San Diego is a melting pot of various cultures and ethnicities. From celebrating Irish heritage to staging German festivals such as Oktoberfest, San Diego offers a rich and vibrant cultural mix, all in one city.

Keeping with this tradition, San Diego is now gearing up to celebrate its rich Mexican heritage with the festival of Dia de los Muertos on October 31st  2010. Whether you belong to the Mexican community or not, you can attend this family oriented event which is a sort of a celebration of life and death. It is a wonderful tradition which brings together people of different origins to honor their loved ones. However, contrary to what the name suggests it is a festive time.

In San Diego, Dia de los Muertos is organized by the Mission San Luis Rey, a non-profit organization and National Historic Landmark, at the Mission San Luis Rey. The highlight of the festival is the ofrendas. Ofrendas are the altars which are decorated with thousands of orange Mexican marigolds, not larger than 12 square inches. Kids who come up with the best looking mini ofrendas are given interesting gifts.

Apart from this, the festival offers mouth-watering food, dance, music, a symbolic procession, free chalk cemetery decorated with flowers and candles and also an activity area for children.

Dia de los Muertos is an opportunity for musicians, dancers and artists to showcase their talent whereas it is an equally great opportunity for visitors to witness rich Latino culture.  Both Dia de los Muertos and Halloween will be taking place around the same time. Therefore get your kids dressed in their best Halloween costumes of skeletons, spirits for the Dia de los Muertos celebration. This family friendly festival is free and will begin at 10am and continue till 4pm.

If you are on a vacation to San Diego for Halloween, make sure to add this event too in your itinerary. Considering it is a festive time, a large number of hotels in San Diego are offering great San Diego vacation deals and packages to attract tourists.

Located in Clairemont Mesa Blvd, California Suites Hotel is offering awesome discounts to visitors. Known for good ambiance and hospitality, the hotel provides impeccable services to the guests. Some of the amenities include an extended complimentary breakfast, Internet facility, voice mail service, spa tub, safe deposit box and more. Besides, the hotel is centrally located from where Mission San Luis Rey is a short distance away. You can go through the website to know various other facilities available as well as the discounts offered.

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Halloween is just round the corner and it is time to start preparing for the Halloween costumes, parties, and events.  When it comes to events and festivities, the mesmerizing city of San Diego hosts some really great Halloween events. One such event is the Halloween Family day at Balboa Park.

Wondering what you can see at Balboa Park during Halloween? It’s a feast of entertainment and fun with spine-tingling tours, variety of spooky activities, scary storytelling, Halloween scavenger hunt, creepy crafts and lots more at the largest urban cultural park. The best part is of course the free entry to the museums. On 31st October, more than a dozen museums will throw open the doors for kids of 17 years and under.

Adults too have plenty of exciting things lined up for them. They will get discounts on their  Halloween passes. On buying a Stay-for-the-Day Pass, you can gain entry into any of the five museums for a nominal $35.

You can dress up your kids in colorful Halloween costumes and make them participate in the kiddie costume parade at the Natural History Museum. A kiddie costume parade will also be held at the Natural History Museum. Kids with best wildlife costume will win exciting gifts.

Fond of face painting? Then head to the San Diego History Center where you can learn a few tricks of face painting as well as hat making. Did you check out various rail models the last time you visited the San Diego Model Railroad Museum? This Halloween, you can build and  decorate your own glow-in-the-dark steam engine.

How about decorating sugar skulls or skull masks? For this you will have to visit the San Diego Museum of Man where you can also build miniature altars.Interestingly, a doggie costume show will also be held at the Spanish Village Art Center. The winners will receive doggie treats as prizes. Apart from the doggie costume show, there will also be trick-or-treat bag decoration, steam-powered giraffe performance and various free art activities.

If you happen to be on a vacation to San Diego around Halloween, make it a point to take your kids to Balboa Park. Since a large number of tourists will be arriving in San Diego during this festive season, make sure to book your rooms in a good San Diego lodging in advance.

California Suites Hotel is one of the budget hotels in San Diego which has been known for impeccable services and hospitality. During this festive season, the hotel is also providing awesome discounts and San Diego vacation packages to the visitors.

Halloween Family day at Balboa Park is a whole lot of fun for both kids as well as adults. Make sure to attend it!

