The Best Places to Dock and Dine in San Diego (and How to Get There)

Valentines Day – Arlo

Arlo

Dig into this restaurant’s stacked selection by choosing from the two prix-fixe menus they offer. The Valentine’s Special includes four courses with plenty of seafood like white fish, Dungeness crab, and Baja fried oysters, while the Greatest Hits menu offers lamb meatballs, beetroot, and maple halibut. $75 per person.

500 Hotel Circle North, Mission Valley

A.R. Valentien

One of San Diego’s signature dining rooms—overlooking that world-famous Torrey Pines golf course on the seaside cliffs—has a new woman in charge. Iconic executive chef Jeff Jackson has passed the torch to his longtime right-hand, Kelli Crosson. Her “Saint Valentine’s Day” dinner is a curated five-course feast with highlights like ahi belly crud, smoked beet soup, duck confit ravioli, butter-poached lobster, and ruby chocolate mousse. $145 per person, $195 with wine pairings.

11480 N Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla 

Valentines Day – Avant

Avant

You’ll feel like you’re on vacation while dining at Avant’s green getaway. The fine dining restaurant at Rancho Bernardo Inn is offering a four-course dinner with options like smoked ricotta, charcoal lobster, wagyu strip loin, and a triple chocolate mousse to end the night on a sweet note. $150 per person.

17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive, Rancho Bernardo

Callie

Celebrate the love in your life all weekend long at Callie. The Mediterranean restaurant will be offering specials February 12–14. On the menu is a five-course family-style feast with red-wine-braised short rib, a Brie agnolotti, black cod tagine, and a labneh cheesecake. An à la carte menu will be available at the bar for walk-ins. $95 per person, $50 optional wine pairing.

1195 Island Avenue, East Village

Valentines Day – Farmer and the Seahorse

Farmer & the Seahorse

Bring your special someone to this quaint farm-to-table eatery and enjoy specials from their prix-fixe menu that includes artichoke hearts, filet mignon, and creamy mushroom pasta with black truffle. Decadent dessert options include a caramel chocolate torte and a fig white chocolate pot de crème. $75 per person.

10996 Torreyana Road, Torrey Pines

Valentines Day – Fifth and Rose

Fifth & Rose

This elevated cocktail bar is serving up love potions! Sip some bubbly or the strawberry Queen of Hearts cocktail while you feast on pan-seared Dover sole, wagyu rib eye, and raspberry angel food cake. $150 per couple.

550 J Street, Gaslamp Quarter

The Grass Skirt

The Grass Skirt

Make your Valentine’s Day a tiki-inspired night at The Grass Skirt. You and your SO can take your pick from two appetizers and an Urfa chicken or hanger steak entrée, and round out your meal with a creamy chocolate gelato. But first, two glasses of bubbly on arrival. Cheers! $100 per couple.

910 Grand Avenue, Pacific Beach

The Guild Bar

Looking for a fun couples’ outing? This decadent bar has that covered, along with the dinner plans. Head to their interactive cocktail pairing event, where you and your sweetheart will learn to mix your own rum daiquiris and whiskeys sour. As you shake and stir, you’ll be dining on tropical ceviche, New York strip steak, and crostini nduja. $85 per person.

500 West Broadway, Downtown

Herb & Sea

Make your way to Encinitas and take in the ambience at Herb & Sea. Start off with oysters, fish croquettes, and baked burrata before you dine on the peppercorn-crusted fillet, pomegranate-glazed lamb rack, or the ají verde halibut. $108 per person.

131 West D Street, Encinitas

Jeune et Jolie

Traditional French cuisine and modern California flavors blend together at this chic Carlsbad spot. This year, their Valentine’s Day menu is a seven-course, prix-fixe feast with wine pairings and a sweet treat to end. To start, look to their Fruits de la Passion cocktail, made with tequila, mezcal, passion fruit, coconut cream, ginger, and lime. The prix-fixe dinner is $165 per person.

