Escondido Outdoor Activities

As he trains his eye on the target's innermost ring, the archer retrieves an arrow from his quiver. He exhales, crooking his fingers around the bowstring and pulling it back until the feathery fletches tickle his cheek. He will only have one shot to win the contest and finally earn his family's respect—but his elbow is off, and his aim will suffer. "Cut!" comes the call from the director, and the cameras stop rolling for a moment as an archery coach enters the scene. She tilts the actor's arm and adjusts his stance so that his form is truer to life, breathing accuracy into the portrayal. When "Action!" sounds, the archer is ready, and the tension achieves new heights.

Sending its nationally certified coaches to such television clients as CSI: Miami and The Discovery Channel is just one way that Archery House spreads an appreciation of the sport. Company leaders Lorinda Cohen and Tara “Robey” Folz—both of whom hold national titles—ally their combined 36 years of archery experience with marketing savvy to plan classes for all ages, promotional events, and athletic counseling. At multiple outdoor ranges, they outfit beginners with the equipment and know-how to pop a balloon at an impressive remove, and challenge advanced archers to do so with a balloon that’s farther away and filled with wasps.

The story of how the game of polo traveled from the hills of northern Persia to the immaculate field at the San Diego Polo Club has taken centuries to unfold. But the fast-paced play of those first games remains in tact during the club’s Sunday matches. World-class and amateur players alike have come from distant countries such as Argentina, New Zealand, and Horseyland to perform for an audience dressed in their Sunday best, sipping cocktails from two full bars and noshing on fare from the bistro, or surveying the scene field-side while tailgating.

Ever the sport of the aristocracy, the San Diego Polo Club provides tips on what to wear to its events. Extra sartorial attention is paid to each summer’s celebrated Opening Day. Those unfamiliar with the rules of polo or the eligibility of centaurs can find a helpful introduction to the sport by clicking here.

What started as a camp founded and staffed by schoolteachers has turned into a year-round surf school for one reason: people love to surf. Today, the school offers everything from lessons for first-timers to professional surf clinics for advanced surfers. Their teaching model focuses on private and small group lessons, which they believe is the quickest and easiest way to learn to ride the waves. And for their graduates, they’ve even created a surf team that is cheered on by countless adoring seagulls.

A stable of equine luminaries awaits riders at Horse Savvy, a full-service showing and sales barn whose knowledgeable instructors also train budding jockeys of all ages. Students learn the fundamentals of riding, safety, and old-timey train heisting during private or group lessons and weeklong summer camps that trot down area trails and incorporate fun games and crafting.

Since the age of 7, Dr. Robert Stonebreaker shared a special affinity with all birds. Wanting to bring people closer to his feathered friends, he lent his passion to Free Flight in 1989, helping evolve the avian boarding-and-breeding center into a sanctuary where visitors could interact with the exotic creatures. Amid open air and emerald palm fronds, guests can let a yellow, orange, and green sun conure perch on their shoulder or pet a timneh grey while trading info on which local convenience store carries the best sunflower seed. The tropical oasis also teems with koi lagoons, where schools of shimmering carp swim under the flaps of eclectus parrots and fluffy white cockatoos soaring through the aviary.

Dr. Stonebraker tragically passed away in 2010, but the team at Free Flight has upheld his tireless work by fostering human-avian relations and furthering visitors' understanding of all birds. The bird keepers also encourage involvement through donation, membership, volunteer opportunities, and most notably, their adopt-a-bird program.

Photographer Daniel Woods can hold his breath for 3.5 minutes, which comes in handy when he has to grab an underwater shot. An avid outdoorsman whose accomplishments include a 22-mile kayaking excursion to Catalina Island, Daniel found his way to photography through the continual inspiration he drew from wild landscapes, particularly ocean coasts. And then he wondered: why should these landscapes be limited to models and athletes posing for magazines? With that, Daniel launched Beach Shoot to make these wild backdrops accessible to anyone seeking an adventurous photo.

His shoots—which he calls “personal ad campaigns”—venture to locations where beaches, sea cliffs, and trails abound. During these shoots, he paddles along with his subjects to snap portraits and action shots while they're kayaking, standup paddleboarding, or belly-flopping on the exact spot where Venus was born. He posts sample shots to his online portfolio, organized into categories such as adventure kayaking, wildlife encounters, and portraiture. He also uses these dramatic backdrops to frame marriage-proposal shoots.