If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout to find a place to take your dog to allow them to have a good time. San Diego has many good dog parks, and these two places are great places to let them run around off leash.

The first is located in the North County in Del Mar. It is called “Dog Beach”. All one has to do is exit at Via Del La Valle off of the Interstate Five, and proceed West to the Coast Highway. Once at the intersection, turn South, and the beach is immediately a block to the South. Parking is available, although it is limited along the road next to the beach. Parking immediately adjacent to the beach, although a fee is required by the City of Del Mar. Free parking is available on the surrounding streets. The beach is a great place to go and relax with your dog; dogs are allowed to be off leash, and can do whatever they please.

The second location is the dog park at Balboa Park. Balboa Park is already a great place to go to walk your dog. Just off of Laurel Street, and immediately before the main bridge, there is a Dog Play Area. This grassy area allows dogs to intermingle, play, fetch, and all other activities, again off leash.

Both locales provide trash cans and waste bags for the dogs, and always have a good weekend crowd of owners to discuss dog care, and to laugh at any dog related antics.

When Jules calls me about this plan for Saturday night I’m skeptical. “The Shout House. It’s dueling pianos.” Pardon me? Will the pianos be armed? Should I be worried about getting caught in the crossfire? After several cracks about the pianos settling a mob vendetta Jules tells me to shut up and be there so I am, 4th and G, already half drunk because I figure if I’m going to enjoy piano music on my Saturday night I’d better at least be sufficiently loaded. I have an immediate and horrifying flashback to my baby sister’s piano recitals, 200 untalented kids playing variations of the same song while their tearfully proud parents applaud deafeningly in my ear.

The Shout House is nothing like this. The Shout House is awesome.

We walk in and in about 20 seconds I’m rocking out to Metallica, except it’s not Metallica, it’s Metallica on the piano. Anybody who doesn’t think this is the coolest thing on earth by definition hasn’t been to the Shout House, because after one night there I’m completely convinced that no song wouldn’t sound better played on those dueling pianos. But wait, there’s more. Not only is the piano totally sweet, but the lyrics are changed up to be hilarious. Is it risqué? Uh huh. Dirty? Oh you bet. Will you hear things you won’t be able to repeat at the church social? Most definitely. Throw in a group of dancing waiters, excellent booze, and personalized birthday songs guaranteed to make your boss/brother-in-law/roommate piss his pants in humiliation and you’ve got maybe the best joint in the Gaslamp district.

Dueling pianos man. Bring some dollar bills for song requests and leave the prudey friend at home. You won’t be disappointed.

An ebullient friend of mine once decided to visit every bar in Pacific Beach before he left San Diego to start a drearier life on the East Coast. Ever ambitious he didn’t miss a single bar- or so he claims. I don’t known how he had the stamina because PB (as the locals call it) has enough bars to keep the average consumer drunk for weeks. For those less ambitious epicures who have less time but still a hearty lust for alcohol Pacific Beach can effectively be effectively covered by following the main street, Garnet Avenue, with a deviation here and there.

The best place to start is at Lahaina Beachhouse where the wooden patio on the beach has a view of the sunset that can’t be matched. If you can start bar hopping early enough stray from Garnet just to watch the sunset with the cheering crowd of happily sipping people. For those getting a late start, skip Lahaina and stay on Garnet.

Starting on Garnet at the corner of Mission Boulevard you will come to PB Bar and Grill and its neighbor, Moondoggies. For everything you ever wanted to know about PB Bar and Grill visit . Get your hand stamped and go back and forth between these two bars. In this way you could spend your night hopping back and forth and not even remember there are other bars. PB Bar and Grill has a nice patio, pool tables and good food specials during the weeks. For the sports fans there are also numerous televisions showing any number of different games. Next door, Moondoggies is less talked about but often the better place to go if PB Bar and Grill is less crowded. It, too, has plentiful televisions and a great patio and on Thursdays there are two dollar “u-call-its.”

Heading East up Garnet feel free to stop at any bar you stumble across. All have that similar beach ambience that only Pacific Beach maintains. Plum Crazy Saloon has sixty-eight beers on tap, foosball, pool, and sports TVs. It is small but never a bad place to be and the drinks are usually strong. Further up still is the aptly named Typhoon Saloon, perhaps the most popular bar/club in Pacific Beach. During the day it is mild mannered Big Bertha’s but at night it transforms into Typhoon. Wednesdays is Metal Shop, which is all 1980s heavy metal. The pool tables, huge crowds, dance floors, and different levels make Typhoon unique and easy for people watching or dancing. If Typhoon is your destination then go early because after ten the line goes around the block.

