Summer at the movies

Posted on July 1, 2010 by jenboydsd — 2 Comments
Nighttime box office
Image by Carbon Arc via Flickr

You have choices in San Diego and the way to see a movie is one of them. There are plenty of ways to see a Hollywood flick new and old that isn’t at your local AMC or typical shopping center movie theater.  You may not see the latest and the greatest movie but you may trip on an oldie but goodie or find a new favorite. You can have a unique public experience watching a movie this summer all because of the creative generosity of these following businesses/organizations, here are your options and a few scheduled dates for each venue (see websites for further dates):

The Pearl (Point Loma)- Every Wednesday, The Pearl Hotel and Restaurant bring you “Dive-in Theatre” Movies projected poolside. Showtime is 8pm. See website for details.

July 7- Gold Finger
July 14- Down and Out in Beverly Hills

Stone Brewing Co (Escondido)- Every Wednesday till September Stone Brewing Presents “Stone Movies Late Night” See website for details.

July 7-Labyrinth
July 14-JAWS (With “Commentary” By Rifftrax!)

Cinema Under the Stars (Mission Hills)– This is a great outdoor theater with anti-gravity chairs and some bar seating. This patio venue only holds 62 guests so grab a membership or get there early to buy tickets. See website for details.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday
July 1, 2, 3 4
To Catch a Thief

Thursday & Friday
July 8, 9
To Have And Have Not

Three Penny Cinema (Little Italy)-  The publication “The Reader” Has put together a summer film festival that is hosted in the Reader offices (Friday and Saturdays till July 10th). The first ten people get in for 3 pennies and the rest get in for 3 dollars per movie. There will also be drawings and auction offerings. See website or publication for details.

Friday, July 2-Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the 1939 flick directed by Frank Capra, starring Jimmy Stewart (5:30pm). Peter H. Hunt’s 1776 follows (7:45pm). Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, June Lockhart star in Sergeant York, the 1941 film by Howard Hawks (10:15pm)

Saturday, July 3- John Ford’s 1939 film Young Mr. Lincoln, starring Henry Fonda (7:55pm). Hanks returns to the screen for Saving Private Ryan, directed by Steve Spielberg in 1998 (9:45pm)

Birch North Park Theatre (North Park)- On occasion this theatre will have movies hosted by different organizations. It is a pretty big theatre (seats over 700) and neighbors West Coast Tavern. Notice the historic beauty, it was built in 1928. See website for details and info.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Presented by FilmOut San Diego
Wednesday, July 14- 7:00 PM

You can also try to catch a silent movie at Heaven Scent Desserts (They play them at night projected on their wall).

Museum of Photographic Arts (Balboa Park)- This museum houses a movie theatre and has ongoing and special events in this theatre. See website for more details.

First Saturday of the Month    Family Film Day!
Second Thursday of the Month    Mexican Film Classics

San Diego County Library (Various Locations)-Free and usually in the afternoon, various branches will play movies (usually family friendly) in their multimedia rooms. Call local branch for details.

Logan Heights- Friday
Valencia Park/Malcolm X- Tuesday Afternoons
Carmel Valley- Saturday
Mission Valley- Various days
Central- Most Monday Nights and Sunday Afternoons

San Diego Museum of Art’s Screen on the Green (Balboa Park-Starts July 24) This outdoor film fest shows films that compliment their art exhibits. Details are on their website.

Friday, July 23- Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
Presented in conjunction with Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece.

Friday, August 6-The King of Masks (1996)
This award-winning film is presented in collaboration with the San Diego Asian Film Festival, and celebrates the Museum’s renowned collection of Asian Art.

Friday, August 20-Moulin Rouge (1952)
Presented in conjunction with Toulouse-Lautrec’s Paris: Selections from the Baldwin M. Baldwin Collection.

Movies by the Lake (Santee)- Friday Night family films at the lake. Detailed schedule is here.

Drive-ins (South Bay) (Santee)- You will find first run movies and depending on your vehicle you may have a comfortable seat. There are currently 2 operating Drive-ins in San Diego County. See websites for movie times and rules.

La Mesa– Bring the whole family to the La Mesa Municipal Pool on July 16 for our “Dive In Movie” featuring “UP”. Doors to the pool open at 7:30 p.m. and the movie begins at 8:00 p.m. FREE!

On July 30, enjoy “Movie Under the Stars” featuring “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” at La Mesita Park located off Fletcher Parkway at 8858 Dallas Street, La Mesa, 91942. Pre-Show begins at 7:30 pm and the movie starts at 8:00 pm.  Bring your lawn chair or blanket, sit back under the stars, and enjoy a free night out in La Mesa!

Have fun at the movies, hope to see you there!

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Posted in Film Festivals, Movies, San Diego

European Stop #1 – Cafe Chloe

Posted on June 2, 2010 by jenboydsd — 2 Comments

In lieu of my European vacation, here is the first in a series of San Diego Getaways of European inspiration in the form of Gastronomy. Yes, there is a little bit of Paris in San Diego at Cafe Chloe. For those who can not travel abroad this year, you can get a little of bit of Europe right here in San Diego. From the traditional Mocha served in a bowl to the Steak Frites, you will find the traditional French Bistro right at home. Throw in a j’ai voudrais and a merci beaucoup for the full French experience and voila- you have a San Diego Parisian experience.