2659 State Street, Carlsbad

Juniper & Ivy

Juniper and Ivy

Love, friendship, family—whatever you’re celebrating, Juniper and Ivy has the Valentine’s Day menu for you. Menu specials include oysters, beef tenderloin, egg yolk raviolo with short rib, and a dessert with strawberries and cream puff to end the night. Make it a night to remember with add-ons like specialty bubbles and wine pairings, a dozen roses at your table, and a box of chocolates from lead pastry chef Lindsay Sipress. $100 per person.

2228 Kettner Boulevard, Little Italy

Kettner Exchange

Take your special someone out for an evening at Kettner Exchange. The prix-fixe dinner comes with hot and spicy lobster noodles, New York strip loin, tuna tartare, and more. $95 per person.

2001 Kettner Boulevard, Little Italy

La Valencia

A four-course, prix-fixe dinner, panoramic ocean views, and optional wine pairings await at La Valencia’s The Med restaurant. Expect plates inspired by the Mediterranean coast and views that wow. $110 per person.

1132 Prospect Street, La Jolla

Little Italy Food Hall

Start your Valentine’s Day with some romantic sips. At Little Italy Food Hall, special cocktails include the Love Potion—made with gin, lemon, pomegranate, simple syrup, and an egg white foam—and the Flame of Love, made with berry vodka, raspberry puree, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Say cheers first, then dig into the many food offerings like Not Not Tacos, Graze by Sam, and Ambrogio15.

550 West Date Street, Little Italy

Madison

The University Heights eatery is opening its doors this Valentine’s Day with a special three-course menu from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. including tuna tartare, sea bass, filet mignon, and desserts. The restaurant will also be offering vegan and vegetarian options, and a wine and cocktail pairing. $69 per person.

4622 Park Boulevard, University Heights

The Marine Room

Nothing says “I love you” like an ocean view, and this iconic restaurant is serving up a four-course menu that includes salmon belly cornets with caviar, scallops with ibérico ham, and a wagyu beef rib eye with blackberry herb butter, all along an ocean backdrop. $150 per person.

2000 Spindrift Drive, La Jolla

Mille Fleurs

If you and your partner are searching for seafood, this French eatery will offer plenty of lobster, including a bisque, a strudel, and a butter-poached tail. Other menu highlights include a duck duo, wild Dover sole, and a mixed berry panna cotta. $165 per person.

6009 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe

Operacaffe

Treat your lover to a night out in the Gaslamp with the specials at this Italian spot. As you sip your prosecco-pear cocktail, you can admire the heart-shaped ravioli filled with salmon and spinach served in a saffron sauce with shrimp, scallops, and asparagus. That’s amore!

835 Fourth Avenue, Gaslamp Quarter

Piper

Head to this Oceanside spot for a romantic four-course dinner with your loved one. Herb gnocchi with squash blossoms, pickle-charred persimmons, and chocolate moullouex are just a few highlights to entice the palate.

105 Mission Avenue, Oceanside

The Plot

Plant-based diners can enjoy a gourmet evening at The Plot this Valentine’s Day. Their menu highlights include shroom and hearts of palm aguachile, sweet potato gnocchi, shepherd’s pie, and an indulgent dark chocolate torte or slice of their signature cake (Spanish olive oil, vanilla creme, and fruit).

1733 South Coast Highway, Oceanside

Provisional Kitchen

Follow Cupid to the Gaslamp and dine on Provisional’s prix-fixe meal that includes a Moroccan tomato soup with goat cheese, roasted chickpeas, and a flavorful rack of lamb, followed by a heart-shaped chocolate tart. $85 per person.

425 Fifth Avenue, Gaslamp Quarter

The Pony Room

Take your love to this eatery in Rancho Valencia for an unforgettable night. The two of you can dine on bluefin tuna aguachile, housemade ravioli, red curry squash bisque, and an herb-crusted Maine lobster tail. Chocophiles, save room—dessert includes a box of truffles, lava cake, dipped strawberries, and a fudge brownie. $130 per person.

5921 Valencia Circle, Rancho Santa Fe

Serea

Serẽa Coastal Cuisine

Hotel del Coronado’s patio restaurant offers a romantic view for two and a night full of cocktails on Valentine’s Day. The Jack & Rose his-and-hers cocktails pair with specials like tuna sashimi and a prime rib eye served with king crab and white asparagus.

