School Board - Beach Park School District #3: Fill & Download for Free

This list pulls from 16 years of living in Encinitas/S.Carlsbad. Off the cuff, I'd say beaches, yoga, beach sunsets, beer, leisure, and tradition. After reviewing the list below, I'd say this is sorted from "nationally known" to "locally known" in general. Keep in mind, this list is my best attempt at balancing my experience with objectiveT-Shirt, Shorts and Flip-flopsThe weather is amazing. A typical Encinitas day provides a 65-75°F t-shirt and shorts comfort nearly year round.YogaGoogle "yoga in encinitas, ca" and you'll find no less than 202,000 results. (2/5/2016) You must visit the Self-Realization Fellowship.Beaches, Surfing, Family FunMoonlight beach is beautiful, yet quaintly small. There are also a few other Encinitas beaches. Encinitas is known as a beach community.An Improving Highway 101 Downtown SceneThe downtown area has consistently been improving. Or, should I say subjectively improving? Higher-end shopping, restaurants and bars have been arriving over the years.Strong San Diego Beer SceneWhile, I'm not aware of any micro breweries calling Encinitas home. Most of the old and new restaurants and bars are paying big respect to the massive San Diego beer movement.Encinitas Holiday ParadeThrough participation in local Girl Scouts and YMCA Adventure Guides, my family has been in 4 of the Encinitas Holiday Parades. We've sat on the sidelines 3 additional years. Yes, it is crowded and parking is crazy. However, it is one of those Encinitas traditions that is worth experiencing and making a family tradition. Get there early and stake out your spot!Hansen's Surf ShopI'm sure others could offer alternate examples. For me, Hansen's is the Encinitas "surf shop". I'm sure you can buy a better surf board or swim suit somewhere else. But, they are a surf store anchor in Encinitas.Mexican FoodFor anyone up really late and hungary, there is no other place than Roberto's. Again, there are others that serve superb tacos/Mexican during the day. And, most won't confuse Roberto's with fine dining.Encinitas School DistrictOne of the best in North County San Diego. We live in S.Carlsbad and were happy to be in the Encinitas school district.Train StationThe Encinitas train station will take you to downtown San Diego, to a Padres game or to a Chargers game (maybe?). Or, go North for a day trip to San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, Los Angeles or beyond.YMCA - Magdalena Ecke Family YMCAFrom my experience, the YMCA in Encinitas is one of the best. Yes, there has been some internal strife in recent years, but the services haven't changed from my experience. I personally have experience with their young kid dance program, gym, birthday party facilities, Adventure Guide program, Arena Soccer and skate park.$750K+ homesReal estate is pricey like most beach communities. Some say it is a "sunshine tax".I'm sure I missed a few things.

It is the best place to live, play and raise your family. I may be a little biased in my opinion, but I lived in Kaaawa as a child and grew up there until I moved out to live on my own. I frequently visit family and friends who still live there and I consider it “home” whenever I go back to see them. Kaaawa has a certain charm of its own, a laid back friendly town where everyone knows everyone and friends are like family. It is a rural district we call the “country “ as opposed to the city. The crime rate is very low there. The town itself is so tiny that it only extends over a few miles at the most, and if you blink your eyes you might miss it. However, one cannot help but note how close it lies next to the rugged mountains and sparkling ocean when passing through. The first thing you may notice when driving by is the distinct smell of the ocean air on the tropical breeze. On the weekends the delicious aroma of teriyaki chicken or beef permeates the air as people BBQ and picnic on at the beach parks.Kaaawa is a small community on the North Shore of Oahu that runs along a beautiful coastline of beaches and parks. Nestled in between the lush green Koolau Mountains on one side and the crystal blue-green sea on the other, it is divided by Kamehameha Highway a main road that goes around the island. There are numerous white sandy beaches in and around the area to choose from which are some of the best things about living there. Swanzy Beach Park in Kaaawa has acres of grassy areas and a narrow beach that is a popular spot for campers, divers, swimmers and fishing. Restroom facilities, a basketball and volleyball court, and children’s playground made this the ideal spot to hang out when I was growing up. We have no stoplights, High School or shopping centers in Kaaawa. Just a 7–11 with a gas station, a post office, Elementary school and a small BBQ eatery.Nearby Kaaawa is Kualoa beach, a small sandy area with large waves suitable for surfing, boogie boarding and body surfing. Minutes away from the beach is Kualoa Ranch, a site enjoyed by locals and tourists alike because of the many exciting activities offered. From horseback riding, to ATV tours, kayaking, and Jungle Jeep tours this place offers a variety of things to see and do. It is also the location of movies and films including Jurassic Park, episodes of Hawaii 5–0 and some 1960’s Elvis Presley classics. It’s a great place for some family fun.Passing through Kaaawa headed toward the Northern tip of the island are more beaches. Kahana Bay is another well known spot for swimming and camping. The water here is very shallow and you could walk out towards the horizon for many yards with the water reaching only up to your knees and barely any waves. This makes it the ideal beach for young children to swim. After that comes Punaluu Beach another lovely place to swim and fish with picnic tables and shady trees. Beach after beach line the coast of Kaaawa making it the perfect place for people who love the outdoors. If you get tired of the beach you can always go hiking on one of the many trails in the mountains. Breathtaking colorful sunrises can be seen during the early morning hours. The scenic views alone make it worthwhile to take a drive out there. Close proximity to miles of beaches with the mountains so near, it seems you could reach out and touch them, makes Kaaawa a special one of a kind place to live or visit.

