San Diego is not just popular for its beautiful beaches and exotic locations but is also known for a wide range of restaurants where you can tickle your taste buds with world’s best cuisines and delicacies.

California Suites Hotel with its affordable San Diego lodging and proximity to some of the best restaurants in San Diego, is an ideal accommodation for your San Diego vacation.

Here are some of the renowned restaurants that will make your trip memorable:

The Prado At Balboa Park

Enjoy a delightful blend of regional signature delicacies with a variety of traditional cuisine.

Situated in the historic House of Hospitality in the heart of San Diego’s famous Balboa Park, The Prado Restaurant offers a perfect mix of finger-licking cuisines and world-class service standards with an unmatched ambience. It is a 400-seat restaurant with two dining rooms – a cocktail lounge and an outdoor terrace with a stunning view.

Enjoy a delightful blend of regional signature delicacies with a variety of traditional cuisine. The cocktail lounge – Tapas Bar – presents lighter menu including margaritas, sangria, beer, wine and other beverages throughout the day. Don’t miss the live music played in the lounge during the nights.

The Godfather

Started in 1974 as The Godfather Restaurant by Chef  Isidoro Balistreri and his wife, it offers you the treasured recipes of Northern and Southern Italy. Located just 3 minutes away from California Suites Hotel –the preferred budget hotel in San Diego – The Godfather restaurant invites you to celebrate the Old Italian tradition of gourmet cuisine, fine wine and entertainment.

Islands Fine Burgers

Islands Fine Burgers – a casual dining restaurant chain – specializes in hamburgers and specialty drinks. Founded in 1982 with a basic philosophy – serve great, fresh food with friendly service in a fun atmosphere – Islands Restaurants offer a simple, original menu featuring gourmet hamburgers, specialty drinks with a tropical theme. You can reach Islands Restaurant within 2 minutes of the California Suites Hotel.

Aladdin Restaurant

Located right opposite California Suites Hotel, Aladdin Restaurant serves healthy, fresh, creatively prepared, premium quality Mediterranean cuisine. It also offers plenty of healthy, scrumptious salads, vegetarian meals with Mediterranean flavors, melt-in-mouth shish kabobs and delicious appetizers like hummus, tabouleh, falafel, stuffed grape leaves, and more.

Khan’s Cave – Asian Tavern and Grill

Khan’s Cave Grill & Tavern offers a great fusion of the best Asian Fusion and Chinese Food in San Diego. Situated only 5 minutes away from California Suites Hotel, Khan’s Cave offers full bar with 20 premium beers on tap and over 30 wines by the glass.

The place also offers Bar & lounge for casual gatherings, HDTVs for sports, quiet dining room for dinners or sit-near-our-fire pits on the patio with pets. You can also enjoy the Lounge Bites and Tapas selections here with happy hour pricing options.

Stay at California Suites Hotel during your extended stay San Diego and enjoy dining at world-renowned restaurants. An AAA-approved hotel and a proud member of the San Diego’s Chamber of Commerce, California Suites Hotel offers world-class services – large heated swimming pool, air-conditioned public areas, complimentary newspaper in lobby, cable with HBO, high speed Internet access, spa tub, laundry facilities, continental breakfast, and safe-deposit box.

The U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge and 3D Art Exposition is open to the public from 9am to 7pm on Labor Day weekend, August 31 – September 3, 2012, at ‘B’ Street Cruise Ship terminal Pier, Downtown, San Diego.

Looking for some fun activities on your San Diego family vacation?

Don’t miss these two fun filled events lined up for September 2012, which call for an extended stay in San Diego.

US Sand Sculpting Challenge and 3D Art Exposition

The U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge and 3D Art Exposition is open to the public from 9am to 7pm on Labor Day weekend, August 31 – September 3, 2012, at ‘B’ Street Cruise Ship terminal Pier, Downtown, San Diego.

Come, watch some of the world’s top sand artists create sculptural masterpieces the likes of which have never before been seen in San Diego.

What an experience – On three sides surrounded by San Diego’s Big Bay and on the 4th, downtown’s sandcastles in the sky. You and your family can watch sculptures being gently carved by master artists from Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands and Canada, as well as California.

Enjoy dimensional art from leading West Coast artists who work in metal, glass, resin, clay, wood, leather, fabric and gemstones, while tall ships pass majestically with hoisted sail in full regalia. Check out the fascinating large pile sand sculpture with over 100 tons of sand. And walk out on the pier for the best view of ships cruising the Big Bay in all of downtown.

49^th Annual Cabrillo Festival

Be a part of history and welcome 16^th century explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo as he steps ashore on Ballast Point, Sunday, September 30, 2012.

The Cabrillo Festival is a fun event for the entire family, with educational activities, cultural demonstrations and exciting folkloric performances. Brightly colored clothing and dramatic music and dancing bring to life the traditions of the Native American, Mexican, Portuguese and Spanish cultures that are part of the Age of Exploration.

The Cabrillo Festival features food booths with delicious traditional Mexican, Native American, Portuguese and Spanish food. Vendors will showcase their various artistic goods. The highlight of the Cabrillo Festival is the re-enactment of Cabrillo’s landing on the shores of San Diego Bay.