1500 Orange Avenue, Coronado

Shake & Muddle

Make like you’re honeymooning and start the evening with a wine toast. After the complimentary glass, this cocktail bar will serve up a beet salad, prime surf-and-turf with rib eye and lobster tail, and potatoes au gratin. Care for a chocolate berry martini for dessert? $180 per couple.

303 H Street, Chula Vista

Vaga

Indulge in a special dining experience at Vaga, where couples can taste their way through four courses. Start with the tuna and caviar taco, followed by oyster and cactus salsa mignonette, smoked mushroom tostadas, sea bass gold beignets, and more. $125 per person.

2100 North Coast Highway 101, Encinitas

Valentina

This bistro is welcoming all the lovebirds for their dinner special from 4 to 10 p.m. Dine on Spanish sashimi, oysters on the half shell, and pepper-crusted carpaccio as you sip through your holiday Champagne flight. $70 per person.

810 North Coast Highway 101, Leucadia

Verbena Kitchen

Make your Valentine’s Day extra memorable at Verbena Kitchen. Alongside their special three-course menu (prime rib eye, crab spaghetti, parsnip ravioli, and seasonal fish round out your entrée choices), you can wow your loved one with a bottle of Champagne, a seasonal bouquet of flowers, to-go cocktails to enjoy at home after dinner, and more for an additional cost.

3043 University Avenue, North Park

Waverly

If you’re looking for a seaside dinner, head to Waverly for charming scenery and cuisine. The prix-fixe menu includes white bean hummus, short rib, an Australian lamb chop, and plenty of chocolate to end the night on a sweet note. Don’t forget to try one of their famous cocktails. $95 per person.

2005 San Elijo Avenue, Cardiff

Wolfie’s

Wolfie’s

Take a spin on the carousel inside Wolfie’s and toast to you and yours over a Champagne and caviar special. They’ve also got a full cocktail menu (valentine-inspired sips included!) and more filling menu items like wagyu tartare, steak frites, and oysters Rockefeller.

2401 Kettner Boulevard, Little Italy

Wormwood

San Diego’s first absinthe bar is celebrating on their outdoor garden patio with a six-course prix-fixe dinner that features Champagne and caviar oysters, Baja striped bass, and sole meunière with artichoke hearts. Save room for the absinthe flambéed baked Alaska at the end of your night. $100 per person.

4677 30th Street, North Park

20|Twenty

Celebrate your love with this scenic restaurant’s sweetheart special, with highlights like port-braised short rib with sweet potato bacon hash, or pan-seared sea bass with oyster mushrooms and sweet pea risotto. After dinner, get cozy by the fire pits with the s’mores takeaway kit. $85 per person.

5480 Grand Pacific Drive, Carlsbad

Reasons to Love San Diego / Feature

Graphic by Tania Roulston

People Still Gave Back, and They Gave More in 2020

From April through September 2020, the average quarterly gift from San Diego households increased to $432, from $374 the previous year. Not only did our residents give back more, but the causes they supported shifted, too. A poll by the University of San Diego showed that over 50 percent of people who donated money chose issues they felt were the most pressing: food security, helping essential workers, and social and racial justice. For example, the annual Pack the Pantry food drive, organized by the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, saw a record donation amount (around $50,000), which provided 90,000 meals to community college students at 10 campuses. Here’s hoping this spirit of giving continues into 2021.

Source: 2020 Annual Report, State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy in San Diego; University of San Diego

Reasons to Love San Diego / Social Activism

San Diego Steps Up for Social Activism

We can thank our Gen Z-ers and millennials for the “cancel 2020” memes that got us through last year, but when it came to social justice, they also took more concrete action.

Because the beach is always open and the culture trends in the direction of mellowness, San Diego is often miscast as disinterested in the hard conversations the country has about justice. But the younger generations helped organize more than 45 peaceful protests countywide last summer in response to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black citizens at the hands of the police.

The county’s first major protest was in La Mesa on May 29: Dozens of demonstrators assembled outside La Mesa Police Department headquarters after a viral video showed the forceful arrest of an unarmed Black man at the Grossmont Transit Center. On December 9, a city review panel upheld the firing of the officer and on January 4, 2021, the officer was charged with filing a false report. On May 31, a 25-year-old Black woman organized several hundred protestors at the Hall of Justice, marching through downtown San Diego.

