The upcoming San Diego Restaurant Week opens the floodgates to lip smacking delicacies at more than 180 of the best restaurants in the city. Both city residents and tourists wait for this week to try out an array of feasts at the best restaurants.

Considered as the largest and the most successful dining event in San Diego County, San Diego Restaurant Week was initiated to make San Diego a top destination for fine dining. Organized by the California Restaurant Association San Diego County, the San Diego Restaurant Week is held twice a year. It will flag off on 19 September and go up to 24 September, 2010.

You can pick a restaurant of your choice during the week and enjoy a three course menu there. There are no tickets, coupons or passes required. Best part of this week long festival is that you get to savor a three-course dinner for merely $20, $30 or $40 per person, depending upon the restaurant you choose. Where else can you get the chance to discover new restaurants all at one place and relish delicious meals at such a reasonable prices?

This gastronomic week also provides a great opportunity to food lovers when they can explore the new eateries as well as revisit the old favorites. However it is advisable to reserve tables at the restaurants in advance.

Starting from downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter to Old Town, La Jolla, Coronado, Del Mar and beyond, food lovers can treat themselves to delicious meals at various restaurants at several places throughout San Diego during the food festival. If you are visiting San Diego during this time, make sure you stay in a San Diego lodging from where all the above mentioned locations are nearby so that you save time on commute.

Located right in the middle of San Diego, California Suites Hotel is one of the leading budget hotels in San Diego which provides tempting discounts,and high value services to their visitors.

Ahead of other budget hotels in delivering the best to their clients, California Suites Hotel many other facilities such as complimentary breakfast, free parking, spa tub, safe deposit box, voice mail, Internet facility and lots more.

San Diego Restaurant Week is a sheer delight for foodies! Don’t miss it!

Photo Courtesy: http://www.activerain.com/

For over 40 years, the World Series of Powerboat Racing is the largest annual family festival and is quite a favorite among race fans. This year more than 160,000 spectators are expected to attend the three day event which will take place from September 17 to 19, 2010. (more…)

A long list of artists are slated to delight the audiences with classical as well as new, contemporary compositions. Orchestra aficionados can look forward to some lively concerts when the most celebrated performers from all over the world descend in La Jolla to enchant you with their performances.

There will also be exciting jazz performances by the best names in the industry. This year, the La Jolla Music Society summer fest is bringing together more than 70 renowned artists from all over the world.

The La Jolla Music Society summer fest began in 1986, and since then millions of music lovers have been enthralled by the over 650 artists who have performed here. On the opening night, attendees can watch “String Spectacular’ to be performed by none other than Cho-Liang Lin; the music director of the summer fest.

Some programs will also be dedicated to the music of Chopin and Schumann. Check out ‘Schumann I - A Poet’s Love’ by Harrell and baritone Kelly Markgraf on August 10.

This three-week-long music festival also features workshops, family concerts, multi-disciplinary lectures, pre-concert talks, round table discussions, and other social events. All concerts and programs are scheduled to take place at Sherwood Auditorium, except August 7 when the’Age of Enlightenment’ program by keyboardist Anthony Newman will be presented at the St. James by-the-Sea.

The festival spans three weeks and it will be convenient for any music tourist to find a hotel in San Diego from where La Jolla is nearby. Known as a value price leader among budget hotels, California Suites Hotel is centrally located from where La Jolla and other major attractions are within easy distance. And even San Diego International Airport is just a 15-minute drive away from the hotel.

California Suites Hotel provides fine services and facilities at competitive prices including a complimentary “extended” breakfast, laundry facilities and most importantly awesome discounts, San Diego packages and California vacation packages to their guests. Not everyday you get a chance to watch performances of widely respected musicians, or a chance to interact and learn from them. Don’t miss this richly varied music festival.

