Maggi

Thanks to all who helped me plan this trip! We checked in at the Coronado Island Marriott, got lucky and were upgraded to a villa room which had a pool and hot tub next to our patio and lawn down to the water with a great view of the bridge just outside our door. I started and ended each day sitting on the lawn at the water?s edge. We had a very good dinner that evening a short stroll away at Peohe?s. (You have to try their chocolate molten lava cake for dessert.) We could see the SeaWorld fireworks from their patio. Woke up at 5am Sunday morning and decided to take a walk. Got back to our room four hours later! It?s a good thing I had all that exercise because we had reservations for brunch at the Del Coronado Hotel. It was quite a treat, with lots of stations and a fabulous setting in the Crown Room, seating 600. (The best part was dipping your own huge strawberries in melted chocolate. Hmm, I?m sensing a chocolate theme here?) We toured the hotel and strolled downtown Coronado where we took in a great, and I mean GREAT, musical at the Lamb?s Theater, called ?The Cotton Patch Gospel?. It?s a retelling of the Gospel story as if it were to happen today in the deep South. The music was written by Harry Chapin.

Maggi

Monday we drove to the Wild Animal Park in Escondido, arriving about 10am. We took the train tour and then did the photo caravan tour. Got some great up-close photos of the giraffes and white rhinos. We got to feed them and interact with them for some time. Later we walked the park to see the gorillas and California condors. On the way back to Coronado we drive to Cabrillo National Monument to sit on Kal?s favorite bench and enjoy the view. We had a picnic of meatball subs we picked up at Little Italy on the way in. We stayed until closing and stopped at Fort Rosencrans National cemetery on our way out. An awesome and somber site, second only to Arlington cemetery in impact and setting. Tuesday was our downtown day. Decided to leave our rental car and take the ferry over. We bought tickets for the Old Town Trolley in Horton Plaza. Our first stop was Balboa Park. It was free museum day and we got to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Museum of Photographic Arts. Got lots of great photos at the botanical building and the lily pond. Took the trolley on to Old Town, where we shopped and had lunch at Casa de Bandini with HUGE margaritas! I had promised hubby we could go see Terminator 3, so at the end of the day we hopped off the trolley in the Gaslamp district to catch it at the Gaslamp 15. This area is really hopping with eateries and drinking establishments, especially at night. Afterward, we hopped on the ferry back to Coronado.

Maggi

Wednesday morning we ate breakfast at Brockton Villa overlooking the water in La Jolla. Took a long walk along the water?s edge, starting from Seal Beach. We passed La Jolla Cove and took the 165 steps down to Sonny Jim cave. The path continues and just gets more beautiful. Walking through downtown later, I shopped at a great store, Africa and Beyond. Although they have some intricate and pricey native handicrafts, I was able to find some unique and inexpensive small souvenirs to bring home. A little farther down, we passed the much recommended Azul restaurant and although we were not dressed to have a fancy meal I did want to photograph the beautiful entrance. I stood in front, camera poised, as I waited for a man coming out of the restaurant to get out of the scene so I could take the photo. He glared at my camera. I thought he looked familiar and watched him walk down the street, realizing, too late, he was James (?Tony Soprano?) Gandolfini. We continued our drive north to Torrey Pines State Park. Stopped at the Gliderport, but not much was happening there, so we continued on to the beach. Hubby sunbathed while I took a long walk along the water. The setting was gorgeous, with the setting sun reflecting on the 300 foot tall golden sandstone cliffs and the waves washing up on the sand. I could have stayed here forever. Our day ended back in downtown San Diego at a waterfront table at the incomparable Fish Market restaurant. They have some really tasty cioppino (seafood stew).

Maggi

Thursday, we checked out of the Marriott and drove up to Long Beach where we had reservations at the Hotel Queen Mary, one of the most famous ships in history and on the register of historic places. As a boy, my husband traveled to Europe on the ship with his family and he was reliving some of his youth on this visit. We immediately took two of the tours offered, the regular ship tour and the ?Ghosts and Legends? tour, both of which took us to parts of the ship not normally open to the public. We then had drinks and complimentary appetisers in the fabulous art deco lounge. Our first class king room still had the original décor and had portholes facing the water and Long Beach in the distance. We had fun exploring the ship at leisure. At sunset we had dinner on the ship at Sir Winstons. The food, décor and service was pricey but impeccable. We had champagne, perfectly prepared chateaubriand for two. For dessert we had Grand Marnier soufflé and chocolate Kahlua soufflé. We topped the evening off with a romantic stroll on the now-deserted deck observing the twinkling lights of the sky and the city.

Maggi

Friday, our last day in California, we left our car in the parking lot at the Queen Mary and took the Catalina Express over to Catalina Island. Only locals are allowed to have cars on the island, and they have to wait 16 years for a permit. People use golf carts to get around town. (You can rent one for $30 an hour ? we didn?t.) In order to see the 22 mile island properly you need to take a tour. We opted for the three hour Catalina Conservancy jeep eco-tour. It was a wild ride up and down the many steep hills, and we were able to see buffalo (14 were brought to the island in 1924 for a movie shoot-there are 200 on the island now) and were shown a wonderful American bald eagle with an injured wing which was being cared for by the conservancy. Our volunteer guide, Fred, has lived on the island all his life and imparted a wealth of knowledge about all the flora and fauna on Catalina.

Maggi

Our last dinner of the trip was at Armstrong?s, a waterfront Catalina restaurant specializing in seafood. Our appetizer consisted of really great New Zealand mussels, followed by a local red snapper. Half the deck was reserved for a wedding party, which imparted a festive atmosphere to the whole establishment. We strolled along the water past the stunning 1920?s art deco Casino building and ended up at the Descanso Beach Club for an after dinner drink. The atmosphere was like stumbling into a private party on a Hawaiian island. We had a ?buffalo milk?, which is like a hummer, with ice cream, rum, and who knows what else. As we strolled along, sipping our drinks, a local was kind enough to tell us that if we brought our drinks beyond a certain point we would be socked with a huge fine and court appearance. Got a brain freeze finishing up so we could catch the last boat back to the mainland at 8:15pm! We had plenty of time to pick up our rental car from the Queen Mary dock, drive to LAX and make our 2:15 am flight back to Detroit. Hope this info helps somebody planning a similar trip. If you want any personal advice just e-mail me direct or post to this website.
Aloha, Maggi ([email protected])

Maggi

Sorry about all the ? in the original text. Must have converted the apostrophe's from my Word document.

Barbara

Thanks for a great report, Maggi. I'm glad you had such a great time in California. When are you coming back?

Maggi

Not soon enough, Barbara... What a beautiful state!

Kal

Mags!!!! Meatball subs at Cabrillo with a loved one!?!?!?
YER KILLIN' ME HERE!! ><

Were you able to hear the seals barking?
Life IS too short to spend at work!
Kal

Maggi

Hey, Kal, how about that guy, RichinPA, rubbing it in about being in Princeville in two days, huh? Arghh! I keep trying to figure out how to quit work and still make a living. If anybody figures out how to earn $$$ traveling, let me know.

stassyb

Great info, In your opinion, would you say that the Coronado Island Marriott would be a good hotel for a family with one child who is 2 yrs old?
Thanks.

Maggi

Stassy, I think Coronado Island is a good choice for a little one. The atmosphere on the island is much more laid back than in the city. The Marriott has three pools, one specifically for children, and I think you will like it. You can take the stroller and walk along the water to the marketplace.