I equipped Sampson with a red blinking light so that I could find him if I let him off leash, but none of us thought to actually bring a flashlight, based on our expectation of the brightness of the moon. This actually would have been a perfectly reasonable plan, but we walked up the mountain around dusk when the moon had not quite risen high enough to be lighting our path as well as we would have liked. I ended up putting Sampson’s light on the solid red setting and letting him lead us up the path. We took to calling him Rudolph, much to the amusement of passing hikers on their way down.

We made it up in less than an hour, with only a few minor stumbles and everyone managing to stay on their feet, despite some hikers sliding down slippery parts in front of us. We met up with our friends who had started out earlier in the evening and enjoyed a little picnic and the contents of our nalgenes (water only of course!) on the top. For awhile it felt like a party on the top of the mountain as there were probably close to 50 people hanging around the summit when we made it up. It was a little disconcerting to me to be on top of a mountain but not feel like I was in the wilderness at all with city lights surrounding us and the chatter of people everywhere. There were fireworks in the distance that looked like they were coming from Mexico and even a man hiking with his six-week old baby!

Not exactly a professional photo from my Iphone, but I promise it was a pretty moon!

Eventually things quieted down, but we also started to cool off so we made our way down. On the way we passed a group of people covered in glow sticks that looked like alien beings having a gathering. The moon was beautiful despite the city lights and by the time we headed down, the brightness of the moon was plenty to light our way and we scampered down the mountain while throwing sticks for Sampson. It was 11:30 by the time we made it back, but a few of us went out for a margarita in honor of it being Cinco De Mayo. Everyone had a great time, and I’ll definitely have to try the hike again, maybe this time in the daylight!

By Chris Erskine: Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Here’s a different way to see Paris: Every Sunday afternoon, thousands of rollerbladers of all skill levels take to the streets with police escorts.  The route changes weekly and is posted here . . . . In 2011, nearly 20% of U.S. flights arrived more than 15 minutes late, Bureau of Transportation Statistics show. In January, Tampa had the best on-time performance of U.S. airports; San Francisco the worst. For all sorts of consumer-related travel stats, click here . . . . It may not be Paris, but San Diego has a steamy past.

Check out a “Brothels, Bites and Booze Tour,” that includes a tour of the Gaslamp Quarter and food and drink samples: (619) 233-8687,www.sodiegotours.com . . . .

The stretch of Highway 1 about 25 miles south of Big Sur has reopened, after crews spent more than a week stabilizing a hillside after slides . . . . Actor Rob Schneider performs at the Orleans Showroom May 11 and 12 in Las Vegas,www.orleanscasino.com . . . . Wynonna, as in Judd, performs at the Cannery Casino May 12www.cannerycasino.com . . . . Favorite tourist spots and fond memories of his boyhood will be on tap in “Late Late Show” host Craig Ferguson’s salute to Scotland the week of May 14 . . . A cruise ship departing from Jamaica rescued 23 Cuban migrants last week after someone aboard spotted their small boat.  Officials on the Oasis of the Seas brought the Cubans aboard and provided them with food, water and medical treatment after alerting the U.S. Coast Guard. The Cubans were turned over to Mexican authorities when the ship arrived in Cozumel . . . . Quote of the day: “Maybe fear is God’s way of saying, ‘Pay attention, this could be fun.’ ”  (Craig Ferguson)

(Originally posted: April 10, 2012, 5:00 a.m.)

Photo by Tim King

Bianca Jaime isn’t your typical San Diego tour guide.

The striking 27-year-old Jaime is of Mexican American decent and grew up in San Diego’s South Bay. After graduating from the University of San Diego, Jaime sought a new side of the city and sprouted roots downtown. While exploring the many emerging districts, including her ‘hood of Little Italy, it didn’t take long for Jaime to recognize an opportunity in the local tourism industry.

There have to be some tourists who are sick of the same routine, right? In 2010, Jaime launched So Diego Tours, a lifestyle tour company designed to help visitors live like locals. After all, it takes a real native to know that San Diego isn’t just surfboards and sunshine. Before the Gaslamp became synonymous with posh nightclubs and sky-high hotels, a more controversial culture controlled Fifth Avenue. In Brothels, Bites and Booze, Jaime unveils the secrets of our city’s past while guests eat and drink their way through Gaslamp restaurants. More themed tours take on wineries and nightclubs.

