San Diego is home to three well-known California universities, making it not only a college friendly city, but a family friendly city year-round.  May is especially unique, as San Diego quickly fills with proud parents who travel to this beautiful beach town to watch their children walk across the stage and receive their hard-earned college diplomas.

Graduation day is a cherished memory for any parent, and the celebration usually lasts long past the ceremony itself!  With a plethora of restaurants and event spaces to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow down the best place to celebrate your child, family member, or friend’s exciting achievement. Luckily, you have us! We’ve compiled a list of graduation-friendly restaurants that will fill the needs of your pickiest eaters and your most fanatic foodies, allowing you to worry less about the party and more about cherishing the moment. Here are some of our favorite places to celebrate post-graduation festivities:

• The Prado in Balboa Park, 1549 El Prado San Diego, CA 92101

This beautiful restaurant serves up New American cuisine, and rests in the heart of San Diego’s famous Balboa Park.  The Prado is an impressive place to celebrate your loved one’s graduation, boasting elegant spanish decor and a “four star” rating on Yelp.The average price of each dish ranges from $15 to $20 dollars, and the location sits equidistant from all three major universities, making this a great restaurant for a classy evening with family and friends!

• Bluefin Fusion Japanese Restaurant, 4305 La Jolla Village Dr. Suite L-2 San Diego, CA 92122

Located in the beautiful La Jolla village, Bluefin is a wonderful choice for UCSD graduates with a penchant for sushi.  Bluefin is a perfect place for vegetarians, non-fish eaters, and meat eaters alike as they can tailor their menu to fit your party’s needs. Rated three and a half stars on Yelp and with a menu full of under $20 choices, Bluefin Fusion is an affordable place to enjoy a celebratory graduation lunch or dinner.

• Kous Kous, 3940 4th Avenue Suite 110 San Diego, CA 92103

Contrary to popular belief, San Diego isn’t just known for its amazing Mexican food! In fact, there are a large number of excellent Moroccan restaurants available in this Southern Californian paradise, including Kous Kous. Kous Kous is one of the most popular places to go for lamb tagines and pita bread.  Located in diverse and fun Hillcrest, an equal distance from both USD and SDSU, it’s a perfect place for an elegant dinner. Rated four and a half stars on Yelp with all dishes under $20, it is a great pick for a party that wants to explore great new flavors.

• Enoteca Adriano, 4864 Cass Street, San Diego, CA 92109

Located in sunny Pacific Beach, just blocks from the Ocean Park Inn, Enoteca offers authentic Italian food in an intimate setting. Rated with four and a half stars on Yelp and with dishes ranging from an average of $13-$25, it is an ideal place for a party of Italian food lovers and SDSU graduates.

Your graduation party is sure to be a success when it includes a meal from one these four restaurants. But where to rest after a long day of celebration? Pacific Beach’s own Ocean Park Inn is the ideal place to stay for your child’s graduation! Just a short drive to any of San Diego’s famous universities, Ocean Park Inn ensures excellent memories from a wonderful graduation weekend. For booking information visit http://bit.ly/QN1Jod.

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Aside from its famously beautiful beaches and temperate weather, San Diego is also well-known for its delicious Mexican food.  Being the most famous city north of the border for such authentic food is not due to luck, but rather due to the diversity and varied culture San Diego embodies and celebrates.  A subdivision of San Diego known to promote that culture is Old Town. Old Town San Diego transforms this SoCal beach town into another world!

The paved streets of this district are transported into the past with an array of artisan shops offering items such as custom made leather gifts, jewelry, and retro candy. There are also a variety of amazing restaurants to try. The best time of year to visit Old Town in May, when they celebrate Cinco De Mayo like no other city in the United States! On May 4th and 5th Old Town San Diego will be celebrating Cinco De Mayo like only they have since 1983!

