Trip report - 4 days in San Diego
Oct 12th, 2009, 02:10 PM
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Trip report - 4 days in San Diego
It may take me a while to complete this report but here is a start. First, I want to thank all the Fodorites who so generously offered their help with our trip. Your opinions and suggestions helped immensely. I only wish we could have done it all.
To recap: my husband and I travelled to San Diego by cruise ship (Ryndam) from Victoria, BC, and returned by train to Seattle, then home by float plane. On the first day of the cruise, I had my first experience with seasickness! This was a surprise as I'm not prone to motion sickness, but the sea was very rough.
Day 1
We should have been off the ship at San Diego very early but there was a glitch with US immigration and we were delayed a couple of hours. Dbdurand's suggestion to take the Old Town Trolley tour early in our visit made sense so we decided to do that first rather than on day 4. The question then was what to do with our luggage? I can hear a collective moan but we didn't rent a car as many of you advised. Someone near the dock told us that the Holiday Inn across the street would store luggage; another person said they wouldn't. My husband got the bright idea to ask at the Amtrak station since we would be taking the train a few days later. It was only a couple of blocks away. Yes, they would store our luggage for a small fee.
Unencumbered, we made our way back to the trolley ticket booth, this one by the dock along with many other tour operators. It reminded me slightly of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, but not as tacky. Unfortunately we missed a trolley by minutes and had to wait half an hour for the next.
$30 or so for the trolley tour seemed expensive initially but the tour is quite long and informative. I had no idea it would be such fun! This entertaining tour is a great way to get an overview of the city. I highly recommend it. If you keep your receipt, you can take it another day for only $18. Since we wanted to get to our hotel early, we took the entire tour and didn't hop off at any of the stops. From this tour I discovered that the Gaslamp Quarter didn't really interest me (maybe it would have if we'd had more time), but I hoped to get back to Old Town.
Transportation
This was our biggest problem in San Diego. In the end, we didn't try the bus system as it was going to take a couple of transfers to get to or from La Jolla. We eventually did rent a car. More on that later.
After we retrieved our luggage we had to get to our hotel in La Jolla. Back home I had inquired about reserving on a shuttle bus. I was glad I didn't because it would have cost $60 whereas the cab cost only $38.
Taxis
A word about taxis - this isn't London. Some taxi drivers haven't been in the country very long, haven't driven for very long and they rely on GPS's to find their way around. Therefore, have the address of where you're going handy. We were surprised, for instance, that a taxi driver in Coronado didn't even know where the ferry dock there was. Some cars were rather ramshackle too. Our hotel's doormen seemed to always hail yellow cabs.
Cabs run on meters. Our fare between downtown and La Jolla was always $38, give or take a dollar.
The Grande Colonial Hotel in La Jolla
I can see why you're partial to the Grande Colonial, ksucat. We loved it! I had expected a side-road view so imagine our surprise when we walked into our spacious room that had three windows overlooking the street and the ocean. Looking out the window every morning and seeing the shore and glorious palm trees got my day off to a good start. The room was L-shaped and there was a walk-in closet with safe, iron and ironing board and robes. The room was spotless. My impression is that staff there pay attention to requests. I had asked for a quiet room and got it. Ours was at the end of a hall, on the top floor. One day my husband mentioned to the handyman that our safe door didn't work and the sink was slow to drain and those things were fixed by the time we returned.
My one concern that this hotel might feel too European for this California experience was quickly erased. There was a view out a hallway door that, combined with the general colonial feel, made us think we were in Lahaina. The palm trees and hibiscus flowers outside helped.
I would definitely stay here again.
La Jolla
I had hoped to have most of this first day to explore lovely La Jolla but that didn't happen. After a quick coffee and snack at The Spot, we bee-lined to Warwick's book/stationery store (thanks all) and I had fun shopping there!
Next we walked down the hill to the Children's Pool to look at the seals. I was most interested in the pelicans though as we don't get to see them often. We went for a lovely stroll along the waterfront as the sun set.
