The inspiring acrobatic work, makes you think twice about the capabilities of the human body and how to maximize your very own physical abilities. You are either left squirming in your chair when watching the contortionist or left in awe watching the balance and grace of a unicycler, amongst this very talented group of artistic acrobatics and performers.

Cirque du Soleil always offers a wonderful touch to their performance with their live music. The singers and musicians are always a delight to watch and most importantly enjoy.  In Kooza, there is an array of music including an eclectic mix of funk, ethnic, and classical music.

Hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the Grand Chapiteau, a purpose built venue, each and every audience member is memorized and taken into this wonderful and artistic world. The curious nature of a child’s imagination is captured nicely by the show’s creator, David Shiner, who has creatively balanced the art of storytelling, acrobatics, and clown humor.

Scheduled:

February 28,2010 to August 15, 2010

Buy it Now/View Ticket Availability for Kooza

Cirque du Soleil Kooza Tickets – look for a bargain

What makes a great city?

This question is important to ask before moving or visiting a new city. What is important for you to have fun? Do you prefer warm weather over cold? Do you like to eat at an exotic fun new restaurant or prefer eating at a big chain restaurant? Do you love the beach or love the mountains?

When many people think of San Diego, they think about the beaches. While San Diego has some of the most beautiful and cleanest beaches in Southern California, you shouldn’t forget there is also more to this county than seen at first sight.

San Diego has a lot to offer its residents. The county is separate into a North, South and East County. Each with its specific flavor to offer people who visit. In the east you have the Mountains, which offers beautiful scenery, Las Vegas type casinos and a lot of outdoorsy type of activities, like hiking, fishing, paragliding and golf to name a few. There is also Julian. Julian a city east of downtown San Diego and holds a lot of little town culture. Known for their apple pies, many people in the area and from the Orange County area take a drive to this little town to purchase a tasty apple pie. The South is where you’ll find Downtown San Diego where the Padres Stadium, Balboa Park, Mission Bay, the world famous San Diego Zoo, the Gaslamp and Seaport Village are located. North County has the Carlsbad Flower Fields and Strawberry Fields for the public to pick themselves once a year and the Wild Animal Park.

To get to point….The best places to live in San Diego?

Poway
Rancho Bernardo
Mt. Carmel
Carlsbad
La Mesa – (Mesa Property Management)
San Marcos
Encinitas

Although, there is a short list. San Diego has a lot offer each unique family coming to the area!

As a way to help you get started with 2010 on the right foot, here are a few brainstormed ideas on how to save additional money this year, leaving more money in your bank.

Common Day-to-Day Ways to Reduce Your Spending:

1) Reduce your Grocery Bill – Coupon Clipping through your local newspaper is great, but there are more convenient ways of gathering coupons.  Try using sites like Coupons.com

2) Reduce your Retail Bill – If you haven’t jumped on the online coupon bandwagon, where have you been?  There are plenty of ways to save  by using sites like Retailmenot.com. Sites like these, display the most current coupon codes to save on things like shipping or give discounts for minimum purchases and help you save quite a bit. You’ll be a different shopper after you start using online coupon codes.

3) Bring a Sacked Lunch –  When you’re at work, stop spending money at restaurants. Make your lunch. You’ll be amazed as to how much you save in just one week. If you feel alienated from friends, try having a competition on who can bring the best home cooked meal.  That way you can all pack a lunch and eat together.  Sounds corny, but try it…it may be fun.

4) Stop Buying Gourmet Coffee – For all gourmet coffee drinkers…You can save a hecka of a lot of money in one week.  Maybe you don’t have to quit cold turkey, but you can reduce the number of times you visit Starbucks or Coffee Bean.  If you must get a daily jolt of caffeine from Starbucks, you can buy Starbucks gift cards at Costco.  You can get $100 worth of Starbuck gift cards for $80.

