Things to Do in Lakeside

True connoisseurs can taste the character of a city in its beer, especially those cities constructed mostly from hops and barley. Sample the sudsy side of San Diego with today's Groupon: for $89, you get a luxury brewery tour for two from Brew Hop (a $190 value).

Years of fishing in local waterways have taught the specialists at So Cal Fly Fishing how to attract fish swimming in different conditions. During fly-tying classes and casting lessons, they share this knowledge with students, outfitting them with nets, flies, rods, and reels, and then teaching them how to outwit trout by imitating their food sources. They also take groups out to explore the local surf for halibut, the bay for mackerel, and offshore waters for yellowfin tuna and the mythical creatures that are turned into fish sticks.

Where You Want to Be Tours was launched as a walking-tour company in 2003 and since then has offered tours of San Diego that take locals and visitors to spots such as Balboa Park and the shores of La Jolla. Most adventures last more than two hours, so tourists have plenty of time to stop and sightsee or fold obsolete guidebooks into three-corner hats that will shade their eyes from the sun. Today, the company has expanded its offerings with bike tours of locations such as Pacific Beach and Mission Bay and urban scavenger hunts, which present a hands-on approach to urban exploration, turning tour routes into racecourses and throwing in physical challenges, including Frisbee-throwing contests.

This little girl looks like a butterfly landed on her face, and this is only part of the reason why she's smiling so brightly. A face-painting brigade is visiting Play Town, decorating visages with intricate designs before sending kids down the tube slide.

Play Town is no ordinary indoor playground.

Sure, sock-footed kids age six and under can tight rope across a balance beam, scamper up a ramp to a network of tube slides, or play real-estate agent in a cottage playhouse but Play Town also enhances their playtime with a calendar of events that includes visits from face painters, cartoon characters, and princesses. Kids can also take movement classes or spend a few hours making crafts, while infants and toddlers play with soft blocks and parents take advantage of free wireless internet access.

The instructors at J World San Diego, a US Sailing--certified school, furnish students with the know-how to safely traverse the seas while manning a sailboat. Teaching sailors of all levels, the professional instructors employ the world-renowned J boats, which are known for their quick responsiveness—appealing to beginners—and their ability to summon playful dolphins to their vicinity. Pupils can tackle the basics or learn advanced-racing techniques during group classes or opt for private instruction to hone transatlantic escape skills. The handpicked vessels are also available for chartering for corporate events or sunset cruises.

Pacific Sunset Cruises rims evening jaunts around MIssion Bay and the Sunset Cliffs coastline. Cast in the orange and purple hues of dusk, passengers aboard the Privateer pass the waning moments of daylight searching for wildlife sightings or kicking back with refreshments purchased from a fully stocked galley. The ship's resident naturalist comes along, too, sharing insights on the sparkling water and the life within it.