What's New in San Diego North

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

WHAT'S NEW IN SAN DIEGO NORTH - SPRING/SUMMER 2010

LEGOLAND California Adds a New Water Park and 4-D Movie
In June 2010, the world’s first LEGO®-themed water park will open at LEGOLAND California. The water park will be a separate admission attraction located at the north end of LEGOLAND behind Fun Town. The 5.5-acre water park will feature several new additions including a Build-A-Raft river where visitors can custom build their own LEGO® raft, several water slides, a 45-foot-tall tower playground and two sandy beach wading areas.

Debuting March 2010, LEGOLAND’s new Clutch Powers 4-D Adventure combines elements of wind and rain with 3-D effects in a 10-minute action-packed film featuring LEGO hero, Clutch Powers.

New “Blue Horizons” Dolphin Show Debuts at SeaWorld
Opening on May 29, 2010, SeaWorld’s “Blue Horizons” show will replace one of the park’s longest running shows, “Dolphin Discovery.” The show will feature bottlenose dolphins, colorful exotic birds and pilot whales in addition to divers and aerial acrobatics performances. Specifically for the new show, the Dolphin Stadium is being completely renovated to include a new set design; trusses, diving boards and bungee swings for the aerialists and divers; a new sound system; high-tech water features; and an additional 700 seats for guests.

Harrah’s Rincon Casino Resort & Spa Adds New Bar and Receives AAA Four Diamond Award
Harrah’s Rincon Casino Resort & Spa has been awarded AAA Four Diamond status in 2010 for the first time ever. Beginning in the New Year, the resort will launch its new bar, Sumptuary. The bar will be located in the Diamond Lounge and feature entertainment and a variety of classic cocktails including Rootbeer Mint Julep, Blackberry Caipirinha and Cucumber Moscow Mule.

The Grand Del Mar Receives AAA Five Diamond Status
Adding to its list of prestigious accolades, The Grand Del Mar received the coveted AAA Five Diamond Award for 2010. For the second consecutive year, the resort’s signature dining venue, Addison, also retained its status as the only restaurant in Southern California to receive both the AAA Five Diamond and Mobil Five Star award for 2010. As one of the travel industry’s most elite awards, the resort joins The Lodge at Torrey Pines and Four Seasons Resort Aviara as one of only three properties in San Diego to achieve the highly sought after Five Diamond award. Only 113 properties throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean met the high level of exceptional service, ultra-luxurious facilities and top-notch quality required to achieve a Five Diamond status in 2010.

New Polar Bear Exhibit at The San Diego Zoo
Scheduled to open in late March 2010, the new Conrad Prebys Polar Bear Plunge exhibit is designed to educate visitors about what is happening to polar bears in their native habit. The interactive exhibit allows visitors to climb through an Arctic research helicopter, explore a polar snow den and pop their heads through a seal’s breathing hole in ice. Visitors also can measure themselves against the impressive size of polar bears and discover how the bears are adapted to life in the Arctic.

New Programs at The Flower Fields
In addition to the new 4,000 square-foot barn visitor’s area, designed to provide a ranch-like setting and contain special designs and projects, The Flower Fields has a new orchid display and a variety of special programs for visitors. The new Poinsettia Greenhouse connects the past, present and future of poinsettia plants through displays of the first commercially available poinsettias to current mainstream varieties in addition to a sneak peak of new varieties and colors that visitors can’t see anywhere else. Children can visit the Lego Flower Field, containing flowers made from Legos; the Carlsbad Mining Company, which allows kids to pan for semi-precious stones; and the Sweet Pea Maze through walls of fragrant blooming sweet peas. The fields are open to the public from March 1 to May 10 for the 2010 season.

Cirque du Soleil show KOOZA comes to San Diego North
After a two-year hiatus, the Cirque du Soleil show KOOZA will be returning to San Diego this spring. The show will be performing from February 25, 2010 to March 28, 2010 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The show tells the story of “The Innocent,” who is a loner in search of his place in the world and focuses on human connection while maintaining a light and funny tone. Combining the traditional circus elements of acrobatics and the art of clowning, KOOZA returns to the origins of Cirque du Soleil with slapstick humor, bold colors and physically demanding performances.