Uncommon BUT Efficient Ways to Reduce Your Spending:

5) Reduce your Credit Card Interest Rate – Look at your credit card interest rates. Even in this economy, it can’t hurt to call your bank or credit card carrier and see if you can get a reduction in your interest rate, especially if have a good history with them.   If they won’t reduce your rate, research new credit cards that have a low balance transfer. Make sure to read the fine print to see if they will charge an initial fee transfer based on the dollar amount transferred. That’s something you probably don’t want.

6) Research Auto Insurance Costs – When was the last time you’ve done a cost comparison with your auto insurance to see if you’ve got the best deal?   You could be missing out on saving some more money if you ignore car insurance costs. Do your homework. You may be able to get a cheaper plan with the same customer service as your current auto insurance provider.

7) Be Green – Helping the environment can also help out your wallet. Turn off lights in a room that no one is using to save on electricity. Reduce your shower time and reduce how long you water your lawn. Purchase energy-efficient products and recycle your cans and bottles for extra cash.  If you have kids, the kids may love getting the extra cash to put into their piggy banks.

Kids Eat Free – Visit restaurants that have special deals for kids to eat free.   Check out: Mykidseatfree.com  This neat site helps you find places to go at any time during the week (of course low traffic days like Tuesday and Wednesday are the most popular for these types of deals)

9) Search the Internet – See how people like you, are saving money.  Find articles such as “30 Ways to Save Money”.

Good Savings in 2010!

January
Buick Invitation Golf Tournament – Torrey Pines

February
San Diego Restaurant Week (Winter) – Downtown San Diego
Restaurant Week at The Shores – La Jolla Shores
Brazil ‘Carnaval’ 2008 – Downtown San Diego
Cirque du Soleil Corteo – Del Mar
Mardi Gras – Gaslamp
Magic 92.5 Singles Cruise with Hornblower Cruises – Hornblower Cruises
Valentine’s Day at the Shores – La Jolla Shorez
Valentine’s Day at Kelly’s at Town and Country Resort – Mission Valley
Valentine’s Day Dining Cruises on the Bay – Hornblower Cruises

March
Whale Watching Kayak Tours – La Jolla
Haute Dog Couture Fashion Show – Mission Valley
Biosciences Day at the Fleet – Balboa Park
St. Patrick’s Day Parade – Balboa Park/Hillcrest
San Diego Latino Film Festival – Mission Valley
ShamRock St. Patrick’s Day Block Party – Gaslamp
Intimate Whale Watching Tours without the Crowds – Shelter Island
California Half Ironman Triathlon
Kid’s Day Flower Fields – Carlsbad

April
Whale Watching with San Diego Natural History Museum – Hornblower
California Wine Festival – Downtown
Moto X World Championships – Mission Valley/Old Town
Art Alive – Balboa Park/Hillcrest
Family Day at the Maritime Museum & Boat Ride – Downtown
Taste of the Nation – Coronado Bay
Fridays at the Fleet – Weekly IMAX Film Festival in Balboa Park
Fallbrook Avocado Festival – Fallbrook
Art & Crafts Fair – Flower Fields of Carlsbad
Balboa Park Earth Fair – Balboa Park/Hillcrest
Full Moon Dinner Cruises – Hornblower
Annual Lakeside Rodeo & Parade – Lakside
ArtWalk
Orchids at Flower Fields – Carlsbad

May
Old Town Fiesta Cinco de Mayo – Old Town
Carlsbad Spring Village Faire – Carlsbad
Fleet Week – Join our Military for the Parade – Shelter Island
Del Mar National Horse Show
Red Bull Air Race – San Diego Bay
Spring Busker Festival – Seaport Village
Mothers Day Cruise – Hornblower
Mothers Day Sleepover – San Diego Zoo
Flower Fields Ranunculus Tours – Carlsbad
Nature Cruise
BioBlitz – San Diego Natural History Museum