When she’s not directing tourists to all things cool, Jaime can be found singing burlesque at Syrah, dancing like no one’s watching at Fluxx or yachting across the bay at sunset.

Get to know Bianca Jaime in this week’s Style Profile.

Q: What is your current profession?

A: I am the owner of So Diego Tours; a lifestyle tour company offering unique San Diego experiences to

locals and visitors, alike. Depending on the day, I can be found creating and cultivating relationships with

restaurants, lounges and hotels, or developing customized nights out or sightseeing tours for clients.

Q: Give us the scoop on Rouge! When did you form the group, and what can we expect to see during a live performance?

A: This is a funny story. About a year ago, I posted on Facebook about my love for singing and my desire to sing sexy burlesque at a local bar in the Gaslamp. When a friend saw it, she mentioned it to the owner of Vin de Syrah, and he invited me in to audition for all of the managers. I auditioned the following week, and got the job to sing two days after my audition. After singing for about three months on my own, I really wanted to expand on my current gig. It just so happened that – thanks to Facebook, again – two of my high school choir classmates attended my show. I hadn’t seen them in years! I casually asked them if they still sang, and whether they would be willing to perform with me. They were ecstatic! We started rehearsing that weekend, and within the month, we auditioned as a trio. The rest is history!

Q: What is your ultimate career goal?

A: I would like to get my signature food and wine tasting tours to the point where they are running themselves, and I can go on creating fun monthly tours, custom tours, and international tours. My ultimate dream would be to host a travel TV show that incorporates culture, food, fashion, and entertainment while benefiting each city that I travel to.

Q: What is your life motto for success, at work and at home?

A: I don’t really have a motto, but my dad has always taught me to live by the words PEACE and LOVE. It may sound a bit “Flower Child-like”, but I like it. To have peace is to be in the present moment and have an inner calmness – no matter what happens in the world around me. To love is to exude light and passion for everything that I say, do, and represent.

Q: Who is the most important female role model in your life?

A: My mother is the most important female role in my life. She has taught me how to conduct myself with grace, while standing my ground for what I believe in and what I really want out of life. She is from Mexico, and is the eldest of eight children. She started working at the age of 14, and was one of the main bread earners of her family. She has been the anchor of her family, and continues to be mine. She is my best friend and sister. We even share our clothes!

Q: In what ways do you give back to the San Diego community?

A: I started my tour company for the sake of raising awareness about San Diego’s history, and to shed light to the local establishments. So many people come to San Diego with the idea that we are all sunshine and surf, but we actually have a very interesting history, as well. Since most of my tours involve going to a number of food and drink establishments, I help them market their venues to get more people in their doors. It’s free marketing to them!

Q: How do you approach the art of getting dressed?

A: My outfits always are a reflection of my mood. I can feel feisty, romantic, happy, tough, and professional, and each one of my looks will be completely different from the next. I rarely wear the same outfit twice. I buy a lot of low-priced items that I go through pretty quickly, but when you pair them with a few highpriced items that you keep for a while, the combinations are endless!

Q: From head to toe, what do you feel best wearing?

A: Lately, since it’s been a little chilly, I love wearing G-Star Jeans, my blue boots, a comfy flowy top, and a leather jacket all held together with a headpiece by Jeweliany.

Q: What are your go-to San Diego fashion boutiques?

A: Eden, Haven, Dolcetti, Twirl.

Q: Favorite high-fashion designers of all time?

A: I would have to day Dolce & Gabana. They are sexy, classy and a bit funky.

Q: How do you stay in such great shape? What is your fitness routine?

A: I LOVE to eat, so it’s important for me to stay active. I’ve always loved running on the bay and doing the stairs at the Convention Center. I dance quite a bit with Rouge, and I love to ride my road bike when I get the chance.

Q: San Diego hair salon and stylist you can’t live without?

