The Desert View Tower, built in the 1920's, offers a stunning view of the Anza Borrego Desert. It's…read morealso currently available on a short-term rental website listed as "Lighthouse in Jacumba, CA"! If you're driving by, it's worth a stop. Free to look around the grounds and giftshop; but there is a fee to climb to the top for the best and most expansive view ($9.50 as of this writing). The tower is next to "Boulder Park" featuring some truly hideous sculptures created by an unemployed engineer during the depression. The boulders are much more notable for what may be cupules created by Native Americans, cups that are carved out of rock as part of ceremonies and rituals. A smattering of animals live on the grounds including chickens and peacocks. Free parking.

I've been trying to figure out what to write about this fun little stop an hour east of San Diego…read more It's a wonderful piece of history and definitely worth exploring. My husband and I enjoyed our visit quite a bit. We paid the fee to climb to the top of the tower and go exploring the boulders on the property as well. The tower interior is home to a magical shop full of antiques and second-hand treasures. The boulders next to the tower are fun to explore and have lots of animals painted onto the boulders in the shapes of various animals. As you can tell we really enjoyed our visit BUT... The one road in and out of the Desert View Tower property is absolutely littered on both sides with (maybe) abandoned motor homes, shanties, and whole collections of god-only-knows-what! And the road itself is like driving on the surface of the moon. I felt like I was driving into a scene of "The Hills Have Eyes" (kids ask your Gen X parents about that one). Seriously... I thought we might be murdered and eaten! But if you're feeling brave, come well-armed, and are willing to pop a tire and ruin your suspension, it's a GREAT place to visit!

Borrego Springs is one of my favorite places. It definitely is a far drive out from the Southern…read moreCalifornia area and the weather was very warm in the summer. However, it was absolutely worth it because the night sky is so breathtaking. The Milky Way at Borrego Springs is truly unreal and it's so hard to describe, you just have to really see it in person. I really loved all the sculptures and being to admire them during the day and under the night sky. Highly recommend experiencing Borrego Springs once in your lifetime!

The Galleta sculptures are a disorganized, worn out set of sculptures spread out across miles of…read moreone of Borrego Springs valleys. The sculptures themselves need upkeep (lots of bird poop on them) and a simple map on site guiding you to their location would be helpful but it doesn't exist. Drove miles on unpaved roads looking for structures that would stand out and did it prior to sundown (as recommended) but it just made it even harder to find them. Sunset shots as they described were not all that spectacular although now that I've been there I would definitely visit either in the early morning hours or late afternoon when the heat is not so overwhelming. Definitely not worth seeing unless you're in the area. Disappointing.

Very cool area that is walkable from cruise port. Tons of stores and restaurants. I loved the water…read morefountain show which probably only shows at certain times of day which was weird to me like at 2pm then 7pm. Very breezy I the heat made it so refreshing there. The farther you walk away from the cruise port. The better the deals I found.

CITY TOUR STOP #4…read more It's almost like a farmer's market on a different level. The entire area is a delight to all senses. There are plenty of shops to choose from should you have house or souvenir needs. The beautiful ENSANADA sign is situated at the very end. And then there's that majestic flag that weighs over 300lbs - 2nd biggest in the world, according to our tour guide, Alfredo. It was a quick run (given we were a part of a tour group) but interesting, nonetheless. It's one of those places you keep in mind to visit again and walk through at your own pace. There will be a next time.

The Julian Jail is a very small piece of well preserved history of the area. The entire jail is…read moreonly two cells but it is wasn't used for anything serious or long term - mostly "whiskey and/or fists" offences - which definitely sounds like the expected antics of a gold rush town haha! The original jail was built in the late 1800s - but was made of wood and some prisoners kicked through the roof to escape so the town decided to rebuild it out of concrete lol. The constable was a local citizen whose wife would even cook for the prisoners. Even still today a nearby citizen of the town opens and closes up the doors each day - 365 days a year - and has been shouldering the responsibility for 30 years now - even decorates for Halloween and holidays haha! I love it! The jail is definitely an interesting little stop if you're exploring the town - Julian is extremely walkable and very small - you'll find the jail a couple of blocks up the hill from the main town area - and it's worth it. It's lovingly preserved and a fun little piece of local history that the town is very proud of!