But some of the largest protests came in early June. Hundreds joined a caravan from La Jolla to City Heights, National City, and Otay Mesa. Over 2,000 demonstrators marched from the San Diego Police Headquarters to North Park on June 4 and two days later, another 3,000 people gathered at the County Administration Center.

Many of these protests stood in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, which advocates for nonviolent civil disobedience as a response to racist and violent acts against the Black community. Law enforcement agencies across the county took action, most notably by banning use of the carotid restraint, which is similar to the restraint that led to Floyd’s death. The protests also spurred the passage of Measure B, which establishes an independent review commission on police practices. Measure B passed with 74.6 percent of the vote.

Reasons to Love San Diego / Sweep the Shelters

Photo courtesy of the San Diego Humane Society

Staying Home Helped Sweep the Shelters

With their favorite humans spending much more time at home, our four-legged friends were loving the lockdown. And for those who were still waiting for a home, San Diegans helped sweep the shelters with a record number of new fosters and adoptions at the start of the pandemic. “This county has always been there for animals, but especially so during the shutdown,” says San Diego Humane Society President and CEO Dr. Gary Weitzman. The humane society’s four campuses were virtually cleared last March, when their head count of 3,000 decreased to under 1,000 and 65 percent of their animals went into foster care. And our pets aren’t the only ones to reap the benefits: While the pandemic takes a heavy toll on our mental health, Weitzman suggests that animals are a major cure for the quarantine blues. “We’ve had less animal surrenders, more fosters, and can really feel the love San Diego has for its animals.”

Coronado Bridge

Photo courtesy of the Port of San Diego

Light Testing Began on the Bay

For nearly 15 years, the port has been developing a permanent light installation for the Coronado Bridge that will change colors to reflect what’s happening in the city, much the same way the Empire State Building does for New York—celebrating holidays, sports teams, or visits from international representatives. The project made a huge leap last year when the Port of San Diego temporarily installed 170 lights to gather information on the engineering, design, and sustainability of the project. For longterm associates—like Yvonne Wise, the port’s director of the Waterfront Arts & Activation department, and Commissioner Marshall Merrifield, who spearheaded the fundraising campaign—the test was the result of years of hard work. The next steps are to raise more money (a humble $13 million) and work with an artist on the design.

Chula Vista Rolls Out the Red Carpet for All

When life gave Chula Vista lemons, they made lemonade for their new neighbors. The “Lemon Capital of the World” was recently named the most welcoming city for immigrants in the US by the New American Economy Cities Index. This index analyzes immigrant integration on an economic and local-policy level to find insights on how cities can maximize the potential of their newcomers—to become US citizens, small-business owners, and homeowners. Chula Vista landed perfect scores in government leadership, economic empowerment, inclusivity, job opportunities, and civic participation. It’s been a fast and steady climb to the top for the county’s second-largest city, which ranked third on the index in 2018 and moved into second place in 2019. It was a pretty sweet note in an otherwise sour year.

Reasons to Love San Diego / COVID-19

Our Local Biotech Industry Tackles COVID-19

It’s the news we’ve all been waiting for: A mass rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is underway. But San Diego local Jaime Yslas already got vaccinated—at least, he thinks he was.

After reading that Latinos and seniors have been underrepresented in coronavirus research, Yslas figured that he checked all the boxes, so he signed up for a double-blind study in which two-thirds of participants received AstraZeneca-­Oxford’s vaccine. In November, he stood in a Chula Vista parking lot beside a bloodmobile that’d been converted into a mobile clinical trial site. “You have to step forward, or we’re never going to find the answer,” he says.

San Diegans have also been stepping forward for clinical trials of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. All three local studies, overseen by UC San Diego, were part of a larger international bid to test whether the vaccines are safe and effective for all.

San Diego has been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 from the start, with a robust strategy of testing, contact tracing, and hatching potential vaccines. “The amount of innovation that’s come out of San Diego is broad and deep,” said Tim Scott, a biotech executive who has tracked local COVID-19 initiatives through a taskforce for the trade group Biocom.

