Monday, December 3, 2012

Soaring on a Sunday

 
 
 
 
KA-CHOW!!! It's December and time for lots of great activities for the family to do this month.  My family was invited up to California Adventure and Disneyland to check out the Holiday decorations.  We headed over to the new Cars Land and were not disappointed! The decorations were amazing! As you can see in the above collage, there were "Cars" themed Christmas trees throughout Cars Land, and also some wonderful holiday decorations throughout California Adventure and Disneyland. We rode the "Radiator Springs" ride and had the best time.
 
I just have to share a few pics from the day, then I'll share some great events and activities going on this month.
 
 


 

From Collages


Cars Land was a blast, but so was the rest of California Adventure. My husband rode Screaming California, the whole family enjoyed our never-to-be-missed ride on Soaring Over San Diego, uh, I mean Soaring over California and we even took a picture with Mickey and Minnie! Fun Times.
 


 

From 12-1-12 California Adventure

 
From 12-1-12 California Adventure


Time to check out some of what's going on this week in San Diego.
 
Upcoming Holiday/Christmas events:
 
Wednesday, Dec. 5th, 2-4pm.  Meet Santa at Birch Aquarium. As part of Make-A-Wish, Santa will be stopping by Birch Aquarium to read a classic holiday story, greet children, and spend the afternoon. Included in admission.
 
 
Friday, Dec. 7th & 14th, 5:30-9:30pm, $10.  Holiday of Lights and Holiday Hayride at Del Mar Fairgrounds. Cookies, cider, carolers and a hayride.
 
Friday and Saturdays, starting Dec 7th thru Dec. 22nd. Santa Train North Pole Limited. Santa boards the train and share stories with the kids.
 
Saturday, Dec 8th, 11am-3pm. Free crafts for kids at the Lakeshore Learning Store, Hazard Center, San Diego. Snowy Days Sled. Free.
 
Sunday, Dec 9th, 11am-4pm. Santa at the Lakes. Sledding, s'mores, carnivals crafts and more at Santee Lakes Recreation Park.
 
Saturday, Dec 15th & Sunday, Dec 16th.  The Nutcracker Ballet by the West Coast Ballet Theatre.
 
Saturday, December 8th, 2-4pm.  A Holiday English High Tea at the Keys Creek Lavender Farm. Reservations required, $35 per person, followed by a free event from 3-7pm with food, hot drinks, lights, music and Santa.
 
Holiday Snow Days at Legoland, daily through Dec 31st. Snow Play, live music, carolers, fireworks.
 
"Let it Snow" at the Reuben H Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park, through Jan 6th. Music and digital show of music from Frank Sinatra and Burl Ives.
 
Dr Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas performance at the Old Globe Theatre, through Dec. 29th.
 
Also, lots of great places to ice skate:
Viejas, Alpine
Horton Plaza, San Diego
 
 
Other great activities this week and upcoming:
 
Begins Dec 26th thru April 14th, Whale Watching on twice daily cruises. 
 
I'll be listing more here and on our Facebook page during the week and as they come up. Feel free to share some of your favorite Holiday activities and "not to miss" Holiday places to go with us here in the comments or on our Facebook page.




Enjoy the Holiday Season and all that it brings, and....

Keep Soaring and Landing Safely,

In Beautiful, Sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Have a fun-filled, relaxing day with your family!
 
 

Keep Soaring and Landing Safely,

In Beautiful, Sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Veteran's Day



In honor of our veterans, living and passed on. Thank you for your service!




Soaring over San Diego 

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Soaring on a Sunday



Lots of Halloween events this weekend, and still some coming up this week. Here are just a few.


Halloween & Dia de los Muertos Events this week:

Through the 31st. Scream Zone Del Mar. 7pm to midnight.

Through the 31st. The Haunted Hotel tent in the Gaslamp Quarter
Not for children 10 and younger or those easily frightened. Fri and Sat 6 PM - 1 AM, Sun, Wed and Thurs 7 PM - 11 PM. Closed Monday and Tuesday except for 10/22 – 10/23 and 10/29. Tickets on sale now – buy online to avoid waiting in line. Tickets cost $17 on Friday and Saturday, $15 other nights (or save - only $15 online). Only for brave souls willing to scream. The Haunted Hotel

Through the 31st. Halloween Disneyland and Mickey's Halloween Party on select nights. For a fun family Halloween adventure, spend Halloween at Disneyland. Disney knows how to decorate and throw a party. Wear your costume and enjoy the spooky attractions, or for an extra fee go to Mickey's Halloween Disneyland party and see the Halloween Screams fireworks.

