A 1930s gas station in Oceanside has transformed into The Rising Co., a bright, open retail space for more than a dozen San Diego businesses to share as a co-op. The South Coast Highway gem also serves as a community hub for locals to gather and connect—a valuable business model in today’s physically distant world.
“You have your home, you have work, and you’ve got this other place where you come and feel just as comfortable, and connect with in a different way,” says Jessica Vargas, designer and owner of Adobe by Jess Vargas. “We really want this to become everyone’s third home.”
The Rising Co., named for brands that are on the rise, is home to local businesses who share similar values of sustainability, community, and producing artisanal goods. More than half of the businesses are also minority- or women-owned.
Each merchant leases a space and works eight hours a week inside the store, allowing for low overhead costs.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to afford a place to get started in,” Vargas says. “To have that brick-and-mortar for customers to come in and see and touch the product, and have that conversation. You’re able to tell your story in a different way; it takes it to another level.”
The Rising Co. opened its doors last December. Three months later, they closed because of the pandemic. The team quickly developed a website and created hours for pickup and window shopping. Some merchants helped the community by making masks and gift bags for first responders, and they opened their parking lot for free to gyms to hold outdoor classes. They reopened in June.
Ornamental Plant Boutique
“I don’t think my business could have survived if I had been a new business owner with my own lease and possibly employees. I think it would have been devastating in the first year to have all of this happen and try to make it through,” says Janet Shepard, owner of Ornamental Plant Boutique.
The Rising Co. is not only helping support local businesses—it’s also provided a much-needed space for the community during the pandemic. Shepard says, “People who are coming in are like, ‘I want to support you guys because I know you just started. This is such a cool thing; we want to have this in our neighborhood and we want to support you.’”
“We wanted to create a place where we could come with our kids, hang out, and not feel obligated to shop. Get a coffee but be able to stay longer than you can at a normal, indoor coffee shop,” says Julie Rais Ellis, designer and owner of Rais Case. “That was originally part of the plan for that space, and then with the pandemic, it’s shown that is working.”
Elena Gomez is a freelance journalist. Her lifestyle blog, Wander North San Diego, focuses on all things North County.
9 Destinations on the California Coast You Should Visit This Summer
sometimes, even us sun-soaked San Diegans need a getaway of our own. Fortunately, unforgettable experiences are just a short trip away.
It’s hard to think of two words that go together better than summer and vacation. Every summer, visitors flock to San Diego to explore our breathtaking beaches and awesome attractions—and who could blame them?
But sometimes, even us sun-soaked San Diegans need a getaway of our own. Fortunately, unforgettable experiences abound, around the world and in our own backyard.
This guide will help you pick the perfect summer escape. Want even more ideas? Check out the Central Coast’s tourism guide here.
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VENTURA HARBOR VILLAGE
Relax and unwind at Ventura’s seaside Ventura Harbor Village for waterfront treats, fresh seafood, patio dining, coastal shops, artisans, pampering, dive trips, live music, and fun rentals on the water! Walk from Ventura Harbor hotels to scenic beaches, Ventura Harbor Village, and Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center. SEA you SEAside! venturaharborvillage.com
Solvang
SOLVANG
Solvang’s walkable village is brimming with wine tasting rooms and bars, museums, galleries, independently owned shops, and restaurants helmed by Michelin-level chefs. Architecture reminiscent of Northern Europe frames Danish-pastry-filled itineraries. Spot the Little Mermaid, chase windmills, brush up on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales— then live one of your own. What’s your Solvang story? Solvangusa.com
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STAY COOL IN GILROY
The super-splashy Water Oasis in Gilroy Gardens is the coolest place to play in Gilroy—but there’s lots more to see and do in the Garlic Capital of the World. Enjoy wine tasting, outlet shopping, golfing, hiking, and more. Visitgilroy.com
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VENTURA
Ventura is your portal to life-changing adventure. The closest of the five islands of Channel Islands National Park are just a 70-minute boat ride from Ventura Harbor, and they offer the wild glory you’d expect from one of America’s least visited national parks. “The Galapagos of North America”? Better. visitventura.com
Paso Robles
PASO ROBLES
Escape to the majestic vineyards, oak-dotted hills, and small-town charm of Paso Robles. It’s where world-class food and wine meet small-town cowboy charm, and it boasts endless lodging options, from historic inns and luxury resorts to rustic vineyard escapes. Recently named a “must-visit region” by the New York Times. travelpaso.com
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PISMO BEACH