A: My girl Amber at House of Hair in North Park. I’ve been seeing her since I was 14!!

Q: What must-have items do you carry in your purse?

A: Pink lipstick

Q: No matter how busy you are, you always make time for ____.

A: Reading. It’s my form of meditation, and you can learn so many things! I read everything from blog posts, to magazines, to business books, to novels.

Q: Favorite meal at a San Diego restaurant?

A: Oh dang…this one is hard. I love the burgers at the Glass Door in Little Italy. The view is phenomenal, the burgers are to die for, and the drinks are perfect!

Q: What is your perfect San Diego weekend?

A: My mind changes from week to week, but this is what I’d do this weekend if I had the weekend free. Friday would be to perform at Syrah, have a drink there, then head to Pasha for hookah and champagne. Saturday morning would be to wake up around 9, head out on a bike ride up the 101, stop in Encinitas for lunch, and ride back down to take a nap before heading to a dinner party with friends and then an awesome dance session at FLUXX. Sunday would be brunch with my best friends and/or parents, a stroll in a neighborhood with some sort of outdoor event, and a brief boat ride out on the bay for sunset. The evening would be spent in my PJs reading or watching a movie.

Q: Three unique things we don’t know about you?

A: I love elephants, I get nauseous at the sight of blood, I’m slightly hard-headed

Posted On : 4/6/2012 by Michelle Guerin

A Bolillo Tortas "Sandwich"

Even if it’s usually your favorite night spot, we recommend checking it out in the daylight hours for a whole different experience of the Gaslamp. As the weather starts getting more beautiful and everyone wants to spend as much time as possible outside, hit the streets of the 16 ½ blocks that comprise the Gaslamp Quarter and really soak up San Diego’s history–as well as the sunshine.

Many of the buildings you hardly notice as you walk through the buzzing city at night are more obviously historic in the light of day. Bonus: Lunch prices are often better for the same great food!

One historic building is the Keating Building, built in 1890 by George and Fanny Keating, it is now home to Croce’s Restaurant and Jazz Bar. Though they are known for their live music, they also have fabulous food and will even have a brunch special for Easter with jazz to accompany your dining experience. Or try stopping into some of the Gaslamp Quarter’s newest additions: Cremalose, Bolillo Tortas, and Bite M.e. Trust us, you’ll be glad you did!

There are over 80 restaurants that serve lunch in the Gaslamp Quarter though, so get a map, check out Gaslamp.org, or just wander until you find something that calls to your taste buds!

One of my favorite parts of La Jolla is that it’s such a walkable neighborhood. The scenery is gorgeous, the shops tempting, and the mix of ridiculously-fit housewives, college students, business people, tourists, and those with enough time on their hands to spend hours of their the day at a coffee shop makes for amusing people watching. (One of my favorite spots is Pannikin, but also check out The Living Room for not only coffee, but tea, hookah, beer, wine and tasty desserts) My 10-month old Golden Retriever Sampson, however, cares little for people watching if he is not allowed to sniff them profusely—and would prefer to jump all over them if he had his way.

The Golden One demands multiple daily walks and highly prefers there to be a water element involved. La Jolla’s coastline offers him a piece of doggy heaven. (I’m pretty sure he’d pay more than a few Scooby snacks for the privilege—as do the human residents.) Luckily for me La Jolla is about as heavenly as you can get in human terms as well. The coastline is dramatically beautiful: More rock than sand, with a view of the stunning cliffs of Torrey Pines. You’re sure to catch a glimpse of seals, sea lions, pelicans, and cormorants at almost any time of day if you make your way to La Jolla Cove. (Occasionally you can even see a whale off the coastline, as I was lucky enough to do a few weeks ago as one frolicked much closer to shore than usual.) The people are friendly and you’ll share the view with tourists, locals, and swimmers brave/foolhardy enough to make their daily forays out into the cold waters of the Pacific to really get in touch with the protected sea life in the cove.

Sampson and I like to make our way south from Casa de la Manana (the perhaps strangely named House of Tomorrow) a retirement home for those lucky enough to afford it. We make our way further away from the cove and towards Wind and Sea Beach. The lack of lifeguards and rocky terrain makes dogs a more common occurrence in this area and Sampson always makes a few canine friends along the way. At low tide, he plays on the rocks and dives into the natural pools that form in the reef as the tide goes out.

