On August 30th, 2008, I visited Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, Calfornia, about 25 minutes north of down town San Diego for a day at the races, Microbrew festival, and Devo concert.  I arrived at the racetrack around 2 pm and made our way to the Clubhouse main entrance.  Upon entering I have to say we were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people inside of the gates.  We also felt a bit uncomfortable because we appeared to have under-dressed for the event.  My husband was in a button up shirt and I was in a skirt, but we were instantly trumped by the Prada bag toting women adorned in Vera Wang dresses and men in their finest polos.  There were well-dressed people toting drinks as far as the eye could see, and we first made our way to the lawn area where the horses getting ready to race were being shown.  Having no knowledge of horse racing or betting, saying I was confused regarding what was going on is an understatement; I had absolutely no clue.  I spent about 10 minutes admiring some overly ripped equine specimens and their midget handlers, and set off to explore other parts of the track. Read the rest of this entry »

Located in Lemon Grove, about 15 minutes from downtown San Diego, Carnitas Uruapan is known for their tasty carnitas (pork). Do not expect much as far as atmosphere and decor go from this family-owned and operated restaurant (there is also a Carnitas Uruapan across the border in Tijuana), but do expect to be overwhelmed with some of the most delicious Mexican food this side of the border. If you can handle chowing down on carne asada, carnitas, and delicious homemade salsas while being completely surrounded by various pig statues and ornaments, than this place is for you. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are looking for some great food and a Mexican wrestling theme, this is the taco shop for you. The Lucha Libre Taco Shop, located at 1810 W. Washingon Street in San Diego’s Mission Hills, takes both food and lucha libre wrestling to a new level. Literally translated, Lucha Libre means “free fighting”, but it is most typically known as Mexico’s version of WWE with its masked wrestlers and entertaining theatrics. The shop walls are painted bright pink and baby blue, and everywhere you can see the influence of lucha libre wrestling. There are tattered and worn event posters, small dioramas with wrestling scenes inside, various masks hanging from the walls, and on every seat you will find a smashed mask on top of the zebra print upholstery. Read the rest of this entry »

If you want to pay a visit to Tijuana without having to deal with the hassle of crossing the border than the Spring Valley Swap meet is the place for you! Held every Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 am and winding down around 3:00 pm, you can find the best and worst of items found across the border. Admission is $1, and I believe that is for everyone of all ages, but I am not positive The swap meet is located at 6377 Quarry Rd Spring Valley, CA 91977, right off of the 125 freeway, near where the 125 and 54 converge in Spring Valley. Read the rest of this entry »

Every year from mid June to the 4th of July, the Del Mar Fairgrounds are transformed into the fairgrounds for the annual San Diego County Fair. Each year has a particular theme to which the fair is geared, for example, the 2008 fair season is designated as “Summer of Sports” and there will be many vendors, activities and exhibits geared to local sports at all levels from youth to professional. For the most part the grounds are open from 10 am to 11 pm, and this is true for all of the exhibit halls, food vendors and rides/attractions. Read the rest of this entry »

There are two Sushi Deli locations in San Diego, which are both known for their delicious and reasonably priced sushi. Sushi Deli One is the original restaurant located in the Hillcrest section at 228 W Washington St. (between 1st Ave & 3rd Ave) San Diego, CA 92103. Sushi Deli Two is the newer location in the Gaslamp district downtown at 135 Broadway (between 1st Ave & 2nd Ave) San Diego, CA 92101. At both places parking is all going to be on-street, and your best bet is to try and find a cheap parking lot/garage if you are unfamiliar with the area. Visitors to Sushi Deli 2 can park inside the Horton Plaza Mall, which is located adjacent to the restaurant. Parking is free up to a couple hours with validation (just buy some gum or candy at the drug store to get your pass stamped). Read the rest of this entry »

Whether you are a local looking to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, or an out-of-towner in search of authentic San Diego cuisine, the Ocean Beach Farmers Market is the perfect Wednesday night destination. The OB Market is held every Wednesday, rain-or-shine (although it never rains), starting at 4 pm and winding down at sunset. Admission is free, but donations may be made at the OB Mainstreet Association booth. The farmers market is located along Newport Avenue between Cable and Bacon Streets in Ocean Beach, just a few short blocks from the ocean. Parking can sometimes be a premium at the market, so your best bet is to try to park along a side street in the Cable/Bacon area - the lot by the lifeguard tower is rarely available. Read the rest of this entry »

The best day of the week to visit Balboa Park is Tuesdays. Every Tuesday of the month, a different set of 4 to 6 museum offers free admission; donations are accepted. This is a great way to experience Balboa Park because your day’s itinerary is already planned out for you. The featured museums are often located in all areas of the park, allowing you the time to admire all of the Spanish architecture and beautiful landscapes. Plan to spend an entire day in the park, and get there early, as some of the museums close as early as 3 pm. Read the rest of this entry »

Located in Point Loma, the Carbrillo National Monument is a great spot to take memorable pictures of the downtown area as well as Coronado Beach. The park is open 365 days a year from 9:00 am to 5:15 pm, and the entrance fee is $5 per car, which is good for entrance to the national park for the following 6 days. In addition to a great lookout point for amazing San Diego pictures, the park also offers tide pools, a two-mile walking trail through a coastal forest, a visitors center and the original lighthouse structure and keeper’s quarters for San Diego’s first lighthouse. Read the rest of this entry »