through the many parts the many parts you can see…read morethe many older buildings for the area of Little Italy was the center of the boat building and the tuna industry that had ties to the Seaport Village. Little Italy has the early years of the history for the many sailors that have anchored at Little Italy for the docks there were of the docks that the US Navy trained the sailors to patrol for submarines and train those that helped the baby and supply ships. For the early years of Little Italy the many older buildings and the chapel of the Rosary which was the parish the sailors would come to ask for protection for the many fishing boats and sailors protecting the fleet. From the history of little Italy you can find find that the many neighborhoods from the foods and the chalk art that is famous in the country of Italy. With the many areas of San Diego over the years during the war airplanes were shipped there and vehicles shipped over seas from the ports of San Diego. The fishing Industry that came from the Little Italy the tuna Industry that was produced here in San Diego through canneries were connected to the fishing fleet docks. For the Little Italy area the history runs long with the connections to the years of the assembly of San Diego. With the city it has the many food and art festivals that show so much the chalk art is one that shows the many years of the history of Italian Art and the History Little Italy . As a Yelp Reviewer there are so many things there is to see if Little Italy the chapels which has the history of Little Italy. The food they serve is the road of the food they served and the fish that was used from the sea making a great history.

    The wife and I came here in 2018 and liked it so much that we returned. Thus, I decided to update…read moremy review. This time in 2025, I avoided food poisoning and did not go back to the restaurant that made me deathly ill in 2018. It is still open and still serves gelato. My impression this time was much more favorable. There are so many restaurants to choose from, it is hard to imagine how we made our choices last time. It's a pizza lover's dream. I think you could eat pizza at a different restaurant every day for half a year. There are cute little shops and food stores that sell Italian foods and pasta. The Little Italy is quite large, I think larger than the one in NYC, so you can spend a lot of time walking, eating and drinking, and people watching.

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    Little Italy
    Little Italy
    Little Italy

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    Burbank Five Points Art Monument

    Burbank Five Points Art Monument

    4.7(3 reviews)
    98.3 mi

    I was told the reason the park is called Five Points is because 5 streets used to intersect there,…read morebut since Costco was built, it rendered the namesake mute. However, the monument on top of the hill has triangle shaped plaques naming Burbank's sister cities, so in a way the name still works. The park itself is tiny, basically a small grassy delta at a busy intersection. Its crowning point is a hill with a statue on top of Burbank's namesake, David Burbank, who was a dentist and real estate investor. The statue is posed in a way that makes it look like he's overseeing the city he built, but most likely he never imagined what it would become since he died in 1895 and Burbank didn't become "The Media Capital of the World" until around the early 1900's. The pillar on which he and the American flag sits is carved with images recognizing important figures and eras in Burbank, like Amelia Earhart, who once lived and flew here, and the railroad and film industries that helped the city grow. At the base, including the aforementioned plaques for the sister cities, is a time capsule set to be opened in 2060. For such a small park and monument, it tries to encapsulate as much of the city's history as it can. I actually ended up staying at this park for a couple of hours while waiting for my car to be fixed since the surrounding area is full of tire stores as well as restaurants. Instead of waiting in a crowded lobby full of impatient people wanting their car back, I sat on the grass, admired the trees in full bloom, most of whose flowers had fallen and carpeted the grass, and I also got to enjoy the view of the mountains which the statue also seemed to be doing. Parking is free on the main road and side streets, or if you're like me your car is being held hostage by the tire store. If you live in Burbank, are just in the area, a history buff, or just looking for something to do, this is a nice quick stop.

    A beautiful, patriotic, and reserved space in dedication of a time capsule to be happened in year…read more2060 and important names. This is a small area but provides a lovely stroll without worrying about stepping over any litter.

    Photos
    Burbank Five Points Art Monument - Amelia Earhart

    Amelia Earhart

    Burbank Five Points Art Monument - Burbank's namesake, David Burbank, who was a dentist and real estate investor.

    Burbank's namesake, David Burbank, who was a dentist and real estate investor.

    Burbank Five Points Art Monument

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    Dave's Rock Garden - parklets - Updated May 2026

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