October--Marine Layer in the San Diego Area

Best Things Nearby:
San Diego is a 45-minute drive.

Best Things About the Resort:
The resort is a micro community, so if you wished, you would not even have to leave the resort.

Resort Experience:
The Lawrence Welk Resort is nestled in a valley and up the mountainside just north of Escondido, not far from the 1-15 freeway. We were in one of the recently renovated buildings and had expansive views of the resort and surrounding hillsides. Our two-bedroom unit was enormous, with a king-size bed in the master bedroom, two twins in the other bedroom and a pullout bed in the spacious living area. There were two large bathrooms and a huge balcony with table and chairs and lounge chairs. The floor-to-ceiling windows allowed the outdoors in, however, the sun could be blocked out with the shutters. The kitchen was bigger than the one in our home and the window over the sink looked out onto the mountain—it could not get any better.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Good

"Using classic French techniques Vincent’s sirinos serves up an extraordinary array of mouth watering French Californian cuisine. The presentation combined with the refined-comfortable atmosphere, impressive wine list, professional and friendly service makes dining here a delectable experience for lunch and dinner."

"Also known around town by the name sirino's restaurant, this dining venue consistently draws large crowds with an innovative menu of French specialties served at unbelievably low prices. The duck entrees are all highly recommended, as well as eggplant ravioli and filet mignon. The food is upscale, yet the atmosphere is relaxed.

Enjoy your meal in the inside dining room or on the cozy, outdoor patio. A full bar is available. Vincent's has won the wine spectator award of excellence for both 2004 and 2005. See their website for further information."
Sirinos is very romantic-white stucco walls with wood trim, arched doorways, colorful abstract canvasses, and white linen tablecloths. The friendly service was impeccable, but we were both disappointed by the food, but that could be because of the choices we made. The eggplant soup with leek potato base was creamy but lacked flavor. The filet mignon was perfectly cooked with asparagus and shallots in a merlot sauce. The special touch was stilton cheese, which I had never had before and conclude I do not like, so that was disappointing. My husband had a duck entrée and felt it tasted like overcooked chicken and had at least seven whole garlic cloves in it.

www.VincentsOnGrand.com

The first Anthony’s was opened in 1946 by Mama Ghio, her two sons, and a son-in-law. Mama perfected old world recipes and developed new ones. Anthony’ stresses the value of original recipes, quality seafood, and outstanding service. They have several outlets in the area. Anthony’s boasts that it has the best seafood in San Diego. It is a large establishment with enormous windows affording wonderful view of the harbor. We ordered a few dishes to share; an appetizer of oysters on the half shell were excellent as was the crab with Portobello mushrooms. Our main course-the penne with swordfish-was delicious. The house white wine was excellent. At lunch, remember that rolls with sun dried tomatoes and garlic butter are served—yum. Order accordingly.

A throwback to the past, Ruby’s is a funky diner located inside the Carlsbad outlet mall. Decor is red leather booths and lots of chrome--a miniature train drives around the restaurant on a track under the ceiling and airplanes hang over your head. The serving staff wear pink and red striped uniforms with cute little ice cream hats. The food was classic diner stuff-burgers, fries, milkshakes, floats. Try the shrimp cocktail tostado-delicious-add a milkshake and you won’t need another thing.

heyruby@rubys.com

In the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter, one could drive a full size RV through the enormous double doors on Fourth Avenue into the serene atmosphere of the Blue Ginger restaurant. A beautiful mural of river scene transports diners to the relaxed era of ancient rural China. Colourful tropical fish dance in the wall-length aquarium separating the dining room from the hallway to the kitchen area, its lighted waters enhancing the illumination provided by low wattage track lighting and spotlights in the ceiling. Upholstered brocade benches and dark wooden tables, accented with small vases of blue flowers, create a serene atmosphere in which to enjoy the authentic Mandarin and regional Chinese dishes.

We had the recommended Mongolian beef, orange spice tea, and chicken with black bean sauce—each dish was delicious.

www.bluegingersd.com

We were delighted to find on admission that Canadians receive a 25% discount on the "best value admission," however, it is not advertised and one must ask. The best value includes a bus tour with guide, the express buses and aerial trams. Since the zoo is so large it is not a bad idea to have access to some of the on-site transportation as walking from area to area could eat up quite a bit of time and be exhausting for the elderly or little ones. The area has a fair number of hills, which can also be tiring especially if it were hot. Fortunately there are plenty of little snack shops and areas to rest under the shade.

The bus tour with the guide gave us a good overview of the entire park and helped us decide what "must-sees" were and what we could save for another visit. Even so, we spent a great deal of time looking at our map and somehow seeing some exhibits twice, while missing others altogether. There are several shows that take place at various times of the day as well as certain hours that animals are fed, so taking it all in can be challenging, and time is wasted doubling back. The shows are all entertaining and a good chance for a bit of a rest, but when they let out there is a huge crowd all heading for the same exhibits. On the day we went, there were armies of school children all wearing identical school uniforms—huge noisy mobs to contend with. Tel: (619)234 3153 Url: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/

Sea world is not huge. When we visited in October, the gates opened at 10am and closed at 5pm. Our challenge was to see everything within that time frame. Some of the attractions did not even open until 11 or 12. The shows really are the main attraction, and they are well worth the admission price—be sure to check your admission schedule and plan well to see all the major shows—backtracking will be required. Shamu certainly displaces a lot of water, so be careful where you choose your seat. In each of the show arenas, the area where you might get wet are clearly marked. We very much enjoyed "Pets Rule," which made us laugh and laugh and appreciate how very talented animals can be. The cafes are cute and scattered around the site, but one would not really say the prices are reasonabl. But then, what can you expect-it is California, after all

Tel: 800 25 shamu
Url: http://www.seaworld.com/

Carlsbad Premium Outlet Mall is in a charming village setting. There are 90 stores from the world's leading designers and brand names, all offering savings of 25% to 60% every day.