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Ever heard of amazing German beers? Well, if you haven’t yet got the taste of German beers, then this is your chance to sip some at the upcoming Oktoberfest in San Diego.

San Diego dedicates the month of October to celebrate its German heritage just as it marks March as the month for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and its Irish heritage. Organized by the German American Societies of San Diego, this traditional festival will be held in El Cajon in San Diego.

German cuisine is not just about beer and sausages. Germans like elaborate, well-prepared and well-served food. At Oktoberfest, you will find several diverse dishes to satisfy your taste buds such as sauerkraut, schweinsbraten, ox-on-the-spit, Labskaus, bratwurst, schnitzel, potato pancakes, potato salad, soups with cabbage and peas and of course, the famed German pastries and tarts made with fresh fruit in a wide variety.

Besides enjoying great food and beer, the fest also offers a great lineup of musical entertainment. A popular band from Bavaria named Guggenbach-Buam is set to perform at the Oktoberfest dressed in traditional clothing with a variety of German music.

You can do plenty of exciting things at this fest such as singing and dancing to the beats of polkas and waltz, watching German folk dance, participating in several games, competing in contests, taking kids to the Kids’ Zone, buying some nick-knacks from vendors and craft booths and so on. The admission fee for 21 years and older is $5 and if you are younger than 21, the entry is free.

This popular traditional festival will take place over the first two weekends of October. If you are planning to come on a vacation to San Diego between 1st and 10th October, make sure to attend this festival.

Although San Diego has plenty of hotels, it will be convenient for you to stay in a San Diego lodging from where El Cajon is nearby so that you don’t waste much time on commute.

Located just 15 minutes away from the San Diego International Airport, California Suites Hotel is one of the leading budget hotels in San Diego. Known for good services and hospitable staff, the hotel provides awesome discounts and great San Diego vacation deals and packages.

In October, do come to El Cajon and bring your whole family too, to experience a real German Oktoberfest.

Photo Courtesy: www.sdnn.com

Are you fond of racing? The San Diego Bayfair’s World Series of Powerboat Racing is back once again to celebrate the end of summer. This beach festival brings the fastest boats in the world right to the shores of Mission Beach. It is a great event to turn your boring weekend more adventurous by watching the breathtaking racing. Visiting monuments and sightseeing is a normal activity we all do on our San Diego vacation. But why not watch something which can turn the regular boring weekend into something adventurous?

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…)

Does music make your world go round? Is music your food for the soul? If music is your life, then you must not miss the La Jolla Music Society Summer Fest at any cost. Soon to be held from Aug 6 to Aug 29, 2010, in La Jolla,San Diego, this music festival presents an array of programs to provide music enthusiasts with an enriching musical experience.

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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Interesting shows, thrilling rides, amazing exhibits and various other activities make Sea World’s Summer Nights an irresistible magnet which attracts millions of tourists from all over the world. Located along the Mission Bay district in San Diego, the Summer Nights fiesta at the Sea World has been the center of attraction ever since it started on June 18 this year. Tourists who are on a San Diego vacation can take some time off from their itinerary to visit it any time till Aug. 29, 2010.

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

Get your face painted with fishes, listen to the dramatic readings of classic tale ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish’and other stories on the World Ocean Day in San Diego.  This year the event is going to be held from June 5 to 8, 2010 at various places throughout the city.

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

The beautiful Torrey Pines golf course at La Jolla in San Diego will bring you one of the finest and most watched tournaments in the PGA Tour, officially marking the beginning of the season. This year, the prestigious golf tournament is sponsored by the Farmers Insurance group. The 2010 Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament will kick off on January 25th , 2010 and will go on till the 31st of January. This tournament brings together some of the best golfers in the nation for a week of golf and entertainment. Please note that the first day of the event on 25th January is free for everyone. So please take care to get there early to get the best view. Don’t forget to book your San Diego accommodation in advance with us so that you do not have to go hotel hunting at the last minute.

The sponsor, Farmers Insurance have their headquarters in southern California and is a subsidiary of Swiss-based Zurich Financial Services, which is the title sponsor of the PGA Tour stop in New Orleans. The tournament which dates back to 1952 was known as the Buick Invitational Golf tournament since 1992 and the automaker sponsored the game every year till 2009. Last year, Buick filed for bankruptcy and ended its sponsorship when a U.S. bankruptcy court ordered Buick’s parent company, General Motors, to stop sponsoring PGA tournaments.

