The Fourth of July is not only San Diego’s busiest beach day of the year with hundreds of thousands flocking to the shoreline to enjoy a day of sand, sun, and fun. Unfortunately, anyone who’s seen the aftermath also knows that the holiday produces the most trash and litter of any other beach day. Last year, more than 1,000 volunteers collected over 8,000 pounds of trash…yea, 8,000 pounds.  Come on litterbugs!

So,  San Diego County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, in cooperation with Sun Diego Board shops, have stepped up once again to keep our beautiful beaches clean and safe.  They are inviting the public to join them in this year’s “Morning After Mess” beach clean up event, Saturday, July 5 from 8am to 11am. The Morning After Mess cleanup will organize volunteers to assist workers picking up the massive amounts of trash left at six San Diego County beaches from Oceanside to Ocean Beach over the Fourth of July holiday.

The six sites are Ocean Beach Pier, Belmont Park in Mission Beach, PB Drive in Pacific Beach, 15th St/Powerhouse Park in Del Mar, Ponto Beach in South Carlsbad, and the Oceanside Pier.

Pre-registration is requested, especially if you have a group of people, but not required. There is no minimum age, children are welcome.  Check out their website for more information.

San Diego is full of good-old-fashion-summer-fun.  The 27th ANNUAL U.S. OPEN SANDCASTLE COMPETITION in Imperial Beach, California will be held on Sunday July 13, 2008 with professional and amateur sand carving teams competing in the largest sand castle building contest for more than $22,000 in cash prizes. The competition gets underway on the sand from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm — a street festival, live music and entertainment is available all day along Seacoast Drive.  The public can view the sand castles until 4:00 p.m. when the awards are presented.

 On Friday, July 11, the Mayor’s Community Breakfast will be held at 10:00 a.m. and the Sandcastle Ball will take place at 8:00 p.m.  On Saturday July 12, the Imperial Beach Optimist Club will host the Kids’ n Kastles competition from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – family themed activities will take place along Seacoast Drive daytime only.  All events are free to the public, with the exception of the Sandcastle Ball.  Event proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Imperial Beach.  Handicap parking is available.  For more information visit

In San Diego there is never a lack of events on the 4th of July.  Fireworks line the Harbor and bay and numerous other San Diego spots.  What are you doing?  Not sure yet?  Here’s a list of San Diego 4th of July events close to downtown.

North County
Carlsbad
Legoland’s Red, White and Boom
Where: Legoland
1 Lego Drive
When: July 4 Fireworks begin at 9 p.m.
Regular park admission applies, though non-park guests are welcome to view fireworks from the parking lot for $2 after 7 p.m.

Del Mar
County Fair Fourth of July
Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds
2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard
When: Gates to the fair open at 10 a.m. with July 4 fireworks at 9 p.m. Enjoy the food and game booths, a petting zoo, and carnival rides!

Encinitas
Community Celebration
Where: Cottonwood Creek Park
Vulcan Avenue and Encinitas Boulevard
When: July 4, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Come for games, the national anthem, and a pancake breakfast!
Quail Botanical Gardens’ Red, White, and Blue Parade
Where: Quail Botanical Gardens
230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas
When: Parade through the children’s’ garden begins at 10 a.m.

CENTRAL

Coronado
Celebrate the Fourth in Coronado
Where: See the parade along Orange Avenue
When: The annual July 4 Parade begins at 10 a.m. Don’t miss the fireworks from Coronado’s picturesque ferry landing or Glorietta Bay Park at 9 p.m.

La Jolla
La Jolla’s ‘Lights Over the Cove’
Where: Scripps Park, La Jolla Cove
1100 block of Coast Boulevard
When: The July 4 free concert at the sea begins at 7 p.m. Stay for the fireworks at 9 p.m.!

Mission Bay
Independence Day at Sea World
Where: Sea World
500 Sea World Dive
When: July 4 fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m.
Come for all the fun of Sea World and stay for the fireworks show!

