Things to Do in Rancho San Diego

An all-too-common misconception is that hunger is to blame when your belly rumbles, when in fact, a rumbling belly signifies a belly that just wants to dance. Today's side deal gets you four belly-dancing classes and a dancing hip scarf from The Shimmy Sisters for $28. Award-winning talents and excellent instruction make the real-life sisters able gatekeepers into the world of rhythmic abdominal expression that will instill brand new communicative skills into your torso through a fun and rewarding workout.

The experienced staff at Seaforth Boat Rentals play host to watery adventures that were voted finalists for the KGTV San Diego A-List’s Best Water Activities in 2010 and 2011. Guided sailing adventures and WaveRunner tours shoot seafarers along the waterways for exceptional views of the coastline, splashing sea life, and dolphins circling on their own WaveRunners.

Consummate aquaphiles can haul various benefits⎯including reduced rates on the rentals of kayaks, canoes, and other seaworthy crafts, access to all five Seaforth locations, and free bicycle rentals in Mission Bay⎯with the Seaforth Sailing Club membership. Seaforth also offers sailing classes along with myriad sailing, yachting, and fishing charters for luxurious days on the water or early mornings spent serenading elusive sailfish.

Creative clients brush layers of vibrant, nontoxic paint onto a wide selection of pieces at Daydreams Ceramic Café. The wood- and earth-tone-accented shop, with a feel akin to a rustic winery, lines shelves with blank bowls, vases, mugs, and figurines. After a creative slathering, staff members glaze each piece and fire it in in the café's 2,000-degree kiln for up to two days, rendering it glossy and safe for food, microwaves, dishwashers, and teething pets. The café charges no studio fee for its visiting artists and allows them to return as many times as necessary to complete their masterworks—features which may have helped it to snag a 2011 Best Arts & Crafts award from CityVoter.

To the uninitiated, the dusty, mountainous expanse just north of the Mexico border might sound like a war-torn battleground—it has born the boots of soldiers in the United States Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. However, the troops simply visited to practice plane evacuations at Skydive San Diego, whose private, skydiving-only airport is buffeted by steady winds and outfitted with state-of-the-art Cessna and DeHavilland jump planes.

Civilians can jump there too, drinking in views of the Pacific before leaping out of an aircraft for solo jumps or tandem dives, in which a USPA-certified instructor harnesses securely to the jumper with professional equipment and a powerful hug. With 8,000 square feet of padded packing area, the full-service facility not only houses an airport, but also a bunkhouse for overnight stays and a deck for barbecuing post-jump feasts.

Since 1923, the staff at P2K Range have helped their clients become more responsible, accurate marksmen. The company’s two ranges include a 100-yard climate-controlled indoor range and an outdoor range where sportsmen can shoot trap and five-stand sporting clays. P2K’s team works with Practical Defense Systems to offer gun training that covers safe handling of shotguns, handguns, and rifles for everyday citizens and law-enforcement officials alike. Classes cover topics such as hunters’ safety, women’s self-defense, and what it means when a gun makes a coughing sound.