Things I noticed
- Not really a surprise that the people in La Jolla look so fit. They seem to be jogging, cycling, dog-walking everywhere. This was a sharp contrast to the people we saw on the cruise ship.
- Pavement in San Diego looks generally in disrepair. I wondered if this is because the city doesn't charge for parking everywhere, which was a refreshing change.
- I was surprised to see panhandlers in La Jolla.
- People were really friendly.
- There are some hills.
To recap: my husband and I travelled to San Diego by cruise ship (Ryndam) from Victoria, BC, and returned by train to Seattle, then home by float plane. On the first day of the cruise, I had my first experience with seasickness! This was a surprise as I'm not prone to motion sickness, but the sea was very rough.
Day 1
We should have been off the ship at San Diego very early but there was a glitch with US immigration and we were delayed a couple of hours. Dbdurand's suggestion to take the Old Town Trolley tour early in our visit made sense so we decided to do that first rather than on day 4. The question then was what to do with our luggage? I can hear a collective moan but we didn't rent a car as many of you advised. Someone near the dock told us that the Holiday Inn across the street would store luggage; another person said they wouldn't. My husband got the bright idea to ask at the Amtrak station since we would be taking the train a few days later. It was only a couple of blocks away. Yes, they would store our luggage for a small fee.
Unencumbered, we made our way back to the trolley ticket booth, this one by the dock along with many other tour operators. It reminded me slightly of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, but not as tacky. Unfortunately we missed a trolley by minutes and had to wait half an hour for the next.
$30 or so for the trolley tour seemed expensive initially but the tour is quite long and informative. I had no idea it would be such fun! This entertaining tour is a great way to get an overview of the city. I highly recommend it. If you keep your receipt, you can take it another day for only $18. Since we wanted to get to our hotel early, we took the entire tour and didn't hop off at any of the stops. From this tour I discovered that the Gaslamp Quarter didn't really interest me (maybe it would have if we'd had more time), but I hoped to get back to Old Town.
Transportation
This was our biggest problem in San Diego. In the end, we didn't try the bus system as it was going to take a couple of transfers to get to or from La Jolla. We eventually did rent a car. More on that later.
After we retrieved our luggage we had to get to our hotel in La Jolla. Back home I had inquired about reserving on a shuttle bus. I was glad I didn't because it would have cost $60 whereas the cab cost only $38.
Taxis
A word about taxis - this isn't London. Some taxi drivers haven't been in the country very long, haven't driven for very long and they rely on GPS's to find their way around. Therefore, have the address of where you're going handy. We were surprised, for instance, that a taxi driver in Coronado didn't even know where the ferry dock there was. Some cars were rather ramshackle too. Our hotel's doormen seemed to always hail yellow cabs.
Cabs run on meters. Our fare between downtown and La Jolla was always $38, give or take a dollar.
The Grande Colonial Hotel in La Jolla
I can see why you're partial to the Grande Colonial, ksucat. We loved it! I had expected a side-road view so imagine our surprise when we walked into our spacious room that had three windows overlooking the street and the ocean. Looking out the window every morning and seeing the shore and glorious palm trees got my day off to a good start. The room was L-shaped and there was a walk-in closet with safe, iron and ironing board and robes. The room was spotless. My impression is that staff there pay attention to requests. I had asked for a quiet room and got it. Ours was at the end of a hall, on the top floor. One day my husband mentioned to the handyman that our safe door didn't work and the sink was slow to drain and those things were fixed by the time we returned.
My one concern that this hotel might feel too European for this California experience was quickly erased. There was a view out a hallway door that, combined with the general colonial feel, made us think we were in Lahaina. The palm trees and hibiscus flowers outside helped.
I would definitely stay here again.
La Jolla
I had hoped to have most of this first day to explore lovely La Jolla but that didn't happen. After a quick coffee and snack at The Spot, we bee-lined to Warwick's book/stationery store (thanks all) and I had fun shopping there!
Next we walked down the hill to the Children's Pool to look at the seals. I was most interested in the pelicans though as we don't get to see them often. We went for a lovely stroll along the waterfront as the sun set.