June
Fathers Day Cruise – Bay
San Diego County Fair – Del Mar
Sea World’s Summer Nights – Sea World
The Park at Dark – San Diego Zoo
Father’s Day: Pedal, Paddle & Picnic with Pops – La Jolla
La Jolla Festival of the Arts – La Jolla

July
4th of July – La Jolla Shores
4th of July – Hornblower
San Diego LBGT Pride Celebration – Hillcrest

August
Festival of Sail – Downtown

September
Julian Fall Apple Harvest – Julian
Pacific Islander – Mission Bay

October
Little Italy Precious Festa – Downtown
Borrengo Days Desert Festival – North County Inland

November
San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival – Downtown
Mother Goose Parade – East County
Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival – Mission Valley/Old Town
Holiday of Lights – Del Mar

December
Balboa Park December Nights – Balboa Park/Hillcrest
Festival of Lights – Wild Animal Park
La Jolla Christmas Parade and Holiday Festival – La Jolla

1. Visit Seaport Village on the weekends for free entertainment and hours of leisurely window-shopping.  Or you can sit in the grass and gaze at passing ships or yachts in the San Diego Bay.
2. One of the most beautiful natural settings in the world, visit La Jolla Cove and view the magnificent sunset.
3. Fly a kite in Mission Bay Park which has plenty of grass.    It’s a great place to fly a kite because of the bay breezes.
4. Head to one of San Diego’s beaches, which are free for the puglic to swim, surf and much more.
5. Take a walk through the historic Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego and check out the renovated architecture, art galleries and boutiques.
6. Visit Old Town and check out San Diego’s history by viewing Old Town’s historic buildings, blacksmith shop, Stewart House, Seeley Stables and the oldest schoolhouse in San Diego.
7. Jog or bike through the popular Mission Bay Park’s many trails where joggers share more than 20 miles of scenic running paths that win through shade and sunlight near the shoreline.
8. Park on the first Wednesday of every month in front of Reuben H. Feet Science Center in Balboa Park to stargaze.  The San Diego Astronomy Association sets up huge telescopes to offer guests a great view of the night sky.
9. Enjoy free organ concerts at 2 p.m. on Sundays at the Spreckels Organ Pavillion in Balboa Park which features one of the world’s largest outdoor pipe organs.
10. Check out the apple-town, Julian, and its century-old gold mining town in the Cuyamaca Mountains.  You can pick up a free map at the Chamber of Commerce for a self-guided walking tour of the area’s historic sites.  Make sure to sit down for a slice of homemade apple pie – a Julian specialty.
11. Take a one-hour drive to Mt. Laguna and take an invigorating hike while enjoying the fresh mountain air.
12. Rollerblade, bicycle or skateboard along Mission Beach Boardwalk on a scenic 3-mile boardwalk.
13. Head out to Torrey Pines State Park for a picnic where you can also watch the talented and daring hang-gliders do tricks in the strong winds along the coastline cliffs.
14. Visit the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista for a free tour of the 150-acre facility, including athlete dorms, training fields, tracks and the Otay Lake Reservoir.  Tours are offered daily from Copley Visitor Center between 10am-3pm on Monday-Saturday and 11am-3pm on Sunday.
15. Visit the Mission Tails Regional Park to explore the recreational, historical and cultural aspects of San Diego.  Learn about nature and the people who once lived on the land.  Or roam, the park’s 40 miles of natural and developed hiking trails.
16. Cross the board and visit Tijuana, Mexico.  Entrance is free and the shops offer unique gifts and apparel or make great window-shopping.
17. Go bird watching at Torrey Pines, where there are many thrashers, woodpeckers, wrentits and swifts.
18. Have a beach bonfire on one of the beaches in San Diego County, including Mission Beach, Coronado Beach and La Jolla Shores.
19. Go scuba diving or snorkeling off San Diego‘s shores.  La Jolla Cove offers some of the clearest waters on the California coast and miles of protected underwater preserves.
20. Check out the tidepools in Point Loma at low tide and discover anemones, octopui, spongy deadman’s fingers, shore crabs and many other sea creatures up close and personal.
21. Visit museums that offer free days each month at the Balboa Park while marveling at the beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival architecture.  Free days are with select museums on Tuesdays.
22. At the top of Mt. Soledad in La Jolla is a breaktaking, 360-degree view of San Diego which includes the curvy Mission Bay and La Jolla coastline.
23. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is free on the third Tuesday of each month, the downtown facility is free daily.
24. Take a scenic walk along The Big Bay, San Diego’s “largest attractions”.  Over 27 miles of waterfront feature bayside parks, shops and restaurants, marinas and miles of promenades and bikeways.
25. Visit the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.  The 600,000 acre park is one of the largest state parks in the United States and each spring after rain, gives forth a rainbow of colorful wildflower blossoms.

