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.

The most beautiful venue for a wedding with stunning indoor and outdoor photo opportunities and…read moreelegant decor. However, I was very unimpressed with the food. There were at least six guests who requested vegan meals and were served a simple curry over rice. The salad was not vegan, the dessert was not vegan, and even the vegetables were cooked in butter, making them unsuitable as well. Meanwhile, other guests had multiple dish options to choose from. For such a high end wedding venue, the lack of consideration for dietary restrictions was extremely disappointing. The food overall felt like the weakest part of an otherwise beautiful experience, and it is the only reason I would hesitate to recommend this venue.

Beautiful wedding venue! Not huge place but just lovely with a very romantic feel with twinkling…read morelights, tunnels and a tree swing that sets the stage for an amazing wedding. The bathrooms are very clean but small with only two stalls for women and a powder room for one. Somehow I never had to wait long so that's good. Loved the unique seating under the trees and the overall environment is breathtaking The food was yummy and loved the appetizers. The family style dinner was fun and made you talk to other people as you passed food around. I really enjoyed the wedding and this venue did not disappoint.

After going to a few nursery looking for some succulent plants, I was recommended to come to…read moreJavier's nursery. Right on arrival we were greeted by friendly staff. They were very attentive and accommodating. They recommended different succulents based on what we were looking for. As you can see from our pictures, this is exactly what we were going for. This is a family owned business and you can tell that they care for their customers and their plants. I would definitely be back and I will recommend Javier Flower and Garden to my family and friends.

This place has quit a lot of plants and trees. The person who sold us our mulberry tree, persimmon…read moretree, and passionfruits was so nice.

I specifically want to express my appreciation for Sheila Robles, the business manager. Our family…read moremember who was a resident for many years, passed recently. Sheila went above and beyond to help us get the details and information handled that we needed. She was prompt and responsive to our specific needs. Sheila was truly a blessing!

I was notified about my mom's fall, but they never disclosed her bad foot injury and leg injury.We…read moreare still continuing treatment as of today.We are getting more x rays tomorrow.

Incredible atmosphere, large portions and outstanding taste! Wonderful staff! A must visit!read more

A beautiful brewery and a great place to enjoy any occasion. Both indoor and outdoor spaces are…read moreimpressive, but our group of four chose to sit outside and enjoy the natural landscape. Plenty of seating, greenery, and a relaxing atmosphere made it comfortable. The service was professional and friendly, and the food was great. From burgers to chicken to fish, our table covered plenty of ground and enjoyed it all. Good food, beautiful scenery, and a brewery surrounded by nature? This is definitely my kind of style. I'd happily recommend this spot to all my friends. Cheers to finding a brew-tiful place!

I heard about the day of mindfulness from friends who went so I decided to try it. I loved the…read moreexperience and will be back. It felt like an escape since I was unplugged from my phone and silent for a few hours. The grounds are beautiful and the pond was my favorite view to take in the beauty of nature watching the dragonflies, bees, fish, and birds. I loved the songs, calming bells, meditative walk, and dharma talk. It was long though and my old body had to keep changing positions on the mat. I felt so relaxed and peaceful that I wished a nap was included. The translator was terrific! I enjoyed hearing about everyone's experience during the sharing opportunity (yet it was fine to pass the mic and not speak too). Then we ate a freshly prepared vegetarian meal at the end and had some free time afterwards to revisit the pond and bookstore/gift shop. Before leaving, I got a few photos after the event ended (since it would ruin the mood, be distracting to others, and defeat the purpose if phones were used during the experience.) It was a great to focus on breathing, quieting thoughts, and being present. Thanks for offering this tranquil opportunity to the public. I definitely encourage anyone who visits to make a donation if able.

Beautiful and so peaceful!! This place is stunning and so wonderful. The people are so wonderful…read morewho are there.

Romero and his team exceeded my expectations. they are they are detail-oriented and do great work.read more

Jorge was very quick to respond to my project questions and scope out everything efficiently and at…read morea fair price. He and his team completed a complete refresh on my backyard with pulling all the weeds, helping get the lawn back on track and setting up a recurring service. I'd recommend him for any landscaping needs that you have.

Great selection for less common plants. Health plants, good prices, quality plants and goods…read more Good customer service. There are knowledable staff on site to assist with questions or purchases. Convenient potting media purchase. Pay the register, drive around to the loading zone and they load the bags into your car for you. I love to come here during bareroot season (Jan-March). They carry a huge variety of tree, berries, grapes, and although the plants cost more than your big box store but there is a huge difference in quality. Large selection of roses in late May, early June. It's fun to shop here. Some of the nursery has uneven ground or loose gravel so be mindful. Make sure to subscribe to their email newsletter for monthlh coupons (as well as garden knowledge and recipes).

Bizarre experience! I used to like this place - though the…read moreprices are high, they have a large selection, and staff were generally friendly. Not today. When arriving, I went to the restroom to pee (I am 67 and have prostate issues, and just wanted to be comfortable while I shopped) and, seeing a sign on both the outside and inside that said "Please keep the door shut - because of A/C" and seeing a lock, I locked the door for privacy (too). There is just urinal and one stall. When I was standing at the urinal there was suddenly the loudest banging on a door I'd ever heard in my life. I thought it must be some kind of emergency so I went, holding my pants up, since I didn't have time to zip them. I opened it, and said "What's up?!" and the young man with dark green Green Thumb shirt - heavyset, brown hair, 30/40-ish? - said very aggressively, yelling, "It's a public restroom, that's why theres more than one stall !!!" and proceeded to wash in the sink for 5 minutes or so (I retreated to the stall to try and finish my business). So... because there' a urinal and a stall you are not supposed to lock it? Why is there a lock? I don't get it... He must have either been having a very very bad day, was mentally unbalanced, or just a ver very angry person. I was in shock. I think it's time to find another nursery...