When you visit San Diego, it’s highly likely the weather will be gorgeous. However, the winter months can be notorious for rainy days, so here are a few activities to keep you busy and dry in the event that it does rain during your trip.

Ice Skate. This is a fun and family-oriented activity which will keep everyone out of the rain. There’s an ice skating rink located inside the UTC shopping mall food court. Visit the Ice Town website for public skating hours and prices. Admission starts at $13 for adults and $5 for young children. Perfect for families or those who want a little exercise on a rainy day.

Enjoy a drink at the Top of the Hyatt. While the Top of the Hyatt (a bar located at the top of the Hyatt Hotel tower in downtown) is typically reserved for drop-dead gorgeous sunsets, it can also be a great location to watch the clouds roll in and the rain fall on San Diego. Ideal for couples, small groups of friends, 21+.

Balboa Park Museums. Grab your umbrella, find a close parking spot, and make a dash for the nearest Balboa Park Museum. Forget walking through the park on a rainy day, so be sure to enjoy the many museums located in the park. There’s something for everyone: Natural History Museum, Air & Space Museum, Hall of Champions Sports Museum, and the Museum of Photographic Arts among many others. Visit the Balboa Park website for a full listing, operating hours, and admission prices. Ideal for people of all ages and those seeking inspiration or an educational activity.

Birch Aquarium. Although this aquarium does have a few open areas, there is enough indoor undersea life to keep the little ones out of the rain and occupied for a couple of hours. Visit the website for more information. Perfect for families with small children.

Independent Films. A couple of movie theaters in San Diego offer a great selection of foreign films. La Paloma in Encinitas, Ken Cinemas in Kensington, Hillcrest Cinemas close to downtown, and La Jolla Village Cinemas. Great for people who don’t want to see another ‘ordinary’ Hollywood flick.

For more ideas on money-saving family activities in San Diego as well as a list of the latest bargains and events, visit San Diego Bargain Mama online when planning your trip.

Thanks to Safety Center, Concerro, Balboa Park, Birch Aquarium, and igougo for the photos!

I have been to many wineries around the world and I have to say that some of the most rewarding experiences happen when I come across wineries that are so incredibly unique.

I am talking about wineries that have absolutely no intention of copying anyone; wineries that do what they love and share their passion with the world.

Deer Park Winery, located in Escondido, California, offers precisely that.

And by the way, the word “Escondido” means hidden in Spanish, which is interesting because Deer Park Winery is a bit hidden in the north-eastern part of San Diego County.

The most fascinating thing about Deer Park Winery is that, besides their award-winning wines, they also house an auto museum with a huge collection of vintage convertible cars.

Some sites even claim it’s the largest collection of its kind in the world with about 120 cars. It truly is impressive!

The Vintage Car Collection

This auto museum has three different rooms that are impeccably cleaned and very well maintained.

Two of the most iconic and classic convertible cars you will find in the collection are a 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air and a 1953 Cadillac Eldorado just like the one President Eisenhower rode during his Inauguration Day parade.

But they have quite a few exotic models.

One of the rarest cars in the collection is a 1928 Franklin Airman with a “Spirit of St. Louis” ornament.

Some other exotic models are a 1954 Kaiser Darrin, a tiny 1959 German Messerchmitt, a 1958 Ford Edsel, and a 1953 Nash Healey. And many more…

The museum’s admission fee is $8 but really worth the Americana experience. Besides the cars, they also have a collection of vintage house appliances.

Their Wines

Deer Park Winery is a small family owned and operated winery producing about 1,000 cases per year.

I will recommend their 1996 Zinfandel, which is well balanced, fruity on the nose and a bit oaky.

They also have a 1991 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, a unique dessert wine with hints of dry apricot. This wine pairs well with apple crumble and vanilla ice-cream.

Due to it’s uniqueness as a great travel spot offering great wine, Deer Park Winery is a TravelPlusWine must!

The Point Loma Lighthouse, located on the grounds of the Cabrillo National Monument Park, was built in 1855 and helped guide boats into the San Diego Bay.

