Let’s face it the economy has got a lot of people stuck feeling they cannot afford to walk out their front door, let alone go on vacation, and those who can afford it tend to not have the time due to work pressures. However San Diego and the surrounding areas do provide a great deal of refuge and a lot of adventure if you are willing to explore outside of the box, no pun intended. There is a tendency for GLBT people to stay close to the gayborhood unless they are traveling to another gayborhood. But, before summer concludes have a staycation in your own hometown, as San Diego is a beautiful place to visit…even when you live here!

Over 29,000,000 tourists visited San Diego in 2009, enjoying everything that America’s Finest City has to offer. It would be hard to find another city that boasts as much…… the sunshine, the beaches, the local mountains, and a metropolitan quality that’s second to none.

So pack up, jump in the truck or car and do something that you will remember as making this summer so special. Besides, taking time off from the day to day grind makes you more refreshed and productive at work and really how boring do the bars get after a few weekends. So off we go to some new and exciting places that are right around the corner!

Aqua Adventures offers a Thursday evening social paddle from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. all year round for just $15.00, which includes all kayaking equipment. Whatever your level of skill, all are welcome. Aqua Adventures is a great place to get started for kayaking offering lessons, rentals, local kayak tours and multi-day adventures. Whether this is your first time or you are a discerning pro, they will have something for you. Visit www.aqua-adventures.com or call 619-523-9577. Aqua Adventures is located at 1548 Quivira Way, San Diego.

Take the helm of Stars & Stripes, USA-11, which is a 78 – foot International America’s Cup Class Racing Yacht. The unbelievable power of 3500 square feet of Kevlar sails on one of the fastest mono-hull sailboats in the world, with more than 80% of her weight at the bottom of the keel, is incredible. She slices through the water at an amazing pace. Come and live the dream for yourself! No sailing experience is necessary to be a part of this unique and exciting adventure. For $100.00 per person for 2 - hours, (kids 12 and under sail for half-price) this is the best bargain on San Diego Bay. Visit www.sailusa11.com or call 619-255-4705. Sail USA is located at the Kona Kai Marina on Shelter Island at 1561 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego.

Delight in two and a half hours of cruising throughout 25 scenic miles, viewing San Diego’s wonderful skyline. Included in the dinner cruise are three complete courses, complimentary boarding champagne and DJ entertainment. Boarding is at 7:00 p.m. Cruising is between 7:30 – 10:00 p.m. The dinner package with a no host bar is $66.50 per adult, with a partially hosted bar (2 drinks) $80.50 per adult, with a full hosted bar $88.50 per adult. Children 4-12 years are $37.50 per child. Rates are $5.00 higher on Saturday evenings.

Enjoy the preeminent Brunch experience cruising San Diego Bay for two hours onboard a luxury yacht. Appreciate beautiful views, an exquisite buffet, complimentary champagne, mimosas and live music. Brunch cruises are available on Sundays all year long and on Saturdays starting Memorial Day weekend through to the end of September. Boarding is at 10:30 a.m. Cruising is between 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Brunch package rates are $54.50 per adult with a no host bar. Children 4 – 12 years are $37.50 per child.

A $4.00 Friday Happy Hour cruise is offered on Fridays from June 25 to Labor Day weekend. Enjoy beer, wine and cocktails all for $4.00 per drink. The cruises depart at 4:15 p.m. for a two hour cruise, 4:15 p.m. for a one hour cruise and at 5:30 p.m. for a one hour cruise. The one hour cruise is $20.00 per person and $25.00 per person for the two hour cruise. No reservation is required.

All cruises board at the vessel location at 1050 North Harbor Drive, Broadway Pier, San Diego. Visit www.sdhe.com for more information, or call 619-234-4111.