This FREE celebration of Cinco De Mayo is a fiesta for the five senses! Live entertainment, beautiful music, and delicious food are all things to look forward to during this huge festival. Cinco De Mayo in Old Town is a great event for singles, couples, and families alike. Specialized kid areas are equipped with interactive activities that will keep kids occupied and having fun.  Singles and couples can dance to the inviting sounds of flamenco music or the rocking of Mariachi beats. Freshly made tortillas are available to tempt you along the restaurant strip, and visitors will be delighted to taste the softest and tastiest tortillas of their lives. The best margaritas and tequilas in town will be offered for sipping during the festivities, and an ever-inviting beer garden will surely entice the taste buds.

The festival will take place on May 4th (11am – 10pm) to May 5th (11am – 5pm) and is free to the public. Get there early and celebrate all day long!

Just a short 10-minute drive from Old Town, Ocean Park Inn is the ideal place to stay during this fun weekend.  Never too far from the beach or the events happening within the city, Ocean Park Inn serves as the perfect home base after all your San Diego fun.  For room rates, please call 858-483-5858 or visit http://www.oceanparkinn.com.

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A new year and a new season once again fire up the hopes of a banner fishing year! As of March 1st this year bottom fishing for the usual species opens once again, which means there’s no longer a need to make the runs into Mexican waters to catch rock cod, lingcod, white fish and such. Given the unsettled state of fishing in Mexican coastal waters, it saves a few headaches too. While officially the only thing that’s needed to fish in Mexico is a Mexican fishing license, we have been advised that the smart thing to do is bring a passport or passport card with you when you fish, just to avoid any potential issues.

On the local front, the bottom fishing should remain steady through the spring until the kelp beds kick into gear and the barracuda begin to show—hopefully this year with bonito as well! Until that time, the usual assortment of tasty bottom critters should keep any angler busy enough and provide plenty of fine table fare. Red rock cod, or red snapper as they are called locally, are the featured target, but you’ll run across plenty of brown rock cod, starry rock cod and a host of other species like cabezon, greenlings, white fish and lingcod. There have been a few regulation changes regarding the number of some of these species you can keep, so make sure you’re up to date on the latest information by visiting the DFW Web site at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/sportfishing_regs2013.asp.

Keep in mind that in this colder water there are a few opportunities for the stout of heart that can produce a true So Cal Trophy. During the colder months, we regularly see schools of homeguard yellowtail–the largest of the species we encounter here in San Diego. Often these fish can run as high as 45 pounds. While the percentages are a long shot, the payoff is huge for those patient enough to try. There are days when the fish show readily, but most days you won’t even know they’re there. On those occasions when they go off, usually with a squid run, the bite should last a few days. Bear in mind there is no way to plan to target these fish with any reliability. If a squid run happens, that’s your best bet, but they are hard to predict. In these situations, white seabass also take advantage of the smorgasbord and fish upwards of 60 pounds are not unheard of.

The other species that is normally targeted this time of year is halibut. Again, it’s a low percentage game, but worth it if you put in the time. Sand bass should begin showing sometime in March as they start their spawn on the local sand flats. New regulations exist for these guys as well, finally protecting a valuable local game fish. Calico and sand bass must now be a minimum of 14 inches to keep with a bag limit of no more than five. Smart and conscientious anglers will keep fewer and release all fish over 16 inches as well. While the fish are okay table fare, they are worth far more as game fish than food.

Offshore the only real option this time of year is blue sharks, which show in excellent numbers even though the water seems a bit chilly. Occasionally you might encounter a mako as well, but they usually don’t show until much later in the spring when the water warms to around 63 degrees consistently. Keep in mind that whales are a common site while shark fishing almost year round, and dolphin and porpoise also make frequent showings as well.

Runs into Mexico to fish around the Coronado Islands will produce the same types of fish, only limits are different. Frankly, the longer run doesn’t necessarily equal more production either, so make your decision wisely. March is generally too early for yellowtail to show in earnest at the islands or the Rockpile and your odds of finding them are better locally unless a bite breaks wide open. Just make sure to ask your captain and crew what your options are before you book and again before you leave the dock in case something changes!

Our season is just beginning, and it will only get better from here!

Contact our Guest Blogger Paradigm Shift Charters by visiting their website, or giving them a call at 619.400.9521!

