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Be sure to use the Maritime Museum of San Diego discount coupon for $3 Off Admission.

Walk along downtown San Diego’s waterfront, and you’ll see one of the city’s most treasured attractions — the floating Maritime Museum of San Diego, anchored in the bay. The museum is housed in an iconic collection of ships, with the magnificent Star of India, an 1863 iron bark, as the main draw.

The museum’s collection includes the steam ferryboat Berkeley, a B-39 Soviet submarine, an American research submarine the USS Dolphin, and the HMS Surprise (star of “Master and Commander” and “Pirates of the Caribbean 4.”) Most recently, the museum has added the San Salvador, a newly constructed replica of the first European ship to reach America’s West Coast in 1542.

Visitors not only explore the decks of these world-class vessels, but experience firsthand the thrills of sailing on them too. Enjoy a tall-ship adventure aboard the schooner Californian, a traditionally rigged tall ship. Haul a line, man the helm and end your day with a cannon salute. Or enjoy a 45-minute harbor cruise aboard the Pilot, an assistance craft for commercial ships first launched in 1914. If you’re lucky, the boat will take you right under the flight deck of the awe-inspiring aircraft carrier USS Midway nearby. Also enjoy a narrated Swift Boat tour, describing the PCF 816’s role in the U.S., Malta, Vietnam and more.

Aside from these unforgettable tours, Landlubbers shouldn’t miss the museum’s world-renowned research library for members as well as a retail shop with lots of souvenirs, historic and academic books or memorabilia for sale.

Getting married? Having a party? The venue is available for weddings, anniversaries, corporate events, retirement celebrations and children’s pirate-themed birthdays!

Where it’s watching Independence Day fireworks or listening to eerie haunted ship tales, the Maritime Museum of San Diego offers something for everyone. Don’t miss exploring this exciting and memorable attraction. The venue is open year round from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.sdmaritime.org/.

So there I stood, at the southwest tip of the United States, socializing with new friends as we learned about sea creatures inhabiting the tide pools before us. Snails, urchins, abalone, crabs and many species of fish fascinated us as we explored their fragile world. This terrific tidal ecology show was then capped by a golden sunset over the Pacific.

During my visit, I found myself reflecting upon this striking setting. Rich in history and natural beauty, the region’s only national park features views of San Diego’s coastline from 400 feet above the ocean. It also boasts a historic museum, lighthouse, military fort and two-mile hiking trail.

Toting a picnic lunch, I strolled with my group down a pretty, paved path off Cabrillo Memorial Drive, where we were greeted by a national park ranger. Together, we entered the park’s delicate Rocky Intertidal Zone, where leopard sharks darted just below the water’s surface and where tiny hermit crabs clung to the rocks. Also, what resembled bits of rock here and there were actually sea anenomes underneath.

It should be noted that these were not your typical beachy tidepools; instead, the pools exist below rocky shelf-like cliffs, which the ocean reveals at low tide, leaving the pools filled with marine life for viewing. As the tide comes in, the waves crash against the rocks, sending salt spray majestically into the air.

Charmed by the beautiful views of the Coronado Islands to the south and the amber glow of a gorgeous sunset, I was again reminded of the sacredness of this lovely place. I felt like the 16th-century explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo himself, on my own voyage of discovery.

The only thing better was sharing the experience with others. In that spirit, the foundation offers memberships for everyone. Annual memberships include:

BENEFITS
* Annual Cabrillo National Monument Pass*
* Invitations to members-only special evening events, activities and lectures
* 15% Discount at the Cabrillo National Monument Bookstore
* Discounts at Participating Cooperating Association Bookstores located at other National Parks
* Your name listed on cnmf.org
* A Cabrillo Pin
* Monthly Highlights E-Blast, News You Can Use
* *All membership levels of $100.00 or greater may request second Annual Park Pass
* **Lighthouse Members and above receive a private Park tour for six.

OPTIONS
* Supporting $25 *(Active Military, Seniors 62+ and Park Volunteers – No Annual Pass included)
* Monument $40
* Trail Blazer $75
* Tide Pool* $100
* Lighthouse** $500
* Cabrillo Legacy** $1000
For more details, visit the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation at http://www.cnmf.org/mm5/merchant.mvc, e-mail CabrilloNMF@aol.com or call (619) 222-4747.

Savor our September newsletter, filled with Labor Day Weekend events, wine harvest fun, annual festivals, museum exhibits, area dining and much more! https://buff.ly/2PsSdOo

Lotus Thai features authentic Thai cuisine made with the fresh ingredients and spices. Choose from delectable dishes like Islander Fried Rice with shrimp, chicken, cashew nuts and pineapple, Pad-Se-Ew Noodles with tofu broccoli and carrots, Bangkok Beef Salad, Wanton Noodle Soup and many more appetizing items. The restaurant features indoor waterfalls and Buddha statues, adding to the eye-catching decor, creating an elegant dining experience. Daily lunch specials run from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. M-F and include a soup of the day, Thai house salad and spring roll, along with the entrée, starting at $9.95. Also don’t miss Happy Hour Monday all day; Noodle Tuesday — buy one noodle dish and get a second noodle dish for half price; Wines-Day on Wednesdays — all wine bottles are half off; and Thursdays — locals enjoy 15 percent off. Military enjoy 15 percent off anytime. Promotion is dine-in only. lotusthaisd.com

Lotus Thai Restaurant
Downtown: 906 Market St., San Diego (619)-595-0115
Hillcrest: 3761 Sixth Ave., San Diego (619)-299-8272

Experience musical excellence on the largest open-air musical instrument in the world during year-round concerts by the Spreckels Organ Society. No cost admission concerts are held at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park every Sunday at 2:00 p.m., and during the San Diego International Organ Festival every Summer Monday at 7:30 p.m. Seating is outdoors on benches that seat up to 2,500 people. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, seat cushions, shade hats, or sun umbrellas. Music-loving pets and picnics are welcome. Stroll down the Prado to cap off the day. spreckelsorgan.org

Spreckels Organ Society

1549 El Prado, Suite 10, San Diego • (619) 702-8138

If you love schnitzel and strudel, or simply beer from Bavaria, look no further than Kaiserhof Restaurant & Biergarten. At this Ocean Beach family-owned favorite, guests enjoy Old-World ambience blended with authentic, hearty cuisine. Serving everything from homemade Bratwurst to Beef Stroganoff, complete with side orders of sauerkraut and spaetzle, Kaiserhof makes each of its menu items feel like a “haus” specialty. Chicken, seafood and steak entrées round out the menu, along with meals for children under 12. Adults shouldn’t miss trying the best selection of German beers anywhere, including weiss beers and pilsners. Happy Hour in the Biergarten features draft beer specials and an extensive menu. For a fun German experience, get to Kaiserhof.

2253 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., San Diego • (619)-224-0606 • www.kaiserhofrestaurant.com