Our week in San Diego - Warning: VERY LONG REPORT!
Jul 14th, 2007, 11:13 AM
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Our week in San Diego - Warning: VERY LONG REPORT!
Monday, July 2 -- Point Loma and Downtown San Diego.
It was 86 degrees when we arrived at our apt. rental! Son #1 (S1) elected to stay at the apartment in the morning to wait for the air conditioner repairman who was supposed to come before noon to fix the AC.
Son #2 (S2), DW and I jumped in the van at around 8:30 and drove around the Embarcadero and past the airport to Point Loma, to go to the Cabrillo National Monument,at the very southern tip of the Point.
The weather was perfectly clear, sunny, and warm when we left the city, but Point Loma has its own micro-climate, which we experienced as the fog began to roll in. By the time we got to the National Park unit, we could barely see 10 feet in front of the car
-- not the ideal conditions to enjoy the "most breathtaking view of San Diego"
(according to our mini-guidebook from Eyewitness, "Top Ten San Diego").
We asked the park ranger about the fog, and he said, "Oh, it burns off by 11:00 every
day, regular as clockwork." Which didn't cheer us up all that much, since it was only 9:30.
We ran through the exhibits at the Visitors Center (S2 isn't much for reading the descriptive materials), and then walked out to the statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot on the West Coast in 1542.
Cabrillo didn't stay in San Diego -- his was leading an expedition of discovery, to explore the "coast of New Spain". The expedition claimed more than 800 miles of Pacific coastline for Spain, from southern California to the Rogue River area in Oregon. Cabrillo was fatally wounded and died in January 1543 in the Channel Islands, but the expedition continued until April, when his shipmates returned to Navidad, Mexico. After looking at Cabrillo's statue and listening to seals bark on the beach hundreds of feet below (we couldn't see them -- too much fog!), we walked over to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, built in 1850.
After visiting the lighthouse, we drove down to the water and walked on paths along the crumbling sandstone cliffs. The sea has carved the cliffs into dramatic shapes, with boulders and pitted shelves of rock, which fill up with water and form tidepools. I looked for a tidepool teeming with marine life, but only saw a couple of strange water bugs (or maybe tiny lobsters -- they looked vaguely crustacean).
Returning to the city from Point Loma, we stopped at the foot of Broadway and Harbor Drive to get tickets from San Diego Harbor Excursions for a 1-hour harbor cruise. Our cruise was of the south bay, down past the Coronado Bridge and the hundreds of naval vessels, ship building and repair docks, and the famous USS Midway aircraft carrier. The weather was perfect (no fog in San Diego!), and we saw lovely views of the city's skyline behind us. After our harbor cruise, we drove to Ralph's Grocery beside Horton Plaza and loaded up.
Meanwhile, the air conditioner repair had never showed up. We talked to the owner, who talked to the repair man, who called us back to explain that he doesn't fix those kind of air conditioners. It was turning into a complete comedy of errors, and the temperature in the apartment was still 83
degrees! The upshot of all the back and forth calls is that the owner decided to come into town on Tuesday, wait for the (different) repair man herself, and hopefully, when we return to the apartment tomorrow afternoon, it will be cool!!!!
After lunch, we drove across the bridge to Coronado Island. We dropped S1 off at the
Silver Strand State Park Beach, one of the most beautiful and best swimming beaches in America. While he swam, they rest of us backtracked to the Village of Coronado and
visited the Hotel del Coronado, the famous monstrosity that every president has
slept in at least one night (I guess only every president since it was built).
The hotel was featured in the Marilyn Monroe movie "Some Like it Hot" and the
Peter O'Toole movie "The Stuntman". It is WAY over the top, and incredibly expensive. We had to pay $10 just to park in the lot, though the beach behind the hotel is open to the public. We had to buy some AA batteries for the camera while there -- $11 at the gift
shop!!
I did like the original wire cage elevator, and the lobby was very impressive, all dark wood and an enormous crystal chandelier. We sat outside and drank a latte, having a "moment". We retrieved S1 and returned about 5:30, and we all ate a light dinner at the
apartment.
Tuesday, July 3 -- La Jolla and North County Road Trip
After another hot night, we had a light breakfast in the apartment. At 9:00, we left in the van for our road trip. S1 decided to stay in San Diego and do downtown stuff.
He ended up visiting the Seaport Village, which he said was a disappointingly cheesy array of shops and restaurants, then toured the Maritime Museum, which includes 4 ships: the 1863 merchant ship Star of India; the 1898 ferry Berkeley; the 1904 steam driven yacht Medea; and the H.M.S. Surprise, a full-rigged, 24-gun Royal Navy frigate.
We all needed to be out of the apartment from noon to 2:00, because the apt. owner was meeting a (different) air conditioner repairman to make sure that the AC got fixed. So DW, S2 and I drove north on I-5, hooking west to drive through the shore town of Pacific Beach to the stylish, incredibly cute
village of La Jolla, home of some of the most expensive real estate in the U.S.
Right in the center of downtown, at the base of the beautiful cliffs, was a small, protected beach called the Children's Pool, donated to the youngsters of San Diego by philanthropist Ellen Scripps. But the tiny cove has been taken over by harbor seals, who were as cute as they were stinky. Next, we drove to the Birch Aquarium, part of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The aquarium is small, but well-designed, focusing on sea life indigenous to Southern
California. We had a light snack there, and then drove on to Torrey Pines State
Reserve, north of La Jolla.
This was the highlight of our day. The spectacular coastal reserve shelters the rare Torrey pine tree, and sprawls across beaches,
bluffs, and canyons. We bypassed the popular and pristine beach, and drove to the top of the park road to the Visitors Center, a charming adobe structure. We picked up a trail map and settled on the Guy Fleming trail, a level, 2/3 mile loop that offers pine forest, wildflowers, ruddy sandstone formations, and dramatic ocean views.