Through 31st. Haunted Trail of Balboa Park. Walk on the dark and scary side on the trails at Marston Point in Balboa Park for a San Diego Halloween adventure. Ages 10 and up. 7 PM Wed - Sun. also Mon and Tues Oct 29 - 30. Ticket prices $15 for Sun - Thurs or $17 Fri or Sat. Ticket prices for combo tickets are $20 for trail and Carnival of Carnage maze, and $30 for VIP fast pass, scary maze and haunted trail. Online tickets cost only $15. Last year discount tickets at San Diego Party City stores.

Monday, Oct 29th and Tuesday, Oct 30th. Haunted San Diego, tours.Journey with us on an entertaining history tour with a haunted theme. You'll learn about the individuals who lived here, died here, and are still said to haunt San Diego to this very day.

Through 31st. Bates Nut Farm, Valley Center. Get in the spirit of Halloween at San Diego Bates Nut Farm. Pumpkin patch, picnic, farm zoo, straw maze and hay rides. $9 gets you a tractor hay ride, walk through the straw maze and pick your own Jack-O-Lantern, or you can buy just one item or ride. Open daily 9 AM - 5 PM. Group reservations are suggested. One of the great family San Diego Halloween events.

Wednesday, October 31st, 5:30-7:30pm. Trick or Treating and Costume Parade in Little Italy. Corner of India and W. Fir St. in San Diego. Bring the Little Ghouls and Goblins down to San Diego’s Little Italy for a family-fun and safe trick-or-treating experience. Pick-up you map of participating businesses at the Piazza Basilone (India & Fir Streets), between 5:30pm and 7:30pm, and have your bags filled with candy. Be sure to be back at 7:00pm for the Costume Parade; that will be held in the Piazza Basilone. No prizes will be given…all of our Little Italy Ghouls and Goblins are winners! See you there.

Wednesday, October 31st, 3-5pm. Trick or Treat at participating stores at Carmel Mountain Plaza. Balloons, live music and a free treat bag at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

Wednesday, October 31st, 5-7pm. Trick or Treating at Piazza Carmel.

Wednesday, October 31st, 4-6pm. Spooktacular Halloween Fun at DelMar Highlands Town Center.

Through October 31st, Kids Free at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Sunday, October 28th, 10am-4pm. Dia de los Muertos at Old Mission San Luis Rey. Free admission.

November 1-2nd. Old Town San Diego's Dia de los Muertos. Art, Culture, History, alter building, crafts, recipes.


Happy Haunting and be safe,

and,


Keep Soaring and landing safely

in beautiful Sunny San Diego

Your soaring mama,

Mandy

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Soaring on a Sunday

different

Welcome Fall! While it's still in the high 80s/low 90s in my neck of the woods (Escondido), we went down to Balboa Park on Friday and it was a (little) bit cooler, and leaves were actually falling to the ground. We made some ojo de dios (eye of god) and some felted leaf coasters to celebrate and mostly just played with our friends! It was a lovely day to celebrate the autumn equinox.


I love the Fall season and all that it brings. With it brings some really fun family events and activities.

 

Here are a few that are upcoming and happening in San Diego:

September - mid-October.  Julian apple harvesting time. Sundays: Julian Doves & Desperados, comedy skits at 1pm, 2pm, & 3pm. Saturdays: Live music at Bailey's BBQ. Monday & Thursday: Live Music/Open Mic on the Patio at Jeremy's on the Hill at 6pm.

September 3-30th. Julian Town Hall Crafters Arts and Crafts Show 9am-5pm at the Town Hall.

October 6-7th. Julian Apple Days Festival, Saturaday 10-5pm, Sunday 10-5pm. at menghini Winery, $5 Adults, children under 15 are free.

October 5th - 28th, Fridays 7:15pm, Saturdays 1:15 pm & 7:15 pm, and Sunday 1:15pm. Old Time Melodrama performances.

October 6-7th, 10am-4pm. Julian Open Studios Tour. Maps for $10 available at the Town Hall.

A list of apple orchards in Julian.

September 30th. 10am-5pm.  Alpine Viejas Western Days Parade 2012. Free.
Celebrating the community spirit of Alpine, the Alpine Viejas Western Days Parade is a day-long celebration featuring fun for the whole family, including a kids and craft fair.

September 29th, 10am-4pm. San Diego Woofstock in Escondido.  Dog expo with products, vets, rescues, contests, and pet parade and a lot more! Free admission. $5 fee for contests.

Thursday, September 27th. 4 & 7pm.  Disney's Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour ever! At Valley View Casino.

Wednesday, October 10th.  7pm. Disney on Ice presents 100 Years of Disney at Valley View Casino.

Friday, September 28th through October 7th. Oktoberfest in El Cajon. Come and enjoy authentic German food, such as bratwurst, ox-on-the-spit, potato salad, potato pancakes, sauerkraut, red cabbage and a variety of German pastries. We offer a great selection of German beers and liquors, and soft drinks and water, to enjoy with your friends and family!