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It’s that time of year again, when San Diegans get the unique opportunity to spot one of the largest and most remarkable mammals in the world, the gray whale, as they migrate along the coast in pursuit of Baja. The whales, mostly female, depart their arctic feeding grounds to give birth in the warm subtropical lagoons of Mexico from the months of January to May. As the season is just picking up, locals and tourists alike are taking advantage of the multitude of whale watching tours available throughout San Diego. Here, we’ll highlight some of our favorite tours, and why visiting San Diego during the temperate months of January and February is the best way to escape the cold!

One of our favorite and more traditional ways to whale watch is from a boat out at sea. We love the Naturalist-Guided Whale Watching Boat Rides, as they feature an expert from the Birch Aquarium at Scripps onboard. With guaranteed whale sightings, guests must reserve a spot ahead of time! To reserve a spot, call (619) 234-4111. Another company we love is Hornblower Cruise and Whale Watching Adventures. With Hornblower, guests are able to combine their admission to the Maritime Museum, the USS Midway, or the San Diego Natural History Museum with a whale watching tour. There’s no better way to enjoy the rest of your day after a spotting whales at sea than a wonderful time expanding your knowledge of the deep ocean blue! To book with Hornblower, visit http://www.hornblower.com/hce/port/category/sd+tours. For those seeking a more adventurous whale watching boat tour, we love the Whale Watching San Diego Sailing Adventure. Sail aboard the America, a classic racing vessel that looks like it was built in the 1800’s! This boat tour guarantees guests entry into the Maritime Museum either before or after their tour paired with a guaranteed whale sighting and no seasickness! Guests are able to bring food on the boat to enjoy as well. To book with Whale Watching San Diego Sailing Adventure, call 800-644-3454.

Speaking of adventure, there’s also an option for those who like to really immerse themselves in the outdoors! Nature lovers can whale watch from a kayak along the La Jolla Shores. As whales are often spotted along the La Jolla cliffs, kayakers get an up close view of these marvelous creatures as they swim beneath their feet. Although whale sightings are not guaranteed, participants are able to take in the beautiful scenery of the La Jolla cliffs in an adventurous kayaking experience they’ll never forget.  To sign up for a small group kayaking tour, you can pay $60 for a single kayak, or $55 a person for a double kayak. To book, please visit http://www.hikebikekayak.com

However you choose to whale watch, let Ocean Park Inn serve as your home base after this breathtaking experience.  Located on the shores of Pacific Beach with great weather conditions and even better views, Ocean Park Inn is the perfect place to escape the cold winter months of January through March. To book one of our oceanfront rooms, visit http://bit.ly/QN1Jod

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This February 16th-17th, celebrate the Chinese New Year at the 31^st annual San Diego Chinese New Year Food and Cultural Fair. Join the thousands of visitors that attend each year for a weekend filled with tasty eats, beautiful art, cultural music and theater productions for all ages.

There is no better way to celebrate Chinese New Year than with this exciting San Diegan celebration. The festival takes place in the Asian Pacific Thematic Historic District of downtown and blocks off 3rd Avenue and J Street. Attendees will have a wonderful view of the beautiful San Diego Harbor while they enjoy sampling different Asian cuisine, and purchasing beautiful Chinese jewelry, art, clothing, and more.

Guests can bring their little ones by the children’s craft area where they will learn how to construct a traditional Chinese lantern. They’ll get the chance to use their lantern when they participate in the lion, dragon and lantern parade later that day. Performers like the Encinitas Ballet Company and the His-Fang Temple folk dancers will make an appearance, as well as other martial art, acrobatic and musical groups. Asian Story Theatre, which dramatizes Chinese folk tales, will be performing as well. Raffle tickets will be available to purchase for a chance to win a prize!

The festival starts each day at 10am and ends around 5pm. The festival is FREE, so bring the whole family! Located just 15 minutes away, Ocean Park Inn is the perfect place to stay for a weekend of cultural fun and relaxation. After the festival, kick up your feet and rest by the waves, enjoy one of the many surrounding restaurants, or take a dip in the hot tub! For booking information, visit http://bit.ly/QN1Jod

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