Things I noticed
- Not really a surprise that the people in La Jolla look so fit. They seem to be jogging, cycling, dog-walking everywhere. This was a sharp contrast to the people we saw on the cruise ship.
- Pavement in San Diego looks generally in disrepair. I wondered if this is because the city doesn't charge for parking everywhere, which was a refreshing change.
- I was surprised to see panhandlers in La Jolla.
- People were really friendly.
- There are some hills.
Oct 12th, 2009, 08:16 PM
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Regarding whether people in SD/LaJ look and/or are physically fit: My wife and I have noticed that throughgout southern CA (the LA area, Orange County, SD) the closer one is to the coast, the thinner and more physically active the "natives" seem. This may be correlated with education, income, etc. differences, but it seems generally accurate throughout the region.
Oct 12th, 2009, 11:56 PM
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I should have mentioned that our visit to San Diego was at the end of September and beginning of October.
Day 2 - Part 1
Day 2 was devoted entirely to the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park.
But first we started with breakfast at The Cottage in La Jolla. We had banana stuffed pancakes (oatmeal or buttermilk - I can't remember) and a pumpkin muffin. I enjoy eating outside when it's warm enough. The muffin was so good, I took half of it back to the hotel for later.
San Diego Zoo
We had a fine day for the zoo - sunny but not too hot. $63 for two included the aerial tram and bus tours.
I mentioned in my original post that I'm not a big fan of zoos but felt we couldn't miss this one. We started out on foot and took our time. There always seemed to be someone to point us in the right direction and I noticed that staff members / volunteers appeared to be happy and they related well to one another. The atmosphere was upbeat.
I'd heard the giant pandas draw a crowd so we went there first and walked right in. Is there sometimes a huge lineup? The panda was merely eating but it was fascinating to watch. The mother came out later, after a hearing test being done on bears. I won't comment on all the animals but if I lived in San Diego, I would likely have a yearly pass to the zoo. I could look at the meerkats all day... or the birds, etc., etc. We enjoyed watching a fellow feed the giraffes and marvelled when a woman called two rhinos to get hosed down and they went to her, like pet dogs. My husband mainly wanted to see the elephants as he had never seen one in real life. We were curious as to why one of them rocked from side to side so much. Is that something elephants do, or is it like horses that become bored when they're kept in stalls? I didn't find any African elephants though so either there were none or we missed them. Lions - well, they never look right in captivity to me. There were some animals I'd never heard of, such as the Takin.
The aerial tram is a great way to get across the zoo. We rode it a couple of times. Not only does it get you a long distance quickly and easily but, of course, you get a whole new view of the zoo. Later we hopped a bus, and although it was an express one, the driver still paused by the tigers and polar bears, and again when two employees led llamas down the road. We passed by the elephants once more but this time they were in the big cages for their feet cleaning! We missed it.
I would take the tram and bus tours even if I'd covered the entire zoo on foot. Ideally, I would have liked to have spent two whole days there. It's huge.
We took Joeyi's advice to not try to see the whole zoo in a day and just enjoy it, and I think that made for a better experience instead of racing around trying to see it all.
Day 2 - Part 1
Day 2 was devoted entirely to the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park.
But first we started with breakfast at The Cottage in La Jolla. We had banana stuffed pancakes (oatmeal or buttermilk - I can't remember) and a pumpkin muffin. I enjoy eating outside when it's warm enough. The muffin was so good, I took half of it back to the hotel for later.
San Diego Zoo
We had a fine day for the zoo - sunny but not too hot. $63 for two included the aerial tram and bus tours.
I mentioned in my original post that I'm not a big fan of zoos but felt we couldn't miss this one. We started out on foot and took our time. There always seemed to be someone to point us in the right direction and I noticed that staff members / volunteers appeared to be happy and they related well to one another. The atmosphere was upbeat.
