The San Diego Traveler

On March 3, the Flower Fields in Carlsbad will be again open to the public, drawing thousands of visitors for the next 8 week (ending May 13th). 
If you’ve never seen 50 acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus, you’ll have to visit to appreciate how breathtaking this display is.  On a sunny day, it’s a great outing for the whole family.  You’ll see: 
50 acres of extraordinary color in bloom on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with a special nursery, garden, and gift shop by Armstrong Garden Centers, and festivals throughout the season
What can we look forward to seeing new this year?

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It’s time to start planning and planting your spring garden, and there’s plenty of help available.  There are nurseries all over San Diego county that can assist you, suggesting plants and vegetation appropriate to our climate and your home terrain.
If you’d like more ongoing help, or just want to share your passion for gardening, how about joining a local garden club, plant society or botanical organization (** noted below with asterisks ** ),  There’s probably one or more right in your own neighborhood:

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If you live in San Diego, there’s a good chance that you have no idea how the city (and county) was named.  Well, San Diego was a real person, but not one who ever lived here.
San Diego (born in 1400) was a Spanish peasant.  He was named after St. James the Apostle the Greater, the Spanish patron saint.  (Diego was a common alternate for Santiago or Saint James;  In Latin, the name translated to Sanctus Didacus).  Santiago joined the Franciscan order, and devoted his life to good works, prayer, and tending to the sick. 

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Winds howled through San Diego during the night, waking me at 4 a.m. from a much needed sleep.  I got up to watch the trees bending and shaking, listening to the wind crying through the canyon and whistling past my house. By daylight it was raining as I drove through Vista, Oceanside, and Carlsbad.  I had the intermittent wipers sometimes on, sometimes  off.  Bright sunlight broke through, and before I could get my Oakleys on, huge drops pounded the windshield in a sudden downpour.  A rainbow interrupted the clouds on the horizon, which I might have missed if I hadn’t had an excited six-year-old in the car.

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This is a guest post by a loyal reader, Brian, who writes a parenting blog about his 3 new kids recently adopted from Ethiopia.  Thanks, Brian!
If my math is correct, there are nine different combinations of freeways to get me home at night.  With the 5, 805, 15, and 125 running north/south, the 78, 56, 52, 8, 94 and 54 running east/west, the 163 running at a diagonal, plus all the side streets, most people have many choices on how to get home each night.  The most direct way can be the fastest, but not always.  Starting today, figuring out which way to …read more

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The California Surf Museum was founded twenty-one years ago, inspired by Architect Stuart Resor’s newspaper ad, inviting anyone interested to attend a planning meeting; thirteen people participated, including George’s  Restaurant owner, Jane Schmauss, the museum’s acting director and co-founder, whom I spoke with today.

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San Diego doesn’t have it’s own holidays, but that doesn’t stop us from celebrating.  Let’s face it, we just love a party!  We borrow many of our holidays from countries around the world, and today, we have a couple to choose from.
Mardi Gras (literally meaning Fat Tuesday)
Tomorrow is the first day of Lent.  Traditionally, Christians give up luxurious food and festivities for the following forty days of Lent.  As it’s practiced today, people often give up something they enjoy, or give the time or money spent doing that to a charity. 
The day before lent (today) is Fat Tuesday.  This has become a day for wild parties …read more

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The first Carnival of Cities has finished and writers from around the world submitted stories about their hometowns.  Please come to see the results, and click to read the stories that interest you most.  If you see something you like, add a comment or click Digg to tell the world about it if you’re inspired.
It was really fun participating, and I’ve loved reading about other places.  If you’d like to write about your hometown, please join in the next Carnival.  This really makes the world a much more interesting and friendlier place.

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As San Diego is celebrating the Chinese New Year, it seems a good time to learn a little more about the traditions surrounding this time of celebration.

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Happy New Year!  春節Today we begin the Year 4705 on the Chinese calendar.  It’s the Year of the Pig (or Boar), and San Diego is celebrating. 

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