Get ready to explore special places in North County where art fuses with nature in stunning collections, celebrating the Southern California vibe.

San Diego Botanic Garden
An urban oasis of 36 acres, celebrating 10 years
Follow the fragrance of orchids and whispers of butterflies to a world-class botanic garden in Encinitas.  San Diego Botanic Garden is a place to connect with nature on full display.

Wander through awe-inspiring gardens representing desert, Mediterranean, and tropical regions.  visitors can discover nearly 3,500 types of plants, from native California pines to exotic rainforest ferns.  Paths weave among the various gardens, through bamboo groves, an undersea garden of coral-resembling cactuses, and from sun-dappled rare collections to the shade of the Victorian Gazebo near the waterfall.

San Diego Botanic Garden recently unveiled the largest interactive children's garden on the West Coast.  The one-acre Hamilton Children's Garden is a fun zone where the future stewards of Earth can explore the magical outdoors.  Playing is learning and the new garden overflows with joyful, hands-on experiences in themed sections intergrating art, music, and the senses.  In Garden Rhythms, for example, children can tap into their musical talents with natural instruments by shaking the gourds, striking the chords, and gettin' down with nature.

Open 9am - 5pm daily at 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas.  Admission is $12 adults and $6 children (ages 3 - 12).  visit sdbgarden.org for more information or call 760-436-3036.

Queen Califia’s Magical Circle
Sculptures honor California’s mythic and cultural roots, dedicated to children in 2003
Step inside the only American sculpture garden of the late Pop artist, Niki de Saint Phalle, best known for her colorful and voluptuous female sculptures.  In Escondido, 10 larger-than-life sculptures shimmer with the mosaic ornamentation characteristic of her work, drawn from Native American, pre-Columbian, and Mexican art influences.

Enter past the undulating snake wall, leading to a maze of tile and mirrors, and into the inner sanctum.  Queen Califia, legendary ruler of an Amazonian land of riches, triumphs over an eagle throne, surrounded by eight large protective totems.

Saint Phalle incorporated a variety of glasses and polished stones to represent a spectrum of colors and translucency.  Children can touch and climb inside some of the sculptures. The whimsical garden is surrounded by fragrant native California landscaping.

This free sculpture is located in Escondido’s Kit Carson Park at the corner of Bear Valley Parkway and Mary Lane. From Highway 15, exit Via Rancho Parkway.  Closed on rainy days.

Self-Realization Fellowship Temple Meditation Gardens
A botanical sanctuary by the sea, erected in 1937
Turn at the Golden Lotus tower on Highway 101 and enter the two-acre Meditation Gardens.  You can watch crashing waves at the famous surf break called Swami’s, which in Sanskrit means Enlightened.  Swami’s was named in honor of Paramahansa Yogananda, who established the seaside temple and gardens in 1937.

The gardens are enhanced with meandering pathways, koi ponds, and meditation areas in the shade of gnarled trees and lush native and exotic plants.  Koi are Japanese symbols of love and friendship.  The curious fishes resemble ancient Asian paintings with splashes of vibrant hues, like cobalt blue and sunset orange.
 
You may hear a guest burst into spontaneous song, or see bowed heads in reverence.  The gentle garden signage echoes peaceful messages that flowed from Yogananda’s writings, for example: “Cliff areas are fragile. We appeal to all to keep away from the cliff edge...”

The Meditation Gardens are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am - 5pm and Sunday from 11am - 5pm in Encinitas.  Park along K Street, west of Highway 101.

S.S. Moonlight and S.S. Encinitas
A tribute to the seaside culture of Encinitas, built in 1928
Drive by dual boathouses moored on a hill in coastal Encinitas.  Not seaworthy houseboats, actually, these homes were constructed of salvaged wood from two buildings in 1928.  A builder named Miles Kellogg drew from his nautical background to incorporate the recycled wood considered too short for a conventional house frame.  These homes represent the area’s pioneering green construction efforts.  Each boathouse is equipped to “sail away” with a mariner’s wheel in the pilot house, a galley, portholes, cabins, and a rudder.

Located at 726 and 732 Third Street between F and G Streets in Encinitas.  These are private residences recently acquired by the Encinitas Preservation Association. Sorry, no tours.

Mystic wanderings will make one hungry.  Consider dining along Highway 101 or in downtown Escondido, where shopping, sight-seeing, and the culture of both areas rounds out the day.  For more information on each area’s attractions, visit sandiegonorth.com. 

Want to know more?  Click here to check out Lydia Sea's mystical experience in San Diego's north county.  Let her be your local tour guide.