“Cabrillo,” his soldiers and a priest sail into the bay on San Salvador (The Californian), and once again claim the land for Spain. Amy Daneke Miss Cabrillo Festival 2012 was born in Fresno, California and attends San Diego State University. She will represent the Cabrillo Festival at events in Ensenada and San Diego during Cabrillo Festival Week.

Accommodation in San Diego – For some good quality San Diego lodging, go for San Diego’s Value Price Leader, California Suites Hotel. Just 15 minutes away from the airport as well as the best known attractions of this beautiful city, the California Suites Hotel leads San Diego budget hotels in offering services at competitive rates.

Approved by the AAA and a proud member of the San Diego’s Chamber of Commerce, the California Suites Hotel offers continental breakfast, large heated swimming pool, cable with HBO, high speed Internet access, free parking, laundry facilities and more.

The biggest advantage is that the hotel is close to almost all beaches and other top attractions as well such as Old Town, Sea World, Balboa Park, La Jolla, and shopping centers. Mark your presence in either or both of these events detailed above and make the most of your San Diego beach vacation.

Sources include:

cabrillofestival.org

ussandsculpting.com

Enjoy your extended stay San Diego with Beer-Con beer conference to be held on August 24 and 25, 2012 at 57 Degrees, Downtown San Diego.

Two fascinating days featuring brewery tours, talks, tastings, food Pairings, and a new location closer to Downtown!

Enjoy your extended stay San Diego with Beer-Con beer conference to be held on August 24 and 25, 2012 at 57 Degrees, Downtown San Diego.

Beer-Con was born out of the pure love for craft beer. This is a conference by, and for beer lovers! For the first time ever the greatest minds and palates in craft beer have a platform to come together and share their passion! Beer-Con 2012 is a conference held in beautiful San Diego that will feature some of the top names in the industry speaking on a variety of topics!

Multiple speaking tracks will run simultaneously throughout the day so that you can choose the experience that is right for you. This event is open to the public, no professional association or credentials required!

At Beer-Con you’ll get exclusive access to industry pros, get answers to the questions you’ve always wanted to ask, learn about brewing and tasting beer from the best in the business and of course join other beer lovers for a few brews at our Tap Haven where you’ll enjoy a special line-up of craft taps!

There will be two route options – both of which will visit 3 breweries and then end at the new Rough Draft location for the Friday kick-off party. You will get a total of 12 taster tickets. It’s up to you, how many you use at each brewery. But once you’re out, it’s on you to buy additional tasters.

The range of tasters available for the visitors includes Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Hangar 24 Craft Brewery, Iron Fist Brewing Company, Stone Brewing Co., Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Coronado Brewing Co., The Beer Co. San Diego, Lightning Brewery, The Lost Abbey, Port Brewing, Ballast Point, Societe Brewing Co, and North Coast Brewing Co.
Come be a part of the craft beer movement.

Make the most of this event without bothering about the accommodation in San Diego. California Suites Hotel is the best option for affordable San Diego lodging. We take pride in announcing that California Suites Hotel is approved by the AAA and is a proud member of the San Diego’s Chamber of Commerce.

California Suites Hotel is appreciated for its unmatched services and hospitality. Our list of premium services include continental breakfast, large heated swimming pool, cable with HBO, high speed Internet access, free parking, laundry facilities and more.

Share your passion, join the discussion and tip back a few tasters at Beer-Con 2012! We will see you there.

Sources include:
beer-con.com 
sandiego.org/events

Photo Courtesy: localdeal.com

World Bodysurfing Championships is a great opportunity for the bodysurfers to showcase their talent.

The 36th Annual World Bodysurfing Championships will be held adjacent to the Oceanside Pier August 18-19. Approximately 350-400 bodysurfers from around the world compete in their respective age divisions for trophies and prizes. The Men and Women’s Grand Champions will be crowned on Sunday afternoon, August 19th, the final day.

The contest is projected to start at 6:30 am each morning with age competition taking place as noted below. WBC reserves the right to change the projected schedule based upon the actual number of applications received.

Awards:

The top male and female winners will be awarded all expense paid trips for themselves and a guest on the Bud Light Port Paradise Music Festival Cruise. MUST BE 21 TO WIN THIS PRIZE. Wood Underwear will present the awards to the accomplished winners.

This all expense paid award will include round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Miami, 1-night hotel accommodation in Miami with airport transfer and a 3-day cruise. Winner and guest must have valid passport and an active credit card for any incidentals they wish to incur. Departure date is November 15th returning to Los Angeles on November 19th.

A Thrilling Event

World Bodysurfing Championships even is a great opportunity for the bodysurfers to showcase their talent and for visitors to stand witness to the excitement of this sport. If you are planning a San Diego beach vacation in August, do not miss this exciting event.

You can choose from the variety of budget accommodations offered by San Diego motels and enjoy an extended stay in San Diego while visiting other beautiful places at San Diego.

A San Diego lodging with California Suites Hotel will be great fun as this hotel is close by to a number of attractions including La Jolla, Old Town, Gaslamp Quarter, beaches, shopping centers that host fun-filled events throughout the year.

