25 Free Things to Do This Winter in San Diego

Looking for fun and free events to enjoy in San Diego this season? Look no further! Check out this great list of 25 things to do from San Diego’s Official Tourism Blog!

1. Join the festivities during Balboa Park December Nights, a two-day holiday celebration of food, entertainment and fun on December 2-3. The numerous museums and cultural institutions in Balboa Park open their doors free of charge, and festivities include carolers, live music, holiday light displays, theater and dance performances.

2. Whale Watch from the shores and cliffs of Point Loma, as California gray whales migrate south to the warm water breeding grounds off the coast of Baja, California. Spectators can catch a spectacular show during December through April when these majestic mammals pass through the waters off San Diego’s coastline.

3. Be part of a grand Holiday Celebration on December 2 in Coronado with a festive parade along Orange Avenue, the lighting of a 75-foot Christmas tree, holiday music and a firework show over Glorietta Bay.

4. Enjoy free organ concerts at the Spreckles Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park beginning at 2:00 pm each Sunday. The Organ Pavilion features the world’s largest outdoor pipe organ, where organists resound holiday favorites.

5. See Old Town State Historic Park decked out for the holidays during Holiday in the Park on December 10 and enjoy holiday treats, activities and extended shopping hours, along with strolling carolers.

6. Head over to Seaport Village for the festive Surfing Santa at Seaport Village event on November 26. Hang-ten with Santa and enjoy a lively parade along the Seaport Village boardwalk, music, stilt walkers, and kids’ crafts.

7. Spread some holiday cheer at the La Jolla Christmas Parade and Holiday Festival on December 4 in downtown La Jolla. The event includes marching bands, floats, equestrian units, vintage automobiles and an appearance by Santa Claus.

8. Drive to the mountain town of Julian for a warm mug of hot apple cider and a delicious slice of Julian’s legendary homemade apple pie. On Saturdays, stroll through the quaint neighborhood streets and enjoy the sounds of wandering Christmas carolers and a living nativity scene.

9. Take a walk around Balboa Park and discover its beautiful architecture. Take advantage of the park’s variety of free offerings, including touring its spectacular gardens.

10. Take a walk along one of San Diego’s 70 miles of beaches, all free and open to the public, and enjoy the beautiful sunsets.

11. Visit the village of La Mesa on December 9 and 10 for Christmas in the Village. Enjoy street performers, carolers, carriage rides, entertainment for the whole family and more.

12. Bring the family to the SoNo Park Holiday Fest on December 4 and celebrate with the restaurants and residents of South Park and North Park in a chili cook-off. Visitors can taste chili in hand-spun ceramic bowls, shop for holiday gifts from local artisans and enjoy live music, kid’s activities, gourmet food trucks, a beer garden featuring local and craft beer and more.

13. Explore the tide pools in Point Loma, Ocean Beach and La Jolla when the tide is low to see some of the magnificent creatures of the sea.

14. Enjoy the Gaslamp Holiday Pet Parade on December 11 in downtown San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter. Owners and their dressed-up pets march down the decorated streets of the neighborhood and end at a Pet Expo featuring an awards ceremony for best-dressed pups.

15. Take a drive to the top of Mt. Soledad in La Jolla for a panoramic view of the city all spruced up in holiday decoration. Along the way, enjoy the beautifully decorated homes in this exclusive neighborhood.

16. Drive to the 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego’s East County to marvel at wildlife and a kaleidoscope of colorful flowers amidst the desert warmth.

17. Gaze up at the massive balloons during the Big Bay Balloon Parade, the country’s largest balloon parade, on December 28.

18. Enjoy the twinkling waters of San Diego Bay and more than 100 private boats decorated with holiday lights for the 40th Annual Port of San Diego Parade of Lights on December 11 and December 18.

19. Get in the holiday spirit during Chula Vista’s 50th Annual Starlight Parade on December 3, featuring carolers, holiday cheer, floats, drill teams, marching bands, classic cars, a children’s event and visit from Santa.

