Murrieta Outdoor Activities

With hands gripped to the wheels of karts capable of cresting 45 miles per hour, up to 12 racers hum around the hairpin turns and straightaways of K1 Speed's indoor track during adrenaline-spiking sprints toward the podium. This brand of excitement can be found at all 15 locations, where racers eschew the fumes and inflammatory skywriting of gas kart exhaust for European, eco-friendly electric karts designed to instantly accelerate out of curves, which are bordered by safety barriers that absorb impacts. To keep everyone in the chase, dialed-down junior karts (available at select locations) safely carry tiny drivers between the height of 48" and 58".

When Brian McInerney reflects on the humble beginnings of Wheel Fun Rentals, he points to his childhood passion for bikes. "As far back as I can remember, I had a real love affair with bicycles," he recalls. During a trip to Italy in 1987, Brian's affinity for cycling blossomed into a full-fledged obsession when he spotted locals' transporter of choice, the surrey. Inspired, he began importing the Italian four-wheelers to a rental business in the U.S. that eventually expanded into Wheel Fun Rentals, now a nationwide web of shops that also loans out bikes, electric cars and mopeds, and man-powered watercraft. Atop bicycles and surreys built for solo riders or entire families, patrons embark on self-guided tours of major U.S. cities. Led by maps and lists of nearby sites of historical or cultural significance, riders zoom down bike paths and safe, lightly trafficked streets. Adventuresome athletes can also compete in activities such as surrey scavenger hunts and blindfold obstacle courses navigated via shouted instructions from a seeing teammate or exceptionally long rounds of trial and error.

Today's fast-paced society asks us to race to the water cooler, the cupcake table, and the closet that stores sweaty wrestling singlets. Today's Groupon returns racing to its original form with two high-speed kart races at Dromo One for $20. Train like a professional kartist before embracing your inner velocity and fondness for competitive lap navigation.

When drivers are whipping around the four hairpin turns at Miramar Speed Circuit and accelerating up to 40 miles per hour down the straightaways, it suddenly seems obvious that professional racers designed the layout. Both the quarter-mile, indoor, asphalt track and the soft tires of the go-karts wear a specialized sealant that helps eliminate the need for brakes when drivers are taking corners at high speeds. The mini vehicles also feature 6.5-horsepower, gas-powered Honda engines and electronic lap timers that allow drivers to survey their personal bests and determine how long it would take to drive to Australia. Safety is of the utmost concern, which is why a track manager and several marshals monitor each race, and why the course boasts bright blue and yellow protection barriers.

After races, patrons can refuel with sandwiches or snacks in the lobby's Monaco Cafe. The facility also hosts parties and corporate events, hones skills with private lessons and camps, and gives back to many charitable organizations within the community.

The 10th annual San Diego Film Festival showcases a packed schedule of more than 70 full-length and short-film offerings, giving celluloid connoisseurs an advance peek at upcoming fiction and documentary movies. On Saturday at 5:30 p.m., HBO Documentary Films will screen Superheroes, a nonfiction meditation on real-life crime-fighters who take to the streets in costume. Catch TV stalwarts Michael C. Hall (Dexter) and Lucy Liu (Ally McBeal) in East Fifth Bliss, a dramedy centering around a mid-thirties slacker who dates the daughter of an old high-school classmate while struggling to overcome his addiction to drinking orange juice straight from the carton (Saturday, October 1 at 7 p.m.; Sunday, October 2 at 1 p.m.). Many showings boast the film's cast and crew in attendance, allowing guests the opportunity to get up-close glimpses of acclaimed actors and Oscar-winning dolly grips.

Since 1925, shrieks of delight have sounded from the pinnacle of Belmont Park's Giant Dipper Roller Coaster as it inches toward its 73-foot drop. Closer to the ground, the Vertical Plunge drops riders three stories, the Tilt-A-Whirl spins at a furious clip, and the carousel makes its leisurely rounds. Like the waves breaking on the shores of Mission Beach—located just steps from the park—sheet waves generated by FlowRider and FlowBarrel technology carry boarders across a wave pool's padded surface.

No waves find their way into Belmont Park's indoor swimming pool, the Plunge, where an artificial grass deck surrounding the shallow end hosts a bounce house and Slip ‘N Slide. That idyllic environment is a far cry from the Rush Laser Tag arena, a post-apocalyptic atmosphere of makeshift fallout shelters and computers stuck with dial-up internet. An adjacent arcade returns players to civilization with new and old classics such as Guitar Hero and skeeball. In between rides and games, guests take breaks to snack at Belmont Park's myriad boardwalk eateries or browse the goods of nearby shops.