#8 Dinner at Pizza Port and Rolling the Stones Concert Experience

Love Pizza? Feast on yummy hand rolled pizza, sip a cool drink and watch surf films at the locals' pizza joint Pizza Port (just off highway 101 in Solana Beach).  The menu has a great selection of gourmet pizzas or you can build your own.

The menu includes a variety of delicious pizzas like BBQ Chicken Pizza, BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza, Garlic Veggie Pizza (Ask for wholegrain!), and Freshy Margherita Classic. They also brew their own beer for the connoisseur.

http://www.pizzaport.com/

The lines tend to be a bit long and there can be a wait to get a seat but the Pizza is so worth it! After filling your belly with yummy pizza head over the the Belly Up for a Rolling Stones Cover band. They play tonight Friday January 14th at 9pm. Tickets are $17.00 bucks. The Belly Up is considered by some to be the best live music venue in San Diego.

http://www.bellyup.com/

Got an urge to see the Rolling Stones? You can, with ‘Rolling the Stones’. These lads sound, look, and move like the Rolling Stones. Starting with our Mick Jagged and Keith Riffhard, followed by Charlie Swatts, Bill Why-Man, and Ronnie B. Goode. With the five characters in place, add the rest of the band, singers, keyboardist & horns. You are transported to a Rolling Stones show with uncanny musical and visual replication accurate enough to be worthy of the world’s greatest rock and roll band. Experience Mick’s high energy moves and vocals, Keith’s prowling and riffs, Charlie’s steady backbeat, Bill’s throbbing bass, and Ronnie’s hot licks. 

Text Provided by Belly Up Website

http://www.rollingthestones.net/

#7 Yoga and Hot Tea in North County

I find that many of the folks I meet in North County are particularly health conscious. I have been fortunate to meet many wonderful people who stress the importance of physical, spiritual and mental well being. I practice Bikrams's Yoga at the Bikrams college of India but there are also many other wonderful yoga studios in the area. If you have never tried yoga I highly recommend it. I have practiced at a few different studios and taken quite a few different types of yoga classes and I have found all really great. I think there is no bad yoga. Here are a few studios in the area if you would like to become a consistent yoga practitioner or would like to try it for the first time.

http://www.bikramencinitas.com/
http://www.yogatropics.com/
http://willowsyoga.com/
http://iyengaryoganorthcounty.com/

This is not a comprehensive list of all the great Yoga studio's in Encinitas!

After Yoga head to the Beach Tea House on the 101. It is a cute little Japanese style tea house that is attached to the Pacific Surf Inn. Very cool place to hang out and drink some great tea blends. Yummy!!

Beach Tea House
1076 N. Coast Highway 101
Encinitas, CA 92024-1423
(760) 943-8688

#6 Sip Surfdog's cocoa and watch the sun set over Swami's

Swing by Surf Dogs Java Hut (open until 5:30 pm on weekdays) and pick up a steaming, hot latte (creamy soy is my favorite) and stroll to Swami's Park to watch the sun set. 

http://www.surfdogsjavahut.com/

Also check out Surf Dog records
http://www.surfdog.com/

SURFDOG RECORDS

Surfdog Records is an independent record label founded in 1993 by Dave Kaplan, an artist manager since 1985 when he signed his first major client, the British reggae artists UB40. Located in Encinitas, CA, Surfdog is one of five cornerstones of a broad-based entertainment group that also includes our companies: Dave Kaplan Management, Surfdog Music Publishing & Licensing, Surfdog Entertainment Marketing (SDE) and Surfdog’s Java Hut.

Text provided by Surf Dog Record's website


On a brisk, wintery day at Swami's take a few moments to watch the sun sink into the sea and the surfers ride frothy, waves into the darkness.

If you prefer a bit of exercise you can run up and down the Swami's stairs a few times to feel the calves burn. I find this a perfect spot to meditate and reflect on why today is a great day to be alive!

#5 Volunteer Gardening in Cardiff (Saturday's)

CARDIFF BY THE SEA — On any given Saturday a dedicated group of gardeners can be found along the stretch of land between Birmingham and Chesterfield drives beside the railroad tracks.

Beautifying the area known as Carpentier Parkway has been a longtime project of the Cardiff Botanical Society, a committee of the Cardiff 101 Mainstreet Association that leases the land from the North County Transit District.