20. Experience a white Christmas in San Diego after making the scenic, one-hour drive to the top of Mount Laguna in San Diego’s rustic East County.

21. Delight in the festive gatherings of the Mission Bay Christmas Boat Parade of Lights on December 10. Over 100 brightly illuminated powerboats and sailboats parade along Mission Bay; the parade ends with a fantastic fireworks show at 9:00 pm above SeaWorld San Diego.

22. Experience a magical evening of holiday celebrations December 3 at the California Center for the Arts Escondido during the annual Holiday Tree Lighting and Winter Wonderland. Enjoy seasonal music and Victorian carolers, a visit from Santa, free art activities and treats, a spectacular light show and real snow!

23. Celebrate holiday cheer during Poway Winterfest on December 10. The event features a tree lighting ceremony, visits from Santa, train rides, live music, theatre performances, food, treats, crafts and more.

24. Join the community of Carlsbad for their annual Tree Lighting Festivities, December 4 at the Village Faire Shopping Center. Enjoy children’s crafts, cookies and cider, entertainment and pictures with Santa.

25. Rock out at the Poinsettia Bowl Gaslamp March on December 19. Held two days prior to the annual Poinsettia Bowl, bands representing the two Bowl football teams line up at opposite ends of Fifth Avenue in downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter and face-off in an old fashion battle of the bands.

Read more http://blog.sandiego.org/2011/11/25-free-to-do-winter-san-diego/

Read more »

Should Black Friday sales start on Thanksgiving?

How do you feel about the earlier openings?

(At the Toys R Us in Chula Vista, Rosa Camacho makes her way down the toy aisle for young children. Camacho was taking advantage of starting her Christmas shopping early to avoid the rush. — Nelvin C. Cepeda)

You don’t need to wake up early on Black Friday these days to snag deals like a $248 laptop at Walmart, $19 women’s jeans at the Gap or a $9.99 panini press at Macy’s.

That’s because those retailers are among a growing list that will be opening on Thanksgiving Day or at midnight to kick off the shopping season, although some stores — including JCPenney and Sears — will hold out for the early birds. See our list of opening times for some of the retailers in San Diego County: [Black Friday store openings]

Why the rush? Merchants are competing for shoppers during the critical holiday season, with 22 percent of annual sales coming in the final two months of the year. Retailers have seen modest growth this year, shown by 14 consecutive months of retail sales growth, but some worry that consumers may pull back on spending amid continued stock market turmoil, higher gas and food prices and sputtering job growth. And that’s important because retail spending represents roughly 35 percent of the gross domestic product, the chief yardstick for measuring the economy.

A growing number of retailers fear that opening at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m., as they have in recent years, may be too late. More than a decade ago, major retailers used to open their doors around 6 a.m. on Black Friday, but over the past five years they started to move that up to as early as 3 a.m.

A handful started limited testing of midnight openings several years ago.

Those midnight openings have proliferated this year, with Target Corp., Best Buy Co., Kohl’s Corp. all announcing 12 a.m. openings for the first time. Macy’s, which opened eight stores at midnight last year, is opening all of its 800-plus Macy’s stores nationwide at that time this year.

Retailers say they’re responding to consumer demand. A National Retail Federation survey last year shows that the number of shoppers who flocked to stores opening at midnight following the Thanksgiving feast tripled in 2010 from 2009.

“As much as you interview consumers who all say they hate it, it has been effective,” said Garrick Brown, research director for Burlingame-based Terranomics Retail Services, the retail division of a commercial brokerage firm. “Don’t listen to what they say; watch what they do. People spend money.”

San Diego resident Jen Landress, a veteran Black Friday shopper who went to Toys R Us last year on Thanksgiving evening, said she has mixed feelings about the early openings. It was fun to hit the stores early with friends, but she worries about cutting into time with family on the holiday.

“It puts a little more pressure on you, to have to shop on Thanksgiving,” she said. “You don’t want to feel like you’re missing anything.”