Now we were hungry, so we followed historic U.S. Route 101 north, clinging to the ocean's contours. We drove through Del Mar, a wealthy town with the famous horse racing track and the San Diego County Fair, which was set up
and running. The next town was Solana Beach. In the eclectic shopping and arts district, the Cedros Design Center, we ate at Cafe Zinc, a blissed-out vegetarian heaven, with sandwiches, soups, salads, and baked goods.
On the road again, we passed through Encinitas, Leucadia, and Carlsbad -- it was one gorgeous beach after another. Carlsbad, a spa town, had interesting German architecture, quite a change after all the mission-style buildings with red clay tiled
roofs, which is the predominate architecture. Oceanside was the end of the Highway 101 drive.
We cut inland, and drove about 7 miles to the Mission San Luis Rey, the last mission to be established in Southern California. For decades, the mission was the largest building on the West Coast. It was founded in 1798, and continues to serve local parishioners today. In fact, a funeral and burial had just concluded when we arrived. We viewed the church and the Quadrangle, with a picturesque archway framing an ancient pepper tree -- the
first pepper tree planted in California. But we had to leave abruptly, because
S2 got sunscreen in his eye and got very cranky. We stopped in Oceanside before hopping on the interstate to get a snack and some coffee. The shop was called "The Valley Buzz", and we visited with the gregarious counter girl, who told us her life story.
We had decided to take the interstate back in the interest of time, but it was a horrible, 10 mph slog. The 32 miles from Oceanside to San Diego took us over 2 hours! Now we've really experienced Southern California!
The most wonderful thing about finally getting back to the apartment was: the air conditioning was finally working!!! After a short rest, we all walked to the Gaslamp District for dinner at The Yard, a bustling sports bar with an extensive menu, huge portions, and 250 beers on tap! We meant to stay up and watch the fireworks at Petco Park after the ball game, but DW, S2 and I were
all asleep before 9:30. S1 heard the explosions and ran outside to watch the
fireworks. I guess if we want to stay up for the Fourth of July fireworks, we'll
need to take an afternoon nap.
Wednesday, July 4 -- Old Town and Mission Valley
S1 joined us today in Old Town. We breakfasted on muffins left for us by the apartment's owner, in apology for the broken AC. We left at around 10:00 am and drove north on I-5 just a couple of exits to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
It was a perfect day to visit -- there were dozens of volunteers dressed in period clothing (mid-1800s); a military band was assembling on the central Plaza de las Armas;and everyone was in a festive, Fourth of July mood. The park is free, and it is a wonderful living history of early San Diego and the people who shaped it. What really
struck me as we visited the various shops, museums, and historic homes that are
part of the 7-block historic park is what a wide variety of people and cultures
influenced the area's development.
We always picture European pioneers coming
west, but the indigenous native Americans, the Kumeyaay, were here for thousands
of years before the Spanish, who established missions throughout California in the late 1700s. And when Mexico gained independence
from Spain in 1821, they established a military garrison at nearby Presidio
Hill. And then there were the American entrepreneurs, black and white alike, who
came to open businesses, deliver the mail, set up law offices, teach school, stable and shoe horses, and otherwise form a real town.
The most impressive structure in the park is also the oldest, the Casa de Estudillo, the home of the Presidio's commandant, Jose
Maria de Estudillo. His family lived in the grand, 12-room adobe house from 1829-1880. It is authentically restored in period style, with tiled floors and wood-beamed ceilings.
After visiting the historic park, we walked a few long blocks down San Diego Avenue to El Agave, an amazing "Tequileria" that had the most subtle and delicious Mexican food I have ever experienced. The Mole Colorado that I ordered had chiles, garlic, banana and chocolate in it. It sounds weird, but it was
absolute heaven! DW got the appetizer plate, with 2 or 3 of everything, and every bite was amazing and different. This was not your typical enchiladas and tacos ... this was inspired cooking. Full and happy, we walked back toward the car, stopping at the El Campo Santo, the cemetery where many of the original San Diego families are buried.
Back at the car, S1 split off and hopped on the trolley to go back to town. DW, S2 and I drove on to the Mission San Diego de Alcala, about 5 miles east of Old Town in the Mission Valley. Nestled among condos and shopping
centers, this was the very first mission established in California. As abortive
and unhappy as our visit to Mission San Luis Rey had been yesterday (in Oceanside), the visit to Mission San Diego de Alcala was relaxing and positive.
The church itself is simple and beautiful. It has clean whitewashed walls, brick floors, and carved wood beam ceilings. But the best part of the mission is the garden and the classic bell tower (campanario) with 5 brass bells (some of them original). The mission was established in 1769, and was immediately beset by troubles. Just one year after the church was completed, the mission was attacked by Indians who burned it down. Undaunted, Padre Serra, the mission's founder, returned to the gutted site and rebuilt the church and mission buildings, this time using fire-resistant adobe. In the early 1800s, the mission was occupied by Mexican troops, then by the U.S. Calvary. But in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln restored all mission lands to the Catholic Church.
Pope Paul VI named the Mission San Diego de Alcala as a minor basilica in 1976.
It still serves as an active parish today.
We drove back into town on surface streets, driving through the vibrant neighborhood of Hillcrest, where we saw Jimmy Carter's Mexican Restaurant. (Guess he is hedging his bets in case the Habitat for Humanity gig doesn't work out.) When we got back to our Ballpark neighborhood, we stopped at Cafe Noir for coffee. This two-story historic home-turned-coffeeshop had a mellow vibe and
excellent caffeine products. We got back to the apartment at around 3:30 or 4:00, and rested for a couple of hours.
