Info – Main Street Vista

Map of Main Street

Downtown Parking
DowntownVista.org

Tesla Supercharging Stations
Vista Village Drive – near Cinépolis Cinemas

Yellow Pages
The Vista Press

Better Business Bureau
Vista

Weather | Transit | City of Vista
Rain | Trash/Recycling
Fire Maps & Prevention
California Native Plants
Reporting Plane Noise & Pollution

SDGE Outage Map

Weather

AccuWeather

Hourly weather in Vista
California Weather Radar

Wunderground

Vista Weather Conditions
Eastern Pacific Storms
Western Pacific Storms

National Weather Service
Weather in Vista

Transit

North County Transit District

Vista Transit Center
240 N. Santa Fe Rd. – near Main St.

Sprinter light-rail train, Breeze bus,
rest rooms, and vending machines

The Sprinter schedule shows…
15 minutes to Palomar College
20 minutes to CSU San Marcos
30 minutes to the beach

Sprinter Schedule
System Map 10/2022
Coaster Schedule
Breeze Transit Centers
Student Bus & Train Fares

The Sprinter connects Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido.

City of Vista

Access Vista Mobile App to report graffiti, etc.
VISTA GENERAL PLAN 2030
Videos of Vista City Council Meetings
City Council Agendas & Reports

Emergency Preparedness
Addressing Homelessness
Resources for Residents

You’re Invited to Help Plan
Two Future City of Vista Parks!

Community Engagement

Cool Zones

McClellan Senior Center
Vista Library

City of Vista

6/3/2024
San Diego County Opens Cool Zone Sites
as Warmer Weather Approaches

“In addition to the Cool Zone sites, the county and San Diego Gas & Electric can provide free electric fans to eligible older or disabled people living on limited incomes countywide.”

Elizabeth Ireland
TIMES of SAN DIEGO

Rain

CALIFORNIA RAINFALL SEASON
Golden Gate Weather Services

24 hour Rain Totals California
Plus Nevada and Southern Oregon
San Diego Weather Center

Trash/Recycling

EDCO Recycling Guide

Trash/Recycling
City of Vista

Recycling
Cans, plastic, paper, cartons, cardboard, and glass
Large sheets of packing foam

“Recycle virtually all clean and dry paper” — EDCO

Trash
Pizza boxes aren’t clean and dry paper. So, apparently EDCO doesn’t want pizza boxes in the recycles bin.

Foam nuggets, styrofoam peanuts

Plastic bags… The grocery stores around here aren’t taking them any more for recycling. Even bags that hold other recycled items are not wanted in the recycle bins.

Hazardous Waste

City of Vista Hazardous Waste Site Free to Vista residents… limited hours

WasteFreeSD.org 1-877-R-1-EARTH motor oil containers & filters, auto fluids, cleaners, fertilizers, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, chemicals, paints and solvents, electronics

E-Waste computers, televisions, VCRs, etc.
Goodwill takes donations of electronic items
Maximum Recycling 430 Olive Ave. in Vista

PaintCare There are over 50 locations in San Diego County where residents and businesses can take old unwanted paint, stain, and varnish all year-round. Most PaintCare sites are paint stores with regular business hours and accept at least 5 gallons per visit.

For tips on using up leftover paint call (855) 724-6809.

Household items

Amvets 877-990-8387 DAV Oceanside

Fire Maps & Prevention

WFCA Fire Map
Western Fire Chiefs

4/25/2019
This super bloom is pretty dangerous
Invasive mustard is fuel for the next fire
Los Angeles Times

6/21/2023
Mustard weed and grasses can explode in a fire… like maybe with accidental fireworks sparks? Now is the time to pull these out before they die and go to seed.

Related:
San Miguel Fire Chief, Criss Brainard
joins Allie Wagner to discuss
fire safety ahead of summer

7/12/2023
City of Vista News

“With the prediction of high temperatures comes warnings about high fire danger. Power tools, including lawnmowers, are not recommended in hot weather to avoid sparks that ignite grass and brush fires.

Maintain defensible fire space around homes by removing dead leaves, debris, and other flammable items that an ember can ignite.

If you do choose to cut away and remove dead and dying plants near your homes or structures, use hand tools only.

Be particularly careful with smoking materials to avoid accidentally starting a fire.