If you're going to Julian, this place is a must see. Conveniently located super close to the best…read morerestaurant there, the Julian Historical Society did a great job of preserving it. However, it does seem a tiny bit creep, especially in the later hours of the day.

This is THE MOST AMAZING HIDDEN JEWEL of San Diego County! The History is so very deep,…read moremulticultural, humbling and beautiful. A small remnant of our distant past here in Southern California. You and your Family are blessed to have the opportunity to visit. AND it is just beyond BEAUTIFUL. Peaceful. Deep. Spirit filled and spiritual. Full of stories, ghosts and history. This should be something that everyone in North County knows and Loves!!!! Just a Godsend and Blessing!

This is a a great place to take portraits, the staff is friendly. It's also a great place to just…read moresimply go for a walk and enjoy the nature that surround you.

So nice to see some Japanese artifacts in Temecula, California. We stayed at they hotel across the…read morestreet and saw a duck park with a Japanese gate everyday when we left the hotel. We walked over to see what it was and learned about a Sister City program where cities exchange items. We walked around the park and saw some Dutch items and Japanese. Of course we took a couple selfies and admired the gate and other items in the park.

I like going here because it's peaceful but the meaning behind it also makes me like it that much…read moremore. It's an icon to symbolize the sister city with Daisen. I like that Temecula has gotten more diverse in terms of public places and not just the restaurants. I take my kids here to hang out with the ducks and geese. It's also pretty manicured and well maintained.

Very cool. Not too hot and lots of opportunities for shopping. Everyone is really friendlyread more

Very underrated. Not worth the two hour round trip ride. I would have preferred to skip it and hang…read moreout in downtown instead. The water came up a few times but like I said it was underwhelming and not worth the mission of getting there.

One of my favorite places in Coronado can be found by biking through the quiet house lined streets…read more The houses that have stood the test of time, been renovated to their original glory and the special houses known as historical landmarks. The architecture stands out, quietly waiting to be noticed and appreciated. The Stephens Terry house made my head turn as I was biking by, had to stop and take a look at this historical landmark that's up for sale. "The mansion, a three-story Coronado landmark at 711 A Ave., was designed by noted architects William Hebbard and Irving Gill in 1898 for A.P. Stephens. It was purchased in 1915 as a retirement home by Marshall O. Terry, former surgeon general of New York. Mr. Hansen bought the home at auction in 1950. He raised two families there - his four sons and two nephews and a niece, whom he took in after the death of their parents." Union Tribune Such a treat to find a 117 year old mansion style home! Now if I could only get the realtor to give me the grand tour of the inside.

Very little is left of the mission (one of the last to be built). The attached museum, though, is…read morevery good. Much larger than it looks from the outside, with bilingual displays throughout. Very knowledgeable staff, too.

Sightseeing in San Diego, California…read more.. I don't remember why I had this place on my List of Things To See, but we stumbled across the Historic Alvarado House when we visited the San Diego County Fair on 6-25-23. The person who actually spotted this exhibit is Emmett T. I thought that the house was a functional structure in a residential area, but no... Not now. It used to be - in 1885 when it was sold for $600 to Don Diego de Jesus. Currently, the house is located near the Garden/landscaping contest displays, the Historic Alvarado House was on the edge of the "Blue Zone" of the Fair. The most recent owner of house donated it to the Del Mar Historical Society. Plans are in the works to move the house somewhere else and present it as a museum. We arrived at the San Diego County Fair around 6pm and the house was closed for tours. Maybe if we return and get there earlier, we would be able to walk through the house and observe the contents? Thanks to Emmett (again) for being a great tour guide!