I'd heard the giant pandas draw a crowd so we went there first and walked right in. Is there sometimes a huge lineup? The panda was merely eating but it was fascinating to watch. The mother came out later, after a hearing test being done on bears. I won't comment on all the animals but if I lived in San Diego, I would likely have a yearly pass to the zoo. I could look at the meerkats all day... or the birds, etc., etc. We enjoyed watching a fellow feed the giraffes and marvelled when a woman called two rhinos to get hosed down and they went to her, like pet dogs. My husband mainly wanted to see the elephants as he had never seen one in real life. We were curious as to why one of them rocked from side to side so much. Is that something elephants do, or is it like horses that become bored when they're kept in stalls? I didn't find any African elephants though so either there were none or we missed them. Lions - well, they never look right in captivity to me. There were some animals I'd never heard of, such as the Takin.
The aerial tram is a great way to get across the zoo. We rode it a couple of times. Not only does it get you a long distance quickly and easily but, of course, you get a whole new view of the zoo. Later we hopped a bus, and although it was an express one, the driver still paused by the tigers and polar bears, and again when two employees led llamas down the road. We passed by the elephants once more but this time they were in the big cages for their feet cleaning! We missed it.
I would take the tram and bus tours even if I'd covered the entire zoo on foot. Ideally, I would have liked to have spent two whole days there. It's huge.
We took Joeyi's advice to not try to see the whole zoo in a day and just enjoy it, and I think that made for a better experience instead of racing around trying to see it all.
Oct 13th, 2009, 08:26 AM
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The rocking of the elephant is a consequence of its being in captivity, and its not adapting well to that circumstance. See this article.
http://www.animalsvoice.com/edits/ed...nt_deaths.html
http://www.animalsvoice.com/edits/ed...nt_deaths.html
Oct 13th, 2009, 11:33 PM
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Thanks for the kind words everyone. And thanks for the link, dbdurand. I'll just say that I would have liked San Diego just as much without the zoo. Now we'll go on to... beautiful Balboa Park!
Oct 13th, 2009, 11:58 PM
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Day 2 - Part 2
Balboa Park
By the time we left the zoo, there wasn't much of the day left. We had decided by then to skip the Air and Space Museum as we've seen quite a few aircraft museums (but can never see too many) in favour of the Model Railroad Museum.
But first, we had to eat. Since so many of you mentioned the Prado restaurant, we went there. I liked the sculpture and fountain outside the entrance. My husband and I shared the cashew chicken dish and a lemonade out on the back patio where it felt delightfully Californian. It was too rushed but the food was good and so was the waiter who understood our need to eat quickly. Perhaps I could have had a fish taco, but more sad, ncountry, was the fact that I forgot about the tres leches cake!
We raced over to the Model Railroad Museum, which was open only until 4:00. Admission: $7 for adults, $6 for seniors. We handed our money to the man in the ticket booth but he said he was sorry - he couldn't accept that much because they would close in half an hour. I think he charged us only a dollar each. My husband was especially impressed with the scenery on the layout which occupied many rooms. But he was most astounded to come across a small window display featuring a few of the original models built by the "Wizard of Monterey", John Allen. John Allen was the legendary model railroader who was famous as the builder of the huge Gorre and Daphetid Railroad. Unfortunately, shortly after his untimely death, his layout was consumed by fire. We didn't know that the (smoke-blackened?) models in the display case even existed so this was a real bonus.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon and early evening wandering around outside looking at the gorgeous buildings. There was so much in Balboa Park we didn't get to see. I would love to spend weeks there, visiting all the museums and gardens and photographing the buildings in all sort of different lighting/weather situations. How lucky San Diego people are to have this magnificent park in their city.
To me, Balboa Park was a major highlight of our trip. When I think of it, I'll always think of golden sunlight. Sigh.
I missed the carousel!
* * * * *
There may have been a better way to get back to La Jolla but we ended up hailing a cab. We weren't very hungry after such a late lunch so we just stopped for a coffee and cookie at Girard Gourmet in La Jolla. They have an amazing assortment of cookie designs: oak leaves, dogs, frogs, Snoopy, playing cards, seahorses, even a La Jolla beach scene.
