San Diego Fall Colors

As summer comes to a close many parts of the country begin to cool off, leaves begin to change colors and people begin to prepare for the harsh winter ahead. However, at the Ocean Park Inn our guests will find that San Diego’s climate sustains an ideal 70 degree temperature throughout the later months of the year, cooled only slightly by a brisk fall breeze that blows across the county.

Thanks to the comfortable weather San Diego is a fantastic fall vacation destination, and there are a number of local attractions and events to partake in while you visit. One such event is the annual Harvest Festival, which takes place in late October at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. This is an arts and crafts festival that boasts a wide variety of artsy keepsakes from handmade clothing items, to ornate blown glass vases. Our guests are also encouraged to make the trip up to the Annual Julian Apple Harvest where you will be able to shop, hike, go for a horseback ride or try a world famous Julian Apple Pie from Mom’s Pie House in the beautiful fall weather. Football fans will want to come out and see all of the Chargers action at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers have a challenging fall swing facing the Cardinals, Patriots and Titans at home in the month of October, so you’re sure to find a thrilling game. To please the palette you may want to attend the largest wine and culinary event in the San Diego region at the annual San Diego Bay Wine and Food festival. This tasty event offers the opportunity to dine on gourmet food, meet celebrity chefs, and taste some of the famous fine wines of Californian origin. To round out an eclectic visit to San Diego this Fall we’d like to recommend a stop at the San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival, where you will find a wide variety of live musical performances ranging from traditional jazz, to Dixieland, and even swing.

There’s certainly something for everyone underneath the still-shining San Diego sun this autumn, and even in October, you won’t want to miss a comfortable stroll along some of the most beautiful beaches on the West Coast. So when you’re planning your fall vacation, be sure to top your destination list with San Diego and the Ocean Park Inn.

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Relaxing on the Beach

“If life is the pursuit of happiness….the Beach should be the Destination” – Anonymous

According to ancient mythologies from various corners of the globe, everything in nature is comprised of the four basic elements: water, fire, wind and earth. Water is often the most awe-inspiring, and thought provoking. While at times water–be it in the form of Earth’s oceans, lakes, or rivers–can be gentle, it is nonetheless the most powerful of all the elements. Fire, Wind and Earth are not any less important, but this blog is about the beach after all!

People have always been mentally effected by all water forms including rivers, clouds, mist, beaches, waterfalls and rain. The color blue is used to emphasize cooling and relaxing qualities. An expansive blue sky and glistening blue tinted ocean remind us of peace and calm, which readily promotes meditation and thoughtful insight into life’s problems. Blue is uplifting and often associated with the ideas of intuition, inspiration, sincerity and spirituality.

Around the world the color blue symbolizes and represents water, the source of life. The fact that water carries the energy and strength to sustain us speaks for itself. One only needs to take a walk on the beach and listen to the crashing waves to understand what we mean. We don’t know if there is any scientific evidence that says the beach and ocean waves help mental health, but you’d probably be hard-pressed to find someone on the beach who will dispute that claim. So if your intention is to “take a load off” and truly relax, why not stay on the beach? Better yet, why not stay on the right on the boardwalk in Pacific Beach, Southern California? Pacific Beach is the perfect place to roll out of your comfortable bed at Ocean Park Inn, and right onto the sand for some peace of mind. Can you already feel the sand beneath your toes?

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Pleasure Point at the Museum of Contemporary Arts

Blossom with the La Jolla Festival of the Arts

Do you love the creative arts? If so, you’ll want to visit sunny, coastal San Diego from June 26^th-27^th, 2010 for the annual La Jolla Festival of the Arts! This event is one of California’s top rated art shows, at which you will enjoy the work of over 200 artists from the United States and Mexico displaying their watercolors, oils, sculpture, serigraphs, fine jewelry, photography, and more. Event attendees can also enjoy a variety of cuisines in the festival food area.

For a taste of a more innovative type of art, the Ocean Park Inn suggests that you look into the festival’s street chalking event. The nationally recognized Madonnari street painters will use the plain asphalt streets as their canvas, and fill the roads with color. There will also be celebrity lectures, live music, a unique car show, and book signings–so the event will easily satisfy every creative thinker in your group!

Not only will you be given the opportunity to see these amazing works of art first hand, but the festival also provides discourse regarding the artists’ creative process and artistic development. And if you are an artist yourself you don’t have to feel left out of the fun! The event offers its attendees the chance to submit their own work as well! All visuals are outstanding in color, presentation, and design, and could not have a better setting than the beautiful San Diegan beach town of La Jolla.

If you fancy art, a great ambiance, and good company, Ocean Park Inn believes the La Jolla Festival of the Arts is for you.

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Belmont Park is located only a few minutes from the Ocean Park Inn, and sits just across the street from the beach. The main attractions include the wave machines, arcade, midway games, glow in the dark miniature golf, and the lazar maze. The highlight of these attractions is the wavehouse, which includes the FlowRider® and FlowBarrel®. The FlowRider® attraction is a simulated wave machine that creates a perfect wave, resembling the shape of an average ocean wave. This attraction is perfect for beginners, and houses a large open face which allows riders to move freely. For the more experienced surfer Belmont Park boasts the FlowBarrel®, which is a hollow tube with a nice steep face, and resembles the type of waves that surfers travel the world looking for. And don’t worry if you fall, the surface beneath the water is padded for the protection of beginners.

When it’s time to take a break for food you’ll find that there are many options to choose from. If you are on the go, look into Chipstix, North Shore Café, The Sweet Shoppe, and Beach Treats, to satisfy your hunger. The most popular stop from this list is Chipstix, which serves classic amusement park favorites like corndogs, hotdogs, chicken tenders, and slush puppies. If you are looking to sit down, and relax in the ambiance of Belmont Park, then we would suggest the Wavehouse Bar and Grill. This place is open seven days a week, and is the ultimate family dining stop. The environment this place creates is laid-back, and encourages you to enjoy the San Diego sun and surf. The Wavehouse Bar and Grill includes an exciting array of outdoor Tiki bars, fire pits, hammocks, tropical palms and lounging sand pits. This particular restaurant is sure to please your taste buds, and your affinity for beach living!

When the family is full and ready to continue their exciting trip to Belmont Park, we would suggest a stop at some of the region’s premier retail shops. First, try Sun Diego, where they strive to bring customers the best selection of surf, skate, snow apparel and related equipment, safety gear, and accessories. Next, stop by Wings to peruse a large assortment of high quality clothing, swimwear, shoes, souvenirs, and beach accessories at affordable prices. Then, for a unique and creative experience, check out Henna Heaven, which originated in India. The tattoos here are top quality, and best of all temporary. The last stop is Beach and Resort Wear, where you can stock up on all beach necessities such as sandals, towels, swimsuits, bodyboards and more.

As your adventure comes to an end, all of us at the Ocean Park Inn would like to wish your family an amazing stay in beautiful San Diego.

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