Tucked away inside the massive 285 acre Kit Carson Park, you'll find Queen Califia's Magical Circle…read moreGarden by renowned artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Completed and opened to the public on October 26, 2003, this whimsical, meaningful, and colorful sculpture garden is surrounded by an incredible 400 foot snake wall. Once you meander through the mosaic & mirrored mini-maze, there are nine freestanding sculptures: Cathead Totem Birdhead Totem Yelling Man Totem Bullhead Totem Untitled Totem (Bird on a Square) Kingfisher Totem Step Totem Snake Totem Each totem is something marvelous to behold, and de Saint Phalle's mosaic work is simply spectacular. There are also 3 freestanding benches faced in travertine marble by Pierre-Marie Lejeune that measure from 13-20 feet in length. In my opinion, the standout feature of the garden is the central structure called Queen Califia and the Eagle Throne. It is so beautifully unique, and the space underneath almost feels sacred with the golden egg (former) fountain and the spectacular celestial ceiling. Queen Califia was a legendary black Amazonian who was believed to rule a terrestial island of gold and riches "to the right of the Indies." It is only fitting that this special garden has been erected in her honor. In fact, this is the only American sculpture garden by Niki de Saint Phalle! The garden is surrounded by a locked fence and is only open on Tuesdays and Thursday from 9am-12pm, and on 2nd & 4th Saturdays from 9am-2pm. Docents were available to answer questions today, and they are usually onsite during the hours when the garden is open. This special space is certainly worth a visit, and it would be lovely to pair it with a hike and a picnic in the park for sure. Keep in mind that there is a short walking trail that you need to traverse to get to the garden after you've parked your car, Additionally, you can hike in from other areas of the park as well. Be sure to take a look at the story boards to the right of the entrance facing the snake wall before you enter to gain more history and context for this special installation that we are lucky to have in Escondido. Entry is free and parking is free. There are bathrooms in the park. I took about 20 minutes to peruse the area, and that was enough time for this visit (it was also 90 degrees), but do plan accordingly depending on your interests and needs. Peace.

When I knew I'd be spending a few days in Escondido, I started looking into all that this San Diego…read moresuburb comes to offer. After checking out TripAdvisor, Queen Califia's Magical Circle Garden stood out. I'm all about art, especially when the scale is impressive like it is here. We stopped by on a Tuesday morning around 9:30 a.m. Make sure to check out their website to see when they're open because their hours are quite limited (Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. when I was there and every fourth Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.). It's located inside Kit Carson Park. I didn't have any trouble parking in their lot and then walking to the sculpture garden. Once you arrive, take in all the artist, Niki de Saint Phalle, created. It's weird, it's cool, and it's trippy all in one. There's some information you can read to learn more and while we were there, there were some members of the non-profit that is involved with the art installation there that told us more about it. Walk around and take it all in. You can easily do it in 10-15 minutes and it's a free attraction. Saint Phalle has other artwork in San Diego, but the Magical Circle Garden, is by far the most expansive one in terms of scope. And the most interesting in my book.

I LOVE Old Escondido Historic District. This is my favorite part of Escondido. There are 900 homes…read morein this area, and they were built in the mid 1800s. There are so many beautiful Victorian homes here, as well as old, small homes; each one is different and unique. It is pretty peaceful, with not as much crime as other parts of the city. I highly recommend you check this area out if you like to see what a city was like long ago.

It is always so cool to see how towns looked like a long time ago! My favorite part of Escondido's…read moreHistoric District is the beautiful Victorian homes since all of them are unique. It is perfect for a very calm stroll

What a great place for anyone, young or old to visit. Come visit and see and learn some history of…read moreSan Marcos. They have some great collections of antiques and a few historical buildings as well. Please call to find out some info on some hands on craft, chores and lifestyle from 100 hundred years ago. The staff are wonderful and very informative. Great place to have a picnic too!

One of the highlights of my 8 days with my grand children who live in San Marcos was going to the…read moreSan Marco's Historic Museum. Catie had been there on her first grade field trip and really wanted to go back. It was an amazing tour of the history of their area led by Docent Mimi for just us. The kids loved it (me, too). We would highly recommend.

A good place to transition from the Sprinter…read more This place has a decent bathroom so you can use the facilities during your transfer from Oceanside or downtown. The majority of the bissed going west and south are all waiting. No restaurants but it has a vending machine to quench your thirst.

This seems like a decent transit center to me. You can catch numerous Breeze busses, MTS busses are…read morehere also. Bus 235 goes all the way to Santa Fe Depot in San Diego. The Sprinter goes to Oceanside. They have restrooms but they may be dirty like Oceanside and Santa Fe Depot. I also noticed security. It may be a little dirty, but you're only here to catch your bus. Leave the homeless alone and they won't bother you.

This freeway is much faster moving than many other ones in San Diego. There is also a carpool lane…read morefor people with 2 or more people in the vehicle and for those who pay for a fast pass. There are many lanes, so only traffic around 7-9 AM, and 4-6 PM. Again, it moves faster than the 5 or 805, for example.

