Saturday, February 5, 2011

Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla

 Nine minutes outside of main part of La Jolla is the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. The aquarium is set up in two parts. The one half is a standard aquarium with different types of fish and marine life. The outdoor exhibit includes a shark tank with multiple varieties of small sharks.
The most impressive part is the sea horse exhibit, “There’s Something About Seahorses.” The aquarium has more than a dozen seahorse species as well as seahorse kin, including the very interesting looking sea dragon.
They also are the home of a sea horse nursery. Multiple breeds of baby seahorses are in the nursery on exhibit.
From the overlook terrace of the aquarium, it is an ideal location to relax, take in some sun and do some winter whale watching while the gray whale is in their winter migration to bear their calves in the waters of Baja, Mexico. Watch for their blow or for a tail, known as a fluke.

Birch Aquarium is run by Scripps Institution of Oceanography who also run a Winter Whale Watching cruise from San Diego’s harbor. See gray whales up close between December and April during their winter migration.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Art Galleries, Eateries, Shopping and Sea Lions in La Jolla

The town of La Jolla is an ideal shopping and art getaway for any traveler visiting San Diego. Shops and art galleries line Prospect St. through the main part of the town. High-end shopping, lovely restaurants with remarkable views of the Pacific, kitschy tourist gift shops and art galleries big and small can be found in the main town.

Travel down to 700 Prospect St. to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA). There are also two locations of MCA in downtown San Diego. However, when the La Jolla branch is changing installations, they close the museum, so check the website before planning a special trip. That said, the walk to the museum is a beautiful walk that takes you just past the main street.
On the walk back to the center of town, stop and enjoy the smaller art galleries along Prospect St. and stop for lunch at George’s at the Cove’s ocean terrace for a meal over looking the Pacific.

Head down Jenner St. from Prospect St. and make and left onto Coast Blvd. to the beach called the Children’s Pool.


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The walk to the beach is a gorgeous walk, so definitely bring your camera. At the end, you’ll want to peer over the short wall, as there is typically sea lions found on or near the beach during the fall, winter and spring months.
Sea lions are wild animals and may not be disturbed and are fully protected by Federal law.

There are stairs that you can head down to the beach with the sea lions, however, there is a barrier to stay behind.
Afterwards, head back up the stairs and onto the seawall, which will give you a more aerial view of the sea lions. Make sure to look to the left and into the waters as you walk down the wall, as there are sometimes sea lions swimming around. Then head up to the end for a closer peek at the ones on the beach.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

San Diego's Seaport Village

A walk across the train and trolley tracks from Downtown San Diego and just along the harbor you’ll find a treat for locals and tourists a like. Seaport Village is packed to the brim with shops and restaurants, but this little hideaway isn’t you’re typical busting tourist attraction.


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Relax and take a cup of coffee or tea to one of the benches along the harbor and watch the birds, the ships, take in some sun and just genuinely enjoy your surroundings. This is a great place to slow down.
There are plenty of plenty of shops to browse through, stroll through the stores, the boardwalk and explore the Seaport Village.
While here, definitely stop for lunch or dinner at one of their harbor-side restaurants. For a lighter meal, try Seaport Village Deli, with great sandwiches and soups, and their patio overlooks the harbor. If you’re looking for something a little less casual, the San Diego Pier CafĂ© sits right over the water.

Parking is free for two hours with any purchase at Seaport Village, just ask for your parking to be validated at the register.

If you follow the boardwalk along the harbor, you will meet up with the USS Midway Museum, which will definitely take more than two hours to explore.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Great Views, Great Food at George's at the Cove

 For visitors of La Jolla, getting a table at George’s at the Cove overlooking the Pacific is a great spot for lunch or dinner. The rooftop ocean terrace offers a full lunch and dinner menu featuring casual bistro favorites such as sandwiches, burgers, and salads. There is also an extensive bar menu to choose from, including local wines and mixed drinks.
Reservations can be made online on their website, but walk-ins are always welcome. We got there for an early lunch and there were plenty of open tables. However, by noon, most of the tables filled up and the terrace bar was the only available option for those without reservations.

If you get there and all of the tables along the side of the terrace are occupied, ask for one of the elevated tables near the kitchen. From there you can see over everyone out to the water.

George’s at the Cove is located at 1250 Prospect St. in La Jolla.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Seeking Natural Beauty at Sunset Cliffs

Bring your tripod! If you’re making a trip to Point Loma, definitely make a side trip to Sunset Cliffs, a beautiful location to watch the waves crash and break against the sand and watch surfers catch some waves.

It’s also a great spot to take some scenic pictures of the 400-ft. high cliffs.

Access the beach at Sunset Cliffs at Sunset Cliffs Park, wit an entrance through the Point Loma Nazarene University. The path to the beach is steep from the parking lot along the road, however, there isn’t parking closer than the municipal lot – and parking there is free.

If you’re not into laying on the beach, or hiking back up the steep hill, there is a great overlook with free parking on the corner of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. and Froude St.

Sunset Cliffs Blvd. runs along the cliffs for a portion of it with a few parking areas to get out and enjoy the view, the water, take in some sun and relax. From here, you might also catch a glimpse of a gray whale during their winter migration to Mexico.

Signs warn that the cliffs are unstable, so beware. We stayed pretty far from the edge and still took wonderful photos. While we were there, we also had the pleasure of a few surfers taking the waves, making for an added photo opportunity for us.
This is also a great place to bring your tripod and take some group shots. It’s relatively secluded and picturesque.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Winter Whale Watching in San Diego

 While the gray whale is on its annual migration from the Bering Sea into warmer waters to bear their calves, it is an ideal time to go whale watching in San Diego.

The gray whales head into the waters of Mexico, making the migration south during the months of December and January and the return trip with the calves in as early as February, but most ideal times are March and April.
There are many groups that do whale watching tours from the San Diego Harbor area. The two main boats are the Flagship, which is led by experts from Birch Aquarium in La Jolla and the Hornblower, with expert whalers from the San Diego Natural History Museum.

We chose to go with the Flagship cruise.
The Naturalist that narrates the three and a half to four-hour cruises explain how to spot a whale as well as teach visitors about the gray whale.
On the return trip back to the harbor, volunteers walk around the boat with samples of arctic mud, whales teeth, called plates; and more.

There is also a chance to see seals, sea lions and dolphins, all of which are in the waters around San Diego.
 The Flagship leaves twice daily, boarding at 9:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. The company guarantees a whale sighting during the cruise. Whale watching season for the Flagship runs approximately Dec. 11 through April 10.

Boarding for the Flagship is at 1050 North Harbor Drive in San Diego. The best and cheapest place to park is at the USS Midway, for $7 for three hours and is only about a block and a half away. There is also a city parking lot across the street, at Broadway and Pacific Highway that charges $10 for three hours. Metered parking is available around the harbor area with a three-hour maximum at $1.25 per hour.