I have been waiting on the official word that the Sunday pool parties at the Handlery Hotel in Mission Valley for about a month now. I finally found some confirmation from a post on SanDiego.com that this awesome summer tradition is back. I was a little worried that after the hotel went through a multi-million dollar renovation this winter they wouldn’t want to invite the public back to trash the newly resurfaced pool. I am so glad I was wrong.

Even though Lady Dottie and the Diamonds will not be returning to the scene, this is an awesome opportunity to bask in the sun with a drink, play in the pool with the kiddies, or hop in the hot tub all while listening to a live band. To my family, this IS our community pool.

The very first pool party of the summer will be Sunday, July 4th with a live performance by Mystique Element of Soul, a rhythm and blues cover band. I guess they were waiting for the June gloom to wear off to bring the party on. The music is from 2:00pm – 5:00pm but I recommend getting there early (around noon) if you want a lounge chair or a table by the pool. Perhaps the pre-planning won’t be necessary as the hipsters are likely to bypass this opportunity do to the band choice. Oh well, more room for us. The pool party will be every other Sunday running from July through the end of September. Make sure to get your parking validated at the bar.

In addition to Sunday afternoons, Wednesday nights from 5:00-8:30pm has become an acoustic music song swap hosted by Chris Dale. We had a chance to check it out a week ago with Robin Henkel and Jeff Berkley in the mix. A little mellower than the Sunday parties, but still an awesome chance to check out the hot tub and to see what the local acoustic music scene has to offer.