It’s all here waiting for you—a gentle climate, where sand, sun, sea, and sky converge to create the ideal getaway. California’s golden past is alive and well in Pismo Beach. Visit experiencepismobeach.com to book your stay. experiencepismobeach.com
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MONTEREY COUNTY
Escape to an inspiring place with striking coastline, secluded redwood forests, and a culinary scene as diverse as the landscape. Now is the moment to embrace the unexpected adventures and natural beauty of Monterey County. Why wait? Plan your trip and join us here. Seemonterey.com
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SANTA BARBARA
Discover a gentle crescent of California coast where the sea and mountains meet, the sun feels more golden, and the valleys overflow with a bounty of color. Santa Barbara offers exhilarating outdoor adventure, fascinating arts and culture, an incredible variety of local food and wine, and more. santabarbaraca.com
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BUELLTON
#SkipTheBigCities and head to Buellton, nestled in the Sta. Rita Hills wine region, where you’ll also enjoy feeding an ostrich, horseback riding, taking a stroll through the botanic garden, or enjoying the collection at Mendenhall’s Museum of Gasoline Pumps and Petroliana. You’ll find accommodations for all budgets, including “glamping.” discoverbuellton.com
The iconic 1,200-acre preserve’s history dates back more than 150 years, evolving from a scrub-filled plot atop a mesa overlooking what’s now Downtown to an urban oasis—the largest of its kind in the country—filled with an array of museums, attractions, gardens, trails, restaurants, and more. Balboa Park is an epic playground where San Diegans and visitors alike can experience the great outdoors just as easily as they can enjoy a world-class performance or explore groundbreaking discoveries.
Tucked away in the Spanish Colonial Revival-style architecture are 18 diverse museums that allow visitors to spend the day learning about, well, anything. A great place to start is the San Diego History Center. Located in the Casa del Balboa building, the museum tells the story of the city’s past, present, and future through photographs and art, clothing and textiles, and interviews with people who witnessed history-making events firsthand. The San Diego Natural History Museum takes visitors even farther back with interactive exhibitions that show what the region was like up to 75 million years ago.
Blast off on a simulated trip to space at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, then check out artifacts from aviation legends, including the Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart, and Buzz Aldrin. Discover new perspectives revolutionizing the science world, learn about an often overlooked but overutilized utility, and exercise your creativity at the Fleet Science Center.
Calling all theater-lovers, Balboa Park has something for you, too. The San Diego Junior Theatre will present their musical take on beloved children’s book A Bad Case of the Stripes from June 26 through July 12. And laugh, cry, and marvel in awe as the pros of The Old Globe perform Kim’s Convenience, the award-winning comedy that inspired the popular series, from May 15 to June 14.
There’s nowhere else in Balboa Park quite like WorldBeat Cultural Center. The institution celebrates African diaspora and indigenous cultures around the world using art, music, dance, and education. The building, a renovated water tower covered in colorful murals, houses a performing arts center, museum, gift shop, cafe, and outdoor classroom.
If you’d like a side of nature with your culture, Balboa Park has you covered there, too. Stroll through the gardens of the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum, a monument to the relationship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama, Japan. Inspired by traditional Japanese design dating back centuries, the 10-acre respite features a living exhibition that showcases plants native to both cities.
If there seems like a lot going on in Balboa Park, it’s because there is. Let theBalboa Park Cultural Partnership be your guide. The organization is the umbrella for 24 of the park’s institutions and offers an Explorer Pass that allows visitors to access multiple museums for one affordable price. The hardest part is picking where to start.
16 Museums, One Pass
Save on admission to San Diego’s top museums with the Balboa Park Explorer Pass. Explore 16 museums of art, science, history and culture across Balboa Park — all with one affordable pass. Choose the option that fits your pace: the Limited Pass (one day for up to four museums), the Parkwide Pass (seven consecutive days of access to all 16 museums) or the Annual Pass (365 days of unlimited exploring).
Looking for an experience-driven gift? Let the museum lover in your life enjoy their favorite museums all year with a Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass gift voucher.
Bigger experiments, brighter ideas, and boundless curiosity await at the newly reimagined Fleet Science Center. This summer, the Fleet debuts Element 8 Cafe, an expanded theater queuing and concessions space, two new gallery spaces, and, for the first time, a free entrance gallery exploring science in and around San Diego. The transformation marks a new chapter for the Fleet, keeping it a vital, innovative, and accessible science hub for the region. Visitors are invited to explore the experience this summer and connect with the power of science like never before.