Surfers ask if he’s a rescue dog when they get stuck among the rocks trying to come in from catching a few waves. There is always someone who needs to borrow him for dog petting time and he soaks up all the attention like a sea sponge and then goes bounding on to the next person looking for more. Today he licked an unsuspecting sunbather’s forehead. Thankfully, she was a dog person… or I assume so as instead of screaming at me to put him on a leash she just laughed and said it was fine. Thank the Sun-god for laid back Californians!

It’s spring so the wildflowers are starting to come bask in the sunshine and make California even more beautiful than usual. I’m impressed with their ability to hold up to the salt-air. Sampson is more interested in the kelp, which he enjoys dragging along until it falls into pieces and then flinging skyward. To each their own I guess. His antics usually brings a few smiles to the bystanders, anyway.

Sometimes I extend our walk away from the beach and meet a few friends at the local “dive bar” of La Jolla/WindanSea: The Shack. Dogs are welcome on the porch, and there’s a fire pit that you can stay warm by as you have a few brews. Many places in La Jolla have dog-friendly dining on the patio—but not all so—check before you bring your four-legged friend along. (La Jolla Brew House even offers a “Yappy Hour” once a month where you can purchase food from the restaurant for your favorite freeloader.)

The Shack actually borrows its name from the palm-covered shack that sits on WindanSea Beach. Three men constructed it in 1946 and today remains a well-loved historical landmark.

No matter where you decide to wander through La Jolla you’re sure to come across beautiful scenery, fine dining, as well as local coffee shops with affordable snacks, and some dog-friendly people so enjoy!

Wine Tasting in the Historic Heart

• An insight to California Wine Country
• 6-9 2oz pours of wine tastings throughout the tour
• Wine pairings with decadent bites
• Historic narrative of Downtown San Diego

2.5-hour walking history tour with WINE and BITES!

$69 – Sundays at 3:00pm

BOOK HERE

As our old friend, Benjamin Franklin has said, “Wine makes daily life easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.”  Wine down your week tasting variations of the Juice of the Gods in San Diego’s Historic Heart!  The Gaslamp Quarter is the entertainment district of San Diego, and we’ve gathered some of our favorite wine establishments in the neighborhood to introduce you to.  What’s better than a cultural wine tasting experience in America’s Finest City?!

The Gaslamp Quarter Wine Stroll will take you to 3 wine bars for a complete evening of history, vino and small bites to enhance your tasting experience.  Your friendly and knowledgeable guide will not only share with you the history of the Gaslamp Quarter’s seedy past, but will also introduce you to the wine history of San Diego and California as a whole!

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Details:

When: Sundays at 3:00pm – 6:00pm

Price: $69 per person

How Long: 2 1/2 – 3 hours

Walking Path: The tour covers about 1-1/4 miles of flat terrain.

What to wear: Comfortable clothing and shoes.  Check weather.

Who:  Guests 21 years of age, or older.

What:  This is an easy stroll in the Historic Heart of San Diego with wine tasting at 3 venues.  We will be stopping for 30-50 minutes at each stop you will be greeted by a wine guru who will explain to you what you are tasting.  Your guide will also be informing you about the history of San Diego and California wine country.

Participating Wine Bars:

Bon Vin: As one of the newest wine bars in the Gaslamp Quarter, this tasting room and retail shop is a nice escape from the bustle of the Gaslamp Quarter.  You’ll be delighted at the selection of antique wines from around the world.

Bacchus: Go under ground into this fascinating tasting room where you will be surprised to see a huge selection of small production wines for sale.  Taste a variety of wines with bites of cheese and crackers.

The Grape: This gem of the Gaslamp Quarter is the perfect place to have a glass with friends or a romantic partner.  The intimate setting makes for a perfect place to converse and enjoy the juice of the Gods.

