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!

Beautiful garden with an array of CA native plants. Gravel paths meander through hillside. This…read moreplace Is larger than I anticipated. Many helpful signs identifying plants. Garden is well-tended to. No sketchy people in sight unlike the comment I read on Google, which was 7 years old. Nice to see wooden bridges and lookout deck built by the Scouts. I appreciate all the work that volunteers must dedicate to keeping this garden flourishing.

Free SD public native garden that's got a variety of plants and paths to walk along or sit down and…read moretake in the greenery.

Even though we weren't able to go inside and fully explore Fallen Star, we were in the area and…read moredecided to stop by anyway -- and I'm so glad we did. Such a cute and incredibly cool concept. It's amazing how they created a house perched on the 7th floor, almost floating off the edge of the building, and the tilted design makes it feel so surreal and unique. Even just seeing it from the outside was worth the visit. It's one of those places that feels hidden and special. You can tell so much thought and creativity went into it, and it made us want to come back to experience it properly. Just a heads up -- they're only open Wednesdays and Thursdays, and reservations book up quickly, so I definitely recommend reserving ahead of time if you want to tour inside. Such a fun and fascinating spot to check out!

SO COOL!! The "FALLEN STAR" is a cottage perched at an angle off the edge of the main Jacobs School…read moreof Engineering building at the University of California, San Diego. It is an art installation created by South Korean artist, Do Ho Suh. The structure was installed in July 2012 and has become one of the icons of the campus' Stuart Collection of public art. Public visiting hours for the Fallen Star are on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Individuals must sign up for either Weds, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm, or Thurs, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm. I visited on a Saturday, so I didn't get a chance to see the fully furnished interior or the exterior garden on the rooftop. Some day when I'm back on campus during the week! For now, I'll just admire it from the ground level. It's about a 2-minute walk from Parking Lot P503.

Before I forget, let me tell you about how wonderful this ocean front walk is!!…read more I came here a few weeks ago and grabbed breakfast in PB and then took a nice stroll from PB on this path to Mission Beach, one of the best things to do to lift your mood and turn that frown upside down!! So many people here and we can all share the space. I loved seeing everyone out, some on bikes (but they couldn't get thru much), some joggers, some roller skaters, and plenty just getting physical activity in! I honestly was tempted to jog the entire path but was carrying a few things so decided against it. Ill come back next time and just plan to jog it! Great place to get some sunshine, ocean air, nature's medicine! Wish I could give this place 10 stars !!

Ocean Front Walk is one of those places that perfectly captures the laid-back, sun-soaked spirit of…read moreSan Diego. Stretching along Mission Beach and Pacific Beach, it's a vibrant mix of beach culture, people-watching, and nonstop activity. What makes it special is the energy. You've got cyclists cruising by, skaters weaving through the crowd, street performers drawing small audiences, and beachgoers heading straight from the sand to nearby shops and food spots. It feels alive without being overwhelming--there's always something happening, but you can still find moments to just pause and take in the ocean views.

I never heard of the Thread Show until I saw some on-line deal for $10 admission to get in an hour…read moreearlier than the Noon start time. I didn't go this route since I didn't care to really get there an hour early and the line just to check in would probably dip into the one hour window anyway. I did, however, RSVP on the Thread Show official website to get 50% off the $10 general admission. One thing that threw me off was when I received my email confirmation, it said "Now that you have RSVP'd for SAN DIEGO on September 26, 2010, your entry price for the show will be $5 at the door and your name will be on the RSVP list at the front door upon your arrival. Don't forget to invite your friends!" My thoughts...September 26th, 2010?? Oh well, I did my part. Decided to show up at 3:00, walked over to the RSVP table to be told my name was NOT on the list. Great. I can tell the girl was tempted to charge me the full ten bucks. I simply told the girl that I wasn't trying to make it up to get 50% off admission and after she fidgeted for a while, I paid my five bucks and wandered around. Cool spot for this type of event, I love going to these types of gatherings, but one of the three rooms was incredibly hot in there. The lighting, the crowds and all the flat irons at the hair booth was a bad combo for what felt like 90° in there. The selection of vendors was diverse, some had marked down their prices toward the end just so they can get rid of the stuff. I didn't have to wait too long to check out the merchandise at some spots that had limited display space. I did buy my teen, artsy-fartsy nephew a funny $10 black t-shirt that said "End Hunger, support starving artists"...lol! Overall I had an okay time. I didn't load up at the bar with Svedka beverages or the sushi booth that was there, but the set up was cool. I might go back if they updated their RSVP link so it would have those that truly RSVP'D on the dang list.