Hologic’s San Diego facility has cranked out tens of millions of tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and the company is ramping up production, thanks in part to a $119.3 million US government contract awarded in November.

“The vast majority of all our molecular diagnostics kits—not just for COVID-19—are made here,” says Hologic spokesperson Suzanne Clancy, who notes that the Massachusetts-based company has 1,100 employees right here in San Diego. “We benefit from the excellent talent pool and thriving life sciences industry in the area.”

Testing demand outpaced supply in San Diego last summer, as it did in many places. To help ease the crunch, the county’s public health department signed a contract with a startup best known for genomics. Helix, an offshoot of San Diego genomics giant Illumina, has raised more than $350 million to study the genetics of large populations to discover new ways to diagnose and treat disease. In a pandemic pivot, the company’s San Diego lab set out to process more than 100 million COVID-19 tests a day for health systems, employers, governments, pharmacies, and other organizations. In order to scale up, Helix was one of the first to win emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a COVID-19 test that directly sequences genetic material, increasing the company’s testing capacity. Other companies rely solely on commonly used PCR instruments that amplify genetic matter to process nasal swab tests.

Researchers have also looked to our smartphones and wearables, like Fitbit, for potential ways to rein in the virus. In a study published in the October issue of Nature Medicine, Scripps Research found that pairing data from wearable devices with symptom self-reporting did a better job of predicting the virus’s spread than either method alone. Last summer, Scripps recorded 35,000 people in the ongoing study, with an eye toward 100,000 participants.

Before a statewide rollout in December, UC San Diego piloted an app, CA Notify, that uses a smartphone’s Bluetooth capability to tell people when they’ve been exposed to someone who was later diagnosed with COVID-19.

As of press time, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have received US approval. San Diego–based Arcturus Therapeutics and Inovio Pharmaceuticals are still in clinical trials with their vaccines and are being watched closely. Each vaccine works in different ways, meaning one may prove to be best for older adults, for instance.

Only time will tell how the vaccines fare, but San Diego’s exhaustive efforts to fight the virus have helped give the county, and the country, an extra dose of what we need most—hope.

We Elected Our First LGBTQ Mayor and Mayor of Color

When Todd Gloria was in the fourth grade at Hawthorne Elementary, he was a finalist in the school’s “Mayor for a Day” essay contest. “I believe the prompt was about building a better city and my response was about more homes and transit for San Diegans,” Gloria says. “I haven’t changed much over the years.” Three decades after entering that contest, Gloria was sworn in as San Diego’s mayor in December.

Todd Gloria

Photo courtesy of Todd Gloria

Gloria’s win is a historic one, as he’s the first openly LGBTQ person elected to serve in the city’s highest office. Today, just three of the eight most populous cities in the country, San Diego included, have elected an openly LGBTQ mayor: Houston (Annise Parker) and Chicago (Lori Lightfoot, in 2019).

The rainbow ceiling isn’t the only one Gloria shattered: He’s also the city’s first mayor of Asian, Latino, and Native American heritage.

During his inauguration, which was done virtually (another first for the position), Gloria said, “As a kid who grew up in Clairemont, I didn’t see people who looked like me leading practically anything—let alone the eighth largest city in the United States. But today, I stand before you as the first person of color and LGBTQ person to ascend to our city’s highest office.” His nephews and nieces watched him get sworn in on TV from their living room, and they dressed up for the occasion.

For his first 100 days in office, Gloria said he’s prioritizing the public health crisis and economic fallout caused by COVID-19, housing issues, homelessness, and the city’s Climate Action Plan, the first incarnation of which he drafted while serving as interim mayor from 2013 to 2014.

Reasons to Love San Diego / San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

Photo courtesy of San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

We’re Moving Into the Fast Lane

Like the so-called sunshine tax, San Diego’s disjointed public transportation has long been considered part of the cost of living here. But there are smoother roads ahead, with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System laying the final tracks for its $2.1 billion Mid-Coast Trolley Extension from Old Town to University City, with service to begin later this year. It’s the largest light rail extension in the city’s history, adding nine newly constructed stations and a fleet of 45 shiny new trolleys to its roster.