New Exhibits at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla
On display from February 21, 2010 to May 16, 2010, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) in La Jolla will feature a new exhibit, Pleasure Point: Celebrating 25 Years of Contemporary Collectors. Organized by the museum, the exhibit celebrates the achievements of two donor groups of passionate collectors who support the MCASD, the Contemporary Collectors and the International Collectors, by showcasing major highlights of the museum acquisitions they have made possible during the past 25 years. Among the many works on view will be Tony Oursler’s confrontational video installation, Don’t Look at Me (1994); Doris Salcedo’s untitled, concrete-impregnated armoire (1995); Cornelia Parker’s scintillating Rorschach (Accidental IV) (2006), constructed from 70 crushed, silver-plated objects; and one of the most ambitious works ever acquired by the Museum, Nancy Rubins’ exuberant site-specific installation Pleasure Point (2006).

The museum’s new summer exhibit, Here not There, will be on display from June 6, 2010 to September 19, 2010. Featuring local San Diego visual artists, the exhibition will focus on the variety, strength and vitality of individual contemporary art practices. Here not There explores the broad range of media and techniques used by local artists including an alternative art section that ranges from painting to furniture design.

Lux Art Institute Adds New Exhibit and “Kids-In-Residence” Program
Three new resident artists will make the Lux Art Institute their home with accompanying in studio exhibits during spring and summer 2010. Beginning January 16, 2010 and on exhibit until March 17, 2010, Iva Gueorguieva will showcase her colorful large-scale abstract paintings. Inspired by shapes and textures found in the woods, New York City sculptor Robert Lobe’s recreation of natural objects as monumental sculptures will be on display from March 27, 2010 to May 22, 2010. Exhibiting from June 5, 2010 to July 31, 2010, Berlin artist Sati Zech’s vibrant cloth fields combine elements of painting drawing and sculpture in dynamic creations that hint at domestic handicraft and historically ritualistic mark-marking.

Mimicking the institute’s unique artist-in-residence program, Lux Art Institute has added a “Kids-In-Residence” program. The new kids program is offered in connection with each Lux Residency, allowing children to get up-close and personal with professional artists while developing and nurturing their artistic abilities.

New Production at La Jolla Playhouse Features Award-Winning Performer John Leguizamo
As part of its Page to Stage program, the La Jolla Playhouse will showcase the one-man show, John Leguizamo Diary of a Madman, from March 4, 2010 to March 14, 2010. In his trade live performance style, multi-faceted and Emmy Award-winner John Leguizamo gets up close and personal with vivid accounts of where he's been and the people who’ve shaped his life in the new, uncensored and uninhibited production. Currently Leguizamo delights younger fans as the voice of “Sid” in Ice Age 1, 2, and 3 in addition to appearances in several movies including The Happening, Righteous Kill and Love in the Time of Cholera.

Media Hosting Program
Depending on the nature of the assignment, the Bureau can assist with story ideas, suggested itineraries, accommodations, attraction tickets, and dining options in San Diego North. For more information, contact htownsend@sandiegonorth.com.

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 the coastal communities of La Jolla to Oceanside and east to the valley, mountain and desert communities of Escondido, Julian and the Anza-Borrego Desert. For more information, visit www.SanDiegoNorth.com or call (800) 848-3336.

WHAT'S NEW IN SAN DIEGO NORTH - FALL 2009

Two New Behind-the-Scenes Special Experiences Available at the San Diego Zoo
The new 2-hour "Backstage Pass" experience at the San Diego Zoo gives visitors star-status VIP treatment with exclusive encounters of exotic animals, a gourmet picnic meal and a private show featuring some of the Zoo's animal stars and their celebrity trainers. Participants are treated to a "backstage" tour of the old elephant bedrooms (now home to rhinos) to meet an animal star-in-training before making their way through the rhino exhibit for a close encounter with one of the Zoo's biggest personalities and having their picture taken by the Zoo "paparazzi." Guests with a "Backstage Pass" are also given free admission to the upcoming Outback Bird Encounter, priority loading on bus tours and reserved seating at shows in the Hunte Amphitheater and Wegeforth Bowl.