Never pull your vehicle over in the grass; it can ignite a fire. Please ensure your vehicle is well maintained, as faulty catalytic converters have been a major cause of accidental fires in San Diego County.

If you have a trailer on your vehicle, ensure the chains don’t drag on the ground while driving and spark a fire.”

The Vista Press

“Everyone needs to remember that ALL fireworks are illegal in San Diego County, and for good reason. Considering the dry grass and brush in and around Escondido, anyone thinking about buying and using illegal fireworks needs to understand that negligently causing a fire can result in criminal and financial consequences.” (emphasis added)

Rick Vogt, Escondido Fire Chief
North County Daily Star

6/28/2023
Is now a good time to pull out mustard weed and grasses?

4/25/2019
This super bloom is pretty dangerous
Invasive mustard is fuel for the next fire
Los Angeles Times

Non-Native Grasses and Weeds

“The numbers explain why brush fires slowly spread in comparison to grass/weed fires. Grass/weed fires can kill you. Look at it this way (and there are no absolutes in nature): when a field is in annual grass and mustard, and the ignition time per plant is almost instantaneous, you’ll get what appears to be area ignition.

On the Las Pilitas fire we had an area by Santa Margarita Lake where the fire moved through miles of grass in a few minutes. You can’t outrun something that basically blows up.”

Las Pilitas Nursery

6/2/2024
Can we get rid of grasses/weeds permanently by weeding them or weedwacking them before they go to seed? Can we keep weed seeds from sprouting by spreading organic pre-emergent on the ground at just the right time?

Weeding worked for me after the “master” gardener for our HOA spread mulch around my house one year. It took several years of me weeding in springtime to get rid of the forest of weeds that sprouted from that mulch. I think it may have been mulch from the dump.

Related:
Information on pesticides.

7/1/2022
Why California’s palm trees ‘explode into a giant torch’ each year

“If homeowners let years of dead palm fronds hang, this can be hazardous in wind and fire conditions. Homeowners are required to have these dead fronds removed, as is true for any dead branch or material on any type of tree or shrub.”

Nicholas Prange
Los Angeles Fire Department

SFGATE

6/3/2024
Some years ago, our HOA removed palms from its slopes. That means we no longer need to pay each year for pruning dead fronds off of very tall palms. The HOA was advised to do this for fire safety by a California Natives Landscape Designer.

11/22/2019
Iconic Palms Add to Fire Danger in Southern California

As fires burn across Southern California, researchers examine what role nonnative vegetation plays.

“The most severe burns were where we see palms, and the least severe were in the [native] chaparral areas.”

Alicia Kinoshita
Civil Engineer and Hydrologist
San Diego State University

EOS
Science News by AGU
American Geophysical Union

California Natives

Gloria McClellan Senior Center
Next to Brengle Terrace Park
1400 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista

First Friday of each month…

Vista Garden Club
back building at the Senior Center
visitors welcome

Alta Vista Botanical Garden
A True Hidden Gem in Vista

“The North American Butterfly Association
and the National Wildlife Foundation
have certified Alta Vista Gardens.”

TR Robertson

The Vista Press

SD Bird Alliance Calendar

6/9/2024
California native plants attract and support butterflies, birds, and hummingbirds… and evolved with water only from Mother Nature.

“A well designed hillside garden planted in native plants has no measurable erosion.”
Las Pilitas

California Native Plant Society

Theodore Payne Foundation

Tree of Life Nursery
949-728-0685
33201 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano

Daily 9 am – 3:30 pm
Closed Sundays
inquiries@treeoflifenursery.com

A visit to Tree of Life is a fun outing. The scenery on the way there is delicious. As I recall, it takes around 45 minutes or so from Vista. Maybe an hour with traffic.

Their selection of plants has always been pretty and enticing. It always makes ME want ot get lots of plants, bulbs, seeds, pots, etc. If you haven’t been there, it’s definitely a great adventure. Oh… and they have natives experts working there. So, you can usually get great advice from professionals.

Moosa Creek Nursery
760-749-3216
California Native Plants
Wholesale in Valley Center

Fax: 760-751-0548
Email: nursery@moosacreek.com
Retail Availability Price List

California Natives expert Greg Rubin recommended that I buy the 1 gallon size. Natives apparently get established better if they are planted when they are smaller.

When planting, it’s important to drench the hole and the plant with water to eliminate air pockets.