Dinner was a hodgepodge of leftovers, and then we gathered some things together to go down to the waterfront for Fourth of July fireworks. We took the trolley to the Seaport Village station, and watched as the Port of San Diego put on the Big Bay July 4th Fireworks Spectacular, where fireworks are set off from 4 barges at various places in the San Diego Bay. It was a very good (and loud) fireworks show, and afterward, the cordite smoke hung thickly in the air.
We walked home.
Thursday, July 5 – Shopping and Swimming
DW woke up feeling punk, and decided that she wanted to stay at the apartment and just take it easy. It was actually gray and overcast: a good shopping day. So I left everyone behind and drove back to Old Town, hoping to find the perfect souvenir to remember San Diego by. I went outside the historic state park to Bazaar Mundo, a collection of clothing, jewelry, housewares, and gift shops. I found a Los Angeles-based artist I liked a lot, but of course, I wasn’t going to pay hundreds of dollars for full-size print. So I got a collection of cards to frame. John August
Swanson is influenced by Russian icons, Medieval and Islamic miniatures, and
Mexican muralists. His works are vibrant, highly detailed, and full of joy and
light.
I also wandered through Heritage Park, which features several restored Victorian homes, some of which are open for tours or have shops and tea rooms. At one shop, I was told by the proprietress that the reason the weather was so cloudy was the fireworks. Apparently, the fireworks, and the heavy cordite smoke that hangs over the city, disturbed the atmosphere and made the weather cloudy. I asked her whether she tells that story to all her out of town visitors, but she swore it was true!
After a light lunch at the apartment, Brian went to the movies to see “Sicko”, which he actually walked out on, saying it was so biased and heavy handed that he couldn’t take it. By 2:00 or so, Dale was feeling perkier, so we packed up our beach towels and sunscreen and drove across the Coronado Bridge to the Silver Strand State Park, which has ocean swimming on one side of the road,
and bay swimming on the other.
The sun had decided to come out, and the weather was perfect. I swam with S2 in the ocean for 20 minutes or so, but it was too
nerve wracking. The surf was strong and rough, and S2 kept trying to go out
further and further -- it was Hawaii or bust! The bay side was completely calm and flat, and we were the only ones on the beach. It turns out it was for a good reason.
After an hour of peaceful swimming, a park employee drove up to tell us that we really shouldn’t be swimming right there: it was a popular gathering area for stingrays! He suggested we walk in to shore slowly, shuffling our feet to let the rays know that we were there!
Well, after such a close call, we needed a cup of coffee, so we drove in to the Village of Coronado and had coffee and a smoothie at Bay Books. Then we drove back to the apartment to shower and change. I ran out and bought a few more groceries, and everyone had dinner at the apartment. Then, at around 7:30, S1 and I drove up to Mission Hills to see “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”at Cinema under the Stars, an outdoor venue, sort of like a drive-in where you sit in comfortable reclining lawn chairs to watch the movie. It was fun and intimate; the patio where the movies are shown seats around 50 people.
Friday, July 6 – World Famous San Diego Zoo
Our last full day of vacation! We slept in a bit, and had breakfast at the apartment, then all four of us drove to the World Famous San Diego Zoo. We started with the 40 minute guided bus tour around the enormous, hilly Zoo complex, trying to identify the areas we wanted to come back to visit on foot.
We saw hundreds of animals, and especially enjoyed the baby monkey, whose mother kept reining him in, and the beautiful polar bears. S1 was especially taken with the Szechuan Takir, a sort of moose-like
creature from China. We ate lunch at the Canyon Cafe, right by the Giant Pandas,
and took the Skyfari sky tram from one end of the Zoo to the other, which offered good views of the Zoo, Balboa Park, and the San Diego skyline. After four and a half hours, it was time to go. We didn’t seen all of the Zoo, maybe not even half. It is just enormous!
On the way home from the Zoo, we did a quick driving tour of Mission Bay Park, “the world’s finest aquatic playground”. The lakes and islands of Mission Bay Park are man made, and home to miles of swimming beaches, resorts, and ship berths. On the west side is Mission Beach, where no one on the street actually wears clothes just cutoffs, swimsuits, and other beach wear. In the middle of the park is Vacation Island, and at the southern end, Sea World.
We returned around 4:00, and rested a couple of hours before DW and I went out for a delicious multi-course (and multi-wine) dinner at Café Chloe. Chloe herself was there, an adorable blonde six year-old, with her dad, who owns the restaurant. The food was all organic and wonderfully fresh tasting, but prepared in the classic French style. Our meals were absolutely wonderful, a
perfect ending to a wonderful week's vacation!
Saturday, July 7 – Home Again
There’s never anything to write about on the day we leave for home. We
got up and ate breakfast, packed, returned the trusty minivan and drove to the
airport (which is right in town – the flight path seems to thread between the
high rises). We had plenty of time to read and relax. The flight home was smooth and uneventful, and Dulles was its
usual charming self – 45 minute wait for luggage, packed like sardines into the
parking shuttle bus, and then the ride home.
It was 86 degrees when we arrived at our apt. rental! Son #1 (S1) elected to stay at the apartment in the morning to wait for the air conditioner repairman who was supposed to come before noon to fix the AC.
Son #2 (S2), DW and I jumped in the van at around 8:30 and drove around the Embarcadero and past the airport to Point Loma, to go to the Cabrillo National Monument,at the very southern tip of the Point.
The weather was perfectly clear, sunny, and warm when we left the city, but Point Loma has its own micro-climate, which we experienced as the fog began to roll in. By the time we got to the National Park unit, we could barely see 10 feet in front of the car
-- not the ideal conditions to enjoy the "most breathtaking view of San Diego"
(according to our mini-guidebook from Eyewitness, "Top Ten San Diego").