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Shark Week at the Birch Aquarium allows you a one-of-a-kind experience of close encounters with sharks, which you can’t expect anywhere else on land! You can touch swell shark pups and docile horn. And don’t forget to get yourself photographed with a white shark.

If you are planning your California family vacations in July, do make it a point to bring your kids to the Shark Week. This 7-day long program educates visitors about these powerful creatures.

Sharks are usually portrayed as dangerous species which kill their vulnerable preys indiscriminately. However this is an unfortunate myth associated with sharks. The researchers at the Scripps do a great job in educating visitors on how sharks are important to marine life, how they can be just as vulnerable and why there is a growing need to protect their declining population.

In order to best enjoy the activities and all the fun at the Shark Week, you should stay at a San Diego lodging from where you can commute easily to the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla.  There are several San Diego accommodations which provide nice San Diego packages and California vacation packages. Talking about best budget motels and hotels, California Suites Hotel offers fine quality services at competitive prices. It is located 15 minute away from the San Diego International Airport, and other attractions such as the Sea World and the Zoo and of course, the sun kissed beaches of San Diego.

San Diego attracts a heavy inflow of tourists during this season, so book your rooms in advance. And don’t forget to include Shark week at Birch Aquarium in your itinerary on your San Diego vacation.

Photo courtesy: blogs.inlandsocal.com/moms/weekly-topic/

The prime attraction of the Sea World is the famous killer whale-Shamu and needless to say, Shamu’s shows are huge draws. There are various shows featuring Shamu such as Believe, Shamu Rocks, and The Shamu Story. Shamu Rocks is a very exciting show in which the popular killer whale -Shamu plays a rock star and jigs to sizzling rock ‘n’ roll music with incredible animation and impressive lighting effects in the background. You would not have seen such exciting rock n roll performance by anyone ever.

Once you are done with the Shamu Rocks, check out the hilarious Sea Lions Tonite and Sea Lions LIVE. Both the shows feature sea lions Clyde and Seamore who entertain the crowds with their mischievous acts.

Interested in a 4-D theater experience? Check out the Sesame Street Presents: Lights, Camera, Imagination. It features the furry red monster Elmo, Big Bird, Bert and some other humorous characters such as dancing octopus, monstrous cookies and more. If your children like watching children’s television, take them to the Sesame Street show. They will love this Sesame presentation too complete with 4-D effects.

Do you love watching circus? Then you shouldn’t miss the Cirque de la Mer at any cost. Cirque de la Mer is very different from the typical circuses. You will view some great acrobatic feats here especially in three different forms - land, water and in the air!

Apart from different shows, Sea World’s Summer Nights also offers amazing rides. Go for a Bayside Skyride which is an amazing ride across the scenic Mission Bay giving you plenty of time to admire the beauty of the area. Want to catch the magnificent views of the San Diego skyline from the top? Then you must go on a Skytower ride. For adventure seekers, there are some really thrilling and spine tickling rides such as Journey To Atlantis, Shipwreck
Rapids, and more.

Sea World’s Summer Nights is an awesome tourist place which appeals to both kids as well as grown ups. So if you are planning to come on a San Diego vacation between June and August, you must include Sea World’s Summer Nights in your itinerary.

For easy travel, book your rooms in a hotel in San Diego from where Sea World is located nearby. In case if you are on a limited budget, you don’t need to stay in a cheap San Diego hotel. Rather there are several good budget hotels in San Diego which provide tightly priced San Diego packages and California vacation packages. California Suites Hotel is the Value Price Leader among budget hotels in San Diego and offers quality services at affordable prices.

Photo Courtesy: http://blog.orlandominivacations.com/calendar-of-orlando-events/?Tag=August%202009

Every year as summer approaches, the San Diego County Fair, which is the largest Fair in North America, becomes the favorite place to hang out for not only tourists but also the city residents. It’s one great opportunity to enjoy an entertaining San Diego family vacation.

The fair kicked off on June 11 and will go on till July 5 at the Del Mar fairgrounds except on June 21 and 28. This famous fair attracts streams of visitors every year.