Vin de Syrah: Heading down the rabbit hole is no longer just a fairytale.  Get lost in the mystical decor as you satisfy your palate to delightful tastes of Syrah, and some…

Where to meet:  Please meet your guide 10 minutes prior to the start of the tour.

Corner of 5th Ave. and L St. under the Gaslamp Quarter sign near the Hard Rock Hotel.

Brothels, Bites and Booze Restaurants:

Bolillo Tortas, Royal India, Rock Bottom Brewery, Tequila 100, Analog Bar, Melting Pot, Krust Pizzeria, Crunchtime Popcorn, Cremolose

Tequila, Tacos and Tombstone Restaurants:

El Fandango, Cafe Coyote, Cosmopolitan Hotel

• Transportation from San Diego
• Wine/Beer Tasting at a local tasting room
• Lunch with original American sodas
• Historic walking tour of Julian
• Check out an original gold mine (tour optional)

$75 per person – 7 hours

Nestled in the Cuyamaca Mountains just an hour east of San Diego is the quaint gold mining town of Julian.  Breath in the fresh scents of pine, apple pies, oak trees, and escape the hustle and bustle of the city.  You may even get to experience SNOW in Southern California on our trip up!

Lunch Stop

Julian Historic Gold Mine

Home-Made Julian Apple Pies

The Quaint Town of Julian

Original Soda Fountain

The drive to Julian will make you forget that you’re in SoCal.  As you pass the farms of Ramona, Santa Ysabel and those in between, you’ll find a new-found appreciating for American country living.  Pass an egg farm, buffalo farm and even a camel dairy farm!  Take a break just down the hill from Julian at a local wine tasting room where you will get to sample wines and beers from local wineries in the area.  Just up the street, you will enjoy some old fashioned sodas and pizza for lunch.

Once in Julian, you will be greeted by a 4th generation local who will give us a brief (but informative!) historical background of the town.  Then it’s off to the gold mine for pictures and an optional tour ($10).  Here, you will see original machines and tools used during the 1870′s, and even get a chance to pan for gold!  After visiting the mine, spend your free time exploring Julian and perusing the various antique shops for the perfect gift.

On the way back down to San Diego, we will stop at one of the more popular Julian apple pie bakeries for a tutorial on how the pies are made and why the town is renowned for their apple pies.  Take a pie home with you, or enjoy a slice of heaven before heading back to San Diego.

Grab delicious baked goods at the Horton Square market downtown. Take in the stunning bayside view while grabbing a glowing bunch of Sunflowers in Coronado. Hit the boardwalk after grabbing some fresh vegetables in Pacific Beach. Buy an amazing and unique pair of earrings in Ocean Beach or grab a gigantic piece of pizza to munch on as you walk up and down the market in Little Italy. The possibilities are endless!

Each farmers’ market offers it’s own treasures and ambiance and as a certified farmers’ market the State of California ensures that the produce is being sold by the grower, is grown in California and meets all California quality standards. So during the holidays you are not only serving the freshest food to your guests, but you are also supporting your local San Diego farmers and businesses!

Luckily for you, here at So Diego Tours, we’re in the business of turning your ordinary party into an extraordinary experience! Have your employees been really good this year, and as practicing Santa, you want to reward them for a job well done? Let us help you impress upon them how much you appreciate their hard work. Or have a group of friends that’s impossible to please? Let us help you cater to their every whim.

Instead of the same old holiday party at the office or even a banquet hall, why not do something entirely unique?! Jump on a party bus headed to the iconic sights of San Diego for a photo opportunity with your company or friends. Sip champagne while you ride in comfort, or do a wine tasting tour. How about a photo shoot with                 everyone in Santa hats and a glass of bubbly by La Jolla Cove to hang on the wall?

We’ll help you plan every detail of your party, down to the last glass of champagne. Have a great idea? We’d love to hear it and make it into a reality. Or have no clue where to start? Call us and we’ll throw out some ideas to get the creative juices flowing and see which direction you’d like to take your personalized holiday party. Don’t worry; we’ll take care of the details. Give us a call soon, so that we can get started planning your best holiday party yet!

No matter what you decide to do to celebrate this season, we at So Diego Tours hope you have a great Holiday and a Happy New Year!