We asked the park ranger about the fog, and he said, "Oh, it burns off by 11:00 every
day, regular as clockwork." Which didn't cheer us up all that much, since it was only 9:30.
We ran through the exhibits at the Visitors Center (S2 isn't much for reading the descriptive materials), and then walked out to the statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot on the West Coast in 1542.
Cabrillo didn't stay in San Diego -- his was leading an expedition of discovery, to explore the "coast of New Spain". The expedition claimed more than 800 miles of Pacific coastline for Spain, from southern California to the Rogue River area in Oregon. Cabrillo was fatally wounded and died in January 1543 in the Channel Islands, but the expedition continued until April, when his shipmates returned to Navidad, Mexico. After looking at Cabrillo's statue and listening to seals bark on the beach hundreds of feet below (we couldn't see them -- too much fog!), we walked over to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, built in 1850.
After visiting the lighthouse, we drove down to the water and walked on paths along the crumbling sandstone cliffs. The sea has carved the cliffs into dramatic shapes, with boulders and pitted shelves of rock, which fill up with water and form tidepools. I looked for a tidepool teeming with marine life, but only saw a couple of strange water bugs (or maybe tiny lobsters -- they looked vaguely crustacean).
Returning to the city from Point Loma, we stopped at the foot of Broadway and Harbor Drive to get tickets from San Diego Harbor Excursions for a 1-hour harbor cruise. Our cruise was of the south bay, down past the Coronado Bridge and the hundreds of naval vessels, ship building and repair docks, and the famous USS Midway aircraft carrier. The weather was perfect (no fog in San Diego!), and we saw lovely views of the city's skyline behind us. After our harbor cruise, we drove to Ralph's Grocery beside Horton Plaza and loaded up.
Meanwhile, the air conditioner repair had never showed up. We talked to the owner, who talked to the repair man, who called us back to explain that he doesn't fix those kind of air conditioners. It was turning into a complete comedy of errors, and the temperature in the apartment was still 83
degrees! The upshot of all the back and forth calls is that the owner decided to come into town on Tuesday, wait for the (different) repair man herself, and hopefully, when we return to the apartment tomorrow afternoon, it will be cool!!!!
After lunch, we drove across the bridge to Coronado Island. We dropped S1 off at the
Silver Strand State Park Beach, one of the most beautiful and best swimming beaches in America. While he swam, they rest of us backtracked to the Village of Coronado and
visited the Hotel del Coronado, the famous monstrosity that every president has
slept in at least one night (I guess only every president since it was built).
The hotel was featured in the Marilyn Monroe movie "Some Like it Hot" and the
Peter O'Toole movie "The Stuntman". It is WAY over the top, and incredibly expensive. We had to pay $10 just to park in the lot, though the beach behind the hotel is open to the public. We had to buy some AA batteries for the camera while there -- $11 at the gift
shop!!
I did like the original wire cage elevator, and the lobby was very impressive, all dark wood and an enormous crystal chandelier. We sat outside and drank a latte, having a "moment". We retrieved S1 and returned about 5:30, and we all ate a light dinner at the
apartment.
Tuesday, July 3 -- La Jolla and North County Road Trip
After another hot night, we had a light breakfast in the apartment. At 9:00, we left in the van for our road trip. S1 decided to stay in San Diego and do downtown stuff.
He ended up visiting the Seaport Village, which he said was a disappointingly cheesy array of shops and restaurants, then toured the Maritime Museum, which includes 4 ships: the 1863 merchant ship Star of India; the 1898 ferry Berkeley; the 1904 steam driven yacht Medea; and the H.M.S. Surprise, a full-rigged, 24-gun Royal Navy frigate.
We all needed to be out of the apartment from noon to 2:00, because the apt. owner was meeting a (different) air conditioner repairman to make sure that the AC got fixed. So DW, S2 and I drove north on I-5, hooking west to drive through the shore town of Pacific Beach to the stylish, incredibly cute
village of La Jolla, home of some of the most expensive real estate in the U.S.
Right in the center of downtown, at the base of the beautiful cliffs, was a small, protected beach called the Children's Pool, donated to the youngsters of San Diego by philanthropist Ellen Scripps. But the tiny cove has been taken over by harbor seals, who were as cute as they were stinky. Next, we drove to the Birch Aquarium, part of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The aquarium is small, but well-designed, focusing on sea life indigenous to Southern
California. We had a light snack there, and then drove on to Torrey Pines State
Reserve, north of La Jolla.
This was the highlight of our day. The spectacular coastal reserve shelters the rare Torrey pine tree, and sprawls across beaches,
bluffs, and canyons. We bypassed the popular and pristine beach, and drove to the top of the park road to the Visitors Center, a charming adobe structure. We picked up a trail map and settled on the Guy Fleming trail, a level, 2/3 mile loop that offers pine forest, wildflowers, ruddy sandstone formations, and dramatic ocean views.
Now we were hungry, so we followed historic U.S. Route 101 north, clinging to the ocean's contours. We drove through Del Mar, a wealthy town with the famous horse racing track and the San Diego County Fair, which was set up
and running. The next town was Solana Beach. In the eclectic shopping and arts district, the Cedros Design Center, we ate at Cafe Zinc, a blissed-out vegetarian heaven, with sandwiches, soups, salads, and baked goods.
On the road again, we passed through Encinitas, Leucadia, and Carlsbad -- it was one gorgeous beach after another. Carlsbad, a spa town, had interesting German architecture, quite a change after all the mission-style buildings with red clay tiled
roofs, which is the predominate architecture. Oceanside was the end of the Highway 101 drive.