Over the past seven years, the area has been transformed from a weed-infested, trash-laden eyesore into a promenade teeming with wildflowers, native species and drought tolerant plants.

Linda Lee, a horticulturist with Quality Plantscapes, said the effort has been transformative but also inconsistent. “It’s always been something that the community has wanted to do but we’ve had our challenges,” she said. Ever the optimist, Lee looks forward to expanding the park.

“We want it to be an example for other communities and other businesses that you can have water-wise, chemical-free areas that are still lush,” she said. “Not to mention that it is less-expensive to maintain.”

Described as “frugal, practical and pretty,” the park has tremendous community support.

“We’ve had a dedicated group of volunteers who are cleaning out the massive amounts of trash at either end of the park,” Lee said. The effort to maintain the park is undermined by a core group of troublemakers who habitually use the area as a makeshift pub and have a tendency to pull up plants and irrigation system devices.

But Lee is not deterred. “The more the park is developed, the more difficult it is to destroy it,” she said. “We’ve made great strides in turning something barren into something inviting to the community and cherished.”

The low-maintenance park is a gem. “I remember when nobody would go near this place,” said Cynthia Perkins, a Cardiff resident who frequently walks in the area. “Now it shows that we care about our community by providing a place to walk and just be and it shows that we care about the environment.”

“We’re using 75-percent less water than before at the park,” Lee said. “It shows you what you can have in a park and what you don’t have to sacrifice in order to be green.”

The group is still in need of financial resources from individuals and businesses to maintain and expand the park. Building materials as well as people with trade skills are also in high demand.

“We’ve got eight acres yet to go,” Lee said, referring to the expansion plans.

Current funding for the park is covered by a small city grant that covers basic maintenance and water.

“It’s our front garden,” Lee said, referring to the meandering parkway. “In the future we’d like to have solar-powered pathway lighting and to place our owl and raptor boxes in the trees once they are trimmed in order to keep the gophers under control.”

The short-term goals are all within reach according to Lee. “We’d like to clean up the creek and canyon and plant up the areas all the way to Birmingham,” she said. Widening the pathway is also a top priority. “We want it to be wide enough for bikes, strollers and to accommodate all of the people who come through.”

For more information, visit cardiffbythesea.org or call (760) 436-0431.

 

This Article and information provided by Coast News Group

Read more: Coast News Group - Volunteers turn eyesore into prime landscape

 

 

#4 Leucadia/Encinitas Farmers Market (Sunday's 10am to 2pm)

Sunday Farmers Market
Leucadia/Encinitas Farmers' Market and Art Fair

Sunday: 10 am -2 pm

Paul Ecke Elementary-185 Union St (cross street Vulcan)
Encinitas, California 92024
 

The Farmers market is located at the Paul Ecke Elementary school on the grass!  About half the market consist of actual farm stands and is mostly (if not all) organic. There is often live, local music and artists.  There is a little school garden and plenty of room for the kids to run around at the playground.

There are some gardening/educational type vendors (vegetable transplants, worm castings) as well as prepared foods like bread, baked goods, olive oil, honey, desserts, etc.

The food vendors are quite good and there is usually a good selection. You can get smoothies, Indian food, Mexican food, sushi rolls, and that fancy place with the roasted balsamic artichokes, or try the spicy sausage with piping hot Gouda cheese in the middle stuffed in a yummy baguette along with 'kraut and spicy mustard. 

There is a surprisingly great assorted of Vegan, Vegetarian and gluten free options for those with restricted diets. We sampled a delicious Vegan wrap with fries smothered in Vegan Jamaican sauce. We also nibbled on Vegan "ugly bars" a cornucopia of chocolate, craisins and nutty goodness.

The market is small enough not to be overwhelming, but varied enough so you can find most of what you need. You can also find traditional farmers market fare with seasonal, fresh produce including squash, sweet fruits, herbs, citrus, sprouts, avocados, dried apricots, red walnuts and figs.


You can find many local artists displaying hand made clothing, crafts, pottery, paintings, jewelry etc. On any given Sunday you can find eclectic and interesting pieces for gifts or your home.  


This is another wonderful adventure to be had in Encinitas!

For more information on Farmers Markets in and around San Diego click on the San Diego Farm Bureau website

http://www.sdfarmbureau.org/BuyLocal/Farmers-Markets.php#leucadia