San Diego Concierge Association’s – Key to the City for February

Hello San Diego, it’s February and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and you know what that means, “Love is in the Air.”  But instead of telling you about places to go for a romantic dinner or an outing with you loved one, I want to tell you about why you should be “in love” with San Diego’s museums and cultural sites and naval history. 

February is Museum Month in San Diego and that means that you can visit and explore 40 of San Diego’s museums and cultural sites for half-price, yes you read that right, Half-Price.  Whether you are looking for an inexpensive, fun outing with the family or to broaden your cultural horizon’s, this is a great opportunity to see some of San Diego’s world class museums on the cheap.

To take advantage of this great opportunity, all you need to do is head over to your nearest Macy’s location in San Diego County and pick-up a FREE Museum Month Pass, it’s that easy.  Museum Month runs from February 1^st – 28^th and you can find a list of all the participating museums at: http://www.sandiegomuseumcouncil.org/.

Did you know that San Diego is the birthplace of Naval Aviation?  If you are a lover of military history, then February 2011 is a great month for you because it marks the 100^th Anniversary of Naval Aviation and on February 12^th the U.S. Navy is throwing HUGE party at North Island Naval Air Station in Coronado to celebrate, best of all, it’s FREE.  The gates will open at 8:00am and the celebration with feature tours of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and other naval ships, 75+ aircraft from throughout naval history on display, the U.S. Navy Leap Frogs parachute team, Metal Mulisha motorcycle stunt crew, a classic car show live entertainment, food and at 1:00pm, the Parade of Flight featuring aircraft from WWI to current Navy, Marine Corp and Coast Guard Aircraft, capped off with the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.  For more info visit: www.mwrtoday.com/cona.

San Diego offers an abundance of great cultural experiences and opportunities throughout the year and you can get them all at a great deal this month with the Museum Month Pass.  Make sure to get out there and EXPERIENCE San Diego.

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What was all the BUZZ about?

Well, if you happened to be in Balboa Park at the San Diego Air & Space Museum on Tuesday, Feb 1st then all of the buzz was about BUZZ, as in Buzz Aldrin the second man on the moon and Real American Hero.  Buzz was at the museum to celebrate both the grand opening of the SDASM’s new exhibition called SPACE: A Journey to Our Future and the kick-off of Museum Month in San Diego.  Buzz started the day off with a book signing at the museum that was something to behold with more than 400 people waiting up to 3 hours for an autograph and a glimpse of the Buzz.  I have to say that he was a real trooper, I heard he signed over 1000 books and he is 81 years old, that’s pretty impressive in my book, no pun intended.

Later that night I had the privilege of attending the VIP Grand Opening Party for the exhibit and Museum Month where Buzz spoke about where he envisioned the future of the US Space Program to be headed and his hopes for our future.  It was then time for the ribbon cutting for the new exhibition and a short tour.  The exhibition is great, with lots of historical pieces from previous missions to the moon and elsewhere in space and interactive things to play with, but Buzz himself was the real exhibit that night as he made his way through the exhibition and interacted with the party goers.  I look forward to revisiting the museum this month with my Museum Month discount card that I got at Macy’s and exploring the new exhibition in more detail. 

If you would like to take advantage of the Museum Month discount yourself, visit any San Diego Macy’s to pick up your own Museum Month pass and start EXPERIENCING the museums of San Diego.

The other event that the critics buzzing about in Balboa Park is the Old Globe’s new production of Death of a Salesman.  The Old Globe honors the classic roots of the show with it’s production.  It is shown in a theater in the round setting, providing a very intimate feel to the show.  The actors are very good and the show highly dramatic and filled with raw emotion.    If you are a fan of Death of a Salesman or just a great dramatic performace then you are sure to love the Globe’s version.