We cut inland, and drove about 7 miles to the Mission San Luis Rey, the last mission to be established in Southern California. For decades, the mission was the largest building on the West Coast. It was founded in 1798, and continues to serve local parishioners today. In fact, a funeral and burial had just concluded when we arrived. We viewed the church and the Quadrangle, with a picturesque archway framing an ancient pepper tree -- the
first pepper tree planted in California. But we had to leave abruptly, because
S2 got sunscreen in his eye and got very cranky. We stopped in Oceanside before hopping on the interstate to get a snack and some coffee. The shop was called "The Valley Buzz", and we visited with the gregarious counter girl, who told us her life story.
We had decided to take the interstate back in the interest of time, but it was a horrible, 10 mph slog. The 32 miles from Oceanside to San Diego took us over 2 hours! Now we've really experienced Southern California!
The most wonderful thing about finally getting back to the apartment was: the air conditioning was finally working!!! After a short rest, we all walked to the Gaslamp District for dinner at The Yard, a bustling sports bar with an extensive menu, huge portions, and 250 beers on tap! We meant to stay up and watch the fireworks at Petco Park after the ball game, but DW, S2 and I were
all asleep before 9:30. S1 heard the explosions and ran outside to watch the
fireworks. I guess if we want to stay up for the Fourth of July fireworks, we'll
need to take an afternoon nap.
Wednesday, July 4 -- Old Town and Mission Valley
S1 joined us today in Old Town. We breakfasted on muffins left for us by the apartment's owner, in apology for the broken AC. We left at around 10:00 am and drove north on I-5 just a couple of exits to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
It was a perfect day to visit -- there were dozens of volunteers dressed in period clothing (mid-1800s); a military band was assembling on the central Plaza de las Armas;and everyone was in a festive, Fourth of July mood. The park is free, and it is a wonderful living history of early San Diego and the people who shaped it. What really
struck me as we visited the various shops, museums, and historic homes that are
part of the 7-block historic park is what a wide variety of people and cultures
influenced the area's development.
We always picture European pioneers coming
west, but the indigenous native Americans, the Kumeyaay, were here for thousands
of years before the Spanish, who established missions throughout California in the late 1700s. And when Mexico gained independence
from Spain in 1821, they established a military garrison at nearby Presidio
Hill. And then there were the American entrepreneurs, black and white alike, who
came to open businesses, deliver the mail, set up law offices, teach school, stable and shoe horses, and otherwise form a real town.
The most impressive structure in the park is also the oldest, the Casa de Estudillo, the home of the Presidio's commandant, Jose
Maria de Estudillo. His family lived in the grand, 12-room adobe house from 1829-1880. It is authentically restored in period style, with tiled floors and wood-beamed ceilings.
After visiting the historic park, we walked a few long blocks down San Diego Avenue to El Agave, an amazing "Tequileria" that had the most subtle and delicious Mexican food I have ever experienced. The Mole Colorado that I ordered had chiles, garlic, banana and chocolate in it. It sounds weird, but it was
absolute heaven! DW got the appetizer plate, with 2 or 3 of everything, and every bite was amazing and different. This was not your typical enchiladas and tacos ... this was inspired cooking. Full and happy, we walked back toward the car, stopping at the El Campo Santo, the cemetery where many of the original San Diego families are buried.
Back at the car, S1 split off and hopped on the trolley to go back to town. DW, S2 and I drove on to the Mission San Diego de Alcala, about 5 miles east of Old Town in the Mission Valley. Nestled among condos and shopping
centers, this was the very first mission established in California. As abortive
and unhappy as our visit to Mission San Luis Rey had been yesterday (in Oceanside), the visit to Mission San Diego de Alcala was relaxing and positive.
The church itself is simple and beautiful. It has clean whitewashed walls, brick floors, and carved wood beam ceilings. But the best part of the mission is the garden and the classic bell tower (campanario) with 5 brass bells (some of them original). The mission was established in 1769, and was immediately beset by troubles. Just one year after the church was completed, the mission was attacked by Indians who burned it down. Undaunted, Padre Serra, the mission's founder, returned to the gutted site and rebuilt the church and mission buildings, this time using fire-resistant adobe. In the early 1800s, the mission was occupied by Mexican troops, then by the U.S. Calvary. But in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln restored all mission lands to the Catholic Church.
Pope Paul VI named the Mission San Diego de Alcala as a minor basilica in 1976.
It still serves as an active parish today.
We drove back into town on surface streets, driving through the vibrant neighborhood of Hillcrest, where we saw Jimmy Carter's Mexican Restaurant. (Guess he is hedging his bets in case the Habitat for Humanity gig doesn't work out.) When we got back to our Ballpark neighborhood, we stopped at Cafe Noir for coffee. This two-story historic home-turned-coffeeshop had a mellow vibe and
excellent caffeine products. We got back to the apartment at around 3:30 or 4:00, and rested for a couple of hours.
Dinner was a hodgepodge of leftovers, and then we gathered some things together to go down to the waterfront for Fourth of July fireworks. We took the trolley to the Seaport Village station, and watched as the Port of San Diego put on the Big Bay July 4th Fireworks Spectacular, where fireworks are set off from 4 barges at various places in the San Diego Bay. It was a very good (and loud) fireworks show, and afterward, the cordite smoke hung thickly in the air.
We walked home.
Thursday, July 5 – Shopping and Swimming
DW woke up feeling punk, and decided that she wanted to stay at the apartment and just take it easy. It was actually gray and overcast: a good shopping day. So I left everyone behind and drove back to Old Town, hoping to find the perfect souvenir to remember San Diego by. I went outside the historic state park to Bazaar Mundo, a collection of clothing, jewelry, housewares, and gift shops. I found a Los Angeles-based artist I liked a lot, but of course, I wasn’t going to pay hundreds of dollars for full-size print. So I got a collection of cards to frame. John August
Swanson is influenced by Russian icons, Medieval and Islamic miniatures, and
Mexican muralists. His works are vibrant, highly detailed, and full of joy and
light.