The ferry departs from the Broadway Pier and from the San Diego Convention Center, offering frequent trips back and forth from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. A one way fare is $3.75 and children under three are free. Bicycles can be brought on board the ferry at no extra charge. Tickets can be purchased at the Broadway Pier, 5th Avenue Landing and at the Coronado Ferry Landing. Visit www.sdhe.com or call 619-234-4111.

This remarkable place is home to the nation’s rarest pine tree, the Pinus torreyanna, which only grows here and on the coast near Santa Barbara. The scenery is breath taking, as the cliffs overlook the deep blue Pacific below, the rare and elegant pine trees are everywhere, natural wild flowers and brush grows naturally along the earth’s contours. Torrey Pines remains one of the wildest stretches of land on the Southern California coast, encompassing 2,000 acres as they were before San Diego was developed. It offers a variety of dirt hiking trails that vary in distance and difficulty. The only fee is for parking which is $10.00 per car; seniors (62+) are $9.00 per car. There is a visitor’s center which is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. Torrey Pines is open daily at 8:00 a.m. and closing time is approximately at sunset. It is located between La Jolla and Del Mar, along the 101 at 12600 North Torrey Pines Road, San Diego. Visit www.torreypine.org or call 858-755-2063.

It is located at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula in San Diego. It commemorates the landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. This event marked the first time that a European expedition had set foot on what later became the west coast of the United States.

The park offers a fantastic view of San Diego’s harbor and skyline, as well as Coronado and Naval Air Station North Island. On clear days, a wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Tijuana, and Mexico’s Coronado Islands are also visible.

At the highest point of the park stands the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, which has been a San Diego icon since 1854. The lighthouse was closed in 1891, and a new one opened at a lower elevation, because fog and low clouds often obscured the light at its location 129 meters (422 feet) above sea level. Visitors may enter the lighthouse and view some of the living areas there.

Cabrillo National Monument is open 365 days a year, including all weekends and holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For security purposes, the entrance station closes at 4:30 p.m., the main gate into Cabrillo National Monument is closed at 4:45 p.m., and all visitors must exit the park by 5:00 p.m. Entrance fees are $5.00 per vehicle or $3.00 for walk-ins, bicycles or motorcycles.

The Cabrillo National Monument is located at 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive

San Diego, CA 92106-3601. For information please call (619) 557-5450.

How long is it since you went to the beach? Probably ages! San Diego offers some of the finest beaches in Southern California, and now’s the time to enjoy them. Swim, surf boogie board, sunbathe and just enjoy. Then when the sun goes down gather round the fire pit.

There’s nothing like sitting round a beach bonfire on a balmy San Diego night with a group of friends. Many of San Diego’s beaches have fire pits, where you can enjoy a beach bonfire. Make sure you grab your fire pit early as the best locations get taken fast. Bring a picnic and enjoy. Please make sure you only burn regular firewood with no nails!

Also Blacks Beach offers hiking down beautiful cliffs and offers the only nudist beach in San Diego and a hang glide port.

Five-hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the California Desert. Visit for a day or go camping, enjoy the breathtaking scenery and feel truly refreshed and rejuvenated. The park is named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish name borrego, or bighorn sheep. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunner, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer and bighorn sheep as well as iguanas, chuckwallas and the red diamond rattlesnake.

The Park is located on the eastern side of San Diego County, with portions extending east into Imperial County and north into Riverside County. It is about a two-hour drive from San Diego, Riverside, and Palm Springs.

The day entry fee for the Park is $8.00 per vehicle. Camping fees apply and for more information and camping reservations call 1-800-444-PARK (7275) or visit www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638

Standing 6,000 feet above sea level, Mount Laguna is a pristine forest of pine and oak.

The mountain is the perfect playground for hiking, mountain biking, camping, family activities, star gazing, or just relaxing.

The hamlet sits at the high point of a scenic drive on Sunrise Highway from Interstate 8 to Highway 79. Mount Laguna consists of a small general store, rustic lodge and cabins, local restaurant, rural post office, and campgrounds adjacent to the Pacific Crest Trail. The Laguna Mountain Recreation Area surrounds the village, and the visitor’s center for the pine-covered area is located here.