We also checked out a couple of grocery stores in La Jolla within walking distance of our hotel. One had more interesting items than the other. Among other things, I picked up a box of Rice Chex because they're not available back home, and six-box packages of Newman's Own organic raisins, which I'd never tried before.
Things that surprised me
- Pumpkins outside the grocery store. I didn't think picked ones would last in California heat.
- Those wacky airplanes! It was always 'a little' startling to see jetliners flying in so low over the city.
End of day 2.
Balboa Park
By the time we left the zoo, there wasn't much of the day left. We had decided by then to skip the Air and Space Museum as we've seen quite a few aircraft museums (but can never see too many) in favour of the Model Railroad Museum.
But first, we had to eat. Since so many of you mentioned the Prado restaurant, we went there. I liked the sculpture and fountain outside the entrance. My husband and I shared the cashew chicken dish and a lemonade out on the back patio where it felt delightfully Californian. It was too rushed but the food was good and so was the waiter who understood our need to eat quickly. Perhaps I could have had a fish taco, but more sad, ncountry, was the fact that I forgot about the tres leches cake!
We raced over to the Model Railroad Museum, which was open only until 4:00. Admission: $7 for adults, $6 for seniors. We handed our money to the man in the ticket booth but he said he was sorry - he couldn't accept that much because they would close in half an hour. I think he charged us only a dollar each. My husband was especially impressed with the scenery on the layout which occupied many rooms. But he was most astounded to come across a small window display featuring a few of the original models built by the "Wizard of Monterey", John Allen. John Allen was the legendary model railroader who was famous as the builder of the huge Gorre and Daphetid Railroad. Unfortunately, shortly after his untimely death, his layout was consumed by fire. We didn't know that the (smoke-blackened?) models in the display case even existed so this was a real bonus.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon and early evening wandering around outside looking at the gorgeous buildings. There was so much in Balboa Park we didn't get to see. I would love to spend weeks there, visiting all the museums and gardens and photographing the buildings in all sort of different lighting/weather situations. How lucky San Diego people are to have this magnificent park in their city.
To me, Balboa Park was a major highlight of our trip. When I think of it, I'll always think of golden sunlight. Sigh.
I missed the carousel!
* * * * *
There may have been a better way to get back to La Jolla but we ended up hailing a cab. We weren't very hungry after such a late lunch so we just stopped for a coffee and cookie at Girard Gourmet in La Jolla. They have an amazing assortment of cookie designs: oak leaves, dogs, frogs, Snoopy, playing cards, seahorses, even a La Jolla beach scene.
We also checked out a couple of grocery stores in La Jolla within walking distance of our hotel. One had more interesting items than the other. Among other things, I picked up a box of Rice Chex because they're not available back home, and six-box packages of Newman's Own organic raisins, which I'd never tried before.
Things that surprised me
- Pumpkins outside the grocery store. I didn't think picked ones would last in California heat.
- Those wacky airplanes! It was always 'a little' startling to see jetliners flying in so low over the city.
End of day 2.
Oct 14th, 2009, 11:13 AM
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April, I could not agree more: "There was so much in Balboa Park we didn't get to see. I would love to spend weeks there, visiting all the museums and gardens and photographing the buildings in all sort of different lighting/weather situations. How lucky San Diego people are to have this magnificent park in their city."
That's a big reason why we retired to SD and bought a condo at the northwest corner of the park--we walk into the park 3-4 times a week, for one reason or another. For future visitors, the "west side" of the park (along or close to Sixth Avenue) includes formal lawn bowling and a leash-free dog park. There are three live theaters just over the Cabrillo Bridge (one is being rebuilt and won't reopen until about January). You could easily spend a whole week just in the park.
That's a big reason why we retired to SD and bought a condo at the northwest corner of the park--we walk into the park 3-4 times a week, for one reason or another. For future visitors, the "west side" of the park (along or close to Sixth Avenue) includes formal lawn bowling and a leash-free dog park. There are three live theaters just over the Cabrillo Bridge (one is being rebuilt and won't reopen until about January). You could easily spend a whole week just in the park.
