“Unconditional Surrender”, the famous 25-foot-tall “Kiss” statue, located on G Street near the USS Midway Museum, is here to stay. The San Diego Unified Port District board voted to accept a painted bronze version, giving supporters one year to raise the funds necessary (between $500,000-$1 million) to pay for a permanent statue. The 3-D version of the famous Life Magazine photo, by Alfred Eisenstaedt, of a sailor and a nurse celebrating the end of WWII in Times Square, has been on loan from the Santa Monica Sculpture Foundation since 2007.

The statue is a popular location for couples to be photographed as well as for sailors, to which this holds sentimental value.

Don’t forget to check out these favorite springtime attractions

• Carlsbad Flower Fields

The Carlsbad Flower Fields, open March 1-May 13, are a 50-acre swath of blossoms, covered in red, orange, yellow, green and purple. The folks here didn’t set out to plant a botanical garden. Instead, they are a commercial grower of Giant Ranunculus bulbs. It just happens that the flowers these bulbs produce are so beautiful that people want to go see them, creating a temporary tourist attraction every spring.

The main attraction at the Carlsbad Flower Fields are the Giant Rananculus flowers, dense-petaled and vibrant-colored. Besides blossom show at the Carlsbad Flower Fields, there’s is a Miniature Rose Garden, a poinsettia greenhouse, a sweet pea maze and a display that includes each of the more than 180 All-American Rose selection winners since 1940.

• Whale Watching in San Diego

March is the last month of whale watching season. Book an excursion today to see mother gray whales and their babies travel north to their feeding grounds. Daily trips take you out to watch.

• Spring into Night

Guests can celebrate spring with Shamu and friends during Spring into Night at SeaWorld San Diego. Every weekend during March 31-April 14, the park stays open until 9 p.m., so visitors can laugh with sea lions Clyde and Seamore at the Sea Lions Tonite! nighttime show and be amazed at the visually stunning evening performance of Shamu Rocks before looking to the sky for a fantastic firework show.