The superb blog 9010

Poway has a way of surprising people. On a map, it sits quietly inland in northern San Diego County, away from the coastal buzz and the constant motion of the bigger metro areas. Spend a little time there, though, and the city reveals a personality that is equal parts ranch history, family-friendly suburb, and outdoor escape. It is the kind of place where an afternoon can start with a trail walk, continue with a visit to a preserved adobe, and end with a practical conversat

San Diego has always carried a kind of easy confidence. It does not need to announce itself the way bigger, noisier cities do. The Pacific does some of that work. So do the canyons, the Spanish colonial architecture, the naval presence, and the long stretch of neighborhoods that each feel like their own small city. But the San Diego people talk about now is not the same place it was even a generation ago, and the difference shows up everywhere, from the skyline downtown to