September 29th-30th. Oceanside Harbor Days. 2 event filled days of fun activities, Nail n Sail competition, Military, Police and Fire displays and more.

Saturday, September 29th. Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day Live! Free Admission at participating museums. See website for list of participating museums.



As you can tell, it's apple picking time and soon to be pumpkin picking time! We'll post lots of great places to choose from in the coming weeks, so be sure to come back and check it out or follow us on our Facebook Page for frequent updates!


Enjoy the Fall Season and all that it brings, and....



Keep Soaring and Landing Safely,

In Beautiful, Sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Monday, September 3, 2012

Happy Labor Day!




In honor of the laborers in our country on this Labor Day. 

Enjoy your Labor Day holiday, be safe and hope it's a good one!




Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy





Sunday, September 2, 2012

Soaring on a Sunday

592
Dixon Lake, Escondido

Summer's officially coming to a close. School's back in session for San Diegan children, Summer events are coming to a close, and we're looking forward to some cooling weather (hopefully soon!) It's a wonderful time of year to visit our local parks and lakes and the beaches are definitely less crowded, which is nice for us homeschoolers!

Here's a few fun activities coming up this week.


Tuesday, September 4th, 3pm-3:30pm.  Children's West Africa Drumming with Master Children's Drummer Nana Yaw Asiedu ages 6 months to 6 years 3-330pm, ages 7-12 3:30-4:15pm. $7-9.

Saturday, September 8th, 7am-2pm. San Diego 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and Family Festival at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. A Commemorative stair climb and charity climb that honors those that were lost on 9/11.


Saturday, September 8th, 12pm-2pm. Saturday Science Club for Girls: Renewable Energy. Building wind turbines and other experiments with wind.

Friday-Sunday, September 7-9th.  Sycuan Pow-Wow at the Sycuan Reservation

Sunday, September 9th, 10am-4pm. Target Free Second Sunday at the New Children's Museum in San Diego.

Sunday, September 9th, 10am-6pm. Grandparent's Day at Reuben H Fleet Science Center, San Diego. Free Gallery admission for all grandparents and all grandchildren visiting with them compliments of ScholarShare.

Saturday, September 15th oam-12pm. Ocean Beach Coastal Cleanup at Ocean Beach Pier. The largest volunteer event in California!

Saturday & Sunday, September 15-16th, 10am-6pm. San Diego Pirate Faire at the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum in Vista. A living history experience with costumed pirates and re-enactments. $7 for children, 4 and under free, adults $15, seniors $13.

Have a great Labor Day and....

Keep Soaring and Landing Safely,

In Beautiful, Sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Monday, August 27, 2012

Soaring on a Sunday

La Jolla
Sun setting over La Jolla

Summer's coming to an end, and so are some of the great San Diego Summer activities, events and shows that are available during this time of year. Not to worry, Fall is around the corner and with it some fun family events including apple picking, pumpkin patches, Halloween parties, and some wonderful Fall Harvest events!

Tuesday, August 28th. Resident free Tuesdays. The following will be free this Tuesday for San Diego residents.San Diego Air & Space Museum (Not valid for special exhibitions) San Diego Automotive Museum (Last admission 3:45pm) San Diego Hall of Champions SELECT House of Pacific Relations International Cottages.

August 30th - 31st, 6-8:30 pm. Full Moon Walk on Scripps Pier. ($25) for ages 9 and up, RSVP required. Explore one of La Jolla’s most well known landmarks and let Birch Aquarium at Scripps naturalists guide you in dissecting a squid, making marine organisms glow in the dark and more. It does sell out, so book early

Thru August 31st. "Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs: The 4D Experience" movie at the San Diego Zoo's 4D Theater in Balboa Park.

Thru August 31st. GIA Egg-stravaganza.An eggs-traordinary collection of more than 700 egg-shaped pieces of gems and minerals carved by Master Lapidarist Dieter Jerusalem. To schedule a tour, call the GIA campus 24 hours in advance. Free. 5345 Armada Dr., Carlsbad. www.gia.edu; 800-421-7250, ext. 4116 or 760-603-4116.

Through September 3rd. Daily, 2pm-9pm.  Last chance of the summer to see the Nighttime Zoo China Celebration at the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park.

Tuesdays at 8:30 pm. Britain's Finest: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!, Beatles tribute band at the Lawrence Welk Theater. From the webpage,  "Enjoy the multi-act show that completely fascinates the audience with their meticulous attention to all of the iconic Beatles costumes, not to mention that the cast members look hauntingly like their Beatles counterparts."