Oct 14th, 2009, 12:57 PM
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Awesome report April!
Glad you like the Grande Colonial hotel in LJ and Girard gourmet too..
Balboa Park is a real gem and it never gets old wandering around and looking at all its beauty.
Prado is pretty good for lunch or drinks and app's in the bar or on the two outside patios.
Glad you like the Grande Colonial hotel in LJ and Girard gourmet too..
Balboa Park is a real gem and it never gets old wandering around and looking at all its beauty.
Prado is pretty good for lunch or drinks and app's in the bar or on the two outside patios.
Oct 14th, 2009, 07:24 PM
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April--I'm afraid not. Neither the pseudo-trolley City Tour nor the public transit Blue/Green lines go through (or even very close to) Hillcrest. In the early years of the last century, there were real trolley lines into and through Hillcrest, and elsewhere in SD. The historic Trolley Barn Park is near the end of Park Boulevard at Adams Avenue (University Heights); and I was told the numbering of some of the current bus lines (e.g., 1, 3, 7, 11) that run along First, Fourth/Fifth, University, and Park retain the numbers of the original trolley lines.
See: https://www.sandiegohistory.org/coll.../streetcar.htm
See: https://www.sandiegohistory.org/coll.../streetcar.htm
Oct 15th, 2009, 01:58 PM
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Day 3 - Part 1
A drive up the coast
Our hotel had a historic walking tour guide and map of La Jolla that we'd hoped to follow but didn't have time to do. Just after daybreak, we wandered down again to the Children's Pool. This time there were lots of seals but no pelicans. We did see a little ground squirrel (?) pop out of one of the many holes in the cliffs though.
I'm guessing Harry's Coffee Shop on Girard is not a big tourist destination in La Jolla but that's where we went for breakfast. They have a very large menu and serve breakfast all day. I had pancakes again, with bananas.
Harry's Coffee Shop is not far from the Avis car rental at 1110 Torrey Pines Rd. I knew what the office looked like because we'd 'walked' these streets on Google back home.
Yes, you can rent a car in La Jolla!
I'm not very experienced with renting cars but I am becoming a fan of Avis. This was our second positive experience with them this year - the first being in Guelph, Ontario. Both times there was no sales pitch to buy anything extra, everything went without a hitch and we wound up with a bill for less than we expected. I don't always want to be upgraded to a larger car but here it was fine because the car was close to the size of my own. We were in the car and on our way in no time.
Getting lost in La Jolla
Sometimes I enjoy getting lost because you never know what you'll find. While trying to locate a vitamin shop in another part of town - are there two parts? - we found ourselves going uphill. What fortune. I had wanted to see Mt. Soledad anyway and here we were. Grand views from the top. I understand Dr. Seuss lived on this mountain. We watched a group of cyclists disappear over the edge and imagined them hurtling down the hillside. We noticed an interesting, large white church down below.
Still searching for the vitamin shop we came upon the white church at ground level. To have no coloured decoration makes for a very interesting effect. The complete whiteness gave the beautiful structure a ghostly effect, as if in a haze, but also made me think of the Wizard of Oz. I've never seen anything like it. I think it is a Mormon temple.
The coast
Trying to follow ncounty's directions but having got all turned around at this point, we managed to find our way over to the coast and drove through or by Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve to a lovely long stretch of beach. The parking lot there was a pay one so we stepped out just long enough to take in the scene. Long beaches, surf, surfers and sunshine felt very Californian.
It had been shaping up to be a hot day and now it was. This was the hottest day of our visit. We quickly ruled out visiting the wild animal park inland. Besides, the drive along the coast was most enjoyable and relaxing. I liked the look of Del Mar a lot but we carried on through Solana Beach and Cardiff-By-The-Sea to Encinitas. Here, I recognized the Lumberyard some of you mentioned. With cash in hand, we went into Bubby's but no one was behind the counter! We headed over to the St. Tropez Bakery & Bistro and ordered a ham and melted cheese croissant. Well, let me tell you, sheri_lp, I think this was my husband's favorite meal of the whole trip! He talked about it for days. The astounding thing was that he ate and liked the salad (with ranch dressing) which wasn't made of his favorite iceberg lettuce. Back we went to Bubby's where a person was now behind the counter but involved in a conversation that I didn't feel like breaking up so, unfortunately, I missed out on trying the gelato flavours.