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Posted in Restaurants

Secret Garden Tour of Old La Jolla

Posted on May 16, 2010 by jenboydsd — 1 Comment

Last Saturday, I experienced the twelfth annual Secret Garden Tour of Old La Jolla. The proceeds of this event benefits the La Jolla Historical Society. This event is held every year in different homes in La Jolla. The catch…the homes are not revealed until the participant picks up their tour information. This makes things exciting and new every year and a treat for those who like to take a peek into history and experience horticulture in a whole new way. Here are some of my favorite pics:

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Posted in La Jolla, Special Events, Wandering

Mamafest- An Evening of Everything Mama

Posted on April 27, 2010 by jenboydsd — 5 Comments

Did you know there is an event in San Diego the Friday before Mother’s Day that moms can  get together to shop, talk, mingle and have a drink for a good cause? Well there is such an event here in San Diego.  For those moms who want to experience the ultimate mom’s night out (without their kids), Mamafest is the place to be. This fun- filled evening will be held at the New Children’s Museum in Downtown San Diego on Friday,  May 7th from 6pm-9pm. This is the perfect weekend to grab your mom or friend and take them out for a night at the museum. This event will feature a marketplace, speaker panels, silent auction, cash bar, your very own swag bag and tons more.  Proceeds will benefit The Postpartum Health Alliance. And I am giving away tickets:  To win a pair of tickets to Mamafest, just comment below on anything about your mom or what being a mom means to you (3 winners will be picked at random on Monday, May 3rd ).

Mamafest Details:
Tickets
$10/advance
$15/door
Friday, May 7th
6:00 — 9:00 p.m.
at the:


200 West Island Avenue
San Diego, California 92101

A special thanks to San Diego Bargain Mama for partnering up with this special event.
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Posted in Museum, San Diego, Special Events

One Bathroom in Legoland

Posted on April 11, 2010 by jenboydsd — 2 Comments

Originally uploaded by TouchedByAnAtheist

The last time I was at Legoland was probably over ten years ago when it first opened. Since then, they have added numerous rides, and made the park a lot larger. Before, I could go through the whole park in a few hours.  Today, I did only half the park in the four hours I was there.  Everything in that park is made out of Legos, I didn’t think they could walk ten feet without seeing a Lego. Legoland isn’t a secret in San Diego but the fact that fascinated me is that there is only one Lego Bathroom built in Miniland. Miniland is a section of the park that is nothing but cities and scenes of cities built out of Legos. I scoured Miniland to find the bathroom but to no avail. Being obsessed with this fact and knowing that the internet is my friend, I found this picture on flickr. I guess the bathroom is located somewhere in the NYC area. Next time you go to Legoland, let me know if you find the Lego bathroom. These little things excite me. I feel so much better now.

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Posted in Carlsbad, Theme Park, Wandering

Carlsbad Flower Fields – Guest Post by Natalie Wardel

Posted on April 7, 2010 by jenboydsd — Leave a comment

I just returned from my second trip to the Carlsbad Flower Fields. I am always amazed at how many San Diego residents have missed out on seeing this treasure!

There is something about walking among fresh blooms that just puts you in the spirit for spring. That’s why I’ve fallen in love with the Flower Fields. The fields boast over 50 acres of  Tecolote® Giant Ranunculus — gorgeous flowers with layers of petals. They actually don’t have any sort of smell, but I swear it smells fragrant, like a light perfume, while walking among the flowers. It may be from the Sweet Pea maze or just a nice ocean breeze. Whatever it is, I am a fan.

The cost of admission is $10, but I found a buy one get one free coupon online (PDF) that cuts the price in half. We were there for about two hours. I feel like it is definitely worth $5, not sure if it is worth $10, though I am very cheap on things like that, just being up front here. It is amazing though. I don’t know why you’d want to do the wagon ride, it is just breathtaking to walk among the flowers.

One fun fact I learned about the Flower Fields this year is that they only harvest about 1 percent of the flowers. They really grow the flowers for the bulbs, which are harvested after the flowers die. Sad! You can purchase a “bunch” of flowers for $5, if you buy three or more, which I did, they are are $4 each. I put them on our table for Easter and around the house afterward. Ranunculas are one of the easies flowers to arrange because of their layers and diversity. They look nice on their own.

The fields are open until Mother’s Day, make sure you check them out to appreciate the amazingness of nature. They are also right behind the Carlsbad outlet mall – and I definitely did make a stop at Banana Republic while I was in the area!

Driving directions to the Flower Fields, from their Web site:

From San Diego:
Head north on Interstate 5 to Palomar Airport Road exit. Head east (right turn) on Palomar Airport Road. Go one block to Paseo Del Norte and turn left. Make an immediate right into our parking lot.
From the Inland Empire and East San Diego County:
Take Interstate 15 to Highway 78 West. Continue on 78 to Interstate 5 South. Take Interstate 5 south to Palomar Airport Road exit. Head east (left turn) on Palomar Airport Road to Paseo Del Norte and turn left. Make an immediate right into our parking lot.
From Los Angeles and Orange County:
Head south on Interstate 5 to Palomar Airport Road exit. Head east (left turn) on Palomar Airport Road to Paseo Del Norte and turn left. Make an immediate right into our parking lot.