The event is being organized by the Century Club of San Diego and tickets with their logo should be enough to gain admission to the greens. Last year, Nick Watney rallied from five shots back to capture his second career PGA Tour title here. This year too the tournament will have its share of entertainment for a week and be sure to reserve your San Diego accommodation as soon as possible.

Pic Courtesy: La Jolla Travel Information

If you thought San Diego is a tourist haven only for its sun kissed beaches, colorful festivals and year along pleasant weather, think again. Sport lovers too have a number of attractions to look forward to while planning a vacation in San Diego. For example, the upcoming Pacific Life Holiday Bowl is a very popular college football bowl game  played annually at the famous Qualcomm Stadium since 1978, for which sport aficionados eagerly wait the year round.

On December 30th, 2009, the 32nd Pacific Life Holiday Bow will be played between the University of Arizona Wildcats and University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. Tickets are available now and people have begun booking their seats to avoid the last minute rush. Apart from the bowl game, Qualcomm Stadium will also host numerous tailgate parties and the halftime show fireworks. Thus, it makes a lot of sense in staying a budget hotel in San Diego near the stadium.

One of the major events during Pacific Life Holiday Bowl which spectators wait for eagerly is the annual Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade. This colorful parade is in fact the “America’s Largest Balloon Parade” and this year it will be held on the morning of 30th December where a parade of colorful floats, unique drill teams, heart-pounding marching bands, racing wiener dogs and of course, large balloons can be enjoyed. This parade begins at the County Administration Building on Harbor Drive and continues down to Seaport Village. It actually sets the mood for the interesting match to be held in the evening.

Another event that visitors look forward is the Big Bay Family Festival which is a fun filled event to be enjoyed by the whole family. Here don’t miss to climb 25 feet up into the air on the Coconut Climb as this is the main highlight of the event. Kids can try kicking legs at the Field Goal Kick and have great fun. Along with this, you get to see and enjoy various carnival games, balloon artists and airbrush tattoos. The mood of the event is set by the steel drum band as well as a live ship battle organized between the HMS Surprise and the Californian.

If you intend to drive to the venue, start early as the parking lot surrounding the stadium fills up quickly. No matter what, the fun at the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl will not get over till the last.

As far as lodging in San Diego is concerned, we are a favorite accommodation for tourists wanting to visit San Diego. California Suites Hotel is located at a stone’s throw away from the Qualcomm Stadium, and we provide high quality affordable accommodation at budget prices. Make your reservations with us now and enjoy these magnificent attractions of San Diego thoroughly.

As the holiday season begins and the month of December brings with it the holiday spirits and the reasons to celebrate; the city of San Diego would be buzzing with so many events and activities. San Diego hosts a number of popular events during the month of December.

One such popular event is the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights. It is an elaborate and spectacular boat parade of lights you have never seen before. Though lots of boat displays take place in California, the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights beats all of them.

Boats, yachts, lights and the open sea, this is what this colorful annual event is all about. It takes place on the 13th and 20th December of 2009, just a week after the enchanting December Nights in Balboa Park, and begins with sparkling fireworks. Imagine how enchanting it would look when over 100 boats would bob on the water, decked in holiday lights and Christmas themes.

These boats travel past Embarcadero, Coronado, Harbor Island, Convention Center, Seaport Village and others. To get the best access to events, stay in some budget motel in San Diego preferably located right in the heart of San Diego, close to all these destinations. Come up to the north and south ends of the Embarcadero to catch the best view of the boats or the pathway along Coronado as they are comparatively less crowded.

December Nights in Balboa Park is of course, is a complete package for the whole family – an event full of dazzling lights and so many entertaining musical performances. Held in the first week of December, it brings alive theatrical presentations, offers sumptuous culinary delights from different countries and delightful rides for children.

Besides, you can also catch up on other December events in San Diego such as the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Parade or go for shopping in downtown San Diego. After all, shopping during Christmas is not just about buying but is more of a social outing.

In order to fully enjoy all these events, stay in a budget motel in San Diego which is located nearby to Balboa Park and other destinations. California Suites Hotel is one of the leading budget hotels located right in the heart of San Diego. From the hotel, you can commute easily to all these destinations and enjoy these colorful events to the maximum. The city of San Diego surely knows how to celebrate the year’s end and welcome the new year with a bang.