Visitors can now go behind-the-scenes of the Zoo's newest exhibit, Elephant Odyssey, in an exclusive 2-hour tour. The intimate electric-cart tour of the Zoo features a close encounter with the exhibit's largest resident, the Asian Elephant, and a sneak peek of the Elephant Care Center.

New Wilderness Ridge Mule Rides at the Wild Animal Park
Visitors can experience the backcountry trails of the Wild Animal Park, a habitat containing more endangered species than any other county in the United States, astride a sure-footed mule. The 2-hour Wilderness Ridge Mule Ride treks through the Park's coastal sage scrub habitat, allowing visitors the opportunity to observe native critters in their natural environments.

New Birch Aquarium at Scripps Seahorse Exhibit Debuts in November 2009
One of the world leaders in captive breeding of seahorses, Birch Aquarium at Scripps' new exhibit, There's Something About Seahorses, will open to the public on November 14, 2009. The 2,000 square-foot exhibit will feature numerous species of seahorses and their relatives, including the leafy and weedy seadragon. Visitors can explore the unique biology and adaptations of seahorses and their relatives in this new interactive seahorse exhibit.

New Moonlight Amphitheatre Stage House Now Open
The new Moonlight Amphitheatre Stage House, located in Vista's Brengle Terrace Park, opened just in time for the Moonlight Productions' 2009 summer season. The stage house features many upgrades and new amenities including a sunken orchestra pit, 60-foot-tall ceiling and permanent back-stage facilities. With the new enclosed 12,000 square-foot stage house, technicians will no longer have to repair, rebuild and rig the stage each year. Boasting over 1000 lawn and 900 reserved seating capacities, the amphitheater is a great outdoor venue for family-friendly entertainment with ample room for picnicking. The new features will enhance the overall audience experience of Moonlight Productions, provide more professional productions and expand the usage of the amphitheater for community events year-round.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla Showcases Two New Exhibits
On display from September 26, 2009 through January 31, 2010, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) in La Jolla will showcase two new architectural exhibits. A prelude to the new exhibitionAutomatic Cities, the Museums in Minature exhibit features miniature replicas of work by Marcel Duchamp and Joseph Cornell. Various parts of the replicas slide out, fold out or lift out for display to create what Duchamp described as a "miniature museum." The new Automatic Cities: The Architectural Imagery in Contemporary Art exhibit describes architecture at its broadest sense. The 14 featured artists engage the psychological and sociopolitical aspects of architecture through their work. The exhibit features four thematic groupings: architecture as language; architecture and memory; architecture as model; and surveillance.

San Diego Restaurant Week Will be Held September 13 - 18, 2009
San Diego's largest and most successful culinary tradition, San Diego Restaurant Week, will be held from September 13 - 18, 2009. With over 180 participating restaurants, Restaurant Week provides diners with the opportunity to sample some of the region's best restaurants at a fraction of the cost. Diners can indulge in a three-course meal from prix fix menus for $20, $30 or $40 per person, depending upon the restaurant.

Media Hosting Program
Depending on the nature of the assignment, the Bureau can assist with story ideas, suggested itineraries, accommodations, attraction tickets, and dining options in San Diego North. For more information, contact htownsend@sandiegonorth.com.

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 the coastal communities of La Jolla to Oceanside and east to the valley, mountain and desert communities of Escondido, Julian and the Anza-Borrego Desert. For more information, visit www.SanDiegoNorth.com or call (800) 848-3336.

WHAT'S NEW IN SAN DIEGO NORTH - SPRING/SUMMER 2009

The Spa at L'Auberge Scheduled in Open in March 2009 Following Recent Kitchen 1540 Opening
Following the resort's recent renovations and opening of Kitchen 1540, the new spa at L'Auberge is scheduled to open in March of 2009. In addition to 10 treatment rooms, the facility will also have multiple indoor and outdoor relaxation areas, aromatic steam rooms and a complimentary wine bar. The spa will feature state-of-the-art therapies using 95 percent organic, exotic ingredients with Tropical, Mediterranean and Asian influences.