Read more http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/nov/19/should-black-friday-sales-start-midnight/ 

Read more »

Dining out on Thanksgiving

Planning to eat out for Thanksgiving? Check out what San Diego’s Superdiners have to say:

Because we are open and baking Thanksgiving Day, my family and I eat out. We rely on chef Jeff Jackson at A.R. Valentien (The Lodge at Torrey Pines, 11480 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla. 858-453-4420 or arvalentien.com) to save the day, which he always does with the most interesting and delicious holiday menu in town. Along with classic turkey, there’s always an interesting goose or game dish. A perfect mixture of classic and inventive, each dish is created individually and carefully served. It’s kind of an “anti-buffet.” There’s always a wood fire burning in the rustic hotel lobby, which adds to the festive and sophisticated atmosphere. — Charles Kaufman, baker, owner of Bread & Cie Café (Twitter @BreadnCieBakery)

Grant Grill! (U.S. Grant Hotel, 326 Broadway, downtown.  619-744-2077  or grantgrill.com) Not to mention our Smashing Pumpkin cocktail, seen on the Food Network’s Thanksgiving special of “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” will be back on our menu! — Jeff Josenhans, director of beverage outlets and sommelier at U.S. Grant Hotel

We’ve done the family outing to a restaurant. I honestly don’t ever want to do it again. The holiday loses too much. The exception is when my wife and I ditched the family and went to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving. We ate at Michael Mina’s StripSteak … and that did not suck at all! — Dave Morgan, CPA, avid diner

For those who do not desire to mess up your kitchen for Turkey Day, your next best alternative is to dine out at all the buffets at the local casinos and eat until it hurts. If you’d like a more formal, sit-down setting, your best bet is either Tom Ham’s Lighthouse (2150 Harbor Island Drive, Harbor Island. 619-291-9110 or tomhamslighthouse.com) or The Prado (1549 El Prado, Balboa Park. 619-557-9441 or pradobalboa.com). — Joanne Arellano, human resources professional, avid Yelper, avid diner

I never go out for Thanksgiving as I’m always at Addison (Grand Del Mar, 5200 Grand Del Mar Way, Carmel Valley. 858-314-1900 or addisondelmar.com) helping to make the holiday wonderful for our guests. If I weren’t at Addison, I’d definitely like to cook a fabulous Thanksgiving meal for family and friends at home. — William Bradley, executive chef at Addison

I am going to San Francisco and having a Chinatown Thanksgiving! I can only deal with the same traditional turkey dinner every once and awhile. And this year, I don’t want to work at all — what better way to celebrate than with dim sum? — Ricardo Heredia, executive chef at Alchemy Restaurant

Honestly, I’ve never been to a restaurant for Thanksgiving. In an emergency, I’d try to preserve the Four F’s for which I am thankful: food, family, friends and football. I’d probably head downtown to East Village Tavern + Bowl (930 Market St. East Village. 619-677-2695 or bowlevt.com) with some folks to check out the day’s football games. Of course, shots of Wild Turkey would be appropriate in anticipation of a Dallas Cowboys loss. (I’m an Eagles fan first, a Chargers fan second — sorry, I have my hometown loyalties.) — Gerald “Dex” Poindexter, publicist, avid diner (Twitter @SuperDinerDex)

This is just plain wrong. Thanksgiving is much more than a meal at a restaurant … — Nathan Rakov, sustainable rancher, Tzaddik Farm

The ultimate comfort-food-coma-inducing-binge? Bonnie Jean’s Soul Food Cafe (1964 54th St, 619-262-8854 or bonniejeanssoulfood.com). Incredible stuff, people! Some of the most sublimely delicious fried chicken... EVER! (add maple glaze, of course. Duh.) And the sides are the perfect reminder of holiday fixin’s. (E.g. corn-bread dressing, black eyed peas, mac & cheese, collards, mashed potatoes, gravy... Need I go on?) PS: Cold fried chicken makes for a legendary ‘left-over’ sandwich. PPS: Miss Bonnie and her grandson run the kitchen — they’re two of the nicest people on the planet. That family is the tie that binds our pants... cuz you will feel like exploding after a session w/ Bonnie. PPPS: yes. Triple p.s. is necessary. THEY DEEP FRY MAC & CHEESE! Jussayin. — Anthony Schmidt, bartender at Noble Experiment

