San Diego North Offers Visitors More Value for Less Money with FREE Vacation Ideas

Media Contact:

Hilary Townsend; 760-745-4747
htownsend@sandiegonorth.com
Amber Connor; 760-745-4748
aconnor@sandiegonorth.com

Visitors Will Find a Variety of FREE Vacation Activities

ESCONDIDO, Calif. – Whether it’s a leisurely drive along the Historic 101 coastal route, taking a behind the scenes tour of a local brewery, visiting the historic mountain town of Julian or seeing the wildflowers bloom in the Anza-Borrego Desert, San Diego North offers a variety of free activities and events that allow visitors to get the most out of their vacation for the best value.

Visitors can access a calendar of events on www.sandiegonorth.com which highlights a variety of free events, festivals and exhibits. Following is a sampling of free activities and events in the San Diego North area:

COASTAL

• The New San Elijo Nature Center - Featuring an array of "green" amenities including solar panels, irrigated roof plants and recycled water, the new eco-friendly facility offers free admission and free guided nature walks daily. Visitors can engage in interactive activities and exhibits at the facility, which focus on the ecosystem, environment and history of lagoons and the building’s “green” components.
• La Jolla Cove and Shores – Visitors will find a variety of free outdoor activities at La Jolla Cove and La Jolla Shores. As one of the only beaches in San Diego with fire pits, La Jolla Shores is a great place to gather around a bonfire for cookouts and s’mores. Families can watch sea lions play on the beach at the La Jolla Children’s Pool. Kayaking La Jolla’s Seven Caves and snorkeling La Jolla Cove provides adventure-seekers the opportunity to get face-to-face with marine life and explore the Underwater Preserve.
• Torrey Pines State Reserve – Named after the rare pine tree it protects, the Torrey Pines State Reserve offers ample hiking trails and breathtaking scenery. High bluffs overlook the Pacific Ocean and are excellent sites for observing the green flash phenomena and marine life, including dolphins and seasonal gray whale migrations.
• Carlsbad Historic Village Painted Hydrants Walking Tour - Twenty-six fire hydrants in the Carlsbad Historic Village have been "adopted" by businesses and individuals to promote art, activity and community involvement. Each hydrant has been uniquely hand-painted by local artists, students, residents and business people. Visitors can embark on a free self-guided scavenger hunt to uncover all twenty-six hydrants and explore the historic village.

• Oceanside Pier Beach – Oceanside Pier Beach boasts a wide stretch of sandy beach and the longest wooden pier on the West Coast, a popular spot for license-free fishing. The family-friendly beach offers a variety of entertainment options including playground equipment, swimming and various beachfront events held throughout the year.

VALLEY

• Crusin’ Grand in Escondido –Downtown Escondido’s annual Crusin’ Grand is held every Friday night from April to the end of September. The event is free to the public and features a large variety of Hot Rods, Customs, Vintage, Muscles, Classics cars and trucks that park and cruise along Grand Avenue.
• Queen Califia’s Magical Circle –Queen Califia's Magical Circle sculpture garden in Escondido is the only American sculpture garden created by internationally-acclaimed artist Niki de Saint Phalle. The garden is free to the public and contains large colorful mosaic pieces inspired by California’s mythic, historical and cultural roots.
• Brewery Tour – Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, located in Escondido, offers free brewery tours daily, allowing visitors to go behind-the scenes and sample several microbrews from one of the world’s top breweries.
• San Diego Archaeological Center – The San Diego Archaeological Center is the only organization in California dedicated solely to the curation of archeological collections and sharing them with the public. Admission to the center is free and includes a variety of hands-on activities within the continuously changing exhibits.

MOUNTAIN

• Palomar Observatory – Sitting near the summit of Palomar Mountain, Palomar Observatory showcases a stellar view of San Diego North. Free tours of the world-class astronomical research facility are offered daily, highlighting the Observatory’s celestial discoveries and famous, 200-inch Hale Telescope.
• Julian – The historic gold-mining town of Julian provides visitors with a variety of quaint shops, art galleries and scenic views to explore. The town is famous for its old gold mines, apple pies and brilliant fall foliage.
• Lake Cuyamaca – Visitors can participate in free guided nature walks around the lake’s 3.5-mile trail and free fishing lessons held every Saturday. The lake is the first in San Diego to offer a fully interactive GPS fishing guide of the facility to locate the best fishing spots on any particular day.

DESERT

• Ghost Mountain Pictographs Trail – Visitors can embark on a free self-guided hike along the Ghost Mountain pictograph trail in the Anza Borrego Desert. Along the trail, hikers will have the opportunity to encounter historical “forgotten artists” rock paintings created by Native Americans and the ruins of a Depression-era mountaintop homestead, Yaquitepec.
• Natural Wonders - Font’s Point, the Wind Caves and the Anza Borrego Mud Caves are phenomenal natural wonders for visitors to view and explore. The Anza Borrego Desert has one of the most extensive mud cave systems in the world, containing approximately 22 known caves and 9 slot canyons. Some extend over 1000 feet, varying in width, with ceilings as high as 80-feet-tall. During spring months, visitors can also view and meander through the desert’s brilliant wildflowers.

• Wildlife Experience – The Anza Borrego Desert Coyote Canyon and Shell Reef are great places for viewing wildlife. Coyote canyon is one of the few places in the desert that contains a year-round running stream, making it a prime location for watching wildlife. Visitors can view the fossilized remains of prehistoric oysters at Shell Reef, which was formed nearly four million years ago.

• Galleta Meadows Estate - Visitors will encounter over a dozen large free-standing metal sculptures of prehistoric animals such as mammoths, giant birds and saber-toothed cats at the Galleta Meadows Estate. The heavy-duty sculptures, created by Ricardo Breceda, weigh about 800 to 1,000 pounds each.

• Camping and Star gazing are a popular free activities in the Anza Borrego Desert due to the minimal light pollution, clear skies, comfortable temperatures and wide-open space.

About San Diego North Convention & Visitors Bureau

The San Diego North Convention & Visitors Bureau provides visitor information for the 2,000 square mile San Diego North region from La Jolla north to Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside to the inland, mountain and desert communities of Escondido, Julian and the Anza-Borrego Desert. For more information, visit www.sandiegonorth.com or call (800) 848-3336.