1. Golden Door
City: San Marcos, CA
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (760) 744-5777, (800) 424-0777
Address: 777 Deer Springs Road
Description: Town & Country magazine pretty well sums up this spa: “The Golden Door is everything everyone has always said it is—and much, much more.”The Golden Door has been rated as America’s number one spa by numerous spa guides and travel books. If you need some extra TLC and can afford the exclusive pampering, then pick up the phone and reserve your spot now at about $7,995 a week.Packing for a stay at the Golden Door is simple because the spa provides everything. It suggests you bring personal basics (like toothbrush, aerobic and hiking shoes, swimsuit, and undergarments); the rest will be waiting for you.Nestled in 350 acres, including orchards and gardens, the Golden Door provides plenty of room for hiking and other outdoor activities. The formal landscaping here was designed by the famed Takendo Arii. Among the resort’s features are three guest lounges, a dining room, indoor and outdoor exercise studios, the Dragon Tree Gym, swimming pools, tennis courts, and plenty of graduated walking trails. Activities are geared to individual guests’ requests according to their level of fitness, which is evaluated along with their range of motion, as staff create one-on-one fitness plans. There’s also a customized take-home training program.The Beauty Court is where you’ll find steam rooms, saunas, showers, Swiss hoses, a fan-shape therapy pool, and sequestered rooms for body scrubs and lulling herbal wraps. There are fitness classes, too, taught by well-qualified instructors. These are small classes (only 39 guests attend the spa each week, and staff outnumber guests four to one), so everyone receives plenty of attention. The clientele include movers and shakers from around the planet and those you see on the big and little screen. In other words, the Golden Door is an exclusive hangout.For most of the year, this is a women-only spa, though there are coed and men’s weeks. There are also weeks for parents and young adults, who are charged half the parent’s rate. The menu is gourmet and healthful, providing innovative cuisine that’s low in sugar, sodium, and cholesterol yet rich in fiber and good taste. Evening programs might range from cooking demonstrations to lectures.
2. California State University At San Marcos
City: San Marcos, CA
Category: Education
Telephone: (760) 750-4000
Address: 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road
Description: The new kid on the block in San Diego County, CSUSM first welcomed students in the fall of 1990 as the 20th campus in the California State University system. Nestled in the foothills of North County Inland, the 300-acre campus is home to some 7,500 students who attend one of three colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, and Education. The university is growing rapidly—by design. Enrollment is expected to surpass 18,000 by the year 2020.CSUSM offers 20 bachelor’s degrees, 13 teacher-credential programs, and 8 master’s degree programs. Of the 210 faculty members (tenured and tenure-track), the vast majority have a Ph.D. The university is just starting to field some athletic teams, beginning with track and field, cross-country, and golf for men and women.
3. Palomar Community College
City: San Marcos, CA
Category: Education
Telephone: (760) 744-1150
Address: 1140 West Mission Road
Description: Serving North County Inland, Palomar’s 200-acre San Marcos campus houses up-to-date classroom and laboratory facilities, the largest research library in North County, a planetarium, athletic playing fields, the Boehm Art Gallery, the 400-seat Brubeck Theatre, a wellness/fitness center, and a 45-acre arboretum. In addition to its phenomenal facilities, Palomar was named by the Community College Journal as one of three flagship community colleges in the United States for its emphasis on learning.More than 26,200 students (mostly part-time) take classes at the main campus and at eight education centers throughout North County. Distance learning is available through Internet and TV courses. Students may choose from more than 250 associate’s degree and certificate programs as a prelude to transfer or for vocational preparation. Palomar also offers foreign-language immersion programs and travel/study abroad.
4. The Boulevard
City: San Marcos, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (760) 510-0004
Address: 925 West San Marcos Boulevard
Description: Talk about your all-purpose venue: This “music hall and sports grill” morphs into something different each day of the week. Sunday it’s an all-ages reggae club with a $5.00 cover; on Wednesday it’s country; Saturday reinvent the ’80s; and so on. College kids take over on Thursday (no cover with college ID before 11:00 p.m.), but most any night the venue is dominated by the under-30 crowd. The Back Bar, with no cover and a less frenetic atmosphere, invites a more laid-back crowd seven days a week.
5. Club Tropics
City: San Marcos, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (760) 737-9402
Address: 740 Nordahl Road
Description: A hip club with a moderate cover charge, Club Tropics attracts a college-aged crowd and working folks, too. You’ll be bombarded with music from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, from hip-hop to reggae all the way to old school and Latin tunes, and you can dance on multilevel dance floors or belly up to one of five bars. Doors open Wednesday through Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
6. San Marcos Brewery & Grill
City: San Marcos, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (760) 471-0050
Address: 1080 West San Marcos Boulevard
Description: The number of microbrews on tap changes daily, and some Insiders say when the honey-wheat ale is available, get a pitcher because one glass won’t be enough. The food is okay, the service is quick and friendly, but Insiders come for the brew. This microbrewery—which is part of Old California Restaurant Row—draws the afterwork crowd, students from nearby Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College, and families, too.
7. Amf Eagle Bowl
City: San Marcos, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (760) 744-7000
Address: 945 West San Marcos Boulevard
Description: Forty lanes with automatic scoring make AMF Eagle Bowl a modern, up-to-date facility. If you’re looking for something a little different, try Extreme Bowling on Friday and Saturday nights (9:00 and 8:00 p.m. respectively; $5.00 per person). Classic rock ‘n’ roll plays, the house lights go off, and the black lights go on while pins and balls go all glowy and weird. You’ll find a snack bar, lounge, and pro shop on the premises.
8. Woodland Park Aquatic Complex
City: San Marcos, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (760) 744-9000
Address: 671 Woodland Parkway
Description: Operated by the city of San Marcos, this pool has a 50-foot waterslide as well as a water basketball hoop. Admission is $3.00 for residents, $3.50 for non-residents. Call for public swimming hours. The pool is closed during the winter.
9. Brookdale Place Of San Marcos
City: San Marcos, CA
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (760) 471-9904, (877) 977-3800
Address: 1590 West San Marcos Boulevard
Description: Beautifully landscaped grounds and the convenient North County Inland location draw seniors to this community. While most who live at Brookdale Place are independent, the facility also offers assisted-living options—meals, housekeeping, and transportation—as well as staff checks for medication and medical conditions. There is a heated swimming pool, a spa, walking paths, rose gardens, and a putting green. Beach walks, shopping, cultural events, and movies are favorite outings for the active crowd who live here. The complex, with studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments (some facing the courtyard and rose garden), is close to grocery stores and other everyday shopping. Small pets are always welcome.
10. Antique Village
City: San Marcos, CA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (760) 744-8718
Address: 983 Grand Avenue
Description: Antique Village has more than 65 stores, and that makes for excellent shopping. You’ll find everything from unique collectible garden accessories to glassware collectibles here. And if you love oak and vintage furniture, there’s sure to be a piece to tempt you. This store has one of the largest selections of antiques in North County Inland. If you’re looking for something distinctive and adore the country look, head in this direction.