For more information and reservations at Mount Laguna Lodge call 619-473-8533 or visit www.lagunamountain.com/

The museum, presenting works across all media created since 1950, is located in the heart of downtown San Diego and in the coastal community of La Jolla; MCASD provides an unprecedented variety of exhibition spaces and experiences for the community, showcasing an internationally recognized collection and a dynamic schedule of exhibitions and public programs.

MCASD La Jolla is located at:

700 Prospect Street

La Jolla, CA 92037-4291

Phone: 858 454 3541

Hours 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Thursday through Tuesday 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM Third Thursday of the Month Closed Wednesday

MCASD Downtown is located at:

1100 & 1001 Kettner Boulevard

(between Broadway and B Street)

San Diego, CA 92101

858 454 3541

Regular Hours 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Thursday through Tuesday 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM Third Thursday of the Month

Closed Wednesday

Admission

General Admission $10

Military/Seniors $5*

Students 26 and over (with ID) $5

25 and under Free (with ID)

MCASD Members Free

Admission is valid for 7 days at all MCASD locations.

Similar in style to “Whose Line is it anyway,” the National Comedy Theatre is a high octane comedy show featuring New York’s best improv comedians performing a series of games and scenes all based on audience suggestions.

The audience picks the games, helps call the fouls, and ultimately decides which team is the evening’s winner. And it’s CLEAN!

It is hilarious and well worth a visit. For more information, call us at 619.295.4999 or email us at: sandiego@nationalcomedy.com

Humphreys Concerts by the Bay is located between Humphreys Restaurant and Humphreys Half Moon Inn. The 1,400 seat outdoor theatre, ideally situated on San Diego Bay, has been presenting a wide variety of major attractions since 1982. Generally running from May through October, Humphreys Concerts covers the total spectrum of entertainment from rock and jazz to comedy, blues, folk and international music.

Upcoming artists in August include: Joan Baez, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Meat Loaf, Crowded House, Bill Maher and Three Dog Night. For a full list just paste this link into your search engine:

www.ticketmaster.com/venue/81964/?search_redirect=humphreys%20concerts&tmlink=tm_header_search

Directions Interstate 5 (South) to Rosecrans exit. Follow Rosecrans (heading West) to Shelter Island Drive (about 5 miles). Left on Shelter Island Drive. Humphreys Half Moon Inn & Suites is on the right side. Park in lot between Humphreys Half Moon Inn and Humphreys Restaurant.

Parking is available at Humphreys for $10. Free public parking lots are located nearby on Shelter Island. Valet parking is available for the restaurant only.

Tickets: All seats are reserved. Tickets are required for all ages, including children and infants. Regular concert tickets, Dinner Show Packages and Premium Show Packages are available for each show. Regular show tickets and Dinner Show Packages can be purchased at Humphreys Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, charged by phone at (800) 745-3000 or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com. Premium Packages cannot be purchased at Ticketmaster outlets. They are available at Humphreys, on-line and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

If you are looking for luxury and to be pampered at a reasonable price look no further. With all types of activities like golf, swimming, working out, playing tennis, riding bikes, organic baking classes, surf camps, sail boating, wave runners, a private 80 slip and much more. They even offer a serenading gondolier, romantic cruises, a zen retreat and miles of sandy beaches. Loews is located at 400 Coronado Bay Road in Coronado. For more information call 619-424-4000 or visit their website at www.loewshotels.com.

Well, there are just a few suggestions on how to enjoy your staycation in San Diego. Living in America’s Finest City is truly a blessing to be enjoyed every day and I’m sure you will delight in finding your own perfect restaurant, beach or spot. One thing for sure you are spoiled for choices. For lots more visit http://www.sandiego.org/nav/Visitors

but most importantly, just enjoy our beautiful city and county.