San Diego Museum Month 2012

Do you like museums?

If you live near San Diego California, or plan on visiting before the end of February, you can enjoy half-off entry fees at 40 San Diego Museum Council member museums.  Macy's is sponsoring the event this year, and all you have to do is pick up a free pass at any of the fourteen Macy's in the San Diego Area, Temecula and Imperial Valley.

Participating museums include many of the museums in Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, and a myriad of museums throughout the county.

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Fish Taco Ground Zero

Some food is closely identified with specific cities - Philadelphia has it's cheesesteaks, New York has pizza.  For San Diego, it has to be fish tacos.

The history of the fish taco predates the arrival of Europeans in Mexico, and Spanish conquistadors were the first Europeans to experience eating one.

Fast forward to 1983, when Ralph Rubio opened up his first Rubio's restaurant that featured his version of the fish tacos he experienced while on a college break in San Felipe Mexico.  Now every Mexican eatery offers them, and they are the subject of culinary competition at high end restaurants.

Who has the best?  The San Diego Union-Tribune has an article called "Quest for the Fish Taco" that sheds some light on some unique San Diego versions, but the only way to know for sure is to go eat a bunch.  Let us know what you decide.

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Where Are The Best Burgers in San Diego?

Southern California has had a large role in providing the world with the food staple we call the hamburger (or burger for short).  McDonalds, Jack in the Box, Carl's Jr, In-N-Out and Fatburger all started in Southern California, and these are just the most widely known.

New burger chains like The Counter and San Diego's own Burger Lounge show that there is still plenty of demand for new variations, and while the most convenient burger can be found at a burger chain, sometimes the best are found at the truly local burger joints like Hodad's or new food havens like Jayne's Gastropub.

Where can you get the best burger in San Diego?  We've pulled together three "Best Burger" lists for you to sample (yes, go eat there):

• San Diego Union-Tribune - Best burgers in paradise
• San Diego Union-Tribune - The Superdiners on 2011's super burgers
• Yelp - Best hamburger San Diego

Let us know when you're done sampling and want to crown a winner.

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Southern California Activities: Spotlight on Kijubi

Every trip starts the same way:
Where are you going, and what do you want to do?

There are plenty of websites that help you find a place to go and how to get there (here's our list), but what can you do when you're there?  Sure you can find lots of attractions to visit, but what about something outside of the box?  That's where companies like Kijubi come in.

Kijubi is an experience marketplace, where you can find activities and experiences that don't fit in a box, but they can fit into your budget.

Although Kijubi helps you find things to do around the world, we'll focus on Southern California this time.  What could you be doing?  Use our map to find out.

The Guy Fieri Effect: San Diego

Guy Fieri has an effect on people, especially when it comes to food.  He makes food look good, and delicious. And since he does that in front of a large TV audience, people take notice, and want to experience the same food. That's the Guy Fieri effect.

The San Diego Union-Tribune looked into this effect on eight county restaurants Guy visited for his Diners, Drive-ins and Dives show.  The response was so overwhelming that three of the restaurants have opened up second locations, and it's easy to tell when a rerun has been on (hint: they get even more crowded).

Guy is a busy guy these days, what with his Food Network shows, a game show, and his own restaurants too.  But for local restaurant owners his biggest effect is when he comes to town, hungry, and with his sense of wonder for local versions of food.

Want to experience the Guy Fieri effect?  Use our TV Food Show Restaurants map to find the nearest restaurant.

Go San Diego Card

When you want to visit more than one or two attractions in a city, one of the ways to save money is to buy an attraction pass.

Smart Destinations is the premier provider of unlimited admission sightseeing passes in 15 major North American travel destinations from Oahu to New York City. Smart Destinations’ Go City Cards and Explorer Passes offer pre-paid access to over 425 museums, attractions, and tours for one low fixed price.

Go San Diego Card puts 50 parks, museums, and tours onto one ticket. You pay one low price and admission to EVERYTHING is free for the number of days you select. The San Diego Zoo, a whale watch, the Science Center, The Midway, LEGOLAND, and 45 more are all included.

Check out our map to see what the attractions are, and where they are located:

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If you think you'll be spending time in the Los Angeles area, check out our map for the Go Los Angeles Card.
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