When it comes to eating out on a holiday such as Thanksgiving, it is usually less about where we want to go and more about who is actually open. It often comes down to sorting through a sea of hotel-restaurant prix fixes and settling on the best one. That being said, I would put myself in the hands of A.R. Valentien. — Sara Hanson, fine wine specialist and blogger (thesarkuswineblog.com)

My family would, first, pick me up off the floor as I’d be in a deep depression about not cooking on my favorite day of the year, then shuttle me to the Marine Room, where chef Bernard Guillas would likely put out the most world-centric take on this all-American meal. As with any meal there, I could be assured of exotic spices, lovely sauces, and a variety of proteins that are all prepared spot-on and with the unique flare that’s kept Guillas, his equally talented chef de cuisine Ron Oliver and the Marine Room relevant for well over a decade. — Brandon Hernández, food writer (Twitter @offdutyfoodie)

The idea of someone else taking care of the cooking and details of Thanksgiving — that I could just show up with an appetite and maybe a bottle of wine — is initially scintillating. Alas, at the end of Turkey Day, I want to smell the flesh of beast roasting and caramelizing in the oven. I want to open delicious bottles of Tempranillo Rose and Beaujolais Nouveau and hang in the kitchen with family and friends talking story and stirring pots. I want to watch football and know that there is more food to be had in the kitchen. After my brother-in-law makes me his infamous “chip shot,” I want to slice into one of the spiced-pumpkin, apple-cranberry, chocolate-cream or pecan pies we will have and smother the slices with whipped cream. I want all these things, but to make it near perfect, I will need brewed West Bean Sumatra, please. — Tina Luu, pastry chef, food lecturer at the Art Institute of California San Diego

I adore making Thanksgiving dinner, so the only way I’d go out is if my oven croaked under the pressure. In which case, it wouldn’t be for turkey. It’d be for pizza and beer, which goes great with football viewing. My top pick Pizzeria Bruno (4207 Park Blvd., North Park. 619-260-1311 or pizzeriabrunosd.com) is closed on Thanksgiving. — Susan Russo, cookbook author, blogger (foodblogga.blogspot.com)

Call me a Momma’s boy, but I honestly can’t imagine being anywhere else but my Mom’s house in central California on Thanksgiving — I would put her stuffing up against the best chef’s creations. For those of you who aren’t lucky enough to have been spoiled with an amazing mother that can cook or simply don’t have that as an option this year, I would recommend heading out to the Hotel Del Coronado for their annual Thanksgiving dinner. Nothing says the holidays in San Diego like an afternoon at the Del. — David Salisbury, a law firm’s director of business development, avid diner

A.R. Valentien: Warm, smoky, crackling fire, comfy booth, precise service, great wine list, I love chef Jeff Jackson and TK Kolanko’s cuisine of sound providence. Yep, if I wanted a long, lingering Thanksgiving “lunch” that is where I’d go, hands down! — Andrew Spurgin, chef/partner Campine – A Culinary + Cocktail Conspiracy

We don’t dine out on Thanksgiving but if I did I would think Kitchen 1540 would be at the top of my list. I can only imagine the mouth-watering menu and it would feel like a very special day which Thanksgiving is to our family. — Randee Stratton, real estate broker, avid diner

Read more: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/nov/16/dining-out-thanksgiving/

Read more »

Getting to Know California's Veterans

Happy Veterans Day, everyone!