Saturday, September 1st, 12pm-4pm. Southern California Plumeria Society Show at the San Diego Botanical Garden Foundation in Balboa Park. Free.

Saturday, September 1st 7:45pm. A great date night idea; Rock the Dome! At the Reuben H Fleet Science Center. Classic Rock music set to dazzling imagery. Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Metallica in 16,000 watt digital surround sound.

September 1st and 2nd, 9am-3:30pm. Last weekend this summer for the Open Cockpit Days at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum in Miramar.

Sunday, September 2nd, 2-3pm. House of Ukraine, International Cottages. Music, dance, costume and culture at Balboa Park.

August 28th-September 2nd. "Les Miserables". Playing at the San Diego Civic Theatre in Downtown San Diego. See webpage for details.

Saturday, September 8th, 930 am. Grape Day 5K, Festival and Parade.  Grape Day Parade begins at 930 on Grand Avenue includes marching bands, equestrians, and vintage autos. A festival will be from 930 am til 4pm. There will be grape stomping, free grapes from Jimbos, entertainment, booths, fun zone, contests, demos, and food court. Free event! There's also a 5K run at 7:30, go to webpage for sign up.

Thru October 31st. "Claws" Exhibit at the Sea Life Aquarium in Carlsbad. Get up and personal with crabs and clawed creatures. $15-20.

Thru January 20th, 2013.  "The Horse" exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park. From the Nat's website,  "Investigate the extraordinary qualities that have made horses so useful to humans. View astonishing artifacts that highlight the horse’s role in cultures worldwide, including a bronze figurine depicting China’s legendary celestial horse from the Han dynasty, which is dated as early as 2nd-century BCE to 2nd-century AD."

Other exhibits that are ending soon are the Washed Ashore exhibit at the Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista, many of the water parks, Grossology exhibit at the Ruben H Fleet, The Titanic Exhibit at the SD Natural History Museum. So be sure to get out and see them soon before they're gone!

So.Much.Fun. to pick from!!!! Where will you be going? Be sure to share any photos or recommendations for places you've been to in San Diego! Share with us in the comments or on our Facebook page.

Continue to enjoy the last few days of Summer and.....

Keep Soaring and Landing Safely,

In Beautiful, Sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Soaring on a Sunday

From SDFS Living Coast Discover Center - Washed Ashore exhibit
From SDFS Living Coast Discover Center - Washed Ashore exhibit
From SDFS Living Coast Discover Center - Washed Ashore exhibit

It's been really warm lately both here in San Diego and neighboring S. California counties. It's great that we have lots of choices for cooling off be it the beach, one of the many water parks, cooling off at the mall or local community pool. Where have you been cooling off at? Feel free to share in the comments or on our facebook page here.
From SDFS Living Coast Discover Center - Washed Ashore exhibit

Living Coast Discovery Center, Wash Ashore: Plastics, Sea Life & Art exhibit is there until September 3rd and my group went to check it out this week. It was amazing to see what the artists made out of ocean debris. Check it out before it closes on September 3rd. You can see a few pictures from our visit there above.

Friday, August 31st - Monday, September 3rd, 9am-7pm, daily.  Coming up in September is the Festival of Sail at the Port of San Diego. The largest tall ship festival on the west coast. Cannons will fire, and there will be a tall ship parade. Lots of other great activities as well!

Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2pm, August 31st-September 23rd. Free Shakespeare Festival - The Twelfth Night at the Coronado Playhouse.

Monday, August 20th.  20th Anniversary Half off admission on the 20th of each month at  Scripps Birch Aquarium in La Jolla.

Tuesday, August 21st. Free Twilight concert 7pm at Powerhouse Park, Del Mar.

Through September 30th. Steampunk exhibit at the San Diego Automotive Museum. From the website, "The museum is incorporating clothing, gadgets, and gizmos that are not directly related to the automobile. The focus of the exhibit is innovation, and non-traditional vehicles will be presented with classic examples of early automotive engineering and design."

Through January 31st. Grossology Exhibit at the Ruben H. Fleet Science Museum in Balboa Park. From the website, "Based on the best-selling book Grossology, sophisticated animatronics and imaginative exhibits tell you the good, the bad and the downright ugly about runny noses, body odor and much more. "

August 26th, 10am-5pm. Annual Leucadia ArtWalk. Includes original artwork, musical performances.

Friday, August 31st - Monday, September 3rd.  San Diego Sand Sculpting Competition and 3D Art Challenge. Located at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal Pier, Downtown San Diego.

Enjoy the Summer and.....





Keep Soaring and Landing Safely,

In Beautiful, Sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Monday, July 16, 2012

Soaring on a Sunday

From Thistles on hwy 67 in Ramona, CA

Are you enjoying your summer? It's been getting pretty warm, so hope you have somewhere to cool off! Lucky for us, there's lots of places to cool off in San Diego.