Did a bit of shopping and then went to...
Quail Botanical Gardens
... which is now called the San Diego Botanic Garden. I like the Quail name better. Adult: $12, senior: $8.
By now it was boiling hot so my husband sat in a shady spot while I raced around some of the gardens. I was fascinated to see cork trees, a Torrey pine up close and so many types of bamboo. 'Sculptural creations' in gardens aren't really my thing but I thought the plant covered Mexican musicians and dancers were cute. A highlight, actually, was a most pleasant chat we had with one of the volunteers. It was just too hot to cover everything in the garden, but I'm not complaining. I was glad to have a truly hot day because back home we'd be heading into fall.
Speaking of which, I was surprised to see fall clothes in shops in La Jolla. Their fall is probably like our regular summer day.
A drive up the coast
Our hotel had a historic walking tour guide and map of La Jolla that we'd hoped to follow but didn't have time to do. Just after daybreak, we wandered down again to the Children's Pool. This time there were lots of seals but no pelicans. We did see a little ground squirrel (?) pop out of one of the many holes in the cliffs though.
I'm guessing Harry's Coffee Shop on Girard is not a big tourist destination in La Jolla but that's where we went for breakfast. They have a very large menu and serve breakfast all day. I had pancakes again, with bananas.
Harry's Coffee Shop is not far from the Avis car rental at 1110 Torrey Pines Rd. I knew what the office looked like because we'd 'walked' these streets on Google back home.
Yes, you can rent a car in La Jolla!
I'm not very experienced with renting cars but I am becoming a fan of Avis. This was our second positive experience with them this year - the first being in Guelph, Ontario. Both times there was no sales pitch to buy anything extra, everything went without a hitch and we wound up with a bill for less than we expected. I don't always want to be upgraded to a larger car but here it was fine because the car was close to the size of my own. We were in the car and on our way in no time.
Getting lost in La Jolla
Sometimes I enjoy getting lost because you never know what you'll find. While trying to locate a vitamin shop in another part of town - are there two parts? - we found ourselves going uphill. What fortune. I had wanted to see Mt. Soledad anyway and here we were. Grand views from the top. I understand Dr. Seuss lived on this mountain. We watched a group of cyclists disappear over the edge and imagined them hurtling down the hillside. We noticed an interesting, large white church down below.
Still searching for the vitamin shop we came upon the white church at ground level. To have no coloured decoration makes for a very interesting effect. The complete whiteness gave the beautiful structure a ghostly effect, as if in a haze, but also made me think of the Wizard of Oz. I've never seen anything like it. I think it is a Mormon temple.
The coast
Trying to follow ncounty's directions but having got all turned around at this point, we managed to find our way over to the coast and drove through or by Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve to a lovely long stretch of beach. The parking lot there was a pay one so we stepped out just long enough to take in the scene. Long beaches, surf, surfers and sunshine felt very Californian.
It had been shaping up to be a hot day and now it was. This was the hottest day of our visit. We quickly ruled out visiting the wild animal park inland. Besides, the drive along the coast was most enjoyable and relaxing. I liked the look of Del Mar a lot but we carried on through Solana Beach and Cardiff-By-The-Sea to Encinitas. Here, I recognized the Lumberyard some of you mentioned. With cash in hand, we went into Bubby's but no one was behind the counter! We headed over to the St. Tropez Bakery & Bistro and ordered a ham and melted cheese croissant. Well, let me tell you, sheri_lp, I think this was my husband's favorite meal of the whole trip! He talked about it for days. The astounding thing was that he ate and liked the salad (with ranch dressing) which wasn't made of his favorite iceberg lettuce. Back we went to Bubby's where a person was now behind the counter but involved in a conversation that I didn't feel like breaking up so, unfortunately, I missed out on trying the gelato flavours.