Reasons to Love San Diego / Building Boom

The Building Boom Hasn’t Stopped

As of last fall, there were 14 new construction projects downtown alone, including more than 3,000 new apartments. There’s also major housing projects underway in Kearny Mesa (442 units), UTC (over 400 units), and the massive development at Town & Country resort in Mission Valley (over 800 units). The Riverwalk project in Mission Valley is also finally breaking ground this year: When it’s complete, the 195-acre neighborhood will have over 4,000 new homes.

COVID Collabs

No sector felt the impact of the shutdown more than San Diego’s small businesses. But where there were struggles, there was just as much support. Last year saw a wellspring of collaborative efforts from restaurant, event space, and retail shop owners helping one another stay open. It took some creativity, but the results just go to show that even during the most dire circumstances, community always comes first.

When Natalie Mitchell and Violet Navarrete faced a series of setbacks shortly after opening their clothing and gift store Timshel Shop—repeated flooding on top of the pandemic, to give you an idea—they made the difficult decision to permanently close their doors. But when they turned to online sales to keep them afloat, fellow female-owned home goods shop Thread Spun had a different idea. They’d had their own experience with flooding (all three owners refer to one another as “floodies,” for flood buddies), and they offered Timshel a long-term pop-up space inside their own store. Over last summer, Timshel donated 20 percent of their pop-up profits to local organizations and raised over $1,000. “Our community may look different now, but we’ve been blown away by the support and lasting relationships we’ve built,” Mitchell says. “Collaborating with other small businesses has been an integral part of building our community.”

Reasons to Love San Diego / COVID Collabs

Photo courtesy of Cucina Urbana

Community was always key for Gaslamp Tavern, a relaxed downtown bar popular for its good drinks and happy hour deals before 2020. But the pandemic’s toll on the restaurant industry encouraged owners Estela and Rick Borba to pursue an idea that had been brewing for years. To amplify their offerings and rally behind small pop-up eateries, the duo transformed the tavern into Gaslamp Tavern & Food Hall. Now housing Ghost Fried Chicken, San Diego Tuna Company, and Tacos el Tuerto, the food hall gave emerging businesses a home while bringing more dining options to downtown.

Cucina Urbana has been a vital player in that scene for years, but they struggled last summer when they were unable to create an outdoor dining space (while permitted) due to the layout of their restaurant. Their neighbors, Julep Venue, already had a string of successful virtual events under their belt when they reached out about a backup plan. “We have two large patios that were sitting there unused,” says Julep’s founder and managing partner, Michael Esposito. “It just seemed like the obvious choice to give Cucina Urbana that space.” Over one weekend, the teams got together to work out the logistics of Camp Cucina, a blend of Julep’s eye for design, Cucina’s food, and Snake Oil Cocktail Company’s craft libations. “Everyone has had their own unique challenges during this time,” Esposito adds. “If you can come together to solve those challenges with another business, it’s an absolute no-brainer to do it.”

The Kaufmans’ journey on their sailboat, Rebel Heart, comes to an alarming and heartbreaking end, igniting a surge of media attention and fury at the rescue’s estimated $663,000 price tag and raising concerns for the safety of their young children. Charlotte Kaufman, mother of two, speaks publicly for the first time.

Charlotte and Cora Kaufman with parajumpers

Cora and Charlotte Kaufman in the cockpit of Rebel Heart with the four parajumpers of California’s Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing.

Cora and Charlotte Kaufman in the cockpit of Rebel Heart with the four parajumpers of California’s Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing.

We were 900 nautical miles off the coast of Mexico when we made the decision to push the EPIRB (an emergency beacon) on our sailboat, signaling for help. Put simply, our one-year-old daughter, Lyra, became sick while we were underway. Her condition continued to deteriorate, even on antibiotics, and we needed to get her help. Additionally, our boat suffered damage during several squalls in the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, leading to a complicated, culminating series of events requiring a rescue and the scuttling of our boat to prevent it from becoming a navigational hazard (scuttling is cutting holes in a boat to force it to sink).

