Carlsbad, CA Windmill

I have been in Carlsbad, CA staying at my sister's house the past couple of days.  In Carlsbad there is an odd tourist attraction and it seems out of place but can be seen for miles.  It is a full size operational Windmill.  It was built in 1980 by a soup company but was then purchased by the Windmill Banquet and Catering Company.  It was remodeled in 1999 and is currently a hotel and a TGI Fridays.  It is located on Interstate 5 and is about a mile from the Pacific Ocean.  The windmill is fully functional but because it is so close to the ocean high winds may make the blades on the windmill rotate too fast so the blades have a motor on them to allow them to move slowly.  In high winds the blades get locked so the wind does not damage it.  We passed the windmill last night while going to dinner at The Claim Jumper restaurant.  The restaurant is set up to look like an old mining building and is well done.  The food is great and you get a lot of it.  It was a busy place so we decided to eat in the bar which was great.  We sat at a table right next to the working fireplace (it was cool enough to have a fire) and watched Baseball and Football on the TVs.  The Claim Jumper has a chain of restaurants and are located in the western states along the west coast.  If you ever get the opportunity to eat at one I would highly reccommend you do. 
Carlsbad does have a few tourist attractions.  Legoland is located in Carlsbad and then there is a seasonal attraction that some day I will be here to see.  Along one of the big hills in Carlsbad is the Carlsbad Flower Fields.  Most of the year the hill is just dirt but from March through May the hills are full of flowers.  I have seen pictures of it and it is beautiful.  Amazing colors that covers an entire hillside. 
Yesterday I spent most of the morning and afternoon working on stamping projects with my sister helping her get ready for her Fall Festival she is co hosting.  We got a lot done and watched a lot of College Football while we worked.  Today I will be heading back to Menifee and will begin to act like a tourist again.  This week we will be visiting Big Bear, the LA area and Hollywood.