They seem to be keeping up with the road it is a lot better then then interstate 5 going to Los…read moreAngels and back to San Diego

This adobe is so beautiful, and there's so much history to learn! It's free but they do allow…read moredonations. Walking in I was greeted by a really sweet lady who gave me a tour of the house and explained the story of the house in so much detail. All of the furniture was amazing and the house itself was beautiful. It was fascinating hearing the stories about what went on in each room. They even have a spot in the wall where you can see the original adobe, that was super cool! Check out this hidden gem if you're in the area, it's a great story and a beautiful property.

I highly recommend the walking excursion from Rancho Bernardo (starting from the Lake Hodge bridge)…read moreto the Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead. It takes around 45 minutes at a slow/normal pace and is not only a great workout on a sunny day, but also you will see how well connected is Rancho Bernardo with that initial portion of Escondido. I saw the Adobe house before and after remodeling and I have to say the job done is amazing. Besides, the volunteers and staff working there are very knowledgeable and explain all you want to know about the history of the house, the family that lived there and the incipient population of SD North County, without overwhelming you. The rooms are very nicely decorated and you feel like you are transported to another era, but they don't forget the modern times and I was impressed the first time I went to discover they had an elevator for wheelchair users, so that is a total plus for visitors with disabilities. Sometimes there is a farmers market on Sundays, so the whole thing makes a very nice excursion from-to Rancho Bernardo. By bicycle is also very pleasant, but be ready to find on the way tons of real bicyclists in groups, so watch out the traffic and you will see bridges with different eyes (you will pass below the freeway!).

There are 7 total ships, including the Star of India, and a submarine. You can purchase your ticket…read moreat any of the main booths/boat entrances, then show your receipt to visit the others on the same day. The flexibility of a self-guided tour was great. One ship was away on a sail in the afternoon this past Saturday, but there was more than enough to explore on the various vessels during our visit. Plenty to see and experience on each of the boats. We stepped onto the swift boat where staff educated us about its machine gun. And we walked through and checked out the different sections of the USS Dolphin submarine too. The HMS Surprise was a lovely ship with plenty of references to its use in films. The Star of India was like a museum all on its own, so many areas to explore and a ton of history to learn. The Californian was pretty basic, not very different from many other ships we've visited in the past. Steam Ferry Berkeley was the largest, with displays showcasing scientific instruments, model boats, artwork, the riverboats in Vietnam, the engine room, a torpedo caught by a fisherman, and a special exhibit featuring the "histories of the black pacific". There's a gift shop on site as well. Altogether, the variety of ships at the Maritime Museum made for an interesting adventure, a bit touristy, but worth the cost if you're into history or simply like boats.

Ok so I will split this into two reviews:…read more 1: the ships and actual adventure 2: the reservation process and customer service 1: booked a trip for the Spanish replica ship adventure the San Salvador and really loved it. The ticket also got you access to the other ships to walk around which was cool. But the coolest part was that San Salvador was sailed like they would have sailed it waaay back when. We got to see real rigging masts sails steering all being done by a crew and it was a totally amazing experience and such a perfect day. Bonus: we saw dolphins and it was a perfect day. Drawback: the gentlemen speaking throughout didn't talk into his mic often so missed a lot but oh well - who's really going for history?! such a good time!!. 2. I had a good with my tickets and called and tried to talk to folks in person and could never get someone. The tickets were cancelled but not refunded which was a bummer and staff in the kiosk even said they phone lines were messed up. A bummer. :(

Our company is a member of the San Marcos Chamber. We have really enjoyed the variety of events…read morethus far to connect with other business owners, civic leaders, and more. The Chamber is not only great about helping businesses connect, but also providing fun community events such as the weekly Tuesday Farmer's Market, the Taste of San Marcos, and both a Spring and Fall Festival. Keep it up!

Rick and his team are awesome to work with! Thank you SMCC for the wonderful referral network in…read moreand around the San Marcos Community!

This was my first time visiting the Escondido Public Library and I had a great experience! While…read morewaiting for the library to open, they have couches and chairs outside so you can sit comfortably. The library itself is very organized and has a calm, enjoyable atmosphere that makes it a nice place to spend time. Signing up for a library card was quick and easy, and the staff were very helpful & kind throughout the process. There's also a section specifically for kids located on the left side, which makes it a great space for families as well! It's easy to see how this library serves as an important and welcoming space for the whole community! Overall it was a really welcoming and engaging library, and I'm glad I was able to check it out!

The San Marcos library has been closed for renovations for a few months now and even though they're…read morereopening pretty soon, I've been meaning to check out the Escondido library in the mall. I remember taking my kids to the original location when they were babies! Cowboy Charlie by the big tree was always their favorite activity there! The library isn't hard to find in the mall. It's close to Target. From what I could tell, the library took up 4 storefronts- let me walk you through it: There are three sections near each other and one is across the walkway- that's the used bookstore. Definitely check it out- you never know what you'll find! Now, as for the three attached storefronts: 1. Main section- lots of options! 2. Kids section- I peeked in and it looks great for the little ones! 3. Event center- there wasn't anything going on but look online, they have a ton of activities for all ages! My kiddo found tons of young adult books in the main section (the librarian said sometimes they overlap in the kids section so if you don't see what you're looking for, ask!). It's really easy to get a library card. You can check out books for 3 weeks and if you need to renew them, you can renew them up to 3 times. Returns are easy- in the library, a drop box in the mall, or a drive up return box outside the mall. Long live libraries! 5 stars!