Consisting of 16 1/2 blocks around Fourth and Fifth Avenues, the historic Gaslamp Quarter has over 100 of the tastiest and finest restaurants, 35 pubs and nightclubs and 100 retail shops, plus art galleries, theaters, offices and residential lofts. At night and especially on weekends, the downtown neighborhood attracts many shoppers, dinners and nightclub patrons. Stroll down 4th and 5th avenues to visit the heart of the Gaslamp District.

Horton Plaza was opened in 1985 and designed to resemble a European marketplace. Owned by Westfield Shopping, the shopping mall occupies sex and one-half blocks in downtown San Diego and has ornate lamps that appear like the original gas lamps used in San Diego at the turn of the century. There are 130 stores and shops including Macy’s and Nordstroms, several restaurants and a multi-screen movie theater.

Website: www.gaslamp.org

San Diego Hotels

In May 2007, the Ivy Hotel opened with 159 luxury rooms and 16 suites, 2 presidential suites and 1 signature suite with 2 levels and a spiral staircase leading to a private poolside cabana. Some nice features include a personal butler on each floor, a night club called Envy (4-level nightclub!), a street-level restaurant seating 180 guests called Quarter Kitchen and Eden, a rooftop terrace and swimming pool. www.theiveyhotel.com

There’s also the modern and boutique-style Keating Hotel which opened in February 2007, the Victorian styled Horton Grand Hotel built in the 1880′s, the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter’s 30 residential style lofts and the restored late-Victorian Gaslamp Plaza Suites, which was San Diego’s first skyscraper built in 1913.

San Diego’s Convention Center is very close to the shopping at Seaport Village, entertainment and great restaurants in the Gaslamp District. The Convention Center is easy walking distance to Petco Park, Seaport Village, Gaslamp Quarter, Horton Plaza, the Marriott Hotel and the majestic Manchester Hyatt.

The Convention Center underwent an expansion in 2001 which doubled the total amount of space and the Sails Pavilion in now glass-enclosed. Events like the International Comic Convention, Auto Show and the Boat Show draw many area residents and out-of-towners to the convention center. There are plenty of San Diego hotels and resorts to choose from, many of which are nearby.

Erected in 1999, the Little Italy street sign stands between India Street and Fir and helps identify the neighborhood that serves as the heart and soul of the Italian American community. India Street is the heart of the neighborhood with outdoor cafes, galleries and specialty shops and Amici Park Park provides a playground and community park.

History of San Diego’s Little Italy

Italians primarily from Italy, Sicily and Genoa were drawn to California because of its climate and geography which is similar to their homeland. Quiet a few of the early arrivals adopted the area around Kettner Boulevard, Columbia, India and State Street as their new home. A natural harbor and year around great climate resulted in San Diego becoming the home base for the pacific tuna fishing fleet. Italian immigrants that didn’t own or work on fishing boats usually started seafood processing plants, seafood marketing businesses or Italian restaurants specializing in seafood. More than forty thousand people were employed directly or indirectly by the tuna industry in the late seventies in San Diego.