Shark Week is one of the most popular events in San Diego attracting thousands of visitors in a week. As the name suggests, Shark Week is dedicated to sharks. To be held at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps at La Jolla, the Shark Week will run from July 17 to July 23.
The famous Birch Aquarium is home to more than 10 species of sharks. Once you are at the Birch Aquarium you can get up close and personal with different species of sharks including leopard sharks, brown banded bamboo sharks, wobbegongs, whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, Port Jackson sharks and more. You can watch the videos of the sharks in the wild or go on a shark scavenger hunt.

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/

San Diego is home to one of the nature’s most spectacular sights. Every year about 26,000 migrating gray whales, one of the largest mammals on earth, take the long 10,000 mile journey from the Arctic Sea south to  the warm water lagoons of Baja California. It is considered as the longest migration by mammals. The San Diego coastline becomes home to these spectacular species. The Gray whale population was almost extinct in the early 1900s, but through extensive environmental and educational efforts, the population of gray whales has survived.

If you are on a San Diego family vacation between late December and March, make sure to go for the whale watching tour with your kids. You can spend an entire day with your kids watching the spectacular stunts of gray whales. Watch the whales breach, swimming off the coastline,  spy hop, fluke up or fluke down, spout, footprint and more. Make sure to bring binoculars to catch whales activity clearly. Imagine how splendid it would look when a whale leaps out of water and then falls back with a reverberating splash.

Other than gray whales, also watch out for porpoises, brown pelicans, harbor seals and sea lions. Also look out for various dolphins such as Pacific white-sided dolphins, common dolphins and Risso’s dolphins.

Besides being fun, whale watching is also an educational activity – you get to experience ocean wildlife firsthand. Go on a short cruise where trained naturalists provide guidance on maximizing the overall experience. When you go on a cruise, make sure to carry along a warm jacket. You can go to Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma and the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla  for a whale watching tour.

To enjoy whale watching most conveniently with your family, it is best to stay in a San Diego accommodation which is located right in the heart of San Diego. Book your rooms in advance at  California Suites Hotel which is situated just 15 minutes away from the San Diego International Airport. California Suites Hotel is a value price leader among budget hotels in San Diego which has just been promoted to receive a Triple A designation. Facilities provided by the hotel include an “extended” complimentary breakfast, laundry facilities, free stay for children of 11 years and under, safe deposit box, free parking, 24 hr security patrol and more.

Whale watching is a complete family affair. Your kids will just love it!

If you are planning a San Diego vacation to spend some quality time away from the regular hustle bustle of busy city life, you cannot afford to miss the Rolando Street Fair. People come here to spend a sizzling spring day at the fair, and to enjoy the cozy feel of a community gathering that is rare to find in other places.

This street fair is a great way for people to get together and enjoy.Rolando is a small and beautiful urban neighborhood lined with older homes, trees on both sides of the road. This is one of the more appealing and affordable neighborhoods in San Diego.

The 14th annual Rolando Street Fair will take place in Sunday, March 28th, 2010 from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Bring yourself, bring your kids, and have fun on the rides and enjoy dancing to live music. This time, more than 100 vendor booths with a wide variety of hand-made items will be participating in fair. Last year, this street fair attracted over 15,000 and many more are expected this year.

Amid local musical entertainment of rock, jazz and blues, there will be lots more to enjoy here at the street fair. For kids, there are carnival rides of different types that will make any child ask for more! Plus, children can enjoy doing face painting and feast on all sorts of sweet treats. There are various food courts offering delicacies to try.

This year, you can enjoy excellent music from awesome local talent. The band schedule includes names like the San Diego School of Rock, the New Primordials, Steph Johnson Band, Lee Coulter and Len Rainey and the Midnight
Players.

Along with this, there is lots more to experience in San Diego. When planning a trip to this adventurous land, come with some time on your hands to fully explore and experience the varied delights of this place.

If you are a budget traveler, come and stay at California Suites Hotel, best amongst quality budget hotels in San Diego that offer affordable vacation rentals and complementary breakfast.

Courtesy: http://www.rolandovillage.com/

Rocking nightlife, tanned bodies, bars, restaurants and lots of adventure; that’s Pacific Beach for you!

Nestled between La Jolla in the north and Mission Beach in the south, Pacific Beach enjoys immense popularity with youngsters in San Diego. Fondly called ‘PB’ by local residents here, Pacific Beach has the most rocking nightlife of all the beaches in San Diego.

With a chain of clubs, beachside bars, pubs, dance spots and lounges, Pacific Beach offers a heady concoction of fun and entertainment to make you forget your worries and just soak yourself in the merriment.

At the Pacific Beach, there is no dearth of bars and clubs buzzing with activity and where you can hang out with the cool crowd and rock the night away. Hanging out at the coffee house is popular pastime here. Have your favorite drink, chat up even with strangers and enjoy the amazing artwork at the cafes.

If you had had enough of drinking and partying, check out the great sporting options here. You can play beach volleyball, or go rollerblading, surfing, or simply stroll along the P.B. boardwalk. It is one of the best pleasures of Pacific Beach.

And finally, can one do without shopping? Well, Pacific Beach won’t leave you disappointed. Check out the shopping district at the beach side which is full of clothing stores, salons, and retail stores. You can browse and shop for some wonderful stuff here.

