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.

Cardiff by the Sea is a famous surf destination i have never been to till now…read more In front of Tower 15 had the best surf conditions up or down the beach. Today, 2-4 feet at 4 pm. So , when we come back we ll come here first. Lots of private spots to sit. Lifeguard towers but no shade and limited parking.

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

Ask your mom. She will agree that it brings a smile to your face…read more Sand? Yep! Trees? Yep! Big sign? Yep! Family-friendly? Yep! Underground water? Yep! Grammatically correct? Yep! Although the air conditioning in the consulate is at odds with the typical daytime ambient air temperature of the fatherland, the consulate does provide many fantastic benefits. What benefits might this be? It's a safe space for writing utensils of all sizes. It's a UNESCO world heritage site (application pending). They have free margaritas when I'm in the parking lot. Not only is the consulate conveniently located next to several major freeways, but there is also a partially stocked Walmart garden center within a short drive. I was quarantined in the bathroom on the way in so I never actually visited the inside of the consulate. I'm sure it's fantastic as it's been blessed by the presence Sultan (peace be upon his majestic Mercedes). They seem to appreciate flooring and hi-backed chairs. 10 out of 10? Hells Yeah!

Sounds like a wonderful idea. I emb the concept of a tranquil space for just being. The concept is…read moregenuinely fascinating and I want to visit some of the events. Please share your calendar of events so I can plan to attend. Your mom should be proud of you. I know that I am.

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!

Way more than 5 stars needed! Dave was working in this spectacular garden when we walked by and we…read morehad the pleasure to explore it and learn about some of the succulents and the origin and artistry of the over 10,000 painted rocks. Upon admiring one particular plant, Dave took his shovel and shared a shoot for me to take home! The mural in the background is a wonderful addition! Thanks, Dave for sharing your time today!

Dave started by clearing an old abandoned lot owned by the state. He started putting in drought…read moretolerant plants, then trails and black and white rocks from the beach. One day someone places a painted rock on the edge of the garden. Dave thought this was a good idea. Since then 7,000 painted rocks from over 115 countries have been places in the garden and today you can still paint a rock and place it in the garden. We had fun walking through the garden and reading the different sayings and seeing the different rocks. It was fun finding Snoopy. Take time to visit Dave's Rock Garden.

The park is a fantastic spot with cool shades where you can find a wonderful group of families from…read morethe area who come by frequently. I appreciate how the large and small play areas are conveniently situated near each other, and there are ample seating options available. Additionally, the baseball fields make for a nice enclosed space for activities when they are not being used for games.

800th Yelp review! Might as well make it about something new to San Diego…read more.. According to the website for the Filipino Sun Festival, "The Filipino Sun is historically (and geographically) significant, as the sun symbolizes unity, freedom, people's democracy, and sovereignty, while each of the eight rays represent the first eight provinces (Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, and Batangas) that rose up and started the 1896 Philippine Revolution against Spain." The Filipino Sun Festival has been around the Mira Mesa area for two years; its mission statement is to "celebrate, promote, and share Filipino and Filipino American pride, culture, heritage, and history through educational, historical, and cultural activities and programs." Currently, it's a pretty small local festival - many of the vendors I saw this past Saturday were the same ones represented at the Mira Mesa Street Fair, including newly minted District 6 councilman Chris Cate (whom I unfortunately missed when I got there). A number of the booths were manned by youth and young adult groups as well; perhaps the Filipino Sun Festival is a way for them to get their community service work requirements done. The food court had about 10 vendors, four of which were Filipino food booths. In fact, I heard some people grumbling that they were expecting to see more Filipino food offerings; hopefully as this festival gets more traction as the years go by, they'll be more on board. I did order a stick of BBQ pork and some lumpia while I was there, as well as some takoyaki (fried octopus shaped into balls) from a Japanese booth - I was pleased with what I ordered, even if the bonito flakes were piled onto my takoyaki. There's also a beer garden sponsored by San Miguel (the major Filipino beer brand) on premises - San Miguel USA is one of the festival sponsors. I partook of their $2 happy hour, and got a pretty good buzz on, as well as one of the hats the booth was giving out. (At their booth, if you follow them on three forms of social media, you could score a free golf shirt... unfortunately, by the time I got there, the only size they had was medium. Guess someone will be getting a free shirt from me as a gift.) The entertainment hit the spot - while I missed seeing the performance from The Voice's Katriz Trinidad, there was a pretty decent Filipino beatboxer, and the dance performance from Tekniqlingz (tinikling dancers that also incorporate hip hop) was off the hook! The Filipino Sun Festival may be a small local festival, but there's potential there for growth. I'd like to see how it improves as time goes on.

