Getaways: Going With The Guys

Water Sports

Looking for some killer waves? The two-mile stretch along Mission Beach and Pacific Beach offers surf action year-round, from northwest and southwest swells to changing wave shapes with the shifting sandbars. If the surf isn't going your way, try your luck at the Wave House with San Diego’s only FlowRide, a simulated surfing platform with a non-stop wave.

A popular spot for snorkelers, the 6,000-acre marine habitat of the San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park is often referred to as the "jewel of the sea." Located between La Jolla Cove and Torrey Pines State Reserve, the park was the first coastal underwater preserve on the U.S. West Coast and is home to a plethora of marine life.

Kayak along San Diego’s tranquil waters with your friends or with many companies that offer instruction, such Hike Bike Kayak La Jolla and La Jolla Kayak. Just off the coast of La Jolla Shores and La Jolla Cove, kayakers routinely glide over the clear blue waters of the Pacific, paddling up to tidal caves and small inlets, as curious sea lions swim alongside and bright orange Garibaldi dart in and out of the kelp beds below. 

Casinos

Viejas Casino boasts 2,000 slots, more than 90 tables of games like poker, blackjack, Pai Gow and more, an off-track betting facility, 1,500-seat Bingo Pavilion and five delectable restaurants, including The Grove Steakhouse, China Camp and Harvest Buffet.  The 700-seat DreamCatcher showroom features free weekend entertainment and a bar.  Top name bands and entertainers take to the stage during Viejas' annual outdoor Concerts in the Park. 

Harrah’s Rincon Casino and Resort, located in San Diego's North County community of Valley Center, features over 1,600 slot machines and 46 table games, including blackjack, baccarat, Pai Gow poker and more.  The resort offers 653 guestrooms and suites, including 101 suites. It includes a large pool area with a poolside bar, a 900-seat indoor Pavilion entertainment venue with breakaway rooms for meetings, the Oasis Lounge and the lively Spirits bar.  

The Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino is nestled in the hills of the Barona Indian Reservation in Lakeside about a half-hour drive east from downtown San Diego. Visitors to the casino can choose from 2,000 slots, video poker and video keno machines, as well as 70 table games, including blackjack, Super Fun 21, progressive Pai Gow poker and more.  There's also a poker room, off-track betting parlor and bingo hall. 

Adventures

San Diego Prestige offers the ultimate rush of driving the world’s fastest and greatest automobiles. Up to 12 people can experience "The Supercar Tour" that provides the opportunity to drive six different exotic sports cars – the Ferrari F430, the Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari 360 Modena Spyder, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Porsche 997 Turbo and the Lotus Elise – each for up to 30 minutes during a three-hour scenic tour throughout San Diego. Cost is $999 per driver and includes fuel costs, mileage, instruction and road book.

H&M Landing, located on Shelter Island, offers half- to multi-day trips aboard their seven-boat fleet. Boats depart every day, year round, on a regular schedule; chartered, long-range Baja trips and whale watching excursions are also available.  Depending on the season, fishing trips target albacore, tuna and yellowtail in the waters of Southern California and Mexico. 

Strap on your climbing harness and try your luck climbing El Cajon Mountain. Nicknamed "El Cap," El Cajon Mountain sits 3,000 feet above El Cajon and Lakeside in San Diego’s East County and promotes challenging and steep climbs with rewarding panoramic views of the ocean and valleys below. Varied rock formations of walls, ridges, slabs, dihedrals and quarries offer over 25 different routes that climbers can follow or improvise on their upward-bound journey.

Nightlife

The Shout! House, located in downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter, provides great musical energy and comedy with its Dueling Pianos performances, held Tuesday – Saturday nights.  Guests watch with delight as two piano players/singers sit face-to-face at two grand pianos and perform classic rock 'n’ roll hits from the 1950s to the present.

Located in a historic warehouse in downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter, luxury club Stingaree boasts the ultimate blend of high style and excellent service with three stories, floor-to-ceiling waterfalls and translucent floating staircases leading to a rooftop bar retreat.

At Café Sevilla, flamenco dancers keep audiences spellbound on Friday and Saturday nights.  As the crowd moves downstairs to the dance floor, patrons heat things up with spicy salsa moves while the DJ plays Latin disco and hip-hop music. 

The Belly Up Tavern’s acoustics and atmosphere are legendary for bringing the hottest hip-hop, jazz, reggae and world beat stars to San Diego North County’s Solana Beach.