Archive for September, 2008

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MCAS Miramar Air Show is Nation’s Largest

Monday, September 29th, 2008 by The Best Places in San Diego

The Nation’s Largest Military Air Show is right here in San Diego. You will see jets whizzing around University City, Miramar, Mira Mesa, Kearney Mesa, and Scripps Ranch all week as they practice for their shows that begin this Thursday, October 2nd. Thursday’s show is only open to military families. The rest of the public is welcome to join in the spectacle on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The stars of the show are always the Navy’s Blue Angels. We missed them last year when they had other obligations requiring the Air Force Thunderbirds to serve in their place. Being this is a Navy and Marine town, the return of the Navy Blue Angels will be a welcome sight. Be aware that the Blue Angels perform during the daytime shows and not during the night time show on Saturday. By the way, did you know the winter home and training grounds for the Blue Angels are just east of San Diego at the Naval Air Facility in El Centro?

Two of the newest military aircraft are set to fly over MCAS Miramar. The F-22 Raptor will perform just before the Blue Angels during the afternoon performances. The MV-22 Osprey is tentatively scheduled to perform during the morning sessions. Get familiar with the Osprey because there will be several squadrons of this tilt-rotor aircraft stationed at MCAS Miramar starting in 2010.

One of my favorites is the B-2 Stealth Bomber. If you are outdoors this week going for a walk and notice a shadow engulf you, look up quickly and you’ll probably see the Stealth Bomber. That happened to me several years ago near UTC. I had no idea it was coming up behind me, flying low over the building tops, until its large shadow engulfed me before I heard the noise of the jets.

Considering this is the country’s largest Air Show, bring lots of sun tan lotion and plan on spending the whole day touring the exhibits and watching the performances. If you don’t have the whole day, be sure to check the air show schedule so you’ll know when to look for your favorite performances. Also, bring a lot of patience because traffic getting in and out will be very, very slow … especially Saturday afternoon when the day show spectators are leaving and the night show spectators are arriving.

If you buy your tickets online, you’ll save a few dollars per person. The Friday and Sunday shows are the cheapest ($11 for Adults and $8 for Kids), but again you’ll save a few dollars each if you buy them online. Several levels of premium tickets are also available.

Have fun!

Posted in Military Presence, San Diego Ranking, Things To Do | No Comments »

San Diego Solar Energy Week

Sunday, September 28th, 2008 by The Best Places in San Diego

Mark your calendars.  Two weeks from today is the start of the 4th annual Solar Energy Week in San Diego.  This year’s Solar Energy Week will be supercharged as San Diego hosts the national Solar Power Conference and Expo at the San Diego Convention Center.

The two biggest events open to the public are the Family Solar Energy Day on Sunday, October 12th and the Public Night at the Solar Power International Convention on Wednesday, October 15th.

Family Solar Energy Day runs from 1PM – 4PM at Spanish Landing Harbor. (See Google Map.)  There will be lessons for the kids and adults on how solar power works, experiments using solar power, prizes and other activities.

Public Night at the Solar Power Convention runs from 5:30 – 8:30 PM in exhibition halls F, G, & H at the San Diego Convention Center. (Lower Level near 8th Avenue – Petco Park side of the Convention Center.) You will find over 400 solar energy companies exhibiting at the show. There will be seminars on using solar energy in the home and a program for those who want to find jobs in solar energy. Programs start between 6 and 7 so don’t be late.

Visit the Solar Energy Week web site for more information on commercial and residential solar tours also being offered that week.

If you want more resources on using solar power at home, visit this post from May.

Posted in Things To Do | No Comments »

Celebrity Sightings & Inside Scoops

Saturday, September 27th, 2008 by The Best Places in San Diego

One of my favorite Union Tribune columns is written by Diane Bell. If you like this blog about the unique aspects of San Diego, you will probably enjoy reading Diane Bell’s column, which is published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in the Local Section of the San Diego Union Tribune.

Bell provides inside scoops on the Who’s Who of San Diego, celebrity sightings, and interesting experiences encountered by local residents. You will read stories about odd coincidences, miscommunications that cause laughter, fellow citizen efforts that tug at the heart, and run-ins with Hollywood celebrities.

For example, in today’s column, Bell alerts us to two Spring Valley brothers (ages six and eight) who will be playing major roles this season on separate ABC prime time shows, including Desperate Housewives. She also gives us a heads up that Sarah Michelle Gellar and Kiefer Sutherland will be at the Ivy Hotel tomorrow night. A few months back, she gave us the scoop that former Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney was buying a home in La Jolla.

If you have any interesting tidbits, you can forward them to Diane Bell. Otherwise, enjoy reading her columns.

Posted in Unique Gems | 1 Comment »

Palomar Observatory About to Get a Whole Lot of National Attention

Friday, September 26th, 2008 by The Best Places in San Diego

Mark your calendars for November 10th. That’s the day PBS will premier The Journey to Palomar – America’s First Journey into Space. The documentary chronicles one of science’s greatest achievements – the development of the 200 inch Hale Telescope, which took its first photograph in 1949. As I mentioned in a post last month, the Hale Telescope took the clearest outer space pictures ever, of any ground or space spaced telescope, in 2007. Its ability to operate in such an impeccable manner over several decades demonstrates the level of precision and foresight exhibited by George Hale and all those who took part in the development of the telescope.