If you do end up staring in shock and indignation at the never ending line at Typhoon there are alternatives. Next-door is Fred’s, which is a great Mexican restaurant with massive margaritas that is owned by the same company. Even at its most crowded there is seldom a line worth mentioning and the atmosphere is less headache inducing then Typhoon’s hardcore partying. Around the corner is The Dog; a small, newly renovated bar with pool tables and dollar beers also on Wednesdays and across the street is the Tavern at the Beach. The Tavern is also a popular bar, more low key, very beachy, and it plays eighties music on Wednesdays. Unfortunately the Tavern’s popularity, like many of the once smaller PB bars, is growing daily, as are the lines.

Amazingly this is not the end of the list of bars you can frequent. Longboard’s is the best place for reggae if you’re bar hopping on a Sunday. If you want strong, inexpensive drinks then the Silver Fox is the dive bar for you. However, while it remains popular, for girls like myself the biggest drawback is the constant appearance of lecherous-looking older men. While this phenomenon is recurring throughout San Diego it seems most prevalent here.

While this list seems extensive it is only a taste of the prolific nightlife that thrives in Pacific Beach. There is so much to do you will never get bored, but be careful. Because it is such an inexpensive place to drink PB is almost as full of policemen as it is of revelers. If you drink and drive you will get a DUI. So take a taxi then walk up Garnet. Get there before ten to avoid the lines and when you get kicked out when the bars close at ten write to me and tell me if PB isn’t the perfect place to go bar hopping.

For more information on San Diego’s nightlife visit.

(Part 1 of a Single in San Diego series)

10. Everyone you meet at work does not aspire to work in a totally unrelated field
9. If you tell someone you’re in the “biz” they’ll either think you’re a dork or that you work for Qualcomm
8. Traffic sucks only most of the time, not all of the time
7. Parking is still less than the event you are attending, or sometimes even free
6. When you see a man with a woman who’s young enough to be his daughter in San Diego, it probably is his daughter
5. If the big one hits and we slide off into the ocean, LA will remain afloat because of all the silicone. San Diego, however, is doomed (excluding parts of P.B.)
4. Going to nightclubs is a fun, somewhat decadent phase. It is not a lifestyle, professional sport or permanently mind-altering experience (excluding parts of P.B.)
3. Being famous isn’t required to get a good table, reservations are.
2. Downtown is already revitalized, clean and extremely safe.
1. San Diegans walk, Angelinos run. But where are they going and why are they in such a hurry? Why in San Diego, it doesn’t matter. It’s just nice to get out and walk around.

The date is Wednesday, December 07, 2005, and the sun has just set on a day that will forever remain fresh in our minds. Today we skated this local skatepark; Memorial skatepark on 30th street in San Diego, place is off the walls fun. My roomate Ross and I went there for like our 2nd or 3rd time and it only gets more and more fun everytime. It’s by far one of the better skateparks I’ve seen in California, They got a few bowls and a street course with like 3 or 4 step ups, a huge big 3 stair in addition to about a thousand bank ramps to roll into and a wide pyramid. We skate this park for about 3 or 4 hours until we land our last tricks. Satisfied, we leave the park. As we exit the park and skate towards the car both my roomate and I equally feel the ora flowing from the concrete of the park thru our wheels basically into our soul and filling us full of a euphoira that cannot be achived in any other way then riding hard all day with your friends. These are the chills and feelings I die for. These are the chills and feelings I live for. I couldnt wish to be anywhere but here in this moment right now. I tell him this and he agrees that he feels the same. The emotion enstilled is almost unbeleiviable.
Its moments like these that I truly see the apprication of skateboarding and the effect it can have on people. My roomate Ross just started gettign into skating heavy and I’ve never see a more siked expression on his face than when he drops or busts out moves that only weeks ago he thought would be impossible. That is the essence of skateboarding and I wonder if when the first skateboard was created, did its creator know the vastness of the movement he had started. An older movie that I only beleive the true skater OGs will know of that portrays skateboarding as it truly should be is Powell Peralta’s Animal Chin Skate video. If you havent seen it then you need to and if you have seen it you know what I’m talking about. Basically not to ruin it if you’re going to see it, a group of skaters go on a search to find legendary skater animal chin who has gone missing and thru there adventure they discover the true essence of skateboarding. That skateboarding isnt about the money and the fame and all this bullshit, it is about going out and riding with your friends and keeping the fire that makes skateboarding so unique forever lit. The search for Animal Chin in all actuality is us basically finding ourselves thru forever searching for the ultimate ride, grind or air with our friends beside us portraying the love of riding and fulfillment from that, enjoying skating from another level. Some of my best days and memories were that of skating with my friends. Getting utter delight thru a childhood hobby turned life long dream, doesnt get any better than that. Might of been one of my favorite skate parks ive skated out here so far. An unreal park, so if you’re in or around San Diego defintly give it a check out if youve got the time. Smooth as glass riding and the setups are sick too. 30 bucks get you a 3 month membership to here, OB park and penquitos or somewhere. pretty good if you ask me. Live to ride, skate on.