Did a bit of shopping and then went to...
Quail Botanical Gardens
... which is now called the San Diego Botanic Garden. I like the Quail name better. Adult: $12, senior: $8.
By now it was boiling hot so my husband sat in a shady spot while I raced around some of the gardens. I was fascinated to see cork trees, a Torrey pine up close and so many types of bamboo. 'Sculptural creations' in gardens aren't really my thing but I thought the plant covered Mexican musicians and dancers were cute. A highlight, actually, was a most pleasant chat we had with one of the volunteers. It was just too hot to cover everything in the garden, but I'm not complaining. I was glad to have a truly hot day because back home we'd be heading into fall.
Speaking of which, I was surprised to see fall clothes in shops in La Jolla. Their fall is probably like our regular summer day.
Oct 20th, 2009, 08:35 PM
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Day 3 - Part 2
A drive up the coast
We had time to spare and liked the drive along the coast so we continued up to Carlsbad.
Do you ever get home and wonder why you didn't do certain things? Now I wonder why we didn't explore Del Mar, or even Cardiff-by-the-Sea since I'd been intrigued after hearing of it years ago.
Instead, we drove back down the coast to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve but this time went into the park. Fee: $10 with the car. A road goes up to a parking lot, about a mile in I believe. We weren't sure of the purpose of a lodge up there - a private function seemed to be in progress. It's dry country with cactus, pines of course, interesting land formations, and trails. I would have liked to have hiked around there for a few hours.
But... the sun seemed to set fast in San Diego so we were off before long, heading south. I was looking forward to seeing the San Diego Mission and photographing it in the late afternoon light. Hopes were high when I spotted the name Qualcomm on a building - I figured the mission should be close by. We didn't find out if it was or wasn't because we got stuck in a horrible traffic jam. After inching along for some time, I finally abandoned the idea and turned west to return to our hotel. Sorry, dbdurand - I tried! Then, the sun was low and it was blinding. We somehow found ourselves in the parking lot of the Birch Aquarium, which I wouldn't have minded visiting, but it was after hours.
By the time we got back to our hotel in La Jolla, I decided that I didn't feel like driving in San Diego the next day and we dropped the car back at Avis. The original plan for Day 4 had been to drive to Old Town and take the trolley from there to the aircraft carrier and Coronado. That way we would get to see the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
Unfortunately, with no car the next day, we would not be driving out to Cabrillo Monument.
End of Day 3.
A drive up the coast
We had time to spare and liked the drive along the coast so we continued up to Carlsbad.
Do you ever get home and wonder why you didn't do certain things? Now I wonder why we didn't explore Del Mar, or even Cardiff-by-the-Sea since I'd been intrigued after hearing of it years ago.
Instead, we drove back down the coast to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve but this time went into the park. Fee: $10 with the car. A road goes up to a parking lot, about a mile in I believe. We weren't sure of the purpose of a lodge up there - a private function seemed to be in progress. It's dry country with cactus, pines of course, interesting land formations, and trails. I would have liked to have hiked around there for a few hours.
But... the sun seemed to set fast in San Diego so we were off before long, heading south. I was looking forward to seeing the San Diego Mission and photographing it in the late afternoon light. Hopes were high when I spotted the name Qualcomm on a building - I figured the mission should be close by. We didn't find out if it was or wasn't because we got stuck in a horrible traffic jam. After inching along for some time, I finally abandoned the idea and turned west to return to our hotel. Sorry, dbdurand - I tried! Then, the sun was low and it was blinding. We somehow found ourselves in the parking lot of the Birch Aquarium, which I wouldn't have minded visiting, but it was after hours.
By the time we got back to our hotel in La Jolla, I decided that I didn't feel like driving in San Diego the next day and we dropped the car back at Avis. The original plan for Day 4 had been to drive to Old Town and take the trolley from there to the aircraft carrier and Coronado. That way we would get to see the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
Unfortunately, with no car the next day, we would not be driving out to Cabrillo Monument.
End of Day 3.
