Over The Line is a form of softball played on sand. The games are played on 50 mini-courts and are limited to 1,200 3-person teams in 9 age-divisions. Unlike in softball, the Batter and Pitcher are on the same team. The Batter stands at Home while the Pitcher stands  in front of The Line, not in the Triangle. Fielders from the other team stand behind The Line, in fair territory. The objective is for the batter to hit the ball into fair territory without a fielder catching it.

Fueled by copious amounts of alcohol, the tournament has gained a reputation for its hedonistic and sexual overtones.  Just check out some of these team names: 50 Easy Virgins, The Camel Toes, Sit On a Happy Face, Long Beach 69ers.  I could go on, but I think you get my point here.  Personally, I just like hearing the names of some of these teams.

Now, I don’t need to tell you (I hope) that this is NOT an event for the kiddies.

Dates:   July 9-10, 16-17
Time:  7:30am – 8:00pm.
Location: East Mission Bay Park (Fiesta Island)
More Info:  http://www.ombac.org/over_the_line/

NOTE:  Admission is free, but guests are asked to observe OTL’s “Five B Rules.”

No Bottles, Babies, Bowser’s (dogs), Birds, Battles (Fights) or Boas (Constrictors).

You will not be allowed to drive onto the island during this event. So, check out the OMBAC site for details on the shuttle services and parking availability.

Bicycle use is limited as well. Bikes are not permitted on the sand near the playing court areas as they can be a “health hazard” for the players and spectators. Please look for the designated bicycle parking areas to lock your bike up.

Please Drink Responsibly.  Please consume alcohol only in the Permit Zone Areas.
Photos courtesy of OMBAC

I few weeks back I gathered with a group of other photographers, and we met under the Ocean Beach Pier for a Saturday Morning Ocean Beach Shootout.  We walked the rocky cliffs and dirt paths along the coast.  The following photos are my best shots.

Click on Photo to Enlarge

Click On Photo To Enlarge

Tickets are available for purchase onsite and online

Prices: $10.00 for Adults, $9.00 for Seniors 60+, $5.00 for Children 3 – 10, Children 2 and under are Free

Season Passes: $20.00 for Adults, $18.00 Seniors 60+, $10.00 for Children 3 – 10

Wagon Rides: $5.00 for Adults, $3.00 for Children 3 – 10

Information Line: (760) 431-0352

Mama Testa

Put Some Mexican In You!!

You can always tell how close you are to authentic Mexican food when you check out the Salsa bar and the most importantly the Guacamole.  When dining at  Americanized Mexican food restaurants…they seem to have a love of sour cream.  Huh?  What is that about?  If that Guacamole isn’t lumpy from fresh avocados, and it is creamy in any way….that’s a sign…you’re getting Americanized Mexican.  They’ve added sour cream.   There are “only” six ingredients that go into prime guacamole: avocado, cilantro, lime, onion, tomatoes, and salt.  And, maybe…maybe a jalapeno or two.  But that’s it.  Well…we were off to a good start because the guacamole was “off the chain”.

My mother ordered the Chicken a L’Suya (2 corn tortillas filled with chicken in green mole sauce); I ordered the Guaca Tacos (3 corn tortillas tacos deep fried and filled with fresh avocado).  They were both served up with refried beans and rice.  We also decided to order up the De Bandera Moreno (5 rolled tacos with shredded beef) as an appetizer.  This was a must try since I love me some rolled tacos.

As the food arrived I realized that I had made a mistake and accidentally had ordered the avocado stuffed tacos by mistake. Enter destiny.  I decided to eat them anyway.  Wow…what a pleasant surprise a mistake can make. They were delicious. In fact everything was delicious.  I had to succumb and admit that Cesar Gonzalez had not embellished his product on TV.   And, those rolled tacos  were simply the best that I have ever had. Ever!

This was the first introduction to what became an 2 week love affair for the remainder of my stay in San Diego. I felt as if I was caught in a hot romance with a Latin lover that I just had to see every day… and I did.  Seriously…I have the extra pounds to prove it.

When you visit Mama Testa you will enjoy authentic, traditional Mexican food.

If you’re ever in San Diego…get your butt up to Hillcrest and Put Some Mexican In You.