Old Town
Old Town State Historic Park’s 1800s Fourth of July Celebration
Where: San Diego Avenue & Twiggs Street
When: July 4 fun goes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Festivities include a pie eating contest, races, egg tosses, and a parade with historical costumes.

San Diego Bay
BBQ on the Berkeley
Where: Maritime Museum of San Diego
1492 N. Harbor Drive
When: July 4 BBQ buffet starts at 7 p.m. and the fireworks on the bay begin at 9 p.m.
Come and enjoy a barbeque buffet on the historic ship! Adult admission is $40, children 10 and under pay $20, and kids four and under are free!

San Diego’s ‘Big Bay’ Fireworks
Where: North San Diego Bay
When: July 4’s 20-minute-long fireworks show begins at 9 p.m. Tune in to radio station Magic 92.5 to hear music and accompaniment to the fireworks!

Seaport Village
Where: 849 W. Harbor Drive
When: See the free Latin World Beat concert from Noon to 4 p.m. but stay for the fireworks off the bay at 9 p.m.!
Midway Museum
Where: 910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego
When: On July 4, the flight deck opens at 6 p.m. for games, booths, and contests and the fireworks off the bay begin at 9 p.m.

Alright, many of us have our ear glued to our cell phones throughout the day, some of our jobs even revolve around it.  Seems we can do everything while talking on them.  Changing, eating, bathing…but after July 1st, driving is out, well kind of.  Many residents across San Diego County are rushing to buy hands-free headsets or speakerphones as the state prepares to take on motormouthed motorists.  Starting July 1, drivers must use a hands-free device while talking on a cell phone or risk getting a minimum $97 fine.  Motorists younger than 18 will be prohibited from using cell phones entirely, hands-free or otherwise, along with pagers, laptops and text-messaging devices.  This should be interesting considering much of that generation seemed to own a cell phone before learning how to ride a bike.  The San Diego Police Department plans to give drivers a 30-day grace period starting July 1,but several other agencies, including the CHP, are preparing to issue tickets from Day One.  Adult drivers can still dial a phone number by hand, but all talking must be via headset or speaker. Under both new laws, handheld emergency calls can still be made to police, fire or medical authorities.  Patrol officers will be allowed to stop motorists just on a phone violation.

Just a friendly reminder:)

Living in the city is a blast.  There is never a dull moment between Padre Games, nightlife and the constant movement that an urban life provides.  Between work and city play many of us city-dwellers may find it necessary for some R-and-R.  Yoga is a great way to slow down, stretch our work-day stagnant muscles and clear the mind.  But man, Yoga can become costly, $25 per class for many studios, and that adds up when you want a daily fix.  Meditation is also a great way to become focused and clear, often a challenge in busy city life, but where and how? Tucked right on the edge of the Gaslamp Quarter and Marina District is a secret place that won’t be secret for long.
The Red Lotus Society is a non-profit organization founded to ‘promote the practice and awareness of meditation for the improvement of mental health and environmental wellbeing.’  They are dedicated to ‘facilitating instruction in the variety of ancient and modern meditation techniques to combat the stress and pressure of modern living, and to encourage more mindful approaches to the social and environmental problems facing the world today.’  

They just opened in a new location at 540 3rd Avenue in downtown San Diego.  Every morning they offer free…yes, free Yoga classes and meditation, as well as many other mindful and mind-clearing activities.  Check out their schedule below.

The Red Lotus Society has numerous outreach programs and even family meditation classes.

They promote the practice and awareness of meditation through Outreach Programs, offering Free Meditation/Yoga Classes at San Diego Public and Private Schools (K-12), San Diego State University, Group Homes for victims of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking, Local Businesses, and Prisons. 

This is a great organization, really involved in the growth of our community, I recommend checking them out.  Visit their website and read about what their mission is, more about their free classes and how you can help.  They are also in the process of completing a tea room and library, a sanctuary in the city, so -to- say.