I also wandered through Heritage Park, which features several restored Victorian homes, some of which are open for tours or have shops and tea rooms. At one shop, I was told by the proprietress that the reason the weather was so cloudy was the fireworks. Apparently, the fireworks, and the heavy cordite smoke that hangs over the city, disturbed the atmosphere and made the weather cloudy. I asked her whether she tells that story to all her out of town visitors, but she swore it was true!
After a light lunch at the apartment, Brian went to the movies to see “Sicko”, which he actually walked out on, saying it was so biased and heavy handed that he couldn’t take it. By 2:00 or so, Dale was feeling perkier, so we packed up our beach towels and sunscreen and drove across the Coronado Bridge to the Silver Strand State Park, which has ocean swimming on one side of the road,
and bay swimming on the other.
The sun had decided to come out, and the weather was perfect. I swam with S2 in the ocean for 20 minutes or so, but it was too
nerve wracking. The surf was strong and rough, and S2 kept trying to go out
further and further -- it was Hawaii or bust! The bay side was completely calm and flat, and we were the only ones on the beach. It turns out it was for a good reason.
After an hour of peaceful swimming, a park employee drove up to tell us that we really shouldn’t be swimming right there: it was a popular gathering area for stingrays! He suggested we walk in to shore slowly, shuffling our feet to let the rays know that we were there!
Well, after such a close call, we needed a cup of coffee, so we drove in to the Village of Coronado and had coffee and a smoothie at Bay Books. Then we drove back to the apartment to shower and change. I ran out and bought a few more groceries, and everyone had dinner at the apartment. Then, at around 7:30, S1 and I drove up to Mission Hills to see “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”at Cinema under the Stars, an outdoor venue, sort of like a drive-in where you sit in comfortable reclining lawn chairs to watch the movie. It was fun and intimate; the patio where the movies are shown seats around 50 people.
Friday, July 6 – World Famous San Diego Zoo
Our last full day of vacation! We slept in a bit, and had breakfast at the apartment, then all four of us drove to the World Famous San Diego Zoo. We started with the 40 minute guided bus tour around the enormous, hilly Zoo complex, trying to identify the areas we wanted to come back to visit on foot.
We saw hundreds of animals, and especially enjoyed the baby monkey, whose mother kept reining him in, and the beautiful polar bears. S1 was especially taken with the Szechuan Takir, a sort of moose-like
creature from China. We ate lunch at the Canyon Cafe, right by the Giant Pandas,
and took the Skyfari sky tram from one end of the Zoo to the other, which offered good views of the Zoo, Balboa Park, and the San Diego skyline. After four and a half hours, it was time to go. We didn’t seen all of the Zoo, maybe not even half. It is just enormous!
On the way home from the Zoo, we did a quick driving tour of Mission Bay Park, “the world’s finest aquatic playground”. The lakes and islands of Mission Bay Park are man made, and home to miles of swimming beaches, resorts, and ship berths. On the west side is Mission Beach, where no one on the street actually wears clothes just cutoffs, swimsuits, and other beach wear. In the middle of the park is Vacation Island, and at the southern end, Sea World.
We returned around 4:00, and rested a couple of hours before DW and I went out for a delicious multi-course (and multi-wine) dinner at Café Chloe. Chloe herself was there, an adorable blonde six year-old, with her dad, who owns the restaurant. The food was all organic and wonderfully fresh tasting, but prepared in the classic French style. Our meals were absolutely wonderful, a
perfect ending to a wonderful week's vacation!
Saturday, July 7 – Home Again
There’s never anything to write about on the day we leave for home. We
got up and ate breakfast, packed, returned the trusty minivan and drove to the
airport (which is right in town – the flight path seems to thread between the
high rises). We had plenty of time to read and relax. The flight home was smooth and uneventful, and Dulles was its
usual charming self – 45 minute wait for luggage, packed like sardines into the
parking shuttle bus, and then the ride home.
Jul 14th, 2007, 11:43 AM
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bardo1 - Well done trip report with lots of facts.
Could you share a few more details about the apartment that you rented - website and cost? Were you happy other than the 86 degrees due to lack of the air conditioner working? Would you stay there again or choose a different location?
Thanks for taking the time to share.
Sandy
Could you share a few more details about the apartment that you rented - website and cost? Were you happy other than the 86 degrees due to lack of the air conditioner working? Would you stay there again or choose a different location?
Thanks for taking the time to share.
Sandy
Jul 15th, 2007, 11:03 AM
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Nice report. You did some things that I haven't done in 47 years of summer vacations in the area!
The zoo is really big and is had to see in one day. When I was a kid, admission was free for under 16 so my parents would drop us off when they went out to play golf. We would tak a big grocery bag full of grapes, bread and other fruits and vegetables and feed the animals - especially spider monkeys and bears. Can't do that any more!
The zoo is really big and is had to see in one day. When I was a kid, admission was free for under 16 so my parents would drop us off when they went out to play golf. We would tak a big grocery bag full of grapes, bread and other fruits and vegetables and feed the animals - especially spider monkeys and bears. Can't do that any more!
. Glad you enjoyed your time.
Jul 15th, 2007, 02:33 PM
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Sandy - We rented through vacation-renter.com I do recommend the service and the apt. - it's at 1150 J St.--- although we didn't get the exact address unitl we rented. Except for the initial AC issue everything was perfect (the AC works just fine now - just ask that it be turned on for your arrival day).
Dawn and Tyke - Thanks, as if that wasn't long enough - I just realized I left off day 1 and day 2!