It's the ocean, the beach, the sound of the lovely waves, what's to complain about?!? I like La…read moreCosta Beach because it's usually not too crowded. I park on the right side (looking out at the ocean, closer to Carlsbad side) and there's lots of open beach area. Bring a cooler, a blanket, sunscreen (don't want premature aging now, lovies) and chill out.

This place is a good time. But don't tell everyone about it though. You can park within 50 yards…read moreof your blanket spot, set up a volleyball court with the 3 courts, body board, surf, check out the ocean life from the rocks just a few hundred yards north, & then whatever else, without a thousand meatheads right next to you. The waves were over 7 ft so we had the crap kicked out of us by the water, but that is sure to help a guy get a great night's sleep! Yeah.

I love hidden San Diego and honestly anything that's a little odd, so once I heard about this, I…read morehad to find it and see for myself. It feels a little disrespectful to say that a sculpture looks like a turd when that wasn't the artist's intent, but... it looks like a turd. It's hard to look at it and think of anything else. At least that's what I thought. When I sent a photo to some friends and family, they were all able to quiet the intrusive thoughts of poop for long enough to think of some other possible interpretations, including: * a Cheeto or cheese puff * a giant cashew * a snake emerging from the ground * a dinosaur-sized macaroni * a rock (less creative but classier, I guess) Now, I'll just have to come back and see it again for Halloween -- I've heard that someone (who would do this?) puts giant googly eyes on it. Keep San Diego weird!!

A piece of art that really moves you, get it?…read more Public art is always subject to debate, and in San Diego the preference tends to run on the "less-than classy side". Statues of dolphins, horses, and fishermen will barely cause a ripple on anyone's radar. However, there is one sculpture in particular that causes looks of befuddlement more than any where else. Representing a large bowel movement, this sculpture is often referred to as the "Scripps Turd" which remains its reputation to this day. The Abstract Sculpture, titled Okeanos, a.k.a. "The Scripps Turd" is made of bronze and was created by artist William Tucker. Tucker is a modern British sculpture and art scholar born in Cairo, Egypt. He attended the University of Oxford and went on to further study sculpture at Saint Martin's School of Art in London under teacher and mentor Anthony Caro. He has since received several awards and honors for his work, such as: The Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in 1986. The International Sculpture Center's Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture in 2010. The title of National Academician at the National Academy Museum in 2011. People driving along North Torrey Pines Road in La Jolla had undoubtedly once noticed Tucker's big, hulking 13-foot piece of art in front of the Scripps Green Hospital. Despite the public's distaste for the art piece, the 3,500-pound sculpture was commissioned for $200,000 in 1987. The money came from donors in honor of Frank J. Dixon, the Director of the Institute for 25 years. Tucker named the artwork after the Greek god of rivers and oceans, Okeanos or (Ōkeanós), also known as Oceanus. Okeanos was a Titan who represented the ocean and was the eldest son of Uranus (ha) and Gaia. Tucker said the form, to him, suggested an ocean wave, and it was hailed by many critics when it was revealed. Michael Brenson, the former art critic of The New York Times, wrote of Okeanos in 1988: "The sculpture is a rippling curve that seems to spew out of the earth and curl up like a wave. It suggests not only water but also clouds and vegetation and human limbs." Alas, the public didn't feel the same way. Nor did philanthropist Edythe H. Scripps, who had "The Turd" moved to a new location by The Scripps Research Institute at the mere cost of another $40,000 (more money down the drain. I drew inspiration in recalling a smaller sculpture featured in the classic documentary film on the life of legend Joseph Dirtè (see tip photo). Upon seeing this work of art, the latter was most likely inspired by this same piece. A "chip off the old creative block" perhaps.