Meet an Astronaut and a Blues Ambassador: Calendar of Events May 12-18

Feelin' outdoorsy? The wide world beckons in La Jolla and beyond from May 12 to 18.

Take your favorite four-legged mate on a cruise or enjoy art in a beguiling seaside nature reserve. Or if that all sounds too laid back, there's always the Encinitas Sports Festival. Bike, run, swim, or hey, do all three in a triathlon? Why not?

By the way, we know this is called “Get Out.” But there's one event on the list you don't have to leave home to be part of. Just a little curveball for a nice May weekend.

CLOSE TO HOME

• Where/when: La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 la Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla, 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

• Why go: Have a taste for re-imagined Rodgers and Hammerstein? SDAART, a local Asian-American theater group, brings the Flower Drum Song to La Jolla for a one-month run Thursdays through Sundays.

• Price: $15-$25.

• Where/when: Your house, La Jolla, Saturday.

• Why go: No, we're not showing up unannounced. But when your postal carrier comes around on Saturday, he or she will be prepared to do you a favor: if you want to hand in some extra cans or boxes of food that won't spoil leave them for the carrier. As part of Stamp Out Hunger day the items will be distributed to local food banks and pantries.

• Price: Free.

• Where/when: UC, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, 11 a.m. Saturday.

• Why go: Nearly 30 years ago, Sally Ride became the first U.S. woman to blast off into space. The university hosts the Sally Ride Science Festival for middle-school students to inspire a new generation and maybe even a future astronaut or two.

• Price: $20.

• Where/when: Torrey Pines Natural Reserve, 12600 N. Torrey Pines Rd. San Diego, 10 a.m. Sunday.

• Why go: “Art in the Pines” features a Plein Air contest, artists who work in all manner of media, food and live music, and the added bonus of benefiting the reserve's education programs for children.

• Price: Free.

• Where/when: , 1008 Wall St, La Jolla, noon Monday.

• Why go: Brown-bag it and enjoy the final “Mini-Concerts at Noon” show of the spring, featuring Joshua White and Mike Wofford on two pianos.

• Price: Free.

• Where/when: Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla, 7:30 p.m. Monday.

• Why go: Rye Barcott will appear to discuss and sign  It Happened on the Way to War: A Marine's Path to Peace. After he served in Iraq, Barcott co-founded an international aid group singled out for recognition by Time magazine and Bill Gates.

• Price: Free, but must purchase book for signing.

• Where/when:  , 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla, 6 p.m. Wednesday.

• Why go: Birch kicks off its monthly “Green Flash” summer concert series, named for that very special, but oh-so-elusive, flash as the sun slips below the horizon. Earl Thomas and the Blues Ambassadors open the season, which continues through September.

• Price: $22-$30; season passes from $105-$120.

BEST BETS, A LITTLE FARTHER OUT

• Where/when: , 400 B St., Encinitas and MiraCosta College's San Elijo campus, 3333 Manchester Ave., Cardiff, Saturday and Sunday.

• Why go: If a triathlon, walk/run and bicycle tour are your idea of fun events to go to – for some of us it's exhausting just typing those words together – try the Encinitas Sports Festival, which features all three in one weekend.

• Price: Entry fees vary.

• Where/when: Hornblower Cruises, 1066 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, 10:30 a.m., Saturday.

• Why go: Does your pooch like to stick his head out the car window and feel the breeze in his fur? Then he just might love taking a cruise for “Pet Day on the Bay,” a fundraiser for the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe. Tours also leave at noon and 1:30 p.m.

• Price: $10-$20, pets free.

• Where/when: Ski Beach, Mission Bay, Ingraham St & Vacation Rd., San Diego, 7 a.m. Sunday.

• Why go: Celebrate Israel's Independence Day with a fund-raising walk/run and bicycle ride, followed by a fair featuring performances and a chance to win a trip to the Holy Land. 

• Price: Free.