It’s enough to make you fall in love with San Diego and decide to move here. Where else in the world can you find a beautiful trendy hotel, that has a sand bar on it’s roof? Literally, the top level consists of an outdoor bar, complete with sand and a fire pit. A must-do in San Diego. Romantic, cozy, perfect. What better way to start and end the night, but with a drink sitting around a fire pit. The scene isn’t too bad either, you’ll find some of the most hottest bodies in San Diego at this trendy W hotel.

W Hotel
421 West B Street
San Diego CA, 92101

With success in other nearby cities such as Las Vegas and Hollywood, the House of Blues opened it’s new venue in San Diego last May 2005. Since then, the club has housed such acts from independent bands like the Bouncing Souls and Social Distortion to more mainstream acts like Rob Zombie and the upcoming Disturbed.

Located downtown at 1055 Fifth Avenue between Broadway and C Street, the House is mere blocks away from another very similar venue, 4th and B. A convenient parking lot for both venues is located at 3rd and A St. The lot costs 10-12 dollars on different nights.

The venue has two levels: the downstairs is a large, open area with the stage in front and a bar in the back, and the upstairs balcony has seating for about 100 people and a bar in the back as well. The seating area is often at least partly reserved, and I would say that the House of Blues is more recommended for those who wish to be more interactive with their other concert goers than those who like to sit and enjoy a show.

On 21 and up nights, both bars are open and those who wish to drink have free reign of both levels. For security at all ages shows, the downstairs bar offers water and snacks, and alcohol is not allowed outside of the upstairs balcony area where you may only gain access with ID. Therefore, parents who may be reluctant to send their teenagers can rest easy that they can’t abuse any alcohol.

The architecture of the building in the House of Blues allows that no matter where you are standing, you have a pretty good view of the majority of the stage. The main draw about this venue is it’s small size. You can’t be standing that far away from the band because the venue is not too big, which allows for a much more intimate eperience with the performers.

The House of Blues restaurant is connected to the venue with an entrance around the block. The menu offers a variety of different lunch and dinner specialties, and when you are done eating, you can walk through the building to your concert.

Overall, the House of Blues makes for an excellent concert-going experience, far exceeding several other local alternatives. Los Lobos, Reel Big Fish, Disturbed, and the Dead Kennedys are some of the perfomers visiting the House soon. To check out the House of Blues, or for any ticket information, visit www.hob.com, or call 619.299.BLUE.

With family coming to visit, the search for time
consuming activities began. A solid recommendation
pointed us towards Temecula wine country, and one
bright autumn day that’s exactly where we went.
Some less-than-thorough web research had uncovered
little more than promotional literature on the bounty
offered in Temecula, so our destiny was left to
signage and the pull of a hunch. This didn’t work out
too well the first two stops (but a bachelor would
have been happy to stumble across the bride’s maids
day out), but after some forgettable lunch we
regrouped and found our way to Thornton Winery.
Situated on a picturesque, rambling estate, Thornton
sure looks the part. By now the late afternoon sun was
casting a rich, golden light across the valley and we
found ourselves amongst some fellow wine tasters.
While a friendly host talked us through our tasting,
which featured more winners than losers, as well as
plenty of laughs, we had a chance to learn more about
the winery.
As is too common, the looks of Thornton Winery were
deceiving. The ample, rolling hills and perfectly
spaced grape vines are nothing but show; the winery
buys its grapes from growers all over California. This
fact did little to interfere with the colorful flavors
of their wines, but did subtract from the overall
appreciation factor.
Having returned from Temecula’s wine country, I was
blessed with fond memories of exploring San Diego with
family, a few bottles of local wine, and a full set of
cheesy wine glasses. What more can you expect from an
afternoon?