A great advantage, which was also a huge drawback, was the fact that it was built 422 feet above sea level. When it was clear it offered great direction to sailors, but on foggy nights the low clouds buried its light. Due to this technicality, its operations only lasted 36 years.

Today, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse is a historical site and a museum. The National Park Service has done a tremendous job refurbishing the interior of the lighthouse just the way it looked in the late 1800’s.

Sit back, relax, and literally watch the world and your worries melt away at The Melting Pot. Their new Gaslamp location is the place to go for relaxing, quality conversation with family and friends.

You can’t beat being at the corner of 5th & E St. in downtown San Diego!

The décor is warm, pleasant, and inviting while still managing to be elegantly modern. If you’re on a date and want a more intimate setting, be sure and ask for a booth for two upstairs on the mezzanine.

The menu is designed to satisfy any and all fondue lovers. Their latest Pacific Islands menu has infused sweet, spice, and fruitiness into the fondue experience.

The best way to approach the menu is to ignore the calories and order all four courses. Start with a cheese fondue, then order a salad, choose your meats & cooking style for the third course, and finish off with a decadent chocolate fondue.

Vegetarians can rest assured there’s always a vegetarian entrée and bouillon on every menu. Just keep in mind there’s only one cooking style available per burner.

The wine list is extensive, mainly featuring the bigger labels from around the world.

We appreciate how their list is set up, ranging from light sparkling wines to dry full intensity reds.

If you’re just beginning to appreciate wine, checking out the wine list is a good educational experience.

Definitely consider the Big Night Out tasting menu which pairs three wines with the main courses.

The unique feature of this particular restaurant is the mezzanine bar area with fondue burners! Check out their amazing Happy Hour and Weekly Specials.

Getting to your travel destination is part of the fun. You can drive, fly, take a train, or go by boat.

But how about getting there by participating in a world-class regatta race?

Last Thursday I had the chance to attend the Kick-Off Party for one of the most popular regatta races in the western hemisphere: the Vallarta 2010 race. This event took place at the San Diego Yacht Club and it was sponsored in part by the Mexico Tourism Board.

The Vallarta Race is an annual competition that started back in 1953. It begins in San Diego, California and ends in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, covering a distance of 1,000 NMs down the coast of Baja California.

This year 12 boats will be competing; eleven of them representing USA and one team representing Mexico on boat Peligroso.

The boats are expected to cross the finish line and arrive in Puerto Vallarta between February 24 and 26, where there will be many celebrations and events. But you can actually follow the competition and track the race boats on real-time by clicking here.

Many people take advantage of this race event to travel to beautiful Puerto Vallarta and enjoy the many attractions of this beach paradise.

What to do in Puerto Vallarta

If you love the outdoors, Vallarta Adventures offers different tours and packages for everyone. From thrilling zip lines at their private canopy reserve to scuba diving, and from swimming with dolphins to exploring colonial villages, Vallarta Adventures is a great place to start exploring Puerto Vallarta and its surroundings.

As a bonus, Vallarta Adventures participates in many programs aimed at preserving the local wildlife and vegetation.

If you love shopping, you can find traditional Mexican arts & crafts, pottery, silver jewelry, beautiful indigenous masks, ceramics & hand-blown glassware, and even contemporary art where you can meet the artists in person at the many different art galleries in town.

When it comes to Mexican gastronomy, Puerto Vallarta has many top restaurants that offer the best in Mexican dishes with the excellent customer service that distinguishes Mexico.

Dance all night to the rhythm of the night or enjoy live music at the heart of town, El Centro. Also known as the Malecón, here you will find all types of bars and restaurants with something for everyone.

Vallarta Wine Fest

For the wine lovers, the 4^th Vallarta Wine Fest will be held on February 22 and last a week.

At the event you can expect all types of cultural and artistic expressions, wine tastings and wine pairings. The event not only promotes wine culture in a fun way, but also promotes Vallarta as a great travel destination.

For more information on Vallarta and other Mexican destinations, please go to www.VisitMexico.com

* Regatta photo courtesy of the San Diego Yacht Club