A Week of Cultural Enlightenment

As I find January winding to an end I had the chance this past week to take in some of San Diego’s great cultural experiences in the form of the San Diego Symphony and the Old Globe Theater.  I am also eagerly looking forward to a great event on February 1st at the San Diego Air and Space Museum that I wanted to let you all know about so you don’t miss out.

1) San Diego Symphony presents Judy Garland in Concert – I had the pleasure this past week of taking a step back in time to experience a concert from an era gone by, performed by the late great Judy Garland.  To be perfectly honest, I was unaware of how many songs she was known for and how wide the breadth of her work was on-screen, stage, and television.  I, like most people my age I’m sure know of her as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and not much more.  Of course I knew she did other movies, but until I did a bit of research and saw this fantastic performance, I was really unaware of her years spent touring in concert and on her TV variety show performing.  This performance truly was a brilliant melding of live performance with technology as the San Diego Symphony provided all of the music with Judy Garland herself providing all of the vocals via video recordings of her live performances.  The presentation was quite impressive with seemless blending of the live performance by the symphony and the video that was being displayed on 3 large video screens, it truly made you feel like you had stepped back in time and were seeing her perform live.  If you have never been to see the San Diego Symphony I highly recommend you try it out.  I’m sure you will be very impressed and will turn into a repeat guest as I have.  For more information about their upcoming schedule of performances, and there is something for everyone from classics to pop performances, visit: http://www.sandiegosymphony.org/.  Make it a point to catch a performance soon as their 100th Anniversary celebration winds to an end.

2) EMMA presented by the Old Globe Theater –  This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending a fantastic (as usual) performance at the Old Globe Theater.  This time the performance was a twist on an old classic, Jane Austen’s EMMA, performed as a musical.  I found this performance to be very entertaining; the performers did a great job both singing their lines (the leads have great voices) and acting out their parts.  The musical score was very cleverly arranged, had a very nice flow through the performance, and the script was also very funny and kept the mood light.  One of my favorite features of the performance oddly enough was the fantastic set that was used, featuring a giant Victorian style garden maze and a very cleverly done revolving stage floor that seems to whisk you from place to place as the play moves along.  The Old Globe always puts on great performances and is one of the best theater companies around, it truly is a must see.  For more info on EMMA and other Old Globe performances visit: http://www.theoldglobe.org/tickets/production.aspx?PID=8127.

3) Have you ever wanted to meet a true blue American Hero?  If so, you have your chance on February 1st at the San Diego Air & Space Museum when Buzz Aldrin will be making an appearance for a book signing from 1:00 – 2:30pm.  Not many people can say that they have left their foot print on the Moon, but buzz did just that on July 20, 1969 when he and Neil Armstrong too that “One giant leap for mankind” on their Apollo 11 mission.  In recent year Buzz may be more well-known for his skills as an author, penning a new memoir entitled “Magnificent Desolation” and a few children’s books, of course who could also forget his recent stint on Dancing With the Stars.  Buzz’s appearance also kicks off the San Diego Air and Space Museum’s newest exhibition called SPACE: A Journey to Our Future.  For more info on this special event and others going on at the San Diego Air and Space Museum visit: http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org/calendar/event.php?id=62.

San Diego offers an abundance of great cultural experiences and opportunities throughout the year, make sure to get out there and EXPERIENCE San Diego.

Would you like to keep up with us and find out about more great San Diego Experience?  Subscribe to out blog below, follow us on Twitter or become a Fan of the San Diego Concierge Association on Facebook.

 

A Week of VIP Grand Openings

This week San Diego saw the birth of three great new spots that are sure to be hot in the very near future. 

1) Sprinkles Cupcakes – Located in The Shops at La Jolla Village at 8855 Villa La Jolla Dr. in La Jolla, Sprinkles is San Diego’s newest cupcake bakery.  Known as the world’s first cupcake bakery, Sprinkles boasts 10 locations across the US and is looking to expand overseas soon.  The menu features 25 flavors and all are hand-made from the finest ingredients.  I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about the whole cupcake thing, I mean really, how good can a cupcake be?  Them I actually tried one and I am now a convert, they are awesome.  Trust me, you will be a believer too once you’ve tried one.  For more info visit: http://www.sprinkles.com/index.html.

