I really love this area. The shops are a upscale, lovely,…read moreunique and friendly. Perfect to find a souvenir that isn't tacky. Local artisans are featured in most of the places. You can ride a bike or stroll down the street, grab a bite or a coffee and enjoy the ocean breeze. Plenty of places to stop and linger. Paradise!

A nice change of pace from La Jolla Cove and Shores is a visit to the Cedros Business Districe…read morewhich is a long block of business in Cedros Avenue. It has a lot of charm with various stores including furniture, pet, clothes, stationery and other functional items for in and out of the house. You ask why review a whole block and not individual stores. There are individual reviews already in this site for the businesses, what I wanted to review was the atmosphere and how this block welcomes its customers. First and foremost, parking is worse in the Summer because more people are out but on a January Sunday afternoon, I found it easy to find a spot in front of one of the stores. However, since there is a Farmer's market from 2-4 pm, parking is available in most store lots that are not open on Sundays. If you are really looking for a different shopping district to visit on a lazy Sunday afternoon, go to this area. The beach access is within walking distance across Highway 101. There is a bridge over the train tracks that allows you access towards the beach. Important touches for this area is the benches that are spread around the block. It gives you an opportunity to rest if you are tired from walking. The most important part of this block is the availability of various options. Farmer's market on Sunday, pet boutique with its small yard with dog houses, stationery and furniture store with unique gifts, wrapping and household items and outside furniture for your patio and garden. There is also the Cedros garden which is a smaller version of those big box stores that sell plants. They are very knowledgeable about the plants they sell. So if you and the dog want to get away from the regular area downtown, Coronado or La Jolla, take a drive towards Solana Beach. Very dog friendly including some of the restaurants in the area, Wild Note Cafe (part of the Belly Up Tavern venue (musical acts etc.). The Pacific Coast Grill just over the bridge also have an outdoor venue that allows dogs. The beach does not allow dogs so if you have poochie, you can view the surfers and the beach and the sunset but not take him down.

It's been almost a year since I've been here to The Turkey Hat. There have been some amazing…read moreupgrades. Rosé is the topic of the evening. I'm truly impressed with the variety of Rosé. From France to Napa we've tasted some wonderful variations. I hope to make it back by mid September. The owners have mentioned that there might be a special Octoberfest special. I hope to be invited back.

Another visit to the Turkey Hat makes for a happy Andy. The turkey hat team had some issues this…read moreyear with making accommodations for a party so big, so they were able to be there for my friends and I in December. This year their staff consisted of Brad, Chad, Ryan, Jake, and more. Even the hunk hunk Wine Guard made an appearance and wow-ed the crowd with his wine saving skills.

This is a beautiful, backroads part of San Diego County full of beautiful nature and large homes…read more There are homes worth millions here. Unfortunately, there is a huge lack of sidewalks, shoulders, and bike lanes here, so people are forced to walk their dogs and ride their bikes in the roads here with traffic. Please be safe, stay alert while driving, and watch for people in the winding roads.

Carlsbad is my hometown…read more So you can imagine I enjoy coming back to visit. Carlsbad is HEAVEN! I love the beautiful beaches, rock cliffs, and of course the Pacific ocean. Everything about this city is marvelous. Close to downtown San Diego, only 1 hour from Balboa Park & Laguna. The people here are exceptional, kind and caring. Neighbors are true friends and everyone says "Hello" when you pass them by. The weather is always perfect. Sunshine and blue skies are mostly always in season. It hardly ever rains, except sometimes during June Gloom or in December, before it gets a little cooler. A short drive south and you'll arrive at Torrey Pines state park. This park offers phenomenal, mostly paved, hiking trails and beautiful coastal views. I also loved visiting Carlsbad Village because it's full of artisan shops and restaurants like Richard Walkers Pancake House. The Daily News Cafe is good too but definitely only sit outside! There are many delicious seafood and Mexican restaurants, but my all time favorite is Handels Homemade Ice Cream - must go! Such luscious homemade ice cream with large fabulous portions and an immense amount of flavors. If you bring your pet you will definitely be in for a treat because Carlsbad is full of animal lovers. I try and visit yearly but wish I had more time to go. It's a must visit if you're in San Diego County. I can't wait to go back.