New Journey at Pechanga Golf Course and Clubhouse Now Open
The new championship golf course, designed by world-renowned golf architect Arthur Hills and his partner Steve Forrest, and 62,000 square foot clubhouse is now open to the public. Journey meanders across the dry wash of the Pechanga River, over rustic wooden bridges and varied terrain, which rises and falls 300 feet - often with majestic views of the Temecula Valley. The impressive world-class course winds along an intimidating Par 4 Hole 6, a 435-yard test that plummets 18 stories, the most at any Southern California course. The golf course features technologically advanced golf carts that boast a GPS navigation system, displaying yardages and hole-layout along with narrated course tips from 2010 USA Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin. The new golf carts also contain a Wi-Fi based, two-way communication system that allows golfers to order food from the cart.

New Children's Garden at Quail Botanical Gardens Will be Largest on the West Coast
Designed to provide a nurturing and interactive environment for children and families to explore the natural world, the new 1-acre Children's Garden at Quail Botanical Gardens will be the largest on the West Coast. The first phase of a 4.4 acre expansion plan will open in Summer 2009. One of the most anticipated areas of the new garden is the Tree House, a one-of-a-kind "climbable" tree rising more than 20 feet high and blending man-made materials with living plants. Set on more than 35 acres, Quail Botanical Gardens combines a variety of gardens with nearly 4,000 plants from all over the world and the largest bamboo collection in the United States.

New Environmentally-Friendly San Elijo Nature Center Now Open
The new $5.6 million San Elijo Nature Center is now open. Made from recycled materials, the eco-friendly two-story building boasts an array of "green" amenities including solar panels, irrigated roof plants and recycled water. The "green" facility is expected to receive a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The center, located on 2710 Manchester Avenue in Cardiff, serves as a base for education, land stewardship and environmental protection. 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. Ample opportunities for bird watching and nature hikes can also be found at the nature center.

New San Diego Zoo Elephant Odyssey Exhibit Scheduled to Open This Summer
The San Diego Zoo's new Harry and Grace Steele Elephant Odyssey exhibit will debut in June 2009. The 7.5-acre habitat features living relatives of Southern California animal species dating back to 12,000 years ago, linking the past to the present. The $45-million multispecies Elephant Odyssey will include naturalistic habitats and animals such as elephants, lions and California condors in addition to life-size replicas of prehistoric animals and a fossil dig for children. The cornerstone of the Elephant Odyssey is the 2.5-acre elephant exhibit, complete with a 137,000-gallon pool. Instead of the Columbian mammoth, which roamed through San Diego thousands of years ago, five Asian elephants from the Wild Animal Park will join three Asian elephants at the San Diego Zoo to make an 8-member herd. For the first time, guests will have the opportunity to get an insider's view of keepers and veterinarians working alongside the elephants at the half-acre Conrad Prebys Elephant Management Facility. Focusing on conservation efforts, many of the Elephant Odyssey animals are endangered or on the brink of extinction. Plans for the habitat include bringing new animals, such as the sloth, to the Zoo and move other Zoo animals into naturalistic habitats.

Wild Animal Park's New Zip-Line Adventure, Flightline, Will Debut This Spring
The new zip-line adventure, Flightline, at the Wild Animal Park will provide guests with the opportunity to soar like a California condor over the wildlife conservation park. The 1 ½ hour experience features a brief behind-the-scenes narration as guests are transported in a special vehicle to the top of the long run. After reaching the top of the mountain, 400 feet above the Nairobi Village, participants will embark on an aerial adventure across the Asian and African field exhibits and land at Kilima Point, more than 2/3 a mile away.

Media Hosting Program
Depending on the nature of the assignment, the Bureau can assist with story ideas, suggested itineraries, accommodations, attraction tickets, and dining options in San Diego North. For more information, contact htownsend@sandiegonorth.com.

San Diego North
Encompassing approximately 2,000 square miles, the San Diego North region extends from La Jolla north through the coastal communities of Del Mar, Carlsbad and Oceanside along 36 miles of coastline to the valley, mountain and desert communities of Escondido, Julian and the Anza-Borrego Desert. For more information, visit www.SanDiegoNorth.com or call (800) 848-3336.


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