If you want to enjoy Pacific Beach and its wonderful nightlife as much as you can during your San Diego vacation, stay in a good lodging in San Diego that is near the beach so that you can commute easily.

Our hotel, California Suites Hotel, is located near the Pacific beach and other sun-kissed beaches and world famous attractions of San Diego. Moreover we also provide unbeatable discounts which would make your San Diego accommodation easy on your pocket especially in these days of a market downturn. Our discounts are aimed at ensuring that you have a wonderful time in San Diego with all the premium facilities of a luxury hotel at amazingly affordable prices.

Come to San Diego’s Pacific Beach and enjoy what life has to offer, minus the worries!

Flanked by the San Diego Bay on the one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, the City of Coronado is home to sprawling beaches and awesome tourist attractions.

Of all its scenic golden beaches, the Coronado Beach located on the ocean side of Coronado Island is a perfect beach to spend an entire day sunbathing under a bright big umbrella and watching the orange sun go down across the horizon.

With its widest expanse of sand, Coronado Beach has plenty of space for kids and adults to play ball, fly a kite, build sand castles or simply stroll or run around on the sand. The Beach is an ideal place for those who prefer water sports such as swimming, tide pool exploration, surfing, fishing or sailing.

For those who prefer to stay out of the water, Coronado Beach offers plenty of other activities. You can bike, rollerblade, fly kites flying, play beach volleyball or shop. And whenever you are hungry, indulge yourself in a variety of delicious foods available at the nearby shops.

Lifeguards are present all the year around on the Coronado beach. There are restrooms and showers and there is also an off-leash area where pets are allowed.

With no Entry and Parking fees, the place is busy all the year around.  As getting  free parking can be quite challenging at times, it is better to arrive early to get the best spot. Moreover, while visiting the Coronado Beach, be sure to take out time to visit some outstanding parks nearby such as Glorietta Bay Park and Spreckels Park which are popular with the kids.

During peak season, getting a good lodging in San Diego can be tough. Besides, to enjoy the beaches fully, go for an accommodation which is nearby.

Coronado Beach is just a short car trip across the San Diego Bay Bridge from downtown San Diego which is very near to our California Suites Hotel. We are always at your service to provide you with the best and most affordable accommodation in San Diego. We would say, book your rooms with us as early as possible to beat the rush.

Friends, Its two miles of seemingly unending sun, white sand, and golden hue!

San Diego’s Mission Beach needs no introduction for those who have been there, and well, done what almost all San Diego visitors do, bask in the sun, stroll on the sand and wade into the deep blue sea.

For the uninitiated, lets walk you down the charming Mission Beach, which hugs the shoreline between Mission Bay to the east and Pacific Beach to the north. If you are planning a beach vacation in San Diego, Mission Beach will, of course, be on the itinerary.

In fact, we always get a steady stream of visitors who come to San Diego attracted by its beaches. Since California Suites Hotel offers comfortable and affordable lodging in San Diego and is within 15 minutes from San Diego International Airport and white sandy beaches apart from famous tourist spots such as San Diego Zoo, Sea World and major shopping centers, we happen to be a favorite for tourists planning a beach vacation.

Though San Diego is known for its beautiful beaches, Mission Beach has always been a favorite hangout zone for both locals and visitors. The crowds swell in summer especially (a mid-summer sunset is a breathtaking visual delight). Some people like to simply soak in the sun as much as they can, watching as the golden ball rolls across the sky and melts down into the horizon.

Those who like to enjoy an action-packed beach vacation find Mission Beach a place of endless land and water activities – sailing, hiking, surfing, running, swimming, diving….The action never stops here!

The boardwalk at Mission Beach is a happening place, buzzing with joggers, cyclists, strollers, kids zooming along on their roller blades, and what have you.

The picturesque beach is dotted with beach cottages and apartments which are a mix of old and new styles, apart from plush condos and homes which typically sport soft pastel colors to match with the ocean. The Mission Beach lifeguard station is surrounded by shops and restaurants.

Here are some useful facts about Mission Beach, particularly if you are visiting it for the first time:

• Walking, biking, and bicycling; all are permitted on the boardwalk, but speed is regulated.
• Cycles with more than two wheels are not permitted except for the physically disable people.
• Wheelchairs are allowed at the boardwalk. A special beach wheelchair along with an attendant is available at the main lifeguard station on a first come, first served basis. No fee is charged.
• Generally beaches in San Diego experience strong rip currents. Mission Beach has an alert team of trained lifeguards who are on duty from 9:00 a.m. to dusk at the main lifeguard station. However, it is advisable not to go too far into the water and swim near a lifeguard.
• Mission Beach also has a separate area specially reserved for swimming and surfing.
• Public restrooms and showers are located at the commercial mall adjacent to the Mission Beach lifeguard station.
• Scuba diving is not permitted at the Mission Beach due to lack of marine life.
• As of January 2008, alcohol is no longer allowed on San Diego beaches.

Mission Beach is not to be missed, that’s for sure! And far as affordable lodging in San Diego is concerned, we are at your service! Have a blast at the action-filled beaches and come back to the serenity of lush green gardens decked with tropical plants and flowers, fully equipped rooms, sumptuous buffet breakfast and a spacious swimming pool. Get the best of both worlds!