Life in Manipal is very simple! I was born and brought up in a village near Manipal. Here are some of the things I witnessed when I was growing up:1) 50% of the Manipal area belongs to the Manipal University. Not really on the papers but the city makes you feel so. You see hospital, colleges, administrative blocks, libraries, hostels and obviously students. There was a saying "You throw a stone in any direction in Manipal and there are 90% chances it will hit a student!"2) There are more medical stores than fruits and vegetable shops. Udupi is the right place for grocery, electronics, hotels, temples etc. It is just 5 kms away from Manipal.3) You don't need a driving license to drive a vehicle. Traffic cops do not even exist there. But out of nowhere your vehicle gets towed if parked on road :)4) The streets are empty after 9PM but Manipal is known for the night life. There are a very few pubs and 90% of the crowd in there are students. And yeah, if you speak kannada/tulu you are considered to be a local person and not allowed inside.5) A middle-class person cannot afford to buy a land in Manipal but apartments for rent are available for low price.6) There was no movie theater/Multiplex in Manipal until last year. Thanks to Inox movies! Now we do not have to go to Mangalore to watch movies.7) There was no KFC/McDonalds in Manipal until last year. People were eating good food. Well now there is KFC and people are really crazy about it.8) There is a beautiful river called Swarna and there is Malpe beach just 7 kms away. And greenery all around Manipal because of the paddy fields.9) The nearest weekend getaway place is St.Mary's Island. Just 20 minutes journey on a boat from Malpe beach.10) The city is very peaceful and there is little pollution in the city.11) Traffic signals? We haven't seen them ever. There are traffic signals deployed at a few junctions but hardly in use. No chaos on roads.12) There are extremely good schools in Udupi district (Manipal belongs to Udupi district) and the school fees are nominal. Udupi is always on top when it comes to 10th or 12th Karnataka board results.13) Smoking is now banned around the University area but cigarettes are sold in black.14) KMC! The biggest hospital in Udupi district. Best for emergency cases. No much drama for admission.15) No IT! Not the right place for a software engineer but you can still find a few start-ups in Mangalore.16) The nearest airport is in Mangalore. 65 kms away from Manipal.17) You will get to witness a very unique culture here! You can see Utsavas which is like an annual day celebration in temples, Bhoota Kola which is very thrilling to watch but scary for kids. The world famous Krishna temple in Udupi. Every evening there is an entertainment programme like Yakshagana, Bharatanatyam, Satsanga, Yoga etc.18) I love my village more than the Manipal city as we still lead a simple life there. It is called HERGA and is just 4 kms away from the Manipal city. We celebrate new year by performing a Satynanarayna pooja and offering food to all the people from our village and neighboring cities which is a very unique celebration on that particular day.But Manipal has been commercialized too much recently and it's not the same which we loved while growing up. The forests have been destroyed to build commercial complexes.A few engineering & medical students might feel that life is unique in Manipal because they have freedom and they get a chance to abuse it. But for anybody else, they can lead a very peaceful life here.If you are in your twenties then life in Manipal is very unique for you. But if you are in your thirties or forties or above then Udupi is the right place for you :)