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to sharpen your cooking techniques and learn a new recipe or two is to take a cooking class. For the hungry, hungry, hipsters, the urban kitchen Hipcooks, offers a huge variety of ethnic cuisine and tongue-in-cheek classes like the Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina and the My Big Fat Greek Cooking Class, while Harvard Cookin’ Girl, helmed by Harvard MBA Bibi Kasrai weaves storytelling, history and travel into her healthy cooking courses. sandiego.hipcooks.com harvardcookingirl.com
Cinema was one of the first food truck and film gatherings to pop up, and is still jam-packed every summer. Past events include Totally '80s Double Feature Night and The Lost Boys’ 25th Anniversary Special. Grab a blanket and head over to Exposition Park for dinner and a movie with hundreds of other pop culture fans. streetfoodcinema.com
FIND YOUR INNER CHEF WITH COOKING CLASSES: A fun way
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STROLL HUNTINGTON BEACH PIER: At the
center of Huntington Beach’s surf culture, the municipal pier sits on the city’s 3.5-mile shoreline at the end of Main Street. Known to be one of the longest piers on the West Coast, the pier offers ocean lovers a multi-purpose platform. Fishermen and surf spectators frequent the pier, while Ruby’s Diner, located at the end of it, offers locals and tourists a family-friendly environment for food and sunset views. huntingtonbeachca.gov
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STROLL THROUGH A FARMERS MARKET:
43 Spend the Day at Newport Dunes A 110-acre active waterfront resort and marina, Newport Dunes provides a multifaceted environment to enjoy. Located at the entrance to the Back Bay Nature Preserve and the Newport Bay Conservancy, the resort has an RV Park and a mile of beach with a water park and a playground. Sailboat, pedal boat and electric boat rentals are also available. Family entertainment and activities include volleyball, movies on the beach, campfires and more. Enjoy a panoramic view of the Back Bay while sipping on signature cocktails and enjoying fine dining cuisine at the Back Bay Bistro. newportdunes.com
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GET UPSCALE AT THE OC MIX: This swanky
indoor-outdoor shopping destination is located within Costa Mesa’s interior design center, SoCo. Home to locally owned boutiques and specialty food spots, there are a variety of unique venues to peruse. The Portola Coffee Lab is among one of the most popular places to visit— known for their high-quality coffee roasts. Eva’s Trunk and Denim Bar and Lili Claspe Jewelry are a couple of the retail shops that offer unique items, sure to catch your eye. Make sure to come on Saturdays for the farmers market, providing food stands that offer delicious eats like ceviche, sweet and spicy jellies, baked goods and more. shoptheocmix.com
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WATCH A CULT CLASSIC AT CINEMA UNDER THE STARS: If
you’re looking for a twist on the movie-watching experience, head to Mission Hills for Cinema Under The Stars, where they play classic films during the summer/fall seasons. The open-air theater has a 20-foot screen with HD projection and surround sound, zero gravity recliners, loveseat cabanas and a snack bar. topspresents.com
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FILL YOUR TUMMY AT TACO ASYLUM: Does an
olive oil-poached rabbit taco with roasted celery root and pickled mustard seed sound absolutely crazy to you? If it does sound crazy, you should probably check yourself into an asylum— Taco Asylum, that is. Tucked quietly inside The CAMP in Costa Mesa, this asylum lifted the lowly taco out of its street-food origins and into the realm of the creative gourmand. tacoasylum.com
There is no more quintessential California activity than the farmers market, and San Diego has some of the best. The biggest ones, though, are the Hillcrest Farmers Market with its 100 plus vendors and Downtown’s Little Italy Mercato. Both make for the ideal weekend morning grazing on food and shopping for unique wares. hillcrestfarmersmarket.com littleitalysd.com/mercato
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CATCH A SUMMER SHOW AT A LIVE MUSIC VENUE: The Casbah is
practically an old-world institution, having hosted bands like Nirvana and The Smashing Pumpkins in the past. Come here for the history. House of Blues San Diego is part of the famed HOB family, yet the stage is small enough to feel intimate. Come here for literally every type of music. Belly Up is the laidback Solana Beach venue that has live music every night. Come here for the beachy, party atmosphere. bellyup.com casbahmusic.com houseofblues.com/sandiego
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BOOK A STAY AT THE CATAMARAN RESORT HOTEL AND SPA: If you’re visiting San Diego from out of town, you’ve
got a lot of accommodation options—Gaslamp, La Jolla, Del Mar, etc. But may we suggest the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa on Mission Blvd—a kitschy, retro tropical resort that makes you feel like you’re in “Blue Hawaii,” with its own private little stretch of sand in Mission Bay. catamaranresort.com
VENTURE TO LESSER KNOWN BEACHES Step away from the overrun beaches and explore some of the quieter sandy stretches. For the fearless and uninhibited, Black’s Beach is the largest nude beach in the country. No Surf Beach in Point Loma is a lovely little area that has less of a Californian and more of a Northwestern, Portland/Seattle kind of beauty with its jutting cliffs and tide pools. And don’t overlook Marine Street Beach, a quiet and low-key shore that rests between two rock reef points, or Windansea, a stretch of coastline in Bird Rock. sandiego.org/beaches
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SOAK UP THE SUNSET AT SANDY’S BEACH GRILL: A location worthy
of five stars all on its own, Sandy’s offers lovely ocean views 20 feet from the sand and the Huntington Beach Pier. With both indoor and outdoor seating, the restaurant provides a killer sunset happy hour everyday of the week. sandyshb.com
SAUNTER THROUGH THE STREET FOOD CINEMA: Street Food
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GET HIPSTER AT THE LAB: If you’re looking for
a unique alternative to the traditional mall setting, check out The LAB in Costa Mesa for an eclectic mix of fashion and food. The LAB, which stands for “Little American Business,” has an array of retail stores, including Urban Outfitters, thrift shop Buffalo Exchange and Japanese owned and themed clothing and accessory store, Popkiller. For good eats, check out the Gypsy Den for healthy soups, salads and sandwiches, Habana for Cuban cuisine and Zipangu for sushi. thelab.com
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DROP BY CEDROS DESIGN DISTRICT: If
Etsy were brought to life, it would probably look a lot like the Cedros Avenue Design District. Walking through the two and a half block area in chic Solana Beach is like strolling down a European side street with its quaint charm, enchanting aesthetic and bevy of boutiques, galleries, antique shops and restaurants. Begin your day with brunch at Claire’s on Cedros, and then, hit up Bixby and Ball for that new living room centerpiece. cedrosavenue.com
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DRESS YOUR FEET AT GYM STANDARD: The
former manager of Blends (San Diego’s go-to sneaker shop) and participant in the prestigious design program WK12, Edwin Negado has finally opened up his own shop of impeccably curated goods that somehow all fit together: international zines, cerebral ceramic pieces, locally constructed clothing and accessories, footwear (of course) and even his own line of beanies. gymstandard.com
#47 - PHOTO BY: DHRUMIL DESAI, #50 - PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CATAMARAN RESORT HOTEL AND SPA
SWIMWEAR PROVIDED BY: Next (available at Swimspot) www.swimspot.com, SUNGLASSES PROVIDED BY: Sunglass Hut, www.sunglasshut.com