Address: 1875 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:FleetScience.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Phone: 619-238-1233
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum
An accredited cultural gem, the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum brings traditional Japanese garden design to life with koi ponds, curving walkways and layers of greenery. Guests explore bonsai trees, streams and peaceful nooks while taking part in exhibits, educational programs and festivals that illuminate Japanese culture. Situated in the heart of Balboa Park, the garden doubles as a meditative retreat and a dynamic gathering place, welcoming visitors to slow their pace and connect more deeply.
Address: 2215 Pan American Road E, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:Niwa.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; last admission at 6 p.m. Phone: 619-232-2721
The Old Globe
A San Diego summer favorite, The Old Globe invites audiences to experience a beloved local tradition in its outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.
This summer, the 2026 Shakespeare Festival presents two thrilling tales of power, passion and romance. Measure for Measure, running June 14 through July 12, 2026, is a riveting story of justice and hypocrisy that asks who holds power, who is punished and what it truly means to be virtuous. Much Ado About Nothing, playing Aug. 2–30, 2026, is a classic rom-com packed with schemes, sparks and laughter as opposites attract. Audiences can enjoy both shows for $44.
Address: 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:TheOldGlobe.org Hours: Box office open Tuesday–Sunday, 1 p.m. to final curtain Phone: Box office, 619-234-5623
San Diego Air & Space Museum
Aviation and space exploration come to life at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. See an airworthy replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, a Gee Bee racer and historic aircraft from World War I, World War II and the Korean and Vietnam eras. Get up close to the Apollo 9 command module — one of only 11 of its kind in the world — along with Mercury and Gemini capsules, Mission Control and space shuttle simulators, and a selfie spot beside a lunar lander on the moon. Running through 2026, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brings oddities from around the world to Balboa Park.
Address: 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:SanDiegoAirAndSpace.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 619-234-8291
San Diego History Center
History belongs to everyone. At the San Diego History Center, two experiences bring that history to life this summer: America at 250 and the Center for Women’s History. America at 250 traces San Diego’s place in 250 years of U.S. history, while summer programs invite children to learn and explore. The Center for Women’s History amplifies the voices of women whose leadership and creativity have shaped our region.
By understanding our past, we build a more vibrant and inclusive community together. These vital educational experiences are only possible through generous community support. Discover your roots, spark meaningful dialogue, and help keep San Diego’s stories alive for future generations.
Address: 1649 El Prado, Suite 3, San Diego, CA 92101 Website: SanDiegoHistory.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday–Sunday Phone: 619-232-6203
San Diego Junior Theatre
Junior Theatre is San Diego’s longest-running youth theatre program, empowering students ages 4 to 18 to explore storytelling, performance, and collaboration in a supportive environment. Through classes, camps, and productions, young artists build confidence, creativity, and lifelong skills onstage and off. Each season features a wide range of opportunities, from introductory experiences to advanced training in acting and musical theatre.
Looking for a summer adventure? Junior Theatre’s Summer Camps deliver dynamic programs for grades K–12, including musical theater intensives, acting academies and immersive JT Studio experiences. It’s a place where imagination truly takes center stage.
Address: 1650 El Prado, Suite 208, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:JuniorTheatre.com Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 619-239-1311
San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat)
This summer, The Nat is talking trash—literally. Their newest exhibition, Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea, features larger‑than‑life marine sculptures made of ocean debris collected from beaches. It invites visitors to explore the impact of plastic pollution and discover ways to take action.
But the experience doesn’t stop at the gallery doors. Friday nights, the exhibition transforms into an ocean-themed “dive bar” during Nat at Night. Select Sundays bring something brand new: a rooftop brunch with sweeping Balboa Park views. Add two new giant-screen films and five floors of nature to explore, and The Nat is shaping up to be one of the season’s must-visit destinations.
Address: 1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 Website: SDNat.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays in summer Phone: 619-232-3821
WorldBeat Cultural Center
The WorldBeat Cultural Center is a nonprofit multidisciplinary cultural organization dedicated to promoting, presenting and preserving Indigenous cultures worldwide through music, art, dance, education, sustainability and community programs. WorldBeat elevates multicultural artists, expands opportunities for cultural enrichment and fosters deeper understanding across traditions. WorldBeat offers a holistic cultural experience that inspires pride, unity, connection and belonging for all ages.
