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The California theme park reopened to state residents on April 30 but will be able to welcome all guests when the state fully reopens next month.

Live like a local in San Diego by basing your stay at one of the city’s top neighborhood Airbnbs.

Looking for some good news—or at least a delightful diversion—in this time of uncertainty and isolation? AFAR’s editors share the positive little things that have brightened long days spent inside.

If you’ve visited any of these parks, you may not have known you were also visiting one of the country’s UNESCO-designated spots.

Get your fill of the sights and sounds of U.S. national parks even when you’re stuck at home because of coronavirus.

Most visitors to this sunny Southern California city are familiar with the Gaslamp District, Balboa Park, and the zoo, but to understand the true San Diego, head to where the locals live and play.

A slew of chic new bars and bistros has turned the classic beach town of Carlsbad into a hip weekend getaway.

The theme park’s colorful addition opens on April 27.

There’s more to this drink than its distinctive name.

Carlsbad State Beach is a wonderful spot to get outside and relax. Located right on Carlsbad Boulevard, simply pull over and park for free. The promenade offers opportunities to walk, run, or bike on a flat surface. On the actual beach, visitors can swim, surf, or skim board while the sandy beach is large enough so you don’t feel cramped and can play football or soccer without disturbing others. Marine wildlife can also be observed in this area and we saw a sea lion popping its head out of the water and on another occasion, we saw a pod of dolphins, which was an amazing sight.

One of the few remaining tidal wetlands on the southern California coast, Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad is full of hiking trails and a beautiful lagoon. Bird watchers will love trying to spot the 185 bird species, which naturalists can take in unique flora like pickleweed, lemonadeberry, and iceplant.

From the moment you step inside Carlsbad’s Park Hyatt Aviara, you feel like you’re on a retreat. A quiet soundtrack and the hotel’s signature jasmine scent permeate the airy lobby. And between the hotel and the ocean sits a garden that may lure you out before you even check in. Palm Court is a fantasia of palms, along with orange blossoms, jasmine, hibiscus, and parrot lilies. In keeping with the serene theme, the 329 guest rooms are comfortable and well-appointed, with views of the local foothills, the LPGA-frequented golf course, one of the two pools, or the nearby Batiquitos Lagoon. The hotel offers plenty of ways to fill your days, with an upscale spa (try the Carlsbad Sea Stone Massage) as well as tennis, volleyball, badminton, and bocce courts. For a peak California experience, sign up for a private surf lesson—which wraps with a gourmet meal on the beach—or sign up for yoga under the palm trees. Pro tip: The hotel is so pet friendly—with “care stations” scattered throughout, plus extra plush dog beds—you’ll feel guilty if you leave Fido home with a sitter.

Carlsbad’s South Ponto Beach is a big favorite with local residents. The annual surf clinic for the blind and sight-impaired—with nearly 100 surfer-assistant volunteers from the Swami’s Surfing Association and San Diego Surf Academy—is held here in mid-Sept every year. Plenty of sand to stretch out on, and the sand dunes shelter the beach from Highway 101. This popular beach is backed by the tranquil Batiquitos Lagoon to the east. Check out the viewpoint at the top of the stairs at the south end for a spectacular view of the North County coastline. It’s handicapped accessible, with two parking spaces right off 101 (just south of the parking lot entrance). There’s a paved path leading to the viewpoint. The beach can be rocky in places (which is a very healthy and good thing) and there are large dunes to scramble over to reach the waves. Batiquitos Lagoon is 600 acres of restored and protected wetlands that opens to the ocean at South Carlsbad State Beach. Paths through the protected area make it accessible to visitors, and leashed dogs are permitted. A popular birdwatching spot, look for blue herons, egrets, killdeer, even the endangered California least tern.

If you love gemstones and fine jewelry- you definitely have to check out the Gemological Institute of America located in Carlsbad, CA. This is the place where students come from all over the world to learn gemstone analysis and grading. Many of the graduates have become famous jewelers. One such graduate, Kara Ross, was the artist commissioned to make jewelry from a fallen magnolia tree that was planted by Andrew Jackson for his wife at the white house. The Obamas own a few pieces and others are given to visiting heads of state and their spouses as gifts. You can learn more here- http://capitolfile-magazine.com/style/articles/wood-stock The GIA offers a free tour to the public. You will need to call ahead and make reservations. Security is tight, so you will need a form of picture identification to enter the premises and you are only allowed on site at certain times. The tour is a walk through of the hallways where exhibits display magnificent specimens of all kinds of gemstones, as well as the description of how and where they are mined. You will also learn about the classes offered there at the institute. After the tour, check out the huge mineral specimens near the cafeteria. In this photo is a 3-4 foot long piece of rutilated quartz that hangs in front of a window.

This place is incredible! Here at the craftsmanship museum you will find a couple hundred working miniature plane, boat and car engines, as well as models of sailing ships, dollhouses, cars and airplanes. Craftsmanship is creating a miniature model of an engine or other mechanical item that can actually work like the real thing. Here in Carlsbad, you will find the largest collection of craftsman items in the U.S. The items here are donated from all over the world and the displays are set up so you don’t have to do a lot of bending to check out and admire the fine detail of each piece. My favorite display was of the 1/16 scale Corsair that was donated by the family of the man who spent 22 years creating it from scratch. The detailing is so accurate that when a Corsair was being rebuilt here in San Diego, they came to the museum to check out the model to help them make sure they had put it together correctly! Even more cool is the workshop where you can get a tour to watch various miniature engines working, such as a tiny vacuum engine, and see the things they are building in there. Pictured here is a model of a motorcycle made entirely out of watch parts. Admission is free and photography is encouraged.