This year the fair is celebrating food with a ‘Taste the Fun’ theme and not surprisingly, there is a massive spread of gastronomical delights being offered by various stalls and booths. Visitors are treated to a variety of delectable food items such as deep fried pop tart, beef kabob, veggie kabobs, chocolate dipped pickles, four pound belly buster burger and lots more. Apart from this, you can also look forward to cooking contests, food exhibits and lots more.

San Diego County Fair is a perfect place to spend a whole day with the family. There are so many carnival rides, farm animals, hobby and craft competitions, and so much more to keep the kids busy.

One of the key attractions of the fair is the 2010 Grandstand show in which various performers entertain the audience. If you are a fan of Classic Pop, catch the performance by Kenny Loggins. Fans of R&B can look forward to a performance by Donna Summer. And then there will be artists like Switchfoot, Lifehouse and others.

Lovers of traditional dance forms can look forward to international folk dance day at the fair, slated for June 19. In this event, various dance groups in colorful costumes will entertain the crowds with different dance forms. Or you can watch the spectacular and interactive Star Trek Live. It is simply an out of this world experience!

There will be so many events talking place everyday, so it is advisable that you find a hotel in San Diego from where Del Mar is nearby. California Suites Hotel is one of the leading budget hotels in San Diego which is centrally located. Even the San Diego International Airport is just 15 minutes away from the hotel. The hotel offers complimentary breakfast, free parking and other fine facilities at affordable prices. So if you are planning a San Diego family vacation in June, make sure to go to the San Diego County Fair. Your family will love the fun and entertaining event and take back some great memories.

Picture Courtesy: http://www.sdnn.com/ (By Dave Gatley)

The city of San Diego, celebrates World Ocean Day in order to raise awareness about the significance of oceans and the ways to protect them. This year World Ocean Day is very special as it honors the former La Jolla resident Dr. Seuss and marks the 50th Anniversary of his classic book for children called “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.”

You can take your kids to the San Diego Zoo where a  snow sculpture building contest will take place. A local celebrity and the national spokesperson will also present a reading of the book.

How about underwater reading of the book? Sounds magical? For this you would have to visit the Sea Life aquarium where this underwater reading of the book and lots of arts and crafts will be held.

Want to participate in a  scavenger hunt? Then go to Birch Aquarium at Scripps where apart from the scavenger hunt, a dive show will also be held on June 8. At the Bahia Belle,  cruises for children around Mission Bay are offered where children can play lots of games, music, interesting activities and more. Among all these places, make sure to go to the Hornblower Harbor Cruises on the beautiful San Diego Bay. Artists here do the Seuss-themed face paintings on children for free.

If you are by chance on a San Diego vacation during the first week of June, make sure to take your whole family to all these places to enjoy and celebrate the World Ocean Day. And find a hotel in San Diego which is centrally located and from where San Diego Zoo, San Diego Bay and other places are nearby.

Picture Courtesy: http://aquarium.ucsd.edu

Listen to the Sicilian melodies, experience the rich culture of Sicily and get to gorge on mouth-watering authentic Sicilian dishes. The streets of Little Italy are getting all dressed up tp become a window to the world of Sicilian music, dance and culture. There would be a line-up of food booths where you can get a taste of delicious, and authentic Sicilian culinary specialties such as Caponata, Panella, Arancine, Crocché, Seppia served with black sauce and more.

After satisfying your taste buds, you can shop at various booths offering unique Italian artifacts and souvenirs. Or you can go and relax at the wine and beer gardens. Or enjoy watching a parade at noon as a number of trained dancers in colorful costumes and musicians and representatives of the Italian organizations participate in the parade carrying flags of Sicily and Italy. The best part of this festival is that this highly popular entertaining event is free for all.