Sundays, July 8th-August 19th, 3-5pm. Encinitas Sunday Concerts by the Sea. Free.

Saturday, July 21st, 6pm-9pm. Nature Club for Children ages 8 to 12. Kumeyaay Lake Campground. Campfire stories. 

Summer Movies at the Park. Various park locations, mostly at 7:30 pm, on Saturdays. See website for locations and times.

Legoland Water Park. Thru Sept. 3rd. 10am-5pm. Lots of great fun water activities at the park; Build a Raft River, Duplo Splash Safari, Duplo Splash Zoo, Pirate Reef and more!

San Diego Knott's Soak City.  Thru Sept. 3rd. Hours vary. Slides, falls, runs, plunges and bays. A great place to get wet during the summer months thru September!

Santee Aquatics Center. Training pool, activity pool with play structure, water slide, water exercise area, water aerobics, swim lessons. 

Santee Lakes Sprayground.  A 1,300 square foot interactive water playground is located at the north end of Lake 1. An “activation” button is used by the children to start the system which begins the pumps and sends water to the various features creating a fun way to beat the heat.

Hilton Head County Park, El Cajon, Aquatic Playground.The highlight of this 10-acre neighborhood park in Rancho San Diego is a pirate-themed aquatic park sure to be a hit with children. Hours for the spray structure are 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily.

Mountain Hawk Park, Chula Vista. Amenities include an amphitheater, basketball court, walking trail, restrooms, and gazebos that overlook Otay Lake. Mountain Hawk also has the only interactive water feature in the City. The interactive water feature is open from April to November.

Fiesta Island. Fiesta Island is a large area of land centrally located in Mission Bay. There is a 5 MPH zone on the east side of the island that is popular for recreational water sports. Permits for this location are usually for Over the Line tournament, walks/runs, bicycle races/time trials and other special events. The Fiesta Island Youth Camp and the Aquatic Center are on the island. There are bonfire rings around the shore of the island and dogs are allowed off leash. There is a a permitted water ski area in Hidden Cove and permits for water skiing only are available from the Lifeguards at their headquarters, 2581 Quivera Court.

Mission Bay Park.   Mission Bay Park is the largest man-made aquatic park in the country, consisting of 4,235 acres, approximately 46% land and 54% water. The park offers a wide range of recreational activities including paths for walking and jogging, and playgrounds for children. It is one of San Diego's most popular locations to fly a kite, picnic or sail a model yacht. Fire rings make it possible to cook out and stay warm.

SeaWorld-Sesame Street Bay of Play, Treat your kids to two-acres of childhood magic with their favorite characters from Sesame Street. It’s filled with family-friendly fun and rides like Elmo’s Flying Fish, Oscar’s Rocking Eel and Abby’s Sea Star Spin. You can even have your picture taken with your Sesame Street pals.

The Wave Waterpark in Vista.  Thru Sept. 3rd.  Slides, waves riders, lazy river, rain forest, pool and more!

Do you know of any great waterparks, spray parks, or just places to cool off and have fun in San Diego? Let us know in the comments or on our facebook page here!


Enjoy the Summer and.....



Keep Soaring and Landing Safely,

In Beautiful, Sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Happy 4th of July


Happy 4th of July week!


 Have a fun safe week! 


 Your Soaring Mama, 



 Mandy

Friday, June 29, 2012

Friday's Soar and Explore

DSC_0267


Have you been to the San Diego County Fair yet, this year? We went this week and while I didn't "soar" on the bungee, it was great fun to watch! It got my heart pumping just watching these brave folks on this exhilarting looking ride! We did however go on some "tamer" rides and enjoy some of the crazy foods they got going on there! Bacon-wrapped-cheese-filled-mushrooms!!!! Can you say "heart-attack-in-the-works"!!! Even the food sign had a girl with a fibrillator ready for electric shocks to the heart! CRA-ZY!

DSC_0145

Anyway, there was lots of other good stuff as well, bbq'd corn, pineapple, sweet potatoes and more. Good stuff!

DSC_0256

Oh, and if you go to the fair, be sure to check out the beautiful garden displays. In conjunction with the fair's theme this year, they are "Out of this World"!


DSC_0257

Where'd you "Soar and Explore" to this week? Let us know. Share on our Facebook or here in the comments.

Have a great weekend!





Keep Soaring and Exploring! 

Your Soaring Mama, 

Mandy





Sunday, June 24, 2012

Soaring on a Sunday

Fireworks in Chino Valley

Summer is here and it's the best time of year in San Diego, well, when isn't the best time of year in San Diego, to enjoy the sunshine, play at the beach, swim, go to parks, amusement parks, water parks, well....we have just about everything here that anyone can enjoy! Whether you live here or are a visitor, you are sure to enjoy your summer. Here's a few things you might enjoy as well as some great 4th of Jully events coming up next week!


Monday, June 25th-August 27th, 7:30-9:30 pm and FREE! 25th Annual Summer International Organ Festival, Balboa Park, San Diego.


Thursday, June 28th, 6-8pm. Tower After Hours: Japan. Join the museum on June 28th as they honor Japan and San Diego’s Japanese-American community with traditional food tastings, Sapporo beer, drinks, music, dance, martial arts, and presentations by local cultural arts groups.


Saturday and Sunday, June 30th and July 1st. Reptile Super Show, San Diego. Snakeds, Lizards, Geckos, oh my! And so much more. Come see these reptilian pets and maybe even bring one home!


June 16th-August 19th, August 25-26 and September 1-3. Summer Nights at Seaworld. Nighttime shows and fireworks. Great time to visit this local park for fun in the summer evenings and day.


June 8th-July 4th. The San County Diego Fair is going on right now! This year they are "Out of this world!" with an explore space theme. The fair is closed on Mondays. Check the website for hours and other details.


Summer Concert Series at various park locations.


Independence Day events:


Saturday, June 30th, 10 am. Oceanside Independence Day Parade. Dancers, floats, equestrian units, family fun, classic cars and more!


Wednesday, July 4th. San Diego Bay and other locations in SD. Big Bay Boom at 9pm.  "In its 11th year, this display features multiple barges discharging simultaneously from around Shelter Island, Harbor Island, North Embarcadero and Chula Vista. There will also be a display from the end of the Imperial Beach Pier."


Wednesday, July 4th. Coronado Independence Day Celebrations.   Fireworks at 9pm and parade.


Wednesday, July 4th, 4:30-9:30 pm. Fireworks at 9pm.  Escondido July 4th Celebration and Fireworks, to be held at Grape Day Park. "There will be plenty of free entertainment, including magicians, baton twirlers, musical performances, children's arts projects, contests, and fireworks.Refreshments will be available for purchase. Bring a picnic and blanket. But the park doesn't allow any of these items: Tall chairs, alcohol, pets and barbecues."


Wednesday, July 4th, 9pm. Imperial Beach Pier July 4th Fireworks. Free event.


Wednesday, July 4th. Julian 4th of July Parade. "The Julian 4th of July Parade honors stars, stripes and pioneers. Known far and wide as the “best little small town parade in America,” Julian presents a homegrown event that celebrates the town’s gold rush era history, the dedication of veterans and active duty military who serve our country, and local residents who cherish the special qualities of the little town tucked into the Cuyamaca Mountains east of San Diego."


Wednesday, July 4th. Historic Old Town Fourth of July. An old-fashioned celebration of July 4th. Parade, crafts and activities of early San Diego. Wagon rides, period games, music, food specials, pie-eating contest and more. Flag raising, keynote speaker, military involvement.


Wednesday, July 4th, fireworks at 9pm.  La Jolla Cove Fireworks Celebration. Fireworks will blast off at 9pm from La Jolla Cove. The sparkled display can best be seen from Ellen Browning Scripps Park, and nearby La Jolla Shores and Kellogg Park.


Wednesday, July 4th. San Diego County Fair July 4th Fireworks at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.


Wednesday, July 4th, 3:30pm-9:20pm. Santee Salutes July 4th at the Town Center. The celebration will feature carnival rides, games, inflatables, a food court, firework, and live musical performances by Danielle Tucker Band – Rockin' contemporary country and The Mighty Untouchables – Motown through today's Top 40 Hits.




Have a great week!



Keep Soaring and Landing Safely,

In Beautiful, Sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Friday, June 15, 2012

Friday's Soar and Explore



From Jun 15, 2012

We had our monthly Lego/Anime Club this week at the Ramona County Library. It's always so much fun and so many fun activities while there. We also discovered, from some visiting local school kids, that the library has a Chess Club on Tuesdays, Music Club on Fridays, and crafts every Friday. I know all the county libraries have wonderful programs all year long and also have the fun Summer Reading Programs every year. What great things does your local library offer?

Have a great weekend!




Keep Soaring and Exploring! 

Your Soaring Mama, 

Mandy




Friday, June 8, 2012

Friday's Soar & Explore

From SDFS Comedy Club 6/5/12
This week we were at Harry Griffen Park in La Mesa for our unschooling group, the Funschooler's, Comedy Club Show. It was very "SNL" in nature. They had a news report, weather report, how homeschoolers change a lightbulb (hilarious!), a funny hot cocoa skit. It was a lot of fun and it was a beautiful day at the park. Here is Violet practicing her lines pre-show and Livi just hanging out with Olivier, our rescue chihuahua mix. Here's a few taken at Harry Griffen earlier this year. It's a really lovely park with a doggie park area and a nice outdoor amphitheater as well as a nice play ground and a large open space for kite flying, running around, hula hooping or anything you desire to do while there!
From SDFS May Day at Harry Griffen Park
(You can see the amphitheater in the background of this one)

From SDFS May Day at Harry Griffen Park
(Pretty flowers in the springtime)


 Have a great weekend and remember to keep Soaring and Exploring, beautiful, Sunny San Diego! Your Soaring Mama, Mandy

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

June Gloom? Not here in Ramona

Welcome to Ramona
One of the wonderful things about living inland, in East County San Diego (actually, we're a bit north, just below San Diego Safari Park in Escondido) is the beautiful blue sky days throughout most of the year. It does get a bit warm come Aug/Sept, and there's those pesky fires that come through every few years, ahem. But, it really is a quiet, peaceful place to live.


one hump or two?
There's many local activities and we're just 1/2 hour to 45 minutes to most places in San Diego County.  Here, in Ramona, we're 20 minutes to the Safari Park, and 30 minutes to Escondido, which has the Center for the Arts, SD Children's Museum, Kit Carson Park-home to Queen Calafia's Magical Circle, Sikes Adobe, beautiful Felicita Park. And, here in Ramona we have the lovely Dos Picos Park.  We have an awesome glass company which has semi-annual glass blowing demonstrations. We have the Oasis Camel Dairy which also has open houses and tours throughout the year. We have our own small town fair, with 4H showings and the usual rides and attractions found at most small town fairs. We even have a Mainstage Theater with many known bands appearing.


I love to buy local and there's organic farms as well as many small businesses that I frequent and try to do my part to keep them in business. There's beautiful, old oak trees and prickly pear cactus. Our spring time is lovely and it actually gets quite green and lots of lovely spring flowers including poppies and other colorful flowers.


Family of turkeys


It's not uncommon to see wild turkeys crossing the road out here, and many other beautiful creatures. There's the annual Hawk Watch during January and February. There's several goat, sheep and chicken farms here.
Also, we are just 1/2 hour to Julian, home to the famous Julian pies. In Julian, there's also the Smith Ranch where one can take a train ride and a gold mine tour and learn about pioneer life. And, also lots of great places to camp and the quaint little town of Julian is fun to visit during the Winter Holidays. Apple picking in the Fall is always one of our favorite things to do.
Lovely Oaks
We really love it here and plan to stay for many years in this little town. It's amazing how quickly 6 years has flown by. Hope you can come out and visit our lovely little town sometime. It's a beautiful drive here from any direction you come.


Tell us about your town and what's great about it. We'd love to here about all the pockets of San Diego and fun things to do that we might now know about!


Until then,




Keep Soaring and Landing Safely,

In Beautiful, Sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Monday, June 4, 2012

Soaring on a Sunday

Splash


It's a beautiful Sunday in San Diego and summer feels like it's upon us already! Warm temps, blue skies, beach days, and pool time! Lots of great ways to cool off and lots of fun summer activities coming up soon.

Here's a few of them;

June 8th. World Oceans Day. Happening "All Over", and Birch Aquarium in La Jolla is celebrating on June 8th & 9th, 11am-3pm. Explore the aquarium in Seussian style as you spot fish with zany names and odd shapes. Learn about fish diversity as you peer through microscopes, touch shark skin, and observe swimming fish. Enjoy a fishy scavenger hunt and story times throughout the day. Included with admission.


June 8th. World Oceans Day Beach Clean-up with San Diego Coastkeeper. For all beach cleanups, please wear comfortable clothes, closed-toed shoes and sunscreen. All volunteers (individuals as well as groups) are welcome to participate and must sign a liability waiver. Volunteers under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian present at the beginning of the cleanup to sign a liability waiver before the minor can participate. Registration is not required unless a group is larger than 25 people – to register please contact beachcleanup@sdcoastkeeper.org. We will have supplies on hand, but volunteers should bring their own reusable gloves, reusable bag/bucket and/or reusable water bottle to reduce waste. As a volunteer, you play an active role in determining the sources of trash on our beaches. After all beach cleanups, please be prepared to fill out a data card detailing the types of trash that you collected. We post this data on our website and track trends over time, then communicate it to your community leaders.


Month of June. North County Arts & Culture in June. If you are looking for something fun to do this June, then take a drive up the coast and experience arts and culture in North County. Six North County San Diego institutions are presenting the second annual North County Arts & Culture in June, a month-long opportunity for the public to enjoy half-off admission at the following six participating museums: California Surf Museum Lux Art Institute Museum of Making Music Oceanside Museum of Art San Diego Botanic Garden San Diego Children's Discovery Museum


June 6th, 4 and 7pm. WOW First Wednesdays, free performances at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. This month is the Too Much Fun Band,Born from a desire to make audiences smile, Too Much Fun pours out a toe-tapping, hand-clapping sound that resonates with the American heart, performing Old Rock to Country Rock to Country to Blue Grass.


June 9th, Carlsbad Beach Fest. The festival features competitive sporting events, live music on multiple stages, food, green product vendors, kite-flying, sand-sculpting, a health and safety expo, opportunity drawings and prizes, a massive beach cleanup, and much more.


Through September 3rd, Washed Ashore exhibit at the Chula Vista Nature Center. Washed Ashore: Plastics, Sea Life & Art is a nationally acclaimed, environmental art exhibit featuring massive sculptures and other art pieces made entirely of marine debris collected from beaches, such as plastic ropes, nets, toys, cigarette lighters, flip-flops, Frisbees and more. The community art project brings attention to the global crisis of ocean pollution and the impact of “disposable” plastics that threaten marine animals and habitats. The vision of Oregon-based artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi, Washed Ashore is designed to educate, entertain and inspire guests of all ages. This interactive art experience runs through September 3rd, 2012 at the Chula Vista Nature Center before beginning its worldwide tour.


June 9th, 1pm-4pm.  Second Saturday Workshop: Fiber Arts at the Museum Art School at the San Diego Museum of Art.


Summer Camps coming up....


Summer Art Camp at the San Diego Zoo


Summer Camp at Safari Park


San Diego Junior Theatre Summer Camps at Balboa Park and Village of La Jolla


Surf Camp with Ocean Experience Surf School - Sign on San Diego currently has an online deal.


Mad Science Summer Camps


Summer Camp at the Nat


San Diego Air & Space Museum summer camp


San Diego Museum of Art


The New Children's Museum, San Diego


San Diego Children's Discovery Museum, Escondido


Chula Vista Nature Center Summer Camps


If you don't see what you like here, there's a wonderful Summer Camp Guide at the Patch, here.


Have a great week!






Keep Soaring and Landing Safely,

In Beautiful, Sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Friday, June 1, 2012

Friday's Soar and Explore


From LIG Mini Minecon


We're back, and rested!!! We had a great time in Corvallis, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington visiting friends and enjoying the Life is Good Unschooling Conference. I don't have a local "Soar & Explore" photo for you this week, but I do have this fun photo taken at the LIG Mini-Minecon Funshop that my daughter really enjoyed while there! Back to some local SD shots next Friday, but in case you haven't been keeping up with all the upcoming fun activities this weekend on our Facebook page,   I'm posting it all for you here today!

Enjoy your weekend!


Saturday & Sunday, 9am-4pm. Wings Over Gillespie Air Show: A Salute to 100 Years of U.S. Marine Corps Aviation. An impressive array of vintage airplanes plus an area for kids, educational displays, food and more. $10-$90. Gillespie Field, 1960 Joe Crosson Dr., El Cajon. Visit Air Show for more info.

 Saturday & Sunday, 9 am-9 pm. 33rd Annual Fiesta del Sol in Solana Beach. This free festival features live bands, an arts & crafts fair, gourmet food trucks and a kids area with rides, climbing wall & hands-on activities. Adjacent to Fletcher Cove, bordered by South Sierra Ave & Acacia Ave. Visit Fiesta del Sol for list of performers and more info.

 Saturday, June 2nd.  Celebrate National Trails Day Enjoy the great outdoors by taking a family hike or helping to restore a trail. Special hikes and cleanups are planned at 17 local parks.

Starts June 1st.  Summer Movies in the Park is a perfect chance to relax and enjoy a safe and special night under the stars. Come early and get a good seat! Movies will begin at dusk. Movies are subject to change.


Saturday, June 2nd, 1-4:45pm.  In conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, Ramp It Up: Skateboard Culture in Native America, on exhibit until September 9, 2012, the San Diego Museum of Man is giving you the opportunity to ride on a real half pipe mini-ramp (provided by Spohn Ranch) inside the Museum on special public skate days!  And, pros demo the half-pipe from 1-3pm on Saturday too!!!


Starts Today.  Enjoy half-price admission at six participating museums & institutions in San Diego North County with a special passport available at Westfield Shopping Mall in Carlsbad and Escondido and download. For more information, visit: http://www.northcountyartsandculture.org/.

June 6th. 4 & 7pm.  Wow! First Wednesdays. Free concert at Escondido Center for the Arts. Featuring the Too Much Fun Band.



Keep Soaring and Exploring! 

Your Soaring Mama, 

Mandy