Approved by the AAA and a proud member of the San Diego’s Chamber of Commerce, California Suites Hotel is well known for its impeccable services and hospitality. Our services include continental breakfast, large heated swimming pool, cable with HBO, high speed Internet access, free parking, laundry facilities and more.

Sources include:
worldbodysurfing.org

Photo Courtesy: surfersvillage.com

Automobile aficionados and aviation enthusiasts can tighten their seatbelts for Annual American Heritage Car Show

Automobile aficionados and aviation enthusiasts can tighten their seatbelts for two exciting events lined up in San Diego in late May and early June.

The 15^th Annual American Heritage Car Show is set to take place Saturday, May 26, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and will provide a visual treat of out fabulous vehicles in a beautiful setting, Grape Day Park, Escondido, CA. With close to 250 vehicles parked on grass, this is one of the nicest car shows anywhere.

Start the day off at 9am with a delicious pancake breakfast. Then, walk the park to find your favorite car, while listening to a DJ spinning classic rock ‘n roll tunes. Buy some raffle tickets and you might win a fabulous prize. Local car dealers sponsor this show, which benefits the non-profit Escondido History Center. They’ll be on site with some new cars for you to see, too. Vendors offer a variety of merchandise, but you don’t need to spend any money to enjoy the American Heritage Car Show. Spectators are free, and so are tours of the Escondido History Center.

This year’s show honors local builder Randy Clark of Hot Rods & Custom Stuff. Entry for spectators is free and vehicle entry is $25. No dogs or alcohol allowed.

For aviation enthusiasts, the 17^th Annual Wings Over Gillespie air show is set to provide a great time for the whole family on the weekend of June 2-3, 2012. As “A Salute to 100 Years of U. S. Marine Corps Aviation”, the 17^th Annual Wings Over Gillespie air show is again planning to feature the awesome howl of airplane engines such as WWII bombers, F4F Wildcat, the TBF Avenger, the A6M Zero, the SBD Dauntless, and many more “Flying Museums” including the only remaining of their type, the Northrop N9M Flying Wing and the F3F Flying Barrel.

Also on hand will be USN/USMC helicopters and other static displays, Navy SEALs, special military and law enforcement vehicles and equipment, and much more. The gates open for the air show performance from to 9 am to 4 pm, at Gillespie Field in El Cajon on the show days.

The Air Show is a unique family, vacation day event with a special KidsZone area. Amusements, rides, entertainers, games and prizes, face painters, education displays, a great variety of food and beverages, and SHADE, will be abundant for the entire weekend. We will also feature a Beer Festival to add to the festivities of a great summer weekend for all. With the new SR-52 extension that now connects to SR-67, Gillespie Field is now more accessible than ever.

The air show is a glorious commemoration of American History:
- 70th Anniversary of WWII
- 70th Anniversary of Doolittle Raid
- 70th Anniversary of Battle of Midway
- 100th Anniversary of Marine Corps Aviation
- 100th Anniversary of El Cajon
- 70th Anniversary of Gillespie Field

If you are planning a San Diego vacation in late May and early June, do not miss out on the heritage car show and the air show. Make your room reservations in a San Diego hotel which is centrally located. Approved by the AAA and a proud member of the San Diego’s Chamber of Commerce, the California Suites Hotel is a leading budget hotel in San Diego which offers easy and convenient access to all the top attractions of San Diego. All the popular beaches including Harbor Beach, La Jolla Cove, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach are nearby. Even shopping centers, Balboa Park and other major attractions are a few minutes away.

Well-known for its hospitality, California Suites Hotel provides fine services at affordable prices which include continental breakfast, large swimming pool, cable with HBO, high speed Internet access, free parking, laundry facilities and more.

Main source for content: Yelp.com/Events
Main source for content: Air Group One of the Commemorative Air Force

Photo Courtesy: new-car-automotive.blogspot.com

If you are planning a San Diego vacation to spend some quiet time away from the regular hustle bustle of busy city life, you cannot afford to miss Hillcrest. The warm and welcoming tree-lined streets and traditional homes in this quaint San Diego suburb make Hillcrest an ideal place to spend at least a day.

Hillcrest, the first suburb of San Diego which closely resembles a village rather than an urban town, is tucked away on a ridge between Mission Hills and Bankers Hill. This suburb was purchased by William Wesley Whitson in 1906 when his sister-in-law Laura Anderson heard that the George Hill Estate was up for sale. Today Hillcrest is known as the most colorful and diverse community in the whole of California.

Hillcrest is a classy suburban shopping destination for those who have shopping on their agenda.

This small suburb is full of little coffee shops, restaurants, specialty food outlets, antique stores, specialty shops, bookstores and boutiques. Thanks to its cool and serene California atmosphere, you will often find tourists with their families either walking or cycling through the Hillcrest neighborhood.

And the best part is that our hotel is located quite close to Hillcrest. As always, with California Suites Hotel, you can be assured of superior services at affordable prices. California Suites Hotel also provides unbeatable extended stay packages in San Diego for those looking for a budget place to stay for a longer time.