Saturday, June 30 – Arrival in San Diego
We arrived in San Diego around 6:00 p.m. after an uneventful flight,
although we were delayed about half an hour by a navigational computer that had
to be replaced (the pilot assured us that it wasn’t a very important part,
anyway). We picked up a rental car – a Dodge Caravan and drove to our apartment at the Metrome, a warehouse-style condominium one block above the Padres baseball stadium. The neighborhood is "somewhat" transitional. I kept thinking that this is probably what southeast D.C. will look like a couple of years after the new stadium opens, with lots of new residential condo construction, a few hip restaurants and bars, one brave grocery store on the edge of things, and a fairly low level of foot traffic during the day.
The apartment, owned by a couple who live about 70 miles north, is
beautiful: two bedrooms, large kitchen, dining area, living room, bathroom, and
a balcony. It is only one block to the light rail station, and about 6 blocks to the Gaslamp District, the popular downtown restaurant and shopping area. The only drawback was, the air conditioning wasn’t working, and it was HOT! We were led to believe that it never gets above 75 degrees in San Diego, but the apartment was 86 degrees (of course, it is on the fifth floor). We called the owner, who said that she would send out a repairman on Monday morning.
After unpacking, S1 and I walked to the Albertson’s Grocery at 13th and Market Street (about 5 blocks from the apartment), and got breakfast and
lunch foods. S1 elected to sleep in the living room, with the door to the
balcony open. There are ceiling fans, which made it more bearable. Everyone
slept well, though of course, I got up at 5:00 a.m. – my body thought it was 8:00. I got back to sleep, and we
all made it until around 7:30.
Sunday, July 1 – Balboa Park
We got baths and showers, had breakfast, and were driving north to Balboa Park by 9:00 Sunday morning. The beautiful Spanish renaissance style buildings that make up the core of the park were built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, and now house museums, gardens, and theaters.
There are 17 museums, 6 performing arts theaters, 14 separate gardens, and – oh,
yes – the World Famous San Diego Zoo, all within Balboa Park. A free trolley
moves visitors around the park grounds. Sundays are the most popular day at
Balboa Park because of the House of Pacific Relations Cottages, a little circle of (well), cottages, that house exhibits from 31 nations, highlighting culture, tradition, music, and food from each country. These are open only on Sunday afternoons from 12:00-4:00 p.m. The other Sunday highlight is the free organ concert at the giant Spreckels Organ Pavilion, which boasts the world’s largest outdoor pipe organ.
We started our visit at the Visitor’s Center, picking up a map, then
rode the trolley once around the park to get the lay of the land. The we split
up, because S1 had timed tickets for the San Diego Museum of Natural History,
and their blockbuster exhibit, “The Dead Sea Scrolls”. While he went to that,
S2, DW and I walked to the Botanical Building and the Lily Pond, then to the
Natural History Museum and Reuben Fleet Science Center, crossing a pedestrian
bridge to the Desert Garden and the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden. The
aromatherapy benefit of the rose garden was reason enough to fly to California.
There were about 6 acres packed tight with every kind of rose in the world, of
every possible color, all in bloom, and all smelling heavenly!
Next, it was time to sit inside an air conditioned building awhile, so we walked to the other end of the park, to the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater. The puppeteer, a ventriloquist, was sweet and good-natured, and the show absolutely stank. S2 was puzzled by
the whole thing, but it was so bad that it was fun for DW and me. The only
thing that would have been funnier would be to subject S1 to the bad puns and
corny jokes of the show, but he was (fortunately, I suppose) still at the
Natural History Museum. After the puppet show, we spread out our blanket and
picnic lunch that I’d prepared at the apartment, and rested and ate in the shady center of the ring of Pacific Relations cottages. We walked around the circle of houses, getting complimentary nibbles of food and sweets, taking Jasmine tea (Iran) and shortbread cookies (Scotland). I enjoyed the pickled herring from Norway. It was very restful and laid-back.
Then we walked down to the Japanese Friendship Garden, and looked at the
enormous koi, drinking in the serenity. By this time, it was almost 2:00, and we
met S1 at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, bought some Hawaiian Ice, and sat in
the shade outside the pavilion and listened to about a half hour of lovely organ music.
We drove back to the apartment and rested for an hour or so, then walked
to Horton Plaza, about 10 blocks away at the far edge of the Gaslamp District.
Horton Plaza is a wild, almost Seussian indoor/outdoor shopping center. All
primary colors, stairways to nowhere, and disparate architectural elements. It’s a blast, though hard to get around in. We went to the movie theater there and saw “Ratatouille”, a wonderful new Pixar animated movie about a French rat who goes to Paris to become a chef. It was a great film – S1 (a film major) said that it is the best animated movie he’s ever seen.
Then we split up again. S1 stayed downtown, and DW, S2 and I went back to the Ballpark District and had a fantastic pizza at Basic, just a block
from our apartment. It was the thinnest crust (wood-fired) that I’ve ever seen,
with a delicious, spicy tomato sauce and very fresh cheeses and toppings. Delicioso!
So, an exhausting a fun first day in San Diego came to an end.
Dawn and Tyke - Thanks, as if that wasn't long enough - I just realized I left off day 1 and day 2!
Saturday, June 30 – Arrival in San Diego
We arrived in San Diego around 6:00 p.m. after an uneventful flight,
although we were delayed about half an hour by a navigational computer that had
to be replaced (the pilot assured us that it wasn’t a very important part,
anyway). We picked up a rental car – a Dodge Caravan and drove to our apartment at the Metrome, a warehouse-style condominium one block above the Padres baseball stadium. The neighborhood is "somewhat" transitional. I kept thinking that this is probably what southeast D.C. will look like a couple of years after the new stadium opens, with lots of new residential condo construction, a few hip restaurants and bars, one brave grocery store on the edge of things, and a fairly low level of foot traffic during the day.