It was awesome here. I love the vibe I get here, and how there's always such new things I find…read more Where do I start?! So we signed up for the VIP list, so we got in for $5, and the best thing is that kids are free. :) So this comes by every year (they 'tour' around Southern California). They have indie art and designs, shoes, clothes, and jewelry. My favorite part was the art gallery, where I met some very cool artists with their work on display! I loved their jewelry. I'm big on indie pieces you cannot find anywhere, so I literally wanted to buy the entire display. They had one of a kind bags and shoes too, but very limited on sizes. Part in Horton Plaza, and its right above Sam Goody. Parking is validated for 3 hours and then you can walk around Gaslamp for a bit afterwards.

The Baron is back!…read more Now that the Baroness and I are freeholders, I feel that my review needs an update, so here we go: Bosforo - Haven't been, but heard good things. Turkish pizza? Worth a try. Get a reservation; this place is always crowded. Sahara - Mediterranean takeout (with a couple of sidewalk tables). Decent beer selection, but read the label. They sell some NA brews. Caveat emptor! Nozaru - Their vegan ramen is on my list to try. Thai Joint on Adams - This jawn never disappoints. Their roots go back to Plumeria in University Heights, but they have vegan as well as omni menus. Dos Palmas Cafe - My sister said that this was the best breakfast sandwich that she has ever eaten. Hopnonymous Brewing Company - A welcome addition to the neighborhood. See my review. Rosie O'Grady's - They are back, and so are $5 draft Tuesdays! But, do they have live music anymore? Miss Shelly's Shack is slinging the grub, but if you are vegan, don't come hungry. See my review. Ska Bar - RIP Uptown Bicycles - Game Over Community Fridge - A free resource where we can share food and other resources with those of us who are less fortunate. It is in front of Normal Heights United Methodist Church. Adams Avenue Theater - Event space that sometimes hosts free comedy shows. I love Normal Heights. Normal Heights loves cool visitors. The Baron has spoken!

We randomly and luckily stayed at an Airbnb in this neighborhood…read more There are great coffee shops, breakfast sandwiches at Lestats, ice cream and plenty of craft beer and hard liquor bars. Look carefully and there are custom painted electric boxes around this walkable neighborhood. Plus, there is a grocery store and pharmacy at the east end of the neighborhood. The name Normal Heights cracked me up every time I saw the sign. Why be normal?! Life is good!

My son is an aviation nut and he and a friend who is a pilot discovered that they can come down to…read morethis quiet part of Liberty Station and watch planes from San diego International Airport land and take-off. It is an excellent locale to park and wander right up to the water's edge of the Bay and really do some awesome plane-spotting. This morning I went early when it was very foggy to check out the action. I parked in the parking lot across from Ace Hardware, right off Historic Decatur. The strobe lights that guide pilots on instrument landings into San Diego's airport when visibility is reduced sit right out in front of Liberty Station and go across the Bay. The planes descend very steeply at this point and you can almost look up above you as they fly over and feel like you can touch them. Other than being very noisy, it is very cool. When British Airways first arrived in San Diego, this was a good place to watch it land and take-off. Now it is all about the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that has all the plane buffs in a state of excitement. My son and I watched it yesterday take off above us in Liberty Station and it is really quiet for such a big plane. Liberty Station's Lookout Park is nice. There are no bums or vagrants wandering around...yet. Lots of young buff types from nearby Point Loma Workout jog by and there are always stroller brigades of young moms from Navy housing exercising along the well-kept pathways. It is safe and clean here. And the airplane action is topnotch! 5 YELP STARS all the way!

It's cute how LSL has a page on Yelp. Didn't see that one coming!…read more But this place does have some purpose. Rating it against other "lookouts" it is about a 2 star show. It doesn't have the scenic views of places like Cabrillo or Sunset Cliffs. And even as far as local airport viewing, there are other parks around the country (D.C. comes to mind) where there are much better views of the air traffic. It's not worth going out of your way to come here, but it is a decent turnaround point if you're out running the park.

They're looking kinda neglected and crappy right now. I don't know if that's supposed to be a lip…read morepiercing drawn on it now, along with some graffiti.

So fun. I love local quirky things like this. My wife and daughter have traversed the intersection…read moreand are taking photos. lol