Escondido

In San Diego's North County lies the city of Escondido, meaning "hidden". As Escondido lies in a valley surrounded by hills, it is said its geographical location is its namesake. Escondido was founded in 1888 and is among the oldest cities in San Diego County and in California.

The city of Escondido is served by the Escondido Union School District, the Escondido Union High School District, and the San Pasqual Unified School District. These districts provides 19 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 7 high schools to city residents. The schools districts, though in pastimes troubled, have come to offer solid and substantial educations to residents, even boasting elementary school scores above the 80th percentile in the state. High schools in the area include Escondido, Orange Glen, San Pasqual, Classical Academy, Escondido Charter, Center City, and Valley High.

The downtown area of Escondido has undergone much recent renovation and now boasts many successful and interesting stores, galleries, and eateries. The Escondido Downtown Business Association holds an event called "Crusini Grandi", which offers proud car owners to showcase their vehicles and store owners to showcase their products or services.

San Diego Wild Animal Park, part of the San Diego Zoo, lies within the borders of Escondido. This park offers visitors an exciting experience, as they can see wildlife from all over the globe in open recreations of their natural habitat, instead of in caged spaces. 3 main lakes are a part of Escondido: Dixon Lake for fishing and boating, Lake Wahlford for fishing and boating, and Lake Hodges known as a location for water sports.