2) Eden Nightclub – Located in the space formerly occupied by the short-lived Universal (1202 University Ave, San Diego), Eden promises to bring a bit of the Gaslamp to Hillcrest, think a Vegas style gay club.  If the grand opening party is any indication of what a weekend night will be like, then this will be the place to be in Hillcrest.  The club features state of the art sound and lighting, a garden of Eden theme with lots of organic touches like real woods and plant life, and a wide open floor plan with lots of space to discover your true inner diva.  They also have a great restaurant next door so why not make a full night of it.  Be sure to visit this paradise next time you are in Hillcrest.  For more info visit: http://www.edensandiego.com/.

3) Revolver Restaurant at Voyuer - Rarely do you find a nightclub that does food well, but Revolver has figured it out and their motto speaks volumes “Food to die for”, and it truly is killer.  The menu consists of a well-rounded selection of small plates and a few of my recommended items are:   Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese with pickled jalepenos and apricot spread, Filet sliders with tomato relish, fried onions & garlic aioli, Bison & Feta Sliders with honey-chipotle paste and smoked bacon, and for dessert try the Banana Fritters with dark chocolate and cinnamon whipped cream.  Even better than the quality of the food are the prices, with items ranging from $1 to $6 each, you won’t find a better deal in the Gaslamp.  Be sure to “shoot” in and check them out soon.  For more info visit: http://www.revolversd.com.

Whether you are looking to get out and shake a tail-feather, grab a bite or get a sugar fix, all of these great spots are sure to please.  As always, make sure to get out there and EXPERIENCE San Diego 

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San Diego Concierge Association’s – Key to the City for January

Happy 2011 San Diego!  As another year passes by and I look forward to the another great year to come I find myself realizing how lucky I am to live in “America’s Finest City”, a place with great natural beauty, fantastic weather, great diversity, and an endless list of places and things to explore.  This realization does also bring about some sadness however when I also think about how much of the city I have yet to experience and that brings me to my mission for 2011, “Experience San Diego.”  I am making it my goal to experience as much of San Diego as possible and share it here with you so you can find out about all of the great things that make San Diego “America’s Finest City.”

Some great things to experience in January 2011:

1) View the annual Gray Whale migration with a whale watching trip.  There are several great companies in San Diego that offer trips to see this wonder of the natural world.  Some of my favorites are:

• Hornblower Cruises, offering trips at 9:30am & 1:30pm daily with a naturalist from the San Diego Natural History Museum.  For more info visit: http://www.hornblower.com/hce/port/overview/sd+whalewatching.
• Flagship Cruises, offering trips at 9:45am & 1:30pm daily with a naturalist from the Birch Aquarium.  For more info visit: http://www.flagshipsd.com/harbor-tours/whale-watching
• Adventure R.I.B. Rides, offering intimate adventures in Navy Seal R.I.B. boats daily at 9:00am & 1:00pm.  For more info visit: http://www.adventureribrides.com/
• Yacht America, offering trips aboard the 160 ft. sailing yacht, trip also includes admission to the San Diego Martime Museum, offered at 11:00am.  For more info visit: http://www.stars-stripes.com/san-diego-sailing/san-diego-whale-watching.html
• Sail San Diego, offering intimate sailing trips at 9:00am & 1:00pm daily.  For more info visit: http://www.sailsandiego.com/go-sailing/whale-watching/

2) Discover a new favorite restaurant or rediscover an old one during San Diego Restaurant Week, January 16 – 21, 2011.  This is a great opportunity to sample some of San Diego’s best cuisine with restaurants offering a 3-course meal priced from $20 – $40 per person.  Advanced reservations are strongly recommended.  For more info visit: http://www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com/