Vista, CA Road Trips

1 Rancho Buena Vista Adobe, 640 Alta Vista Ave, ☏ +1 760-639-6164. Nineteenth-century ranch house once owned by the Couts family and restored by the city, which offers tours to visitors at a small fee: $3 for Vista residents or seniors, $4 for non-residents, $1 for students, and 50¢ for children. Tours available Thursday and Friday from 10AM to 2:15PM, and Saturday at 10AM. Rancho Guajome Adobe, 2210 N. Santa Fe Ave, ☏ +1 760 724-4082. Built in the late 1800s on an original Mexican land grant, this hacienda (large house) is a beautiful and unique example of Anglo-Hispanic architecture. Alta Vista Botanical Gardens, 1270 Vale Terrace Dr, ☏ +1 760-945-3954. M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa-Su 10AM-5PM. Californiaesque horticulture. $5 adults, $3 children. Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, 2040 N Santa Fe Ave. Whimsical museum from yesteryear, adjacent to Rancho Guajome Adobe. W-Su 10AM-4PM.

1 Boomers! Vista, 1525 W. Vista Way, ☏ +1 760 945-9474. Amusement park with mini-golf, go-karts, games; suitable for birthday parties. Rides are $8 each. $15-25. Avo Playhouse, 303 E Vista Way. The Avo Playhouse is an indoor theater, and it runs shows throughout the year. But it is closed at night. It is in need of a little renovation but it has lovely plays there. Moonlight Amphitheatre, 1200 Vale Terrace Dr. Moonlight Amphitheatre located at Brengle Terrace Park, produces high-quality musicals during the summer. It's also a fine place to have a picnic when there are not any plays, as it has a large grass area, a couple of basketball courts, and some picnic tables. If you walk a little ways down you will find a park for young children The Wave, 101 Wave Dr. Is a small-scale waterpark open from May to September. Also be aware that there may be a line to get on the water slides, as in every popular water park. They have an attraction for surfers and boogie-boarders which is particularly popular. The Wave is more centered for teens and children than adults.

"Bertos": Many local Mexican restaurants in the area have the suffix berto's: Gilbertos, Alberto's, Adalberto's, Rigoberto's, etc. Most of these are adequate. Bombay Café, 1280 E. Vista Wy. #4, ☏ +1 760 630-6611. Local Indian restaurant. Coyote Café, 1450 N Santa Fe Ave, ☏ +1 760 758-8724. 6:30AM-8PM. A range of American-style "comfort food", steaks, fries, breakfast. $10-30. Islands Restaurant, 240 S Melrose Dr, ☏ +1 760 631-1535. 11AM-10PM. A casual chain restaurant and sports bar. $10-30. Pepper Tree Frosty, 270 S Santa Fe Ave, ☏ +1 760 726-0732. The Peppertree, an ice cream stand, has been a local landmark in Vista for over fifty years. Their ice cream, shakes, floats and sundaes are cold and delicious; a food menu, ordered at a side window, ranges from quesadillas and burgers to Philly cheesesteaks. Prices are reasonable, but they charge a service fee for credit or debit cards.

There are a number of small, cheap inns and motels in the city, mostly located on main roads such as Santa Fe. Additional lodging options can be found in neighboring cities. La Quinta, 630 Sycamore Ave, ☏ +1 760-727-8180. (updated Sep 2016) Hyatt Place San Diego/Vista-Carlsbad, 2645 South Melrose Drive, ☏ +1 760-814-8879. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Free hot breakfast, WI-FI, parking, outdoor heated pool, fitness center, and on-site dining. (updated Dec 2015)

Vista is located on California State Route 78. State Route 76 and Interstate 15 also pass near the north of Vista; to get into Vista from these routes, exit at Santa Fe or Gopher Canyon Road, respectively. Traffic from Interstate 5 should exit at the interchange for SR 78. The SPRINTER light rail line between Oceanside and Escondido stops in Vista.

Vista is part of the North County Transit District, and is covered by a network of bus routes and the new Sprinter Light Rail. However, they don't go everywhere you want to go, the schedules are mediocre, and taxis are available only by appointment, so it is recommended that you drive.