Every November, the United States honors its service members on Veterans Day. This national holiday serves as an opportunity for us to remember our nation's veterans and to be thankful for our freedoms. This year's Veterans Day falls on 11/11/11. Most importantly, this year marks the beginning of our nation's 11th year of engagement in Afghanistan. As a result of our engagement in recent conflicts overseas, many veterans return home, as our newest heroes, just as others did before after other conflicts. This is why the California Department of Veterans Affairs will be profiling eleven veterans beginning November 7th thru Veterans Day. These profiles will include veterans from different generations and backgrounds and hopefully shine a light on the challenges our veterans have and continue to face.

Bea Hirschkovici was born in 1910 in Bucharest, Romania. She remembers well her family's migration from Romania to the United States in 1920. Hirschkovici's family made the journey to Fort Worth, Texas by sailing from France and registering in Ellis Island.

Hirschkovici remembers the difficult times that World War I had created in Europe and was thankful for the opportunities and safety that the United States offered. In 1929 she and her family moved to California where she lived until she enlisted in the Army at the beginning of World War II.

Hirschkovici was sent to Des Moines, Iowa to serve in the Women's Auxiliary Core which later became the Women's Army Core before being sent overseas to Scotland where she served as a Private First Class in the communications department working with top secret mimeographed documents.

In 1945, Hirschkovici returned to Los Angeles where she met her future husband a former POW, Ray Cohen. After her service in the military Hirschkovici got heavily involved in veteran causes which she still participates in till this day. This year she celebrated her 101st birthday.

CDVA: What was the most memorable thing about your service?

Hirschkovici: The training at Buckley Field in Denver, Colorado. I remember learning discipline, learning respect, being an American and realizing what America meant to me. Also, meeting the other women soldiers all over the United States. I also remember being on a train on June 6, 1944 and the sky became filled with planes and gliders. It was the Normandy invasion, only we did not know it at the time. It was the beginning of the end of World War II.

CDVA: What made you want to join the military?

Hirschkovici: I wanted to pay America back for having become an American. I came to this country in 1920 as a Rumanian immigrant. I was proud to be an American and I still am.

CDVA: What if any effect did being in the military have on your family life?

Hirschkovici: Being in the military gave me an extended family. I am proud of having been a member of the military. There is camaraderie among other veterans and we have so much in common. When I am sitting outside the VA hospital for a cab to take me home, and Veterans are sitting right beside me, we always talk about our service and experiences. I feel so home among other Veterans. The VA is my second home.

Bea, we thank you for your service.

Read more http://www.calvet.ca.gov/News/2011/11/07c.aspx

Read more »

Safari Park overnight offers a tasty camping adventure

Did you know you can camp out overnight in the San Diego Zoo? Read on for a review of Roar & Snore by Brain E. Clark for the Union Tribune!

Last time I checked, an African safari — in, say, Uganda, Kenya or Tanzania — could ding you $500 or more a day. And flying from San Diego to Nairobi? Figure in another (ouch) $1,500.

But just five miles east of Escondido, in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, you can get a similar and considerably less costly experience, camping out with lions, tigers, giraffes and a whole herd of elephants.

Dubbed Roar & Snore — with an emphasis on the roar — this program has been offered since 1994 to give adventurous visitors a more intimate experience with the park and its animals.

I’ve done it twice, with all three of my kids, and they give it the Clark family stamp of approval.

The first time was about 12 years or so ago and my now-22-year-old son, Matt, and I, camped in a tent, snoozed in sleeping bags on foam ground pads and nearly got licked in the face by a huge giraffe on a late-night stroll. Matt loved it.

In the years since then, the program has been upgraded and now the park offers commodious (12-foot-by-16-foot) tent cabins, similar to ones I remember from a real rhino-and-elephant-watching safari to Zimbabwe I did nearly two decades ago.

So, when my family and I visited San Diego this summer, I treated my 11-year-old daughter, Maddie, and 9-year-old son, Anders, to the premium Roar & Snore program in a big, cushy tent.