While sitting on the boat, awaiting rescue, we never expected to be greeted by such a firestorm of criticism upon our arrival at home. Frankly, we can’t take any of the criticisms thrown at us seriously.

My husband Eric and I believe that traveling with our children will enrich their lives (and ours), give them a great advantage over their peers, and teach them life skills that many Americans who never travel and who can’t speak another language will ever know.

We believe in living without debt, in living with few material possessions, and in saving and planning studiously to have the kind of life that brings that type of freedom. To us, the experiences you accumulate in life are worth much more than what you own or what you can buy.

Eric Kaufman reading Thoreau to Cora

Eric Kaufman reading Thoreau to Cora, one week old, in the v-berth of Rebel Heart.

Eric Kaufman reading Thoreau to Cora, one week old, in the v-berth of Rebel Heart.

We believe that children who grow up with parents who are actively trying to achieve their dreams will be empowered and motivated to reach for their own life’s dreams in turn. Likewise, children who are “too young to remember” a voyage across the Pacific Ocean, like our daughter Lyra, will still benefit from living in a family that is meeting challenges and enriching its lives together. We had (and have) no desire to sit in stasis in the suburbs until our youngest child is approximately five or six years old, and then begin adventuring in the world. We have actively set up our lives to give us the ability to not live in the blasé, “safe” world of suburbia or Middle America. We understand real versus perceived risks and know that a life at sea is far less dangerous than a life with school shootings, car accidents, processed foods, and sedentary living.

Our children, like most boat kids, experience life as it has been lived for far longer than the reality of America’s current style of living. Kids on boats grow up around knowledgeable, competent adults who have to make serious decisions about life every day. They learn the accurate meaning of safety and caution, and become invested in these decisions much earlier than their peers. My three-year-old’s world has geography, geometry, algebra, and the natural sciences intertwined from morning until night. Our “poor” children don’t have a pet dog, a white picket fence, or a Strider Balance Bike; they also don’t have Nature Deficit Disorder. I’ll take a child who can talk to you about tidal flows, wave sets, and navigating by the stars any day over the alternative of discussions about Monster High dolls, TV shows, and the latest version of their iPads.

We believe that most people lead lives of quiet desperation, and we have vowed to not let our lives end up accordingly. We want to squeeze out every precious drop of our existence together, because tomorrow maybe I’ll die, or Eric will die, and where will we be then? We don’t believe in waiting for far-off “afters,” like after Eric gets a promotion, after Cora finishes kindergarten, after the girls graduate, or after we retire. No. Life is too short and too valuable to gamble on pushing your dreams off until later. We believe in going now, and doing it with gusto.

Lastly, we believe that despite everything, people are really good at heart. Coming back from a monumental event like having a sick child at sea and simultaneously losing your home is beyond world-changing; we have decided to ignore the bleating of some Internet commenters and instead focus on the humanity of the people who have supported us in our lifestyle choice, and in our careful decision to seek help when our daughter and our vessel needed it.

It is not easy to pursue a life at sea, or a life outside of the “box,” but it is worth it. If you are thinking of doing the same thing with your life,

I say do not hesitate for a (rebel) heartbeat.

The Kaufmans’ journey on their sailboat, Rebel Heart, comes to an alarming and heartbreaking end, igniting a surge of media attention and fury at the rescue’s estimated $663,000 price tag and raising concerns for the safety of their young children. Charlotte Kaufman, mother of two, speaks publicly for the first time.

Charlotte and Cora Kaufman with parajumpers

Cora and Charlotte Kaufman in the cockpit of Rebel Heart with the four parajumpers of California’s Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing.

Cora and Charlotte Kaufman in the cockpit of Rebel Heart with the four parajumpers of California’s Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing.

We were 900 nautical miles off the coast of Mexico when we made the decision to push the EPIRB (an emergency beacon) on our sailboat, signaling for help. Put simply, our one-year-old daughter, Lyra, became sick while we were underway. Her condition continued to deteriorate, even on antibiotics, and we needed to get her help. Additionally, our boat suffered damage during several squalls in the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, leading to a complicated, culminating series of events requiring a rescue and the scuttling of our boat to prevent it from becoming a navigational hazard (scuttling is cutting holes in a boat to force it to sink).