If you are planning a vacation to San Diego around this time, do visit Little Italy, a hilly neighborhood in Downtown San Diego located within walking distance of the beautiful San Diego harbor. For kids too, this event offers an array of interesting activities ranging from puppet theater shows, song and dance programs by children, inflatable slides, face painting and lots more. It is a complete fun filled event for entire family. For convenient commute, you can book rooms in an affordable lodging in San Diego from where Little Italy is  easily accessible.

California Suites Hotel is a value price leader among budget accommodations in San Diego, and is ideally located right in the heart of San Diego so you won’t have any trouble in commuting. The hotel offers good facilities at affordable prices such as free parking, Internet connection, extended complimentary breakfast, swimming pool, safe deposit box, 24 hour Security Patrol and more.

If you want to experience the culture and cuisine of Sicily without stepping out of San Diego then this event is the place to be.

Picture Courtesy: http://www.sicilianfestival.smugmug.com

This completely free and sponsored event attracts up to 250,000 visitors each year to enjoy music and entertainment, authentic food through Old Town restaurants, cultural and historic exhibits and reenactments. In just one place you can get a real taste of Mexican culture, cuisine, handicraft, spirit, and music.

This year, Fiesta Cinco de Mayo is going to take place on 1st and 2nd May, 2010 from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM. This family friendly event is the premiere celebration of arts and culture and this year it has got an interesting line-up of lots of entertainment activities for the whole family. and stay in a hotel in San Diego close to where the event is held in nearby to Old Town.Plus, Old Town has got over 15 historic sites, including the State Historic Park, Heritage Park, Presidio Park, Sheriff’s Museum, La Casa de Estudillo, the first Church in Old Town, La Casa de Bandini, La Casa de Altamirno Pedrorena, Mormon Battalion Visitors Center, Mason Street School and lots more which are FREE to explore.

Old Town is also a virtual Mecca for shopping and fine dining. Visitors interested in music and enjoy the sizzling beats of Flamenco, and the traditional Mariachi music and watch Mariachi players playing guitar.

To explore the Old Town conveniently at your pace during your San Diego vacation, book your stay at California Suites Hotel which is located about 15 minutes from Old Town. Here you will get the best value accommodation services. From a complimentary extended buffet breakfast, to free parking, Internet connection, swimming pool, safe deposit box, 24 hour Security Patrol and more, California Suites Hotel offers the best value for money. If you are planning your San Diego vacation to coincide with the Cinco de Mayo, reserve your rooms now.

 Courtesy: http://score.rims.k12.ca.us

This vast desert park offers you an amazing opportunity to experience the wilderness and marvels of the desert. Once here, you will be stunned to see an awesome variety of species ranging from mule deer, golden eagles, chuckwallas, roadrunners, kit foxes, red diamond rattlesnakes, bighorn sheep to desert iguanas. It is undoubtedly the richest desert park offering such tremendous variety of species.

The best time to visit Anza-Borengo Desert State Park is in the spring. Imagine how wonderful it looks when the whole desert turns into a riot of colors. Rains transform the rugged landscape and the sun hardened desert into a kaleidoscope of colorful desert wildflowers. You can see a variety of spectacular wildflowers such as desert marigold, barrel cactus, red chuparosa, primrose, yellow brittlebush, ocotillo buds, monkey flowers and more.

After a substantial winter rainfall, the wildflowers begin to bloom in late February and in early March. Therefore if you are on a San Diego vacation during march-April, make sure to visit Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. And the best way to do that is to stay in a hotel in San Diego from where you can commute to the desert park easily.

California Suites Hotel is located right in the heart of San Diego so there won’t be any trouble getting there. The hotel provides good facilities at budget price such as an extended complimentary breakfast, free parking, Internet connection, swimming pool, 24 hour security patrol, safe deposit box and more.

If you are particularly fond of seeing wild desert animals and wildflowers, then you shouldn’t miss this desert park. Now is the time!

Courtesy: www.anaheimoc.org