The Journey to Palomar is based on the book The Perfect Machine: Building the Palomar Telescope by Ronald Florence. You will learn how the giant mirror for the telescope provided a ray of excitement during the Great Depression. As it was transported across the country from the Corning glass factory in New York to Southern California, thousands of spectators came out to the tracks to cheer it along its journey.

Although it is in a remote location of our county, make plans to pay it a visit some day and appreciate the significance of one of our nation’s greatest science marvels here in our own backyard. Check out my previous post to learn about the different programs available for visitors.

If you are a student or amateur astronomer, check out this “once in a lifetime” opportunity being presented through a Live NASA Webcast. On October 8th, participants will get to interact with the producers of The Journey to Palomar along with America’s Top Astronomers, who are featured in the documentary and will be talking to you live from the Kennedy Space Center.

Posted in Brains / Talent, San Diego Ranking | No Comments »

Stealth Boat Lurking in San Diego Bay

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 by The Best Places in San Diego

Imagine you are enjoying a nice afternoon on San Diego Bay. A friend has invited you out on their sailboat where you close your eyes to capture the full essence of breathing in the fresh air from light breezes and bask in the warm glow of the sun.

You open up your eyes for a brief moment to enjoy the views of our beautiful city skyline when all of a sudden you see something that reminds you of a B-2 Stealth Bomber. Except, this thing is cruising along San Diego Bay. It’s got a wide body without much vertical height and is full of sharp angles. As you stare at it, you wonder what future civilization it came. It comes whizzing past you at 50 knots (58 mph) and you expect to be capsized in its wake but then realize there is no wake at all.

If you’ve had this experience or plan to be out on the San Diego Bay anytime soon, let me introduce you to the Stiletto.

Stiletto Boat photo from M Ship Company

Stiletto Boat photo from M Ship Company

Designed by the M Ship Company of San Diego, the Stiletto is making waves around the world figuratively, but not literally. The boat uses a revolutionary design called an M Hull, named for the way it looks. Outer skirts capture the wake caused by the main hull and use it to its advantage for speed and balance.

As a prototype in 2006, Time Magazine named it one of the best inventions of the year. Built out of carbon fiber, this sturdy craft can basically fly across water and turn on a dime.

Just last month, the Department of Defense used the Stiletto as a demonstration unit during a drug interdiction deployment in the Atlantic Ocean. This was unfortunate for a few drug smugglers seen on a go-fast boat off of the Florida Coast. Used to outspeeding the authorities, these drug smuggler were in for a little surprise. Take a look at the imposing picture of the Stiletto above and imagine it chasing you down in a cigarette for two hours. The smugglers thought they finally reached safety in shallow waters where they thought the imposing Stiletto would not be able to navigate. Again, fortune was not on their side. The Stiletto’s hull only extends 2.5 feet below the surface of the water and was able to maintain pursuit.

Fortunately for us, those drug smugglers are now behind bars.

So, keep your eyes out on San Diego Bay for this state-of-the-art, stealth-looking boat. Not only are they designed and built in San Diego but you will also see the Navy Seals using them for their missions.

Here is a profile of the Stiletto. You can also check out pictures and videos on the web page for the Stiletto.

Posted in Brains / Talent, Military Presence, Started in San Diego | No Comments »

San Diego Vacations Are Cheaper in 2008

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 by The Best Places in San Diego

Despite the rise in airline ticket costs, San Diego is one of only two cities found in an August study that offers five night vacation packages that are cheaper in 2008 than in 2007.  The other city to show a price decline was Atlanta.

Travelocity created a study to identify cities where the increase in the cost of a week long vacation increased no more than $20 compared to the prior year. Ten cities made the list and were used as an argument by Travelocity that vacations are still affordable at many destinations despite the news media’s attention on rising travel costs.

So, if you have been wanting to persuade a friend to make a trip out to San Diego, tell them now is the time to find disounts on vacations in San Diego.

Posted in San Diego Ranking, Things To Do | No Comments »

World’s Largest Woodie Show Taking Place in Encinitas

Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 by The Best Places in San Diego

If you want something free to do this weekend and enjoy the nostalgia of Beach Boys music, surfing, and old wooden cars, head over to Encinitas for Wavecrest, the World’s Largest Woodie Car Show.

You might be scratching your head wondering what in the world is a Woodie? Well, they are cars largely made out of wood prior to the 1960s. They became popular in later years among surfers and now serve as high price antique collectibles. You can read more about Woodies and take a look at a couple pictures on Wikipedia.

If you are attracted to the idea of owning a Woodie, check out this USA Today article from July. You might be able to get a great deal on a Woodie in Basra, Iraq where they don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Basra is home to one of the largest concentrations of Woodies in the world but they are not looked upon in the same manner as what is seen here in the U.S.

