Things To Do In Vista

As 2010's winningest graphite-shaft company, Fujikura enables golf-club buffs to get the most out of their game through a comprehensive swing analysis and appraisal of equipment needs. Developed by NASA to help Alan Shepard hit more moon fairways, an advanced flight monitor and proprietary-fitting software deconstruct performance and enable Fujikura's wizards of the woods to make recommendations based on each golfer's swing. Once fitting is complete, lab rats will be given a comprehensive printout delineating club data and the appraisals specifically suited to one's swing, along with a DVD recording of all hooks, slices, and green-jacket poses. This Groupon can also be used toward the cost of the 90-minute woods fitting ($150).

A flurry of jabs, hooks, and uppercuts is always in the forecast at Rhino’s Boxing’s 5,000-square-foot facility, where beginners and pros alike can throw calories against the ropes in classes that impart focus, discipline, and proper techniques. Skilled instructors don weathered gloves and whip sparring students into fighting shape, leading coed cardio workouts wherein adults and kids aged 6 and older can take out their stresses on punching bags stuffed with poorly graded school essays and traffic lights that refuse to turn green. Boxers with dreams of one day hoisting heavyweight belts can step into the USA Boxing legal-size ring with the amateur team or can conduct their own private workouts five days a week. The schedule also hosts open sparring on Tuesday and Friday nights, during which self-disciplined students can use the ring for practice or settle long-standing disputes over who should take out the trash.

In the middle of The Wave Waterpark, people lie upon colorful rafts that float gently down the lazy river. It’s a serene way to soak up some rays and keep cool. But in the center of the lazy river, separated by raised concrete and a foot bridge, an adventure awaits: the Flow Rider. This simulated surfable ocean wave dares visitors to try and hang ten without falling off their boards into the safe, if rollicking waters.

These two attractions represent the broad spectrum of activity at The Wave, a family-friendly destination equally suited to mild-mannered relaxation, adventurous fun, or something in between. Other rides include a tangle of waterslides, such as the Slam Dunk, an enclosed-tunnel body slide with plenty of twists, and Rippity’s Rainforest, a kid-friendly playground gushing with fountains and waterfalls.

From April to September, lifeguards teach swim lessons in the park’s competition pool for kids as young as 6 months, as well as adults. The Wave is also an ideal spot for birthday parties, with rental cabanas that can fit as many as 30 people or one enormous birthday clown, and a Surf Spot Grill that refuels revelers with burgers, burritos, and pizza.

The Christiansen family's roots in the carnival industry run deep, stretching back to Ralph B. Christiansen's 1920s amusement business, which his hard-working sons kept running through World War II. Today, Ralph's grandson, Buzz, hosts more than 80 Christiansen Amusements events per year and rents out carnival rides for parties and gatherings. Events pop up throughout Southern California and feature an assortment of family-friendly excursions ranging from mild kids' rides to more intense rides such as the Skydiver or Kamikaze. Carnival games challenge guests' hand-eye coordination, rewarding feats of strength or accuracy with stuffed animals to give to dates or mount on the hood of one's car.

The clatter of toppling pins resounds through the walls of the 89 locations of Bowling Centers of Southern California, which are scattered across Southern California, Nevada, and Hawaii. Each alley abounds with modern lanes and equipment, and many boast concession stands, lounges, and game rooms. The family-friendly centers host regular public bowling sessions and league tournaments. Many of the centers also host private birthday parties, which science has proven to be more fun than birthday parties covered by the paparazzi.

Sculpted into the coastal foothills of San Diego County, Lake San Marcos Country Club’s North Course spans 6,426 yards of lush fairways and well-manicured greens. Throughout the course, mature trees await wayward orbs on the edges of fairways, and serpentine bodies of water crisscross fairways, punishing duffers for errant shots. Before taking to the links, golfers can prepare with a stint at the club’s full-length driving range, where all-grass hitting stations emulate on-course conditions as well as an opportunity to seek vengeance on Mother Earth for a lifetime of traumatizing grass stains. Casual eats at Gordon’s on the Green help restore energy after rounds that include the treacherous trek up the 12th hole—a 606-yard par 5 that runs almost entirely uphill. Those looking for a quick golf experience akin to reading the abridged version of Jack Nicklaus’s cookbook can take to the South Course, a par 58 executive layout.