The weather so far this week here in San Diego (all the way up to LA in fact) has been very uncharacteristic of Southern California!   It’s obvious that we as Californians are NOT prepared for this unusual weather as I have seen numerous leaking buildings, flooded streets, fender benders, and lots of complainers!!  To those who can’t seem to cope with the rain I ask you, “Do you cry in the shower?!”   OF COURSE NOT!  There are plenty of fun indoor activities to do in San Diego… you just have to look for them!  Well, look no further because I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite rainy day activities for you here!

1. IMAX Movie Theaters – Located in Balboa Park and Mira Mesa.  Check website to see what’s playing and when!
2. Dining Out – Don’t forget we’re in the middle of Restaurant Week!!  Check the website for participating venues!
3. Museums – Click HERE for a list of museums in and around downtown!
4. Theaters – Check out some of the shows going on right now HERE!
5. Live Music – SignOnSanDiego has a great list of venues and upcoming shows!

Now dig out your umbrella, dust off your rain boots, and get out there and enjoy SAN DIEGO!

-Stay San Diego Team

Did everyone hear there’s a “No Fly Zone” over San Diego on Sunday?!  Apparently, a huge lightening storm is coming… grounding all “Jets”!   haha!   GO BOLTS!

As we all know, the San Diego Chargers will be playing the New York Jets this Sunday (January 17th – 1:40 PST) for a first round playoff game here in San Diego at Qualcomm Stadium.  The Chargers have been on fire during the regular season with a 13-3 record compared to the Jets 9-7 season stats. 

Some say the Jets’ 5′9″ Darrelle Revis is currently the league’s best cornerback, but we’ll see how he holds up against our receiving corps Vincent Jackson (6′5″), Michael Floyd (6′5″), and Antonio Gates (6′4″).  I have a feeling we’re going to crush the Jets this weekend!

If you haven’t gotten tickets to the game you’re still good because there are plenty of sports bars and flatscreen TV’s around downtown for you to find the perfect mix of fans, wings, beer, and of course… CHARGERS!

Here’s a few of our favorite places to catch the game here in downtown San Diego:

Nicky Rotten’s- This 2 level sports bar on 5th and Market offers a laidback atmosphere with some of the best burgers around.  They also have a great happy hour with $3 Drafts, Wells, and House Wines as well as half-priced appetizers! 

Tilted Kilt - Dubbed the “Irish Hooter’s” of sports bars TK is sure to bring the fun!  They’ve got plenty of flatscreen TV’s, beautiful TK waitresses, and tons of finger food including a special “Tailgate Menu.”  Pubstool quarterbacks unite!

East Village Tavern and Bowl - Quickly becoming one of East Village’s most popular hangouts, EVTB offers an exciting mix of sports, food, music… and you guessed it, BOWLING!  This place has great food and is always busy, so if you want your chance to bowl I suggest you get there early.

Gaslamp Tavern - This place is fun because you can sit at the bar from outside!  This is a great place to go if you’re in the mood for breakfast.  They serve brunch ’till 2 on Sundays and have a killer Bloody Mary. 

FOX Sports Grill - The new Hilton Bayfront is home to San Diego’s first Fox Sports Grill.  This place lives and breathes sports so if you want to make sure you can see the game from every possible angle…. this is your place!  Their 20+ Plasma TVs have NFL Sunday Ticket, College Game Day packages, and Big 10 Network. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

-Stay San Diego Team

It’s baaaaack!!  Even with all the exciting events that happen around San Diego; “Restaurant Week” is no doubtably one of my personal favorites.  With over 180 restaurants all over the county offering 3-course menus for $20, $30, or $40 it’s the perfect time to check out a new spot or go to that restaurant you love so much, but don’t particularly love the price of!

If you’re planning on going, don’t expect to walk into the participating restaurants on a Friday night and be able to get a table though… this event is wildly popular with San Diegans which means that at least the most expensive [regularly priced] and most popular places will be booked solid.  Never fear though, if you’re coming in from out of town you can check out the website at www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com for a list of all the participating restaurants as well as links to make reservations online!  Just be careful if you’re planning on going with a large party… I just made a reservation for my friends and I at Nobu via the Restaurant Week website where I discovered that parties of 6 or more require a credit card to hold the reservation and you are charged a “per-person fee” for everyone that doesn’t show up. 

One restaurant is putting an interesting new spin on Restaurant week this time around as well.  Harbor’s Edge at the Waterfront Sheraton Hotel has a $30 menu that showcases sustainable seafood!  They will also be showing a documentary called The End Of the Line during dining hours which explores the effects of overfishing.  What an awesome way to indulge in great food while learning about sustainable living!

Whether you’re a San Diego local, or visiting us from out of town, do yourself a favor and check this event out.  I promise you wont be disappointed! 

-Tara

Stay San Diego Team.

So now that 2010 is officially in full swing it’s time to commit to a New Year’s resolution right?  The team here at Stay San Diego wanted to do something within our company that helped out either the environment or our community… well lucky for us, we found a program that does both!!

 We found “Cans for Critters” at the San Diego Zoo!  Basically, the whole concept is to put together a team (or you can do it on your own) and collect as many cans as you can before Earth Day on April 22, 2010!  The program is offering great prizes along the way meaning the more cans your team collects, the more cool prizes you win!!  The official explanation of the drive from the San Diego Zoo’s website is:

“Cans for Critters is a recycling drive organized by the San Diego Zoo to help our Institute for Conservation Research save and protect wildlife here in the United States and around the world.  Participants collect recyclables and then donate the proceeds to our endangered species conservation efforts. Families, schools, Scouts, and organizations from every corner of the nation participate in our Cans for Critters program.

The Cans for Critters recycling drive has been an annual event for the San Diego Zoo’s conservation programs since 1980. To date, we have raised more than $500,000 to help save rhinoceroses, cheetahs, giant pandas, California condors and many other amazing animals and their habitats.  Participants who collect 400 or more recyclables will receive a Cans for Critters conservation patch. Other incentives include an invitation to “Jamboree Day” at the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park, which is a special celebration at the end of each annual Cans for Critters recycling drive, or Zoo or Wild Animal Park admission tickets.”

All you have to do is visit the San Diego Zoo’s Cans for Critters website to get started!  Follow the tabs on the right side of the page to join a team, create your own team, or join as an individual.  We’ve also included a link below to the Cans for Critters Pledge Forms in PDF format below:

Cans for Critters Packet

This is a wonderful opportunity to go green and help a great cause here in San Diego no matter where you live!  Please take a few minutes to view the website and pass it along to anyone you know who may be interested!

Hope everyone is enjoying the new year so far!  We sure are here in SD with all this warm weather and sunshine! 

- Stay San Diego Team!