#3 Hike San Elijo lagoon and eat lunch at Pipe's Cafe

The San Elijo Nature conservancy has more than 7 miles of hiking trails over 1,000 acres, the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve offers visitors a rare and wonderful experience. 

As one of Southern California's and San Diego's prime birding location, the Reserve attracts birdwatchers from around the country and indeed the world.

San Elijo Lagoon is also popular with trail runners, who enjoy an early morning workout amidst the tranquil scenery.

There are free guided  nature walks on every second Saturday of the month, and many of the trails have interpretive signage and interpretive trail guides to assist the intrepid explorer discover and appreciate the Reserve's amazing diversity of plants and animals.

You can hike, run, bird watch, or sit on one of the many benches and enjoy the scenery. This is one of my favorite places to go after the rain. It is very tranquil.

Here is a link to the Conservancy

http://www.sanelijo.org/index.html

After a lovely hike you can stop by Pipes in Cardiff (just down the street from San Elijo) for my a Veggie Sandwich - Avocado, jack cheese, green
chile, olives, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle,
mayo & pica sauce. . . . .

They also have burgers and wonderful breakfasts!
 http://www.pipescafe.com/index.html

#2 Big, Beautiful Christmas Tree in Encinitas!

Fun and Free!
I was driving with a friend the other evening on Santa Fe drive heading West towards the ocean and saw the hugest, coolest Christmas tree. FOR FREE!!! It is located in front of a house on a residential street Bellevue (one block south of Sante Fe) and it is the most gorgeous, happy Christmas tree. If you live around Encinitas grab a friend, make some hot cocoa with whipping cream, put on a warm jacket and stroll the neighborhood to check out the best Christmas tree ever! If you go just before the sun sets you can watch the surfers at swamis paddling into the gray. 


Afterwards eat piping hot yummy Greek Pizza at the Roxy!

http://www.roxyrestaraunt.com/menu.htm


Happy Christmas!

#1 Asian Cultural Night on the 101 in Encinitas

Dinner at East Village Thai and Moa's last Dancer at the Historic La Paloma

If you are looking for a fun and rich cultural experience in Encinitas check out the new East Village Asian Diner (it is located on the 101 on the west side in downtown Encinitas). The atmosphere is fun and hip. It is casual enough for Uggs and jeans but also appropriate for dress up. The food is a unique blend of dishes from Japan, Korea, China and a sprinkling of other Asian regions. I eat Vegan (no dairy or animal products) but my friend that joined me likes seafood. They have dishes we both love. 

I love the Buckwheat Noodle and Seaweed Salad bowl with bell peppers, jicama, carrots tossed in cool buckwheat noodles over mixed greens topped with seaweed salad with organic tofu (you can opt for chicken or seafood as well). My friend enjoyed the Monk's stone pot which is a medley of marinated vegetables – spinach, bean sprouts, carrots, gobo, zucchini, mushroom with house spicy sauce, rice, over-easy egg in a hot stone pot. Yummy! You can sip a local hand crafter beer, sake and wines as well as hot green tea (my favorite). Dinners are about $8 to $12 bucks and perfect portions. This is a great place to love!

http://www.eateastvillage.com/

After dinner walk over to the historic La Paloma Theater. It is such a cool Theater. It is a true historic landmark in Encinitas. It has been around since 1928 and is rich with history. Step through the doors and step into the past of this quintessential surf town. It is a hub for surf film premiers, Indy and foreign films. Once we had front row seats to Melali The Drifter Sessions a Rob Machado film where his band played a live show in front of the screen while we watched the movie. It was an incredible experience . MUST BRING CASH (the La Paloma does not accept credit cards).

http://www.lapalomatheatre.com/

If you make it to the La Paloma this week Monday Through Thursday December 20-23. It plays at 6:30 PM and 9 PM you can see Mao's Last Dancer

http://www.maoslastdancermovie.com/

Adapted from Li Cunxin's autobiography of the same name, Mao's Last Dancer follows a peasant boy (he is "Sixth Son," out of seven) taken from his parents' home in the dusty Chinese outback and trained at the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy. (Li is played by two children and a teenager before Chi steps in.) He is a remarkably gifted young dancer with the potential to become one of the People's Republic's cultural stars.
And then, after Mao's death, as relations between the communist East and the capitalist West begin to thaw, Li is invited to a summer exchange program at the Houston Ballet.

By Steven Rea

Inquirer Movie Columnist and Critic

For more Reviews of film

www.fandango.com 

This can be the perfect date night, or fun hanging out with friends! It can even be great for family night if you have teenagers who could benefit from a cultural experience. Enjoy!