Super unethical gas prices and terrible Verizon Cellular LTE Service. One out of Four bars is the…read morenorm on an iPhone. Why do we as local residents put up with such citywide issues? The squeaky wheel gets the grease. I can't fight the good fight all alone. Contact Carlsbad and State politicians...unless of course you enjoy the low points I brought up.

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!

Not much to see or do. Shops have short hours. Concept has merit but needs work. Still nice to see…read morethe effort.

A cute alleyway filled with street vendors selling their art! People had earrings, necklaces,…read morerings, paintings, drawings, t-shirts, sweaters, candles, crocheted things, tea, and more! This happens on the weekends and it is outside, so it's pet friendly! I saw about 8 dogs while I was walking through. This is also a very LGBT+ friendly space. I loved being here and I bought some beautiful pieces of art!

City of Carlsbad is known for its beautiful beaches and many attractions. I've been coming to this…read morecity over the course of several years. If it's not for a half marathon, it's for vacation or pickleball tournament nearby. I don't do half marathons anymore. My presence here is for the latter nowadays. It's a beautiful city with lots of shopping, dining, entertainment, and many other to-dos. It sits right alongside the west coast. It neighbors the City of Oceanside. Two power cities to explore! Flower Fields and Legoland are two attractions that sure brings in many visitors every year. Carlsbad Village is another reason to be here. I could spend an entire week or two and wouldn't even cover everything. Resident homes are well kept at least from what I can tell on the outside. So many local businesses to support. If you've never heard of Carlsbad, it's time to get acquainted with it!

The best. What a great city…read more I enjoyed things in another realm, but visible to those who are looking. I showed up and things got better. Thank you

Family-Friendly hiking / biking through Escondido's eastern agriculture district…read more If you want to experience the San Pasqual Valley you need to do without a car. Sorry, just visiting the Wild Animal Park doesn't count.. There are so many biking/hiking trails that span the entire valley. The diversity of wildlife here in San Pasqual is as rich as any other place in San Diego. Once known as the valley of eagles, you can still see many hawks gliding up and down the hillsides. On any given day you may come across a snake, a coyote, a deer and many unique insects. Some of these trails are heavily trafficked by mountain bikes (Coast to Crest/Mule Hill), so be cautious if you're a hiker. In any case, pick a trail, keep your eyes open, and have a great time with the family. Tip - A good destination is Raptor Ridge. You;ll get a view of all sides of San Pasqual Valley plus there are parking lots within a few miles of the viewpoint. Ysabel Creek Rd larking lot to the East, and the Old Coach lot off Highland Valley Rd. San Pasqual Trail Guide - Mule Hill Trail - San Pasqual Agricultural Preserve Trail - Highland Valley Trail - Coast to Crest Trail - Clevenger Canyon North Trail. - Clevenger Canyon North South.

When mother nature calls…read more.. It's time to get out and visit your local backroads! In North County San Diego, there is an area dedicated as an agriculture preserve known as the San Pasqual Valley. Much of the 14,000 acres remains untouched and is maintained by the city or county of San Diego. The area is established under an Escondido zip code (part of the second largest city in San Diego County) and is in close proximity to the communities of Ramona, Poway and Rancho Bernardo.You will find vineyards, wineries, farms, orchards, produce stands, CSA's, ranches, trails, historical sites, museums, and the world famous San Diego Zoo Sarfari Park in the valley! I first visited the valley approximately 10 years ago and I have never left...it's the perfect balance for a town and country day! #SanPasqualValley #WorldFamousSanDiegoZoo #TownandCountry