Ever wanted to live in a boat? How about a landlocked boat? While walking around the neighborhoods…read moreof Encinitas, I came upon these huge boathouses along side other cottages and smaller homes. So quirky but interesting. I admit, I was kinda shocked to see two large boats sitting in the middle of a residential neighborhood. I had to investigate the history of the building of these large vessels. Neither of these boats have been out to sea although they are only two blocks from the beach. In 1928 Miles Kellogg built the SS Encinitas and the SS Moonlight. He used recycled materials from a demolished bathhouse at Moonlight Beach. This "courtyard architecture" was used in early California and was associated with Highway 101. Both boats were purchased in 2008 by the Encinitas Preservation Association and they will be preserved forever. You might be surprised to know that people actually live in both of these boats so you are not able to climb aboard and tour. You never know what kind of local flavor you will discover just be walking around but I was happy to find these boathouses.

These boathouses are so unique. They're off a street in the middle of a neighbor, and people…read moreactually live on these boats so you can't actually visit inside of them. On Saturdays, starting at 10am, there's a walking tour that discusses the history of the boathouses. This tour runs only on Saturday from 10am-4pm.

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

Gosh, everybody... I can't tell you how much joy visiting…read morethis very special rock garden was for me . I've been trying to get here for a couple of years and finally made it and it was worth it. The community that takes care of this large rock garden is amazing. Somebody is raking the ground daily. So many beautiful, heartfelt messages . They've got a military section a college section a pet section. And many many more. I even found an adorable sibling section.. I recommend if you go to leave a donation in their donation box. This little space on earth is amazing.

We moved to Cardiff a little over two months ago after living in Carlsbad and Cabo for the last…read moreyear or eight. Cardiff is completely different than any other North County beach. I've lived in on the app next-door. They call it walkers and composers. And it's very true it's very quiet. It's very artistic and it's this little village with some great great restaurants that are very local. You've got bump coffee with empanadas. You have the greatest donuts at VG. You also have high-end Italian great fish and one of the best grocery stores in North County, bring your wallet because it's the home of Cardiff crack so far it's a really good place to live and it's a great place to visit or camp right on the beach

There's so much to appreciate about this lovely beachfront neighborhood in Encinitas. I enjoyed the…read morescenic views on a Tuesday afternoon, while strolling along San Elijo State Beach across the highway (cool spot to go surfing too). Visitors can explore Cardiff Town Center and the nearby shops and eateries, including pizza joints, a thrift store, post office, Starbucks, and Cardiff Seaside Market where I tried their famous cardiff crack! It's a cute little town, with enough to keep me busy on a sunny winter afternoon, but I wasn't as charmed by it as I am usually by communities like this. It's peaceful here, and I love that it's right by the water, but the shops and restaurants are pretty standard compared to the many unique eateries you'd find elsewhere. At least it's not as touristy as places like Seaport Village in SD, and hence not as busy and crowded, which allowed me to have a relaxing, laid-back experience during my recent visit.

Beach is clean with a free parking lot just above. At the entrance there's a nice little…read moreplayground, a concessions stand with actual options beyond your standard hotdogs and burgers. We came on a cloudy day so it wasn't really crowded and we found free parking in the lot up the hill, just above the beach. The lifeguard station is right there so there was a sense of added safety as my kids learned to surf. Beach was clean, people were chill, and we'll def be back!

We came here as a family and really enjoyed it. I actually believe this beach was recommended to…read moreme, and it was everything they said it would be. The beach was nice and the water felt really good, not too cold, which made it even better. My daughter had a blast playing in the sand and just being free, and my husband loved it too, especially since it was his first time being in warm ocean water. We were able to find a spot that wasn't overly crowded, which made it feel even more peaceful and relaxing. Overall it was just a really good beach day and I would definitely come back.

Sightseeing in San Diego…read more.. Having a few hours between lunch and dinner, I decided to look around the area. I used my Yelp app, searched "Local Flavor", and found "Whale Mural". Let's do something about no reviews for this public art. It's not one of the 19 murals of North San Diego - an article in Macaroni KID. It's not listed in the article in The Coast News, " The Murals of Encinitas". The Whale Mural must be part of the Paint Encinitas Project. Private businesses hire artists to paint their walls - maybe because the City has no budget for Public Art and private businesses want to support local artists? Upon further research, the mural is signed by Aaron Glasson and Celeste Byers. The mural is named: Sonic Sea - Seawalls And was done in 2016. Anyway, this is one of the many murals in Encinitas... And it's beautiful!

Always such a great tradition visiting this area! The houses…read moreare beautifully decorated, the themes are amazing, and my kids always love it! So many houses/families even sell snacks and drinks to take for the trip around the neighborhood! This year we were really looking forward to the man who makes cotton candy in his driveway, and yet again, he did not disappoint! We loved it! There's a house that sells a whole menu of items, from hot food to baked goods, which is So nice! The time and dedication this community puts into Christmas Card Lane is fabulous. It's a must see, in my opinion.

