We are settled into our new condo 1 block from the beach. Lots of shops and restaurants all in walking distance. Definitely an old school California beach town. Lots to do here in San Diego area. Several sunny days, but cooler and cloudy most days. May Gray. We are glad we have 28 days to explore.
Candi and Gene drove down from Ellensburg with their trailer. We met up with them at Mission Bay at the trailer show. So nice to meet up with family while on the road.
Tijuana Estuary Wildlife Preserve
The Tijuana Estuary Wildlife Preserve is a short walk away. Several trails are accessible. It is on the Pacific skyway and hosts 350+ bird species.
Coronado is king!
We spent a day touring Coronado and the elegant Del Coronado Hotel. The white sugar sand beach as well as the shops and restaurants along Orange Avenue were a delight.
San Diego Museum of Art
We spent a fascinating day at the museum and Balboa Park. Saw works of many renowned artists, Dali, Monet, Rembrandt, and others. Beautiful grounds at Balboa Park. Delicious lunch at Panama 66, grilled cheese, tomato soup, Ceