Have a Happy & Safe Halloween!
Your soaring mama,
Mandy
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Soaring on a Sunday
With Halloween almost behind us there's lots more Fall/Winter activities coming up over the next 2 months. Holiday Craft Fairs, Holiday Open Houses, Fall Festivals. Now, go out there and have some fun!
Coming up in November we have:
November 10th, 5-8pm, Holiday Open House at Summer's Past Farms. Beautifully decorated in an old-fashioned Christmas theme there will be special holdiay soaps and other gifts available for purchase. Bring your favorite homemade cookies to share and there will be Christmas music and hot wassail to enjoy. See website for more details.
Sunday, November 6th, 8am-4pm, Carlsbad Village Street Faire. Exhibitors, international food, live entertainment, and children's rides.
Sunday, November 6th, 11am-4pm, Gaslamp Quarters "Fall Back, The Children's Historic Street Faire". Free admission, some fees for some activities. Old Fashioned festivities such as ice cream and pie eating contests, pony and wagon rides, historical recreations and demos with 19th century blacksmith, prospectors teaching kids to pan for gold, butter churning and candle dipping and a Wild West Shoot out. Sounds like so much fun!!! See website for more details.
Saturday & Sunday, November 5th & 6th, 9-430 & 9-330pm, Christmas on the Farm, 2011 Arts 'n Craft Fair at Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center.
Saturday, November 5th, 9am-4pm, Taste the Coast, Oceanside Pier. Eat and Browse at Taste the Coast. Great local food, sports and service booths and music. Will be the finish line for Bike the Coast bike tour. Event is free.
Thursday, November 3rd, 430-730pm. Reach the Peak, run or walk at Black Mountain Open Space Park in San Diego. Different races to pick from including trail races, endurance race, adventure race, king or queen of the hill or JUST for fun! Register day of and recieve lots of great SWAG!
Friday & Saturday, November 4-5th, Mira Costa's Stargazing Party, Mira Costa College. See hundreds of stars through telescopes at the baseball fields at Mira Costa College. 8pm-10pm.
Saturday, November 5th, 12pm, Heritage Park Fall Festival, Oceanside Heritage Park. Children's games, chili cook-off, live music. 12-3pm.
Have a great week and....
Keep Soaring and landing safely
in beautiful, sunny San Diego!
Your Soaring Mama,
Mandy
Friday, October 28, 2011
Friday's "Soar & Explore"
Blue Bird in Aviary at SD Zoo Safari Park by Mandy Sicard
I've decided to create a new meme here at Soaring over San Diego, "Soar & Explore"! If you'd like to participate, please send me a photo of a fun place in San Diego that you've been to during the week with your family, or just with the kids, with a caption indicating where it was taken. I'll post the photos here on Fridays with your photo credit and feel welcome to link to your blog if you like. You can post your photo on our Facebook page or email it to me at at mandaroo63@yahoo.com. I've started it off this week with a photo I took at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido taken this week and I look forward to seeing where you've 'soared and explored' to and share it in next week's post!
Your Soaring Mama,
Mandy
Thursday, October 27, 2011
If you're still looking for a great place to pick pumpkins and have some family fun go check out Oma's Pumpkin Patch in Lakeside. Just 35 minutes away from San Diego, this beautiful dairy farm has an annual pumpkin picking and lots of other fun stuff for kids to do through November 5th. Their hours are Tuesday-Sunday 10am-7pm, (closed on Sundays & Mondays).
From SDFS Oma's Pumpkin Patch, Lakeside
An admission fee of $7 for children, and one adult free per paid child, includes a hayride through the farm, a water bottle, Jack Patch Pumpkin and participation in all activities. Activities include a hay bale maze, a petting corral, the very popular (with our group that went) Cottonseed Mountain, playground, and lots of fun games like magnetic darts, shooting hoops, & tetherball. There's also a snack bar available with reasonably prices snacks.Lots of great fall decorations as well as many pumpkins to choose from; Indian corn, corn stalks, gourds, and hay bales. There's also a lovely little gift shop with souvenirs, crafts, honey and more.
My girls had a fantastic time and we'll be sure to go again next year. The farm also has other seasonal events; Christmas Tree Patch, Spring Dairy Tours, Birthday parties and special events. See their website for more details.
Hope you're enjoying this Fall and all the wonderful activities happening this time of year!
Keep Soaring (and landing safely)
in Beautiful, Sunny
San Diego!
Your Soaring Mama,
Mandy
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Soaring on a Sunday
Saturday, October 29th, 330-9pm, Halloween Bash at Seaport Village. There will be a pet costume contest, live music, photo ops, and more.
Sunday, October 30th, 10am-4pm, Dia de los Muertos, Old Mission San Luis Rey. Honoring the deceased with mariachi bands, folklorico dancing, Aztec entertainers, altars, and more. Free.
Sunday, October 30th, 5pm-8pm, Once Upon a Hallowe'en, Old Poway Park. Carved pumpkin contest, costume parade, children's games, Edgar Allen Poe reading, ride the Halloween Express, treats. Some fees.
Saturday, October 29th, 1-5pm, Halloween Carnival in Grape Day Park in Escondido. Haunted house, costume contest, bounce houses, art displays, live music, and carnival games (small fee).
Saturday, October 29th, 2-7pm, Halloween on Elm, Carlsbad Village. Carnival games, costume contests, pirate show, farmers market.
Saturday, October 29th, 9am-11am, Trek 'n' Treat Walkathon, Oceanside Harbor. Walk for developmental disabilities.
And, if you're looking for some safe, family friendly trick or treating spots in San Diego, here's just a few that are all happening on October 31st, Halloween!
530pm-730pm, Trick or Treat on India Street, Littly Italy in San Diego.
During Trick-or-Treat on India Street, Little Italy businesses open their doors to make Halloween a safe and special night for our urban-neighborhood children.
530pm-8pm, Encinitas DownTown on South Coast Hwy 101, from Encinitas Blvd to K St is converted to Pumpkin Lane, featuring elaborately carved pumpkins at different viewing locations and the Queen's Court at the Self Realization Fellowship Bookstore, where the queen will be granting wishes! Kids Zone with games, music and activities.
5pm-9pm, Otay Ranch Town Center, Trick or Treating on Magic Street, Halloween Pet Costume contest, "Thrill the World" Performance, Costume Contest Parade!
330pm-530pm, Downtown Goes Ghostly, Trick or Treating on Orange Avenue 800 Block to Adella, Coronado. Merchants will be handing out treats and a Ghostly Goodies Give-away of $5 gift certificate to 15 lucky ghildren in the Rotary Plaza.
3-5pm, Trick or Treat at Carmel Mountain Plaza, Trick or Treating at participating stores, live music, balloons.
3-6pm, Pillage the Village, La Jolla Village, Girard Avenue at participating merchants. Will have a "Pillage the Village" poster identifying participating merchants.
3-6pm, Main Street Trick or Treating in Ramona. Main St (Hwy 67).
Happy Haunting and be safe,
and,
Keep Soaring and landing safely
in beautiful Sunny San Diego
Your soaring mama,
Mandy
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Destination Cozy Cone
Destination Cozy Cone
By Erika B. Perkins
“If you’re going my way, I wanna drive it All night long…”
Road Trips have been a way of experiencing the American Dream, one gas station and multiple bug splats at a time, since Henry Ford first introduced his novel little horseless carriage in 1908. Our family loves the road trip experience, we have our rituals for these long rides, for instance it’s the only time we buy beef jerky, and we love to listen to a good book or to blast some great tunes and it seems the random search on the iPod always brings us the best and most perfectly apropos road tunes.
The Cozy Cone Motel as portrayed in the Cars film is actually a blend of the Wigwam Motel, Blue Swallow Inn and Roy's CafĂ© and has been a historic Route 66 icon since it was first built in 1949. “The mastermind behind this retro motel was a clever man by the name of Frank Redford, who was heavily influenced by the native Indian culture. A total of only seven Wigwam Motels were built throughout the nation, of which three managed to remain preserved. Two of the last three remaining rest along historic Route 66 in the states of Arizona and California, while the other rests in Redford's home state of Kentucky.” The Wigwam Motel, just like Sally says about her Cozy Cone Motel, is “newly renovated” and has the funky appeal of every great roadside Americana attraction.
“If you’re going my way, I wanna drive it All night long…”
(all photos by Erika B. Perkins, all rights reserved)
Guest blogger, Erika B. Perkins, lives in San Diego, CA with her husband, two sons and more than the recommended daily allowance of cats. She owns and operates Entropy Squared Consulting Services, a professional organizing service. She is also the founder and owner of the Unschooling Adventure Group the San Diego Funschoolers (putting the FUN in UN!). A devoted Mom and a self-proclaimed Geek with great Geek offspring, she has more Star Wars knowledge than you can shake a womp rat at, has an enviable collection of cool t-shirts and know all the words to Dr. Horrible’s Sing- Along Blog.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Soaring on a Sunday
Sorry for absence this last week. It's been a busy, busy 2 weeks having fun with friends in addition to several field trips and road adventures! Back to business with providing you with all that San Diego has to offer this week and what's coming up soon!
If you haven't been to Disneyland Resorts Halloween Time fun be sure not to miss it! Wonderful Fall and Halloween time decorations, Halloween villains, the transformed Haunted Mansion which becomes a Holiday Haunted Mansion ala Jack Skellington and friends, more can be found over at my other blog Second to the Right. Many of the local amusement parks also have fun Halloween themed activities going on, see prior week's links for some of that.
On to some more great Fall activities and just plain old fashioned family fun in San Diego!
October 21-23rd, Borrego Springs has it's 46th Annual Borrego Days Desert Festival. This Family friendly weekend includes a parade, artists and vendor booths, live entertainment, food, beer garden, lots of activities for children; mini-carnival, face painting, pony rides, arts & crafts! Sounds like a great time!
October 21-23rd, Del Mar Harvest Festival, Original Art & Craft Show. Thousands of handmade arts and crafts, music, stilt walkers, comedy jugglers, children's art center and more. While there be sure to visit the Greyhound rescue adoption booth, a wonderful non-profit that finds home for retired racing greyhounds!
October 20-28th is the 12th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival, held at the Mission Valley Ultra Star Cinemas.
October 16th, "Sunday, Crafty Sunday" Dia de los Muertos at Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park. DIY crafting table, DJ, food and vendors.
October 15-16th, Fall Tractor Show, Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum in Vista. 50 Acres of ALL DAY fun! Working Antique Farm & Construction Equipment Demonstrations; N' Scale Model Railroad Exhibit; Weaving Exhibit, Demonstrations & Sales; Blacksmithing Demonstrations; Tractor Games: Slow Tractor Race, Pedal Tractors, Potato Race; Train Rides; Wagon Rides; Threshing Demonstrations; Grist Mill; Farmhouse Exhibit; School House Exhibit; Vendor Booths; Food, Drinks & Snacks; Museum Gift Shop and more!
Lots more great activities can be found on our Facebook group. Feel free to share about family-friends activities going on in your area of San Diego this week in the comments or the Facebook page.
Have a great week and go out and have some spooky fun!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Soaring on a Sunday
Welcome to October! I love October for so many reasons! It's my birthday month, my husband's birthday month, our anniversary month & Halloween! I think Halloween's one of my most favorite holidays of the year. It's just so much fun to dress up, watch your kid's get excited about dressing up, choosing a costume, choosing another costume, and yet....another costume! Ha Ha...if your kids are like mine they go through several choices throughout the entire month!
There's many fun activities during this time of year. Not only Fall Festivals, Harvest festivals, and pumpkin patches, but fun spooky events going on throughout the month (I'll be blogging about our fun visit to Halloween Time at Disneyland Resorts and California Adventure later this week).
In the meantime, here are just a few more fun, family activities as well as some really great, spooky places to visit during this scary time of year! Hope you enjoy it.
Saturday, October 8-9th, 10am-4pm, Vista Fiber Arts Fiesta, Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, Vista. Weavers, basket makers, spinners, gourd artists, knitters, quilters, and felters. Free admission, free parking.
Sunday, October 9th, 10am-6pm, Little Italy Fiesta, San Diego. Food, music, cooking demos, historical installation, chalk art paintings, chalk art for kids, Kid's Fun Zone, Italian Motor Sports Exhibit.
Saturday & Sunday, October 8-9th, Pumpkin Patch Weekend, Summers Past Farms, Finn Springs.
Sunday, October 9th, 9am-5pm, San Marcos Harvest Festival, Old California Restaurant Row, San Marcos. Vendors, Beer & Wine Garden, live entertainment, carnival for kids, vintage car show.
Month of October, Kids Free at the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park.
Halloween Events:
Saturdays, October 8th,22nd, & 29th, 630pm-830pm, Haunted Trail Hike, Dos Picos Park, Ramona. A Spirit Guide will lead you on the haunted trail. This time of year, the woods are filled with spirits and creatures, natural and supernatural. Come join us if you dare! Volunteer ghouls and spirit guides needed! Free admission and free parking in the picnic day use parking lot. Meet at the restroom building where the light is.
Saturdays and Sundays in October, Brick or Treat at Legoland, Carlsbad.
September 16th-October 31st, Halloween Time at Disneyland, Anaheim.
September 23rd-October 31st, Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Studios, Universal City.
September 23rd-October 31st, Haunted Hotel, Gaslamp District, Market Street, San Diego.
September 23rd-October 31st, Haunted Trail, Balboa Park, San Diego.
October (various dates-see website for details), The Scream Zone at Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar.
October (various dates-see website for details), Mira Mesa Monster Manor, Mira Mesa.
Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) events:
Sunday, October 30th, 10am-4pm, Dia de Los Muertos, Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside.
Saturday & Sunday, October 29th & 30th 11am, 1pm & 3pm, Bus Tours of Dia de los Muertos alters in front of historic homes in Sherman Heights.
November 1st & 2nd, Dia De Los Muertos, Old Town & Fiesta de Reyes. The premier Day of the Dead event in San Diego County, Old Town’s Dia de los Muertos is designed to celebrate the history, culture and heritage of the region. Old Town’s predominantly Mexican, Spanish and Native American and legacy makes it the best site in San Diego to hold this special and beloved celebration. There will be a tour of more than 30 altars, a candlelight procession and live music. At Fiesta de Reyes in the state park, five life-sized Katrina dolls in historic dress will delight visitors as well as altars in nearly every store. Face painting and an after party are also planned for Nov. 1. This two-day-long activity will also feature workshops, performances and lectures
Other scary places to visit in San Diego:
Whaley House
El Campo Cemetery
Hotel del Coronado
Old Town
Please feel free to share your favorite haunted spots to visit during Halloween month, in the comments or on our facebook page!
Keep Soaring and landing safely
in beautiful Sunny San Diego
Your soaring mama,
Mandy