The only thing we didn’t have was a private bathroom. The public one was a 50-yard walk away. But ()this was supposed to be camping, after all.

We started our visit to the park with a stop at one of our favorite exhibits, Lorikeet Landing, where we fed the colorful birds. Then, after lunch, we took a family truck caravan into the African plains to observe and feed giraffes and rhinos.

A little after 4 p.m., my wife bid us adieu (she prefers her camping in four-star hotels) and we headed off to Kilima Point, overlooking the savanna we’d visited earlier in the day.

As we walked in, most of the park’s other visitors were heading the other direction.

“Are we really going to have the whole place to ourselves?” asked Anders.

“Yup,” I said. “Just us and the animals.”

“Awesome,” Maddie chimed in.

After finding our tent cabin — complete with a queen-size platform bed, refrigerator, nightstand, heater and fan — the 100-plus campers in our group gathered for an orientation from the guides.

We ate dinner, which included chicken, hot dogs and burgers, while we gazed out at wildebeests, water buffalo, antelope, gazelles, zebras and the rhinos and giraffes we’d seen earlier in the day. We also got an unexpected treat, our own zoo mugs and earth-colored Roar &Snore T-shirts.

As the late afternoon air was beginning to cool, our guides split us up into groups of 20 for a post-supper hike. My group started out with a short stroll to the elephant enclosure — which bordered the tent-cabin area — and were introduced to herd.

With 17 animals, we nearly had a one-to-one ratio. Our guide told us about their quirky personalities, pointed out the mother-child pairs and taught us a little about elephant biology and psychology.

We strolled to a covered area where the kids got to touch the shell of a huge tortoise and learn about some of its unusual habits.

Then it was on to the compound where the lions slept to get a behind-the-scenes tour and see the “blood Popsicles” made especially for the kings and queens of the jungle.

Back at Kilima Point, we were greeted with hot chocolate and marshmallows as the setting sun cast a soft glow over the grounds. Then we gobbled up s’mores. Anders’ new friend, Alex from Australia, had never heard of this tasty American camping treat. But he and his parents were quick converts.

But the best part of the evening was the raucous African drumming ceremony around a blazing campfire, complete with hair-raising stories about the park critters from veteran guides. (Why, this was even better than my “real” Zimbabwe safari.)

After mandatory tooth brushing (so I could give a truthful report to their mother), the kids and I ambled over to our tent and snuggled in for the evening.

And while there was (thankfully) no major snoring from nearby quarters, I shot straight up when a lion’s roar rocked our tent.

OK, maybe the tent didn’t actually rock. But it took a few assurances to convince my kids — and me — that the lions really were a long distance away in their own enclosure.

Dana Arbogast, who is in charge of the Roar & Snore program, told us that a lion’s roar can carry five miles.
“So it really could have sounded like it was under your bed,” she said with a chuckle. “And you’re lucky you got to hear it because they usually only roar at night or early in the morning.”

Around 6:15 a.m., singing gibbons (love songs, probably) awakened us from our sleep. But at breakfast, the big cat’s call was the most popular topic of discussion as we ate our scrambled eggs and sweet rolls. Soon we were hiking again, off to see cheetahs stretching as they woke from their slumber.

Then we got a special hands-on session with a friendly little hedgehog.

All too soon, it was time to pack up our gear and meet up with my wife, who was picking us up at the gate. But we didn’t leave, not just quite yet. First we hiked out to Condor Ridge to look at the big birds and have one last look out over the park and the inhabitants we’d come to know and care about a wee bit more.

For more information on the Roar & Snore and other overnight programs at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, visit sdzsafaripark.org or call (760) 747-8702

Rates range from $120 to $260, depending on tent size, age and zoo membership. Non-premium campers need to bring their own sleeping bags and pillows

Come February, the Roar & Snore adults-only park sleepover on Valentine’s Day weekend will deal with the birds and the bees.

Read more http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/oct/26/hit-the-road-roars-snores-and-smores/?print

Read more »