Address: 2100 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101 Website:WorldBeatCenter.org Hours: Classes: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 6–9 p.m. Exhibits and café: Friday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Phone: 619-230-1190
Event Calendar
Throughout 2026: Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
Step into a world of the weird and wonderful at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park. Explore hundreds of bizarre artifacts, interactive displays and unbelievable stories that celebrate the curious and the extraordinary.
Presented in partnership with the San Diego Museum of African American Fine Arts, San Diego’s Lost Neighborhoods uses augmented reality, oral histories, and archival materials to explore communities and residents displaced by redlining, freeway construction, and other discriminatory policies.
Spend a summer night at The Old Globe. The Lowell Davies Festival Theatre stages Measure for Measure (June 14–July 12) and Much Ado About Nothing (Aug. 2–30), offering two unforgettable Shakespeare productions for just $44.
The Old Globe | 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego, CA 92101
June 8–Aug. 7: Theatre Summer Camps
Summer camps at Junior Theatre spark creativity for grades K–12 with hands-on training, musical theatre intensives, acting academies, and JT Studio experiences.
A museum visit turns into a Sunday Funday with the addition of rooftop brunch, featuring mimosas, bloody Marys, and brunch bites from Wolfish by Wolf in the Woods (June 14, August 9) and Hash House a Go Go (July 12).
Nagashi at the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum by floating a lantern to honor loved ones who have passed. Stroll merchant booths, enjoy cultural performances in the Inamori Pavilion, and sample food vendors plus a beer and sake garden in the lower garden.
Explore arts, science, history, and culture in the Balboa Park Cultural District with one convenient, affordable Pass. The Balboa Park Explorer Pass is your ticket to up to 16 museums and endless fun! Purchase your pass at BuyMyExplorer.com.
In the heart of Pacific Beach, bar Ella debuted in 2023 with Executive Chef Brendan Nugent at the helm. Drawing on experience from both coasts, Nugent crafts a sustainable, seasonal menu inspired by his Northeast childhood and master‑gardener grandmother. Expect East Coast classics like lump crab cake, garlic shrimp in Old Bay broth and scratch‑made spaghetti with clams. Nugent’s commitment to using every part of each ingredient keeps waste low and the cooking sustainable. At bar Ella, first‑time guests become family.
Try This!
Lamb Lollipop: 24-hour buttermilk and za’atar marinated lamb, roasted, seared and finished with housemade chermoula.
Giuseppe Annunziata, General Manager; Emiliano Muslija, General Manager; Marcello Avitabile, Executive Pizza Chef; & Joseph Serra, Pizza Manager
At Amalfi Cucina Italiana, dining is a celebration of Italian tradition, hospitality and craftsmanship. General managers Giuseppe Annunziata and Emiliano Muslija have created a welcoming atmosphere where every glass of wine and plate of pasta reflects Italy’s culinary heritage.
Executive chef Marcello Avitabile, a five-time world pizza champion, and pizza chef Joseph Serra bring craftsmanship and soul to every dish through handmade pastas, artisan pizzas and authentic Italian flavors. all.
Try This!
Margherita Pizza: With San Marzona tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, extra virgin olive oil, and prosciutto.
Jeremy Ogorek, Owner & Arturo Aguilar, Chef du Cuisine
At VanMan’s Kitchen, guests can enjoy grass-fed smash burgers, tallow fries, and milkshakes, all prepared with the same the commitment to quality San Diegans have come to expect from VanMan’s soaps and skincare products. That means everything is prepared in-house—and we mean everything, from the ketchup to the mayo to the pickles—and made from organic, natural ingredients. In fact, the fries are cooked in the same high-quality suet tallow that’s used for the company’s skincare products. That’s because when VanMan’s says you shouldn’t put anything on your body you wouldn’t eat, and you shouldn’t eat anything you wouldn’t put on your body, it’s not a cute marketing gimmick. It’s a commitment to always providing customers with the best possible ingredients. Another non-negotiable for VanMan’s Kitchen? Keeping all of this accessible. Expect a welcoming, laidback vibe and price tags that make eating organic food affordable to all.
Try This!
Classic Smash Burger: 100% Grass-fed beef, American cheese, organic lettuce, organic tomato, organic sliced onion, house pickles and burger sauce on a potato bun. Best with a side of tallow fries.
VanMan’s Kitchen
1380 Garnet Avenue, San Diego, California 92109 858-203-3795 | vanmanskitchen.com