Retail nurseries affiliated with
Moosa Creek Nursery

Retail Nurseries by Zip Code

Each of the following retail nurseries has its own California Native plants for sale. If you want something specific, you can order from Moosa Creek. Moosa Creek delivers orders to its affiliated nurseries each week.

Green Thumb Nursery
760-744-3822
1019 W San Marcos Blvd., San Marcos
Daily 8 am – 5 pm
Sundays 9 am – 5 pm

Anderson’s La Costa Nursery
760-753-3153
400 La Costa Ave., Encinitas
Daily 8:30 am – 5 pm

Cordova Gardens
760-944-698
902 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas
Daily 8:30 am – 5 pm
Sundays 10 am – 4 pm

California Native Plant Communities by Zip Code

Calscape : Enter a California address or click the map to see plants native to that location

California’s Own – Native Landscape Design Inc.

Leaf burn times of California native plants

“Non-Native Grasses and Weeds
The numbers explain why brush fires slowly spread in comparison to grass/weed fires.”

Las Pilitas Nursery

Native plant roots: what goes on below the surface

Click links below for current inventory, price, and info for native plants for sale at LasPilitas.com. Plants can be ordered online and delivered by mail.

Manzanita

Del Mar Manzanita
Sunset Manzanita
Please note that the Sunset requires a little more water than we get annually here in Vista. It doesn’t seem to mind being in a garden with automatic sprinklers. But, it will grow big and probably not last as long if it gets regular weekly watering.

Sagebrush / Artemisia

California sagebrush
Artemisia Canyon Grey
White Sagebrush

Trees

Toyon
Island Mountain Mahogany
Palo Verde
Laurel Sumac
California Juniper

Monarch Butterfly Habitat

California Monarch Milkweed
Note: this plant may not look great year round… so best to plant in a part of the yard where it won’t be seen… and not disturbed.

Flowers

Bush Poppy
Southern Monkey Flower
Narrow Leaf Southern Monkey Flower
Coast Sunflower
Incienso and Brittlebush
Apache Plume
Giant Gum Plant
Creosote Bush and Chaparral
Yellow Bush Snapdragon
Wallaces Pitcher Plant
Deerweed
Silver Bush Lupine
Desert bitterbrush
Butterfly Mint Bush
California Corethrogyne
Yellow Gooseberry
White flowering currant
Catalina Perfume
Brandegees Sage
Desert Sage
San Diego Sage
Blue-Eyed Grass
Red California Fuchsia

“Long term studies have shown a well designed hillside garden planted in native plants has no measurable erosion.”

” reduce the planting density to about 30-40% cover… ” (to be firewise)

Las Pilitas Nursery

Book review
The Drought-Defying California Garden
by Greg Rubin and Lucy Warren

“Instead of mixing California natives with plants from elsewhere, they recommend setting aside areas in your garden dedicated exclusively to California natives… California native plants come from harsh environments, and their primary mode of survival is to live in cooperative plant communities.”

Review by Succulents and More

mulch

“Natives are unparalleled at stabilizing slopes (you don’t often hear of landslides in the chaparral). They love the perfect drainage, and many are large enough to just sprawl down over large areas. The shredded redwood bark that we use can stick to grades as steep as 1.5:1”

Greg Rubin

plant spacing

“In nature, you will observe areas that are sparsely vegetated. In the garden, this allows plants to grow to mature size and be admired individually. Bare places between plants reduces competition for moisture and minimizes pruning requirements. Birds and lizards use bare ground for hunting and foraging.”

10/28/2020
Using Native Plants for Fire Resistant Landscapes
a presentation by Greg Rubin

1/14/2025
This video presentation was for the California Native Plant Society, East Bay Chapter in Northern California. Greg shares results from a study that he and a partner were hired to do for the Navy. Plus, Greg shares free expert information about California Natives.

Greg is “not a fan of prescribed burns”.

Related book review:
The Drought-Defying California Garden

Anstine-Audubon Nature Preserve video
11.6-acre wildlife sanctuary and native plant garden
Binoculars available for birders of all ages to borrow.

Free Saturdays 9am – Noon

Closed July through October
Also closed during rain, extreme fire danger or heat, or other uncontrollable conditions.
See Anstine Facebook page for updates.

