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

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

The Sicilian Festival, famed for its procession featuring costumed musicians and dancers.

The Sicilian Festival, famed for its procession featuring costumed musicians and dancers, will bring alive San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 20 as part of the 19^th Annual Sicilian Festival celebration.

The family event is free and features authentic Sicilian music, dance, culture and cuisine, surrounded by the ambiance of the Little Italy  neighborhood, located within walking distance of the beautiful San Diego harbor and within minutes of San Diego’s downtown district. If you are planning a vacation in San Diego during this time, book your rooms in a San Diego hotel that is located near Little Italy. You will love the ambiance.

Along Beech Street from Kettner to State Streets, car lovers will encounter Bellissimo! A Celebration of Italian Automotive Artistry. Offering an intimate look at a broad spectrum of Italian car designs – including Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Fiat, Lancia, and Alpha Romeo – visitors can mingle with proud car owners and cast their votes for a “Peoples Choice Award” for the car that captures their heart. Participating car clubs include the Ferrari, Alpha Romeo and Fiat/Lancia clubs, as well as support from FIAT Kearny Mesa.

Food booths will represent the many restaurants in Little Italy, serving up Sicilian specialties of all varieties.  Tarantino’s Sausages will also be on hand to serve up some of the best Italian sausages in the nation. Peroni, the official beer sponsor of the Sicilian Festival, will feature a Peroni Nastro Azzurro, the #1 Premium brand in Italy imported from Rome, in the beer and wine pavilion.

Guests will dance in the streets throughout the day.

At 11:30 am, a procession of dozens of costumed dancers, musicians, and representatives of the City and County of San Diego and the House of Italy, Sons of Italy, Italian-American Association, and other San Diego Italian organizations, will parade through the streets carrying flags from the different regions of Sicily and Italy. A very special guest in this years costume parade will be newborn Amelia Tripoli, born March 4, 2012 to Tony and Diana Tripoli who were married at the 2010 Sicilian Festival.

Four stages will feature non-stop Italian and Sicilian entertainment. The event is highlighted by the nationally acclaimed Roman Holiday Ensemble which will be on hand with their costumed musicians and dancers to provide a lively show of Sicilian and Italian music. The Screamin’ Primas will also be featured in a salute to Sicilian-American trumpeter and bandleader Louie Prima. Sicilian Swing’s New Orleans Italian jazz ensemble and renowned soprano Cristina Fontanelli will be among notable Italian-themed acts to be enjoyed at the Festival. The Grape Street stage will feature culinary demonstrations from San Diego’s leading chefs, highlighted by a pasta-eating contest.

All children’s activities are free, and include a large inflatable slide, puppet theatre shows, face painting, and many other activities to keep the bambini entertained throughout day.

A Sicilian cultural zone will feature photo and cultural displays by local and national authors and artisans that reflect the Sicilian American heritage in San Diego. The area will feature chalk art and displays of the rich history of San Diego’s tuna fishing industry, which flourished from the beginning of the 20th century until the 1970s. Among the exhibitors will be the San Diego History Center, Maritime Museum, and the Women’s Museum of California.

Free street parking is available throughout the Little Italy neighborhood. Free parking is available in the north lot of the County Administration Building, with a free shuttle to the Festival. The AMTRAK station is less than a mile from the Sicilian Festival area and can be reached either by foot or by using the San Diego Trolley. The Coaster also runs on Sunday. Take the MTS Trolley’s Blue Line to the County Center/Little Italy Station.

And there’s free parking at many of the Trolley’s park-and-ride lots (especially Qualcomm Stadium).  Also, on weekends, two children (12 and under) ride free with a paid adult (18 and over).

Little Italy is the first stop on the blue line north. 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 is centrally located. 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.

Courtesy: Southwest Riverside News Network

Picnics, day-long beach parties, barbecues, afternoon parades, nightly concerts, and dazzling fireworks, and of course, family gatherings are the norm for any 4th of July celebrations. And San Diego, known for its festive spirit is never a step behind in celebrating America’s proudest day with all merriment. In case you are in San Diego this year on this glorious day, you will be swamped with choices on where to take in the sights and sounds of the 4th of July fireworks.

Just be there on time and book your hotel rooms in advance to avoid the last minute rush. You can easily find a budget hotel or an affordable San Diego vacation rental at pocket friendly rates.  Go for a San Diego budget hotel or motel located right in the heart of the city. This will help you get a glimpse of the city’s most favored attractions, all dressed up in their festive best. Our hotel for instance, is located within 15 minutes of distance from the San Diego’s topmost attractions such as the Zoo, the Sea World, the beaches, the airport and more such sights.

On the 4th of July, the sun-kissed sandy beaches of San Diego such as Mission Beach, Pacific Beach or Coronado State Beach are the perfect spots to unwind and enjoy the celebrations. Soak in the sportive spirit during day. And as evening slides into the night, watch the open sky come alive with the brilliant colors and magic of fireworks against the expansive deep blue water merging into the horizon.

To make your trip complete you can visit the Ferris wheels, the Freedom Days Parade, and San Diego County Fair on the Del Mar Fairgrounds, during the day. But for the real action you need to wait for the night, when fireworks light up the sky before fizzling into the ocean. You’ll hear the crackers burst all night long but the largest show that must not be missed is the Big Bay celebration that starts at 9pm.

Grab a chair, a picnic basket, the family and friends you love, and have fun this 4th of July as never before. Make your reservations with us now. You will find our San Diego vacation rental rates best in the town and we make the extra effort to make your visit to San Diego truly memorable.

Pic Courtesy: Portofsandiego.org

Mouth-watering local delicacies, pleasing sounds of Mexican music by mariachi players, colorful shops selling unique items! That’s Old Town for you.

The atmosphere at the Old Town Market Place is always festive and buzzing. There is so much to explore here that you simply can’t get enough of this place.

Watching the local artists performing traditional Mariachi music and artisans demonstrating glass blowing is something you won’t come across easily elsewhere.

Historical Delights

The place is also a delight for any history buff, it lazily takes you back in time. And even if you aren’t a history freak, you still won’t be able to stop marveling at the rich and colorful history of early California, which the Old Town reflects. There are over 15 historic sites, including the Heritage Park, Old Town State Historic Park, Whaley House, Old Town State Historic Park and plenty more. And the icing on the cake is that all the guided tours of historical buildings are free!

Old Town in San Diego is also virtual Mecca for shopping and fine dining.

Shopper’s Paradise

Browse around leisurely in the local shops that stock up an awesome variety of Mexican handicrafts, artistic handmade jewelry, sun powered products, authentic hand made leather, home decor in vibrant colors and much more. It’s an ideal place to pick up some amazing and unique souvenirs for yourself and your friends and family. In fact, the items displayed in these shops are so tempting that they are really hard to resist.

For Authentic Mexican Cuisine

If you are a foodie, then Old Town is the best place to try out authentic Mexican cuisine. Its exciting array of restaurants offer delectable traditional Mexican delicacies. In some restaurants, you would even find waitresses serving you all dressed up in typical Mexican attire.

When in San Diego, don’t forget to tour the lively and vibrant Old Town, which still retains much of its pristine charm. To explore the Old Town conveniently at your pace, book your stay in California Suites Hotel which located not very far from Old Town. You don’t need to look for cheap motels in San Diego or San Diego Vacation Rental. With us, you will get the services you are looking for at budget prices.