The Woodie Show in Encinitas runs from 8AM – 3PM on Saturday, September 20th. (If you can’t make it this year, don’t worry, it is an annual event. Check out the San Diego Woodies home page for future events.)

Here are the directions to the Moonlight Beach parking lot in Encinitas from Google Maps:


View Larger Map

For those who want a guided tour, give a call to my friend Marv at the Property Gallery on Friday to set one up. He’s the current President of the San Diego Woodies and can be reached at 1-619-993-8401.

Have Fun!

Posted in San Diego Ranking, Things To Do | No Comments »

Living History Event at Laguna Mountain

Sunday, September 14th, 2008 by The Best Places in San Diego

Hello San Diego city-dwellers. Have you visited our beautiful Cleveland National Forest lately? If not, make plans next weekend for a scenic one hour drive from the San Diego Coast up to Laguna Mountain.

The Laguna Mountain Volunteers Association will be hosting their annual ‘Living History’ event on September 20th and 21st. Volunteers will be dressing up in turn-of-the-century apparel and take visitors on a voyage back to life as it was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They will provide re-enactments showing the life of Native Americans, mountain men, cowboys, farmers, forest rangers, and gold miners who lived in the San Diego Mountains during that period.

Tours will start every 20 to 30 minutes at the Red-Tailed Roost Volunteer Center beginning at 9AM. The Red-Tailed Roost is at the 22.5 mile marker on the Sunrise Highway. Here are the Directions to Laguna Mountain from Google Maps. The Google Map takes you about a 1/2 mile past the Red-Tailed Roost. If you miss it, you’ll come across the Laguna Mountain Visitors Center a mile later and they can redirect you to the correct location.

After your visit to the Living History event, you might as well drive on a little further to the Desert View Picnic Area (just beyond the 23.5 mile marker) and Kwaamii Point (just beyond the 29.5 mile marker) to enjoy great views overlooking the San Diego Desert.

Of course, what trip to the San Diego Mountains would be complete without taking a stroll in Historic Julian and enjoying their famous pies. It’s just another 13 miles past the Kwaamii Point.

So, make plans to get away for a change of pace, relive a little history, enjoy some spectacular views, and then finish it all off with some warm apple pie. Enjoy!

Posted in Enjoy the Outdoors, Things To Do, Volunteers | No Comments »

YachFest Shows San Diego is a Haven for Luxury Yachts

Saturday, September 13th, 2008 by The Best Places in San Diego

The Ninth Annual YachtFest is taking place this weekend at Shelter Island. There will be over $60 million worth of boats and luxury yachts on display making it one of the premier yacht shows in the world.

If you have any interest in yachts or just want to dream that someday you will be in a position to enjoy the life of luxury, this is THE EVENT to attend. The show has few rivals. You would have to go to Fort Lauderdale or Monaco to see this caliber of Yachts.

Ticket Prices start at $34 and can be purchased online. The show runs from 11AM – 6PM through the weekend. Shelter Island is in Point Loma, just west of the San Diego Airport. Here are the directions from Google Maps to 2051 Shelter Island Drive.

If $34 is too much for you, then check out the new Mega Yacht docking location near the San Diego Maritime Museum.

Mega Yacht "ICE"

Mega Yacht "ICE"

Just last weekend, I took this picture of the 295 foot ICE, owned by a Russian billionaire and politician Suleyman Kerimov. It is one of the largest yachts in the world. The San Diego Mooring Company is now capable of hosting Mega Yachts in San Diego. It is one of the few locations in the world that can host yachts up to 400 feet long. Here are the directions from Google Maps to 1820 North Harbor Drive 92101. You won’t be able to climb onboard like you can at YachFest but you’ll be able to feast your eyes on something very few will every see.

If you are getting warmed up by all this talk of luxury yachts in San Diego, you may also want to check out Point Loma Outfitting. It is a new retail store on Shelter Island full of yachting gear and apparel.

Posted in Enjoy the Outdoors, San Diego Ranking, Things To Do | No Comments »

La Jolla Named the Most Expensive Community in America

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 by The Best Places in San Diego

Coldwell Banker just released its 2008 Home Price Comparison Index.  The Index compares home prices between 315 communities in America using a standard 2,200 square foot, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath house as the point for comparison.

A home of this size in La Jolla sells for an average $1.8 million, more than any other community in the country.  This home price makes La Jolla more expensive than notable neighborhoods in Beverly Hills, Palo Alto, and Greenwich, CT. It is a whopping $1.7 million more than the cheapest home real estate market, which is Sioux City, Iowa. Watch the video above to see interviews with real estate experts in La Jolla and Sioux City.

You can view a list of the top 10 most expensive and least expensive real estate markets as well as see a list of the most affordable and least affordable markets within each state at the Coldwell Banker web site.

For fun, you can use the Coldwell Banker Home Price Comparison Index to see how much your home would be worth in another city.

Posted in San Diego Ranking | 1 Comment »

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