The apartment, owned by a couple who live about 70 miles north, is
beautiful: two bedrooms, large kitchen, dining area, living room, bathroom, and
a balcony. It is only one block to the light rail station, and about 6 blocks to the Gaslamp District, the popular downtown restaurant and shopping area. The only drawback was, the air conditioning wasn’t working, and it was HOT! We were led to believe that it never gets above 75 degrees in San Diego, but the apartment was 86 degrees (of course, it is on the fifth floor). We called the owner, who said that she would send out a repairman on Monday morning.
After unpacking, S1 and I walked to the Albertson’s Grocery at 13th and Market Street (about 5 blocks from the apartment), and got breakfast and
lunch foods. S1 elected to sleep in the living room, with the door to the
balcony open. There are ceiling fans, which made it more bearable. Everyone
slept well, though of course, I got up at 5:00 a.m. – my body thought it was 8:00. I got back to sleep, and we
all made it until around 7:30.
Sunday, July 1 – Balboa Park
We got baths and showers, had breakfast, and were driving north to Balboa Park by 9:00 Sunday morning. The beautiful Spanish renaissance style buildings that make up the core of the park were built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, and now house museums, gardens, and theaters.
There are 17 museums, 6 performing arts theaters, 14 separate gardens, and – oh,
yes – the World Famous San Diego Zoo, all within Balboa Park. A free trolley
moves visitors around the park grounds. Sundays are the most popular day at
Balboa Park because of the House of Pacific Relations Cottages, a little circle of (well), cottages, that house exhibits from 31 nations, highlighting culture, tradition, music, and food from each country. These are open only on Sunday afternoons from 12:00-4:00 p.m. The other Sunday highlight is the free organ concert at the giant Spreckels Organ Pavilion, which boasts the world’s largest outdoor pipe organ.
We started our visit at the Visitor’s Center, picking up a map, then
rode the trolley once around the park to get the lay of the land. The we split
up, because S1 had timed tickets for the San Diego Museum of Natural History,
and their blockbuster exhibit, “The Dead Sea Scrolls”. While he went to that,
S2, DW and I walked to the Botanical Building and the Lily Pond, then to the
Natural History Museum and Reuben Fleet Science Center, crossing a pedestrian
bridge to the Desert Garden and the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden. The
aromatherapy benefit of the rose garden was reason enough to fly to California.
There were about 6 acres packed tight with every kind of rose in the world, of
every possible color, all in bloom, and all smelling heavenly!
Next, it was time to sit inside an air conditioned building awhile, so we walked to the other end of the park, to the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater. The puppeteer, a ventriloquist, was sweet and good-natured, and the show absolutely stank. S2 was puzzled by
the whole thing, but it was so bad that it was fun for DW and me. The only
thing that would have been funnier would be to subject S1 to the bad puns and
corny jokes of the show, but he was (fortunately, I suppose) still at the
Natural History Museum. After the puppet show, we spread out our blanket and
picnic lunch that I’d prepared at the apartment, and rested and ate in the shady center of the ring of Pacific Relations cottages. We walked around the circle of houses, getting complimentary nibbles of food and sweets, taking Jasmine tea (Iran) and shortbread cookies (Scotland). I enjoyed the pickled herring from Norway. It was very restful and laid-back.
Then we walked down to the Japanese Friendship Garden, and looked at the
enormous koi, drinking in the serenity. By this time, it was almost 2:00, and we
met S1 at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, bought some Hawaiian Ice, and sat in
the shade outside the pavilion and listened to about a half hour of lovely organ music.
We drove back to the apartment and rested for an hour or so, then walked
to Horton Plaza, about 10 blocks away at the far edge of the Gaslamp District.
Horton Plaza is a wild, almost Seussian indoor/outdoor shopping center. All
primary colors, stairways to nowhere, and disparate architectural elements. It’s a blast, though hard to get around in. We went to the movie theater there and saw “Ratatouille”, a wonderful new Pixar animated movie about a French rat who goes to Paris to become a chef. It was a great film – S1 (a film major) said that it is the best animated movie he’s ever seen.
Then we split up again. S1 stayed downtown, and DW, S2 and I went back to the Ballpark District and had a fantastic pizza at Basic, just a block
from our apartment. It was the thinnest crust (wood-fired) that I’ve ever seen,
with a delicious, spicy tomato sauce and very fresh cheeses and toppings. Delicioso!
So, an exhausting a fun first day in San Diego came to an end.
Jul 16th, 2007, 04:10 AM
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bardo1:
Thank you so much for the link to your apt. and area information.
'We took the trolley once around the park' is this a different trolley to the one that you can ride all around San Diego and hop on or off? Do you purchase your tickets on the trolley or at the visitor's center? Your details about Balboa Park are so helpful. We have gone thru the Park on the hop & off trolley but didn't make a day of it. Hope to do so on our next visit over Thanksgiving.
Thanks again for taking the time to answer questions.
Thank you so much for the link to your apt. and area information.
'We took the trolley once around the park' is this a different trolley to the one that you can ride all around San Diego and hop on or off? Do you purchase your tickets on the trolley or at the visitor's center? Your details about Balboa Park are so helpful. We have gone thru the Park on the hop & off trolley but didn't make a day of it. Hope to do so on our next visit over Thanksgiving.
Thanks again for taking the time to answer questions.
Jul 16th, 2007, 05:24 AM
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Sandy - the trolley (called Tram on the map below) is free.
http://balboapark.org/maps/BalboaParkMap.pdf
nana- we're from Washington D.C.
http://balboapark.org/maps/BalboaParkMap.pdf
nana- we're from Washington D.C.
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