We spent an afternoon and found some amazingly good prices—definitely worth a drive. (760)840-9000 www.premiumoutlets.com/carlsbad

Seaport Village's brochure describes itself as San Diego's landmark for Waterfront Shopping and Dining with 57 One-of-a-Kind Shops and Galleries. There are also four award-winning bay-front restaurants, 13 sidewalk eateries, an 1890's Looff Carousel, and daily live entertainment (weather permitting). It's a nice place to wander around but prices were high and merchandise was totally aimed at tourists, which is I guess what one would expect for the area. It sells expensive things aimed at cruise ship passengers, as these dock within walkable distance. A beautiful location along the waterfront, with lots of grass and an occasional picnic table or park bench.

Located in Alpine on I-8 at Willows Road, Viejas Outlet center has over 50 stores—from Benzene to Wilson’s-with merchandise reduced up to 70%. The stores are laid out in a Mexican inspired outdoor mall with fountains and bubbling water, attractive sculpted landscaping with cast iron figures of native animals, awnings, benches, and plenty of shade. There were good prices in some stores as well as plenty of items that could be found elsewhere at the same price. Nevertheless it was not crowded at all and made for a nice drive out from the big city. Pick up a coupon book at the Country Clutter, Perry Ellis, or tourist information center. Across the way one can spend some money at the casino. shopviejas.com( 619)659-2070

Legoland covers 128 acres and there are more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, which could keep both kids and adults busy for an entire day. For those who are not keen on rides, a "shopper’s pass" is a great way to spend an hour at legoland without actually paying for admission. At guest services, you sign a credit card receipt for the entry fee and it is time stamped. If you do not return within the hour, you have bought your admission. However, if you return to the window within the allotted time, your receipt (close to $50) is torn up. An hour is long enough for a quick tour of Miniland USA, which features miniature replicas of many famous areas from around the world—all built out of lego blocks—amazing and well worth the trip!! If you purchase something in one of the stores, I believe you can even get a rebate on the $8 parking fee. Kids will love the rides and shows. And of course, there are numerous eating places and places to purchase souvenirs.

The Museum is housed in the USS Midway and a walking tour with headphones, a tape deck and map takes you from station to station. Each station is identified with a number that corresponds to a number on the map and on your tape deck. Press the button and hear an informative, entertaining presentation. Many of the personnel throughout the museum are retired navy officers whose are happy to share their personal experiences of the time when the Midway was in operation.

Our tour of the bridge was given by one of Midway’s retired flight deck captains. His harrowing personal stories made history come alive for us. There is an express tour of 1 ½ hours or an extended 2 1/2-hour tour. The map you follow has coupons for small discounts at other area attractions.

www.midway.org.

We chose to visit the children’s beach because we heard that one can see sea lions lounging on the rocks. Parking was the largest difficulty, and we visited in October—we heard from locals that mostly it is impossible to find a parking spot. Despite the number of cars lining every single street within 6 blocks of the seaside, there were relatively few people admiring the sea lions on the beaches. All along the waterfront there is a park where one could spend some time and have a picnic. Right at the shore are steep cliffs with thousands of birds vying for a spot in the ever-present holes in the cliff walls. There are several outfitters who take tourists out in kayaks for an ocean view of steep cliffs, however the water was pretty choppy and it looked pretty chilly to be out there paddling. The sea lions are not all that entertaining, mostly just lying there snoozing, but every once in a while one or more would swim about and give the audience on the cliffs above an opportunity to try to get them on film for posterity.

The Orfila Winery is a great place to stop for a while. We entered the large building through the door at the east and found before us a huge open area with a large selection of antiques and furniture. Bales of hay, pumpkins, and orange accented floral arrangements reminded visitors of the time of year. At the rear west end of the building was a counter with an assortment of jams and preserves and accompanying crackers set out for tasting. There did not seem to be anyone about to man the station, so we had a few nibbles and then moved on to the front of the building for the main event—the wine tasting!

Jeff Cox had a good selection of wines set out—Pinot noir, Sangiovese, Merlot, Shiraz, Riesling, tawny port—and he served them in order. The first taste was free, but who could stop at one when there were so many other delicious wines to try. Four dollars would buy another four or five good size tastes and you could keep the glass which was etched with the Orfila Winery label. Make sure the driver just has the one free taste!

The Chocolate Cafe is right next to Orfila Winery, close to the junction of highway 78 and 79 near Santa Isabel, not far from the picturesque town of Julian. All manner of chocolate and confections are sold, and they are made on the premises. A sign at the side of the building points to the rear, where one can look through the windows at the process of candy making. We ordered cocoa, which came topped with whipped cream and peppermint sprinkles—yummy—and drank it sitting in the shade of a tree at one of the picnic tables scattered throughout the large, landscaped lawn surrounding the property.