Things To Do In Escondido

UltraStar Cinemas cossets moviegoers in cushy seating as they enjoy Hollywood hits alongside buttery servings of popcorn. Film buffs can peruse the current showtimes by location to handpick an action-packed flick, romantic comedy, or chilling thriller featuring inexplicably aggressive hamsters. The concession stand outfits moviegoers with snacks, drinks, and buckets filled with warm kernels, keeping stomach grumblings to a minimum during showings and providing crunchy projectiles in case of sudden younger-sibling attacks. UltraStar Play it Again Cinemas also offers a selection of Hollywood hits for patrons to enjoy in high-back reclining chairs alongside snacks from the concession stand.

Each arena at The Paintball Park brings in fresh equipment every season to keep paintballers on their toes. Barricades, bunkers, trenches, and tall trees provide ample cover for firing off shots at opponents, ducking from overhead fire, or meeting to discuss how to get the pizza-delivery man into the fortress unharmed. Games of elimination battles give players a chance to take out the other team while sprinting between the wreckage of tanks and helicopters.

Each of the Paintball Park's paintball fields has a distinct feel. Running beneath dinosaur sculptures lends to a carefree sensation, and trying to find an entrance in endless, gray castle walls evokes the sense that one is an ancient warrior who left his keys somewhere.

A colony of seals suns itself on the rock ledges of La Jolla Cove while seabirds preen themselves a few feet above. Below, bright-orange garibaldi fish and california spiny lobsters scuttle about the cove’s reefs and kelp beds. This biologically rich landscape sets the stage for La Jolla Dive & Snorkel’s scuba-diving lessons, which range from beginner discovery classes to dive-master-certification courses that adhere to the training standards of the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI). They also lead four shore dives to various sites, such as one located near The Marine Room restaurant, where the shallow reefs and smell of lobster bisque attract gentle leopard sharks in the early summer. Along with scuba diving, instructors also teach students how to strut in fashionable snorkeling gear and how to stoically gaze into the horizon during standup-paddleboarding tours.

As riders grip their boards and plunge into wavy planes, they’re almost certain to coast past the open jaws of a shark—but they won’t get bitten. The shark’s toothy sneer is part of a mural painted on one of the custom ramps in the Aura Skateboarding, which is one of the newest indoor skateparks in the country. Designed and built by Jim Bell, the competition-style street course sprawls within a private indoor skate park that hosts skaters, BMX bikers, and wheeled-suitcase riders. Visitors can drop in with single-day passes or secure monthly or annual memberships that include discounts on daily skate sessions, camps, demos, concerts, and contests. Accompanying family members can pass the time in the lounge area with pool, board games, and toys or relax on comfy furniture as they surf the free WiFi.

Praised by 92064 Magazine, creator Ben Hansen and his six-member company show the many musical uses of household items and junk with Street Beat: A Theatrical Drum and Dance Show. The players transform trash cans into percussive instruments and pay a chorus of vacuum cleaners to sing "Oye Como Va," helping them churn out a jazzy fusion of African, Cuban, and Latin beats. Hip-hop moves and breakdance acrobatics accompany the musical barrage, making for a stomping jubilee for the senses. The show also beats down the fourth wall and does the worm on it by beseeching participation from the all-ages audience, who are encouraged to protect themselves by wearing shoulder pads made out of xylophones.