About Natalie:

Natalie blogs about where marriage and the craziness of life intersect at The Bobby Pin. She lives with her law-student husband and pug puppy in San Diego – and absolutely loves it. Her favorite part of San Diego is the weather, without question.

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Posted in Carlsbad, Guest Post, Nature, Wandering

The Chula Vista Nature Center

Posted on March 31, 2010 by jenboydsd — Leave a comment

The Chula Vista Nature Center is a little gem in San Diego County. The whole experience is so nice, you park your car in a nearby parking lot, then you hop aboard a MTS Sponsored shuttle bus for a short ride to Center (no cars allowed on the property). While on the bus, the driver talks about the Nature Center and gives a mini-tour including some facts about the animals and things going on at the Center. The whole place is picturesque. There are views of the Coronado Bridge and Downtown San Diego, an estuary and a few trails in an open field for hiking.  If you do go-remember to pack a picnic lunch (they don’t sell food there). The attractions there are diverse but sparse; there are sea turtles, fish, octopus, eels, stingrays you can pet (stingers removed), crabs, spiders, lobsters, native sharks, eagles, owls, other birds and while on the hiking trails, you will see lots of flora, rabbits, lizards and more birds. I probably could hang out all day and listen to the birds. Everyone there is friendly and there are lots of volunteers to answer questions. I am always amazed to see what nature resides in San Diego.


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Posted in San Diego, Wandering

Bob’s Big Boy

Posted on March 19, 2010 by jenboydsd — 3 Comments

Bob's Big Boy and I sharing a moment

Bob’s Big Boy is back in San Diego County!  Nestled in the corner of Parkway Plaza Mall in El Cajon, this Bob’s opened up last month with not much hype.  I discovered that Bob’s was open here while flipping through my weekly Reader (Nice San Diego source/advertising heaven). Shortly after that I tweeted my findings to find other San Diego fans out there (Bob’s sadly is not on twitter). My history with this Big Boy is vast- I grew up going to Big Boy’s with my dad, and is just one of those childhood memories that never has left. The next thing I knew my neighborhood Bob’s was gone and was left without a trace. No more statue of Bob holding his big burger high in the air, no bobbleheads or pie left on the counters.  I was sad, until now.  Last Fall, I took a road trip to Vegas and with my pit-stop in Barstow I rediscovered Bob’s. Bob’s is a diner, but not any ol’ diner Bob’s has the cute boy in the red overalls and those blue eyes that bring me in wanting that bit of nostalgia, the food is not bad either.  The burgers have this sweet salsa sauce that is pretty tasty, fries and rings are average but nothing to write home about.  Since it is a diner and not “fast” food, the prices are higher than places like In-N-Out but an equivalent (but better in my opinion) to IHOP or Denny’s.  Next time I go, I definitely will try their desserts.  Their strawberry pie looked amazing and I am a sucker for ice cream. The banana split looked like a classic.  I will be back to see my Big Boy soon, if not for a meal, to get my sugar high on.

Bob’s Big Boy is located at 415 Parkway Plaza in El Cajon, CA. There is also a location in Temecula.

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Posted in Restaurants, San Diego

Kooza in our own backyard

Posted on February 25, 2010 by jenboydsd — 1 Comment

Peace-loving Stilt Walker with @mrsnatalie, myself and mini-me

Last Night, I had the opportunity to see Kooza, a traveling Cirque du Soleil show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. It was breathtaking, off your seat entertainment. My daughter was my date. I glanced over occasionally to see her big brown eyes glaze in amazement. Like most Cirque shows, Kooza would showcase a spectacular routine then tickle funny bones with a comic relief skit.  It is not everyday that I get to escape my everyday life- What a more perfect way to escape everyday life by watching the circus. Goodness knows, if I can’t join the circus, the next best thing is to watch those who did. Kooza is at the Del Mar Fairgrounds till March 21st.


Disclosure: I did receive tickets to go to this show. Thanks Cirque du Soleil

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Posted in Entertainment, San Diego

Tara Donovan Exhibit at MCASD

Posted on February 16, 2010 by jenboydsd — Leave a comment

Wall of Mylar Tape Rings

On Sunday, I ventured out to MCASD Downtown. I wanted to go see Tara Donovan’s exhibit one last time. Her use everyday objects in her art are phenomenal, she brings out the richness, depth, and texture in HUGE form. The pictures don’t do the exhibit justice, you have to see for yourself.

Some materials that she uses- Scotch Tape, Mylar film/tape, pins, toothpicks, straws, buttons, tar paper, plastic cups, styrofoam cups. The exhibit closes on February 28th. I wonder how they will get all these sculptures out of there in one piece.  MCASD is located in Downtown San Diego right by the Train Station.


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Posted in Museum, Wandering

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