While sitting on the boat, awaiting rescue, we never expected to be greeted by such a firestorm of criticism upon our arrival at home. Frankly, we can’t take any of the criticisms thrown at us seriously.

My husband Eric and I believe that traveling with our children will enrich their lives (and ours), give them a great advantage over their peers, and teach them life skills that many Americans who never travel and who can’t speak another language will ever know.

We believe in living without debt, in living with few material possessions, and in saving and planning studiously to have the kind of life that brings that type of freedom. To us, the experiences you accumulate in life are worth much more than what you own or what you can buy.

Eric Kaufman reading Thoreau to Cora

Eric Kaufman reading Thoreau to Cora, one week old, in the v-berth of Rebel Heart.

Eric Kaufman reading Thoreau to Cora, one week old, in the v-berth of Rebel Heart.

We believe that children who grow up with parents who are actively trying to achieve their dreams will be empowered and motivated to reach for their own life’s dreams in turn. Likewise, children who are “too young to remember” a voyage across the Pacific Ocean, like our daughter Lyra, will still benefit from living in a family that is meeting challenges and enriching its lives together. We had (and have) no desire to sit in stasis in the suburbs until our youngest child is approximately five or six years old, and then begin adventuring in the world. We have actively set up our lives to give us the ability to not live in the blasé, “safe” world of suburbia or Middle America. We understand real versus perceived risks and know that a life at sea is far less dangerous than a life with school shootings, car accidents, processed foods, and sedentary living.

Our children, like most boat kids, experience life as it has been lived for far longer than the reality of America’s current style of living. Kids on boats grow up around knowledgeable, competent adults who have to make serious decisions about life every day. They learn the accurate meaning of safety and caution, and become invested in these decisions much earlier than their peers. My three-year-old’s world has geography, geometry, algebra, and the natural sciences intertwined from morning until night. Our “poor” children don’t have a pet dog, a white picket fence, or a Strider Balance Bike; they also don’t have Nature Deficit Disorder. I’ll take a child who can talk to you about tidal flows, wave sets, and navigating by the stars any day over the alternative of discussions about Monster High dolls, TV shows, and the latest version of their iPads.

We believe that most people lead lives of quiet desperation, and we have vowed to not let our lives end up accordingly. We want to squeeze out every precious drop of our existence together, because tomorrow maybe I’ll die, or Eric will die, and where will we be then? We don’t believe in waiting for far-off “afters,” like after Eric gets a promotion, after Cora finishes kindergarten, after the girls graduate, or after we retire. No. Life is too short and too valuable to gamble on pushing your dreams off until later. We believe in going now, and doing it with gusto.

Lastly, we believe that despite everything, people are really good at heart. Coming back from a monumental event like having a sick child at sea and simultaneously losing your home is beyond world-changing; we have decided to ignore the bleating of some Internet commenters and instead focus on the humanity of the people who have supported us in our lifestyle choice, and in our careful decision to seek help when our daughter and our vessel needed it.

It is not easy to pursue a life at sea, or a life outside of the “box,” but it is worth it. If you are thinking of doing the same thing with your life,

I say do not hesitate for a (rebel) heartbeat.

March 6, 2012 2:47 p.m.

Location: Southwest of Coronado Island

Camera: Canon 5d mkii using the 70-200 f/2.8L @ 200mm and f/2.8

“Sailing is not in the mainstream—and that’s something that interests me,” says John Trice, a commercial photographer and University Heights resident. “That, and my wife used to be a sailing instructor.” During the National Offshore One-Design Series in 2012, the San Diego Yacht Club invited Trice to shoot the regatta (happening again this month, March 14–16). For this shot, he was on one of the chase boats, right next to one of the marks the boats have to round. “With such a long focal length (200mm) and a wide open aperture (f2.8), the entire frame gets super compressed,” says Trice. “So anything in the immediate foreground gets really blurry. In this shot there was a swell between me and the J80 and so it almost looks like I’m below the surface of the water.” The result: We can feel the intensity of the race.

Swell photo southwest of Coronado Island

John Trice