Registration recommended.
angona@sandiegoaudubon.org (858) 273-7800 anstine@sandiegoaudubon.org

2437 Hutchison Street — near Rancho Guajome Adobe

8/2/2016
Living with Lizards

“The Western fence lizard is the most common reptile in Malibu. It is quite happy to take advantage of garden features like rocks and fences. Those fantastically long toes and claws on the hind feet enable the fence lizard to almost effortlessly climb vertical surfaces like tree trunks.

Fence lizards are beneficial garden residents. They feast on creatures humans regard as pests, including mosquitos, ticks, scorpions, centipedes, beetles and spiders. Fence lizards are, in turn, a key food source for everything from hawks and roadrunners, to gopher snakes and larger lizards.”

The Malibu Post

6/10/2024
The coloring of the fence lizard looks similar to that of lizards crawling around here in Vista during springtime.

Unfortunately, when lizards accidentally get poisoned… that can also kill those animals in the food chain that eat lizards… contaminating the balance of nature.

Reporting Plane Noise & Pollution

Having trouble sleeping?
Loud overhead planes can be reported to
Federal Aviation Administration
Noise Complaints & Inquiries

3/1/2024
Brace for Impact
Unveiling the Truth Behind Our Skies
& SOS Swarm Webinar Tonight!
Reinette Senum’s Foghorn Express

3/11/2024
Seth’s video interview of Reinette reveals what’s going on outside. Reinette suggests various legal action that we can take to stop this pollution. We are needed now to save life on earth!

Amazing video interview, Reinette.

Related:
Save Our Skies

3/2/2024
“Does that look normal to you?”

A SIMPLE Action to Take
About the MILKY SKIES
The Healthy American, Peggy Hall
Living in San Clemente

3/11/2024
Links are provided in the above article to two places where complaints can be filed in California… California EPA and California Air Resource Board

Related:
How to Explain this is NOT Normal…
The “ConTrail” CON is Off the Charts!

3/17/2024
Geez… It was grand central station overhead in the skies above downtown Vista today.

So, the week leading up to the Ukraine war… all was quiet overhead. It was almost eerie. So, that’s what made me think it’s not passenger jets or a flight path overhead. If it really is geo-engineering… think of all the plane fuel used in flying overhead constantly every day. Meanwhile, they’re trying to ban gas stoves and gas hookups in new construction.

I had a friend say that…. well, we want the rain. So, it’s OK with her. So, is it actually OK? A year ago, the area around my house sounded like an aviary in the morning. It was almost annoying. Now… nada? Although, recently I heard a bird or two chirping in the am. The bushes used to be covered with bees. Now… maybe a dozen total around my house on a really nice sunshiny day.

Who makes the decision to do geo-engineering? It’s not the military? They are just doing what they’ve been told to do by some civilian government entity? Who is that decision maker? Why is there no transparency? Is there minimal scientific discussion of this online?

The area around my house in downtown Vista has shown a devastating reduction in wildlife over the last year. So, why is that happening? Could it be pesticides sprayed in the area? Also pesticides fed to plants sold to us (neonicotinoids)? I don’t believe that pesticides are fed to plants in the natives nurseries around here.

Is 5G radio frequency (rf) emanating from all those new street lights? Is rf coming in from all those new StarLink satellites overhead? Does this have to do with the smart meters? Or, is it all of this together… electrical pollution and poisons combining to destroy our environment?

Reinette says the trees dying in the forest are actually dying from the metals sprayed from the air… barium and such. They had the soil tested where she lives in Northern California to determine the metals content. Are the beetles just coming in to do clean up work on trees that are already dying? Is mainstream news even discussing that?

1/29/2025
Citizens group sues county over American Airlines deal
The Coast News

Related:
AA Deal at Palomar
Citizens for a Friendly Airport

UNconventional Grey
Introducing the Unfinished Third Geoengineering Film of Michael J. Murphy

“Even though it reflects the sun’s rays away
and therefore tends to cool the daytime temperatures
it still traps the heat that’s there during the night
and it looks like the… net effect
is a gradual warming of the planet
caused by the very geoengineering projects
which were sold to us as stopping global warming.”

Ed Griffin
@39:54

Related:
Toxic Sky

4/7/2021
Just Block Out The Sun, What Could Go Wrong??
by Really Graceful
EarthNewspaper.com

Weather | Transit | City of Vista Rain | Trash/Recycling Fire Maps & Prevention California Native Plants Reporting Plane Noise & Pollution