Guaca Tacos - Before

Guaca Tacos - After

Mama Testa Taqueria,

1417a University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

619-298-TACO

www.mamatestataqueria.com

Chicano Park founded on April 22, 1970 is home to the country’s largest collection of outdoor murals.

How 2 Get There:

Take Interstate 5 and exit  Cesar E. Chavez Parkway, heading west, then go south on Logan Ave.

Orchid and Butterfly

Today I did a “hometown tourist” day and visited the Botanical Building in Balboa Park.  My intention on going to Balboa Park was to take photos of the arches, bridges, and architecture.  Well…afterwards I ventured over to the Botanical Building.  What an experience!!  I was soooo snap happy with my camera.  No wonder it’s one of the most photographed scenes in Balboa Park and a “must-see” destination in San Diego.

Built for the 1915-16 Exposition, along with the adjacent Lily Pond, the historic building is one of the largest lath structures in the world. The Botanical Building plantings include more than 2,100 permanent plants, featuring fascinating collections of cycads, ferns, orchids, other tropical plants, and palms. The Botanical Building also presents some of the Park’s vibrant seasonal flower displays.

Check out the slideshow below for today’s “Flowers on Parade”.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sunset Cliffs Shoreline Map

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is a 68-acre resource based park stretching along the Pacific Ocean bordering the western edge of Point Loma. The 18-acre linear section of the park lies to the west of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. between Adair and Ladera Streets. The 50-acre hillside section, a designated multiple species conservation area, links to the 640-acre Point Loma Ecological Reserve beginning at the Navy property to the south. The Park’s topography includes intricately carved coastal bluffs, arches and sea caves. It affords inspiring panoramic ocean views. From the cliffs, the California Gray Whale can be seen migrating annually from the Bering Sea to Baja California.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Since then, I’ve lived in a few other cities, and none of them are like San Diego.  As a current ex-pat living in Saudi Arabia, when I come back to San Diego (once or twice a year) to visit family and friends, I’m still amazed.  The mere mention of San Diego, conjures up images, across the world, of beautiful California beaches, the white strips of sand, soaked in sunshine an average of 150 days a year, have been the source of tourist pilgrimage for decades and even a native, such as I, find them hard to resist when I am in town.

On a recent trip to San Diego, I decided to play tourist and actually learn something about my hometown.  What I discovered, less than 3 miles from my favorite mall (Fashion Valley Shopping Mall), was Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, also known as The San Diego Mission (aka The Mission).  Located in the heart of Mission Valley, is California’s first church, founded in 1769 by Padre Junipero Serra.  His influence is seen throughout San Diego; you see it in the name of the baseball team, the San Diego Padres; the main street that runs the entire stretch of the valley is named Friars Road; Serra Mesa, the neighborhood on the north side overlooking Mission Valley.  I started to put together that a lot of places in San Diego are named after these first European settlers.

Once inside, you can tour Father Serra’s house, the church, sit and ponder life in the garden sanctuary, with it’s uneven tiled pathways, lined with wooden benches.  You can almost envision what life might have been like.  The onsite museum displays artifacts belonging to Padre Serra, and the early Native Americans.  You can even participate in the ongoing San Diego Mission Excavation Project.  Being here, you almost forget you’re smack dab in the middle of hustle and bustle.

The mission was relocated to its current site in 1774 in order to be nearer the Indian Villages, a reliable source of water (the San Diego River), and good land for farming.   Prior to this the Mission was located in what is now Presidio Park, home of the Junipero Serra Museum, one of the most familiar landmarks in San Diego. As a major symbol of the city, it stands atop the hill recognized as the site where California began. It was here in 1769 that the Spanish Franciscan missionary, Father Junípero Serra, with a group of soldiers led by Gaspar de Portolá, established Alta California’s first mission and presidio (fort).  The Serra Museum is available for school tours, by appointment only, and does not currently maintain regular visiting hours to the public.  However, that does not mean, you should not visit this location.  Perched up on the top of a hill, at the entrance into “the valley” with views over the bay to the Pacific Ocean.  Once there, it is easy to see why this site was chosen.

So…should you want to get slightly off of the beaten path and take in a little bit of history, check out the Mission San Diego de Alcala and Presidio Park.   And, unlike when you were in school, you can cut the history class short and head to the Mission Beach; which is only 10 minutes away.

Click here to view the embedded video.