We recently visited Christmas Card Ln. in Rancho Peñasquitos after hearing about its festive light…read moredisplay. While it was a nice experience, it felt a bit underwhelming compared to other displays we've seen. Not every house participated, and the ones that did featured fairly standard Christmas lighting, with a few exceptions. Came on a Friday evening. There was parking scattered. It was 1 mile walk with the loop and cut outs! That said, there were about 4-5 homes that truly stood out and went all out with their displays--those were stunning and definitely stole the show. The atmosphere was pleasant for a walk, and you could easily enjoy the entire display within an hour. Walking is definitely the way to go; driving doesn't provide the same immersive experience. A lovely bonus was the handful of homes selling hot cocoa, cookies, baked goods, coffee, and even pup cups for dogs! We enjoyed some hot chocolate and appreciated the sweet photo opportunities set up by a few houses. Overall, it was a fun evening, but compared to other areas, like the Scripps Ranch light display where every house participates with incredible themes, this felt quieter and less cohesive. However, we greatly appreciate the effort of those who did participate and enjoyed the festive spirit of the evening. A solid 4 stars!

Such a cute neighborhood to visit. I came here recently and stopped by the local ramen shop…read more Although it was night time, I still noticed that there were so many businesses open and honestly, it was thriving. There are so many shops in this neighborhood too, making it a great place to shop and eat and simply spend a day with friends and fam. Def a spot to visit in NCSD.

Carlsbad Village is a great place to walk, shop, and dine. It's quaint, clean, and…read morepedestrian-friendly, with a train station and plenty of crosswalks. The dining scene offers a wide range of options, and some recent favorites include: * Blue Ocean Robata & Sushi Bar * French Corner Cafe * Poki Poki Boba & Brewski * Pop Pie Co. * Shoots Fish and Beer Just across the street is the beautiful Frazee Beach, one of several state beaches in Carlsbad. It features some wide sandy stretches and a great promenade that extends to Tamarack beach. What keeps the village from a 5-star rating? Parking, especially on warm weekends and Friday and Saturday nights. It's no easy feat finding parking anywhere close!

Our team lunch for January was held in Encinitas at Buona Forchetta. It's the last one for me as I…read moream laid off at the end of the week and retiring. There was lots of parking on the other side of the street and we were greeted by a friendly waitress. I tried the gelato. Vanilla gelato was creamy with a rich, sweet vanilla flavor. I loved the smooth texture and bold vanilla notes. Lemon sorbet was icy with tons of sour lemon flavor. Best in small quantities. I'm glad I got one scoop of each. Service was friendly and efficient. I will miss our monthly adventures to places I have not visited before.

i have to say, i was so disappointed in my experience. i used to live in san diego (& work at buona…read moreforchetta, different location) and this was my favorite restaurant, especially for their gluten free offerings. the food used to be so fresh & i don't think you could order anything bad on the menu. i dined in on a monday night & ordered my favorite pasta - the buona forchetta sauce wit chicken - the chicken looked questionable, the sauce was flavorless (the server even brought over additional marinara without me asking because he even thought the color was off...) and i was so sad! all of the gluten free dessert options have also been removed from the menu. i was so disappointed but i did go back to see if the gluten free pizza was still amazing. the crust is still fantastic but the pizza looked like it was created in a rush and the proportions were off, minimal sauce/cheese, a lot of crust.

I used to come to this street fair more often but now gravitate towards the Oside one on Thursday…read more Omgah, it's Thursday lol. But back to the review, please take time to go on the first week of May! There was around 500 vendors, I might be wrong but it was about six blocks full of fun things to be found. They do need some more things for men but then again, women are more in to shopping as a collective. If you love jewelry, small business finds, and food, it's definitely something I will be coming back for. I can't wait to go next year and replenish my earring collection. Recently started to collect them! We also had the most amazing freakin cake!!!! OMGAH!!!! I promise, if you like a cake that isn't dry, even a coffee cake that isn't dry, this company is worth ordering from! I am going to be ordering some yummy gifts for people in the future. It's called Dolce Monachelli's they do have a website and it's the best Bundt cake you will ever have. They have a cute sampler you can always get as a gift bc I will be gifting with these cakes! I think this is the best cake I've ever had! Sorry I don't have picks of the cake lol it was just too good and I forgot.

Did ya'll know that one of the largest street fairs in the United States is the Carlsbad Village…read moreStreet Faire? Well, ya'll know now! This FREE event is sooo popular it not only attracts local people but also people from other States. There are over 750 unique vendors for arts & crafts, antiques, jewelry, hand-made or vintage clothing, games, live entertainment and much more. It's a FUN Sunday full of shopping, food and festivities. So come on Yelp Community don't miss this biannual event!

I was blown away by the amazing Christmas lights at the two houses on knob hill. The fake snow…read moreshow, the bubbles everything was brilliant! The owners really do it big for the kids and I would recommend stopping by to enjoy it! Worth the drive

It's so wonderful to see all the lights and decorations. The owners are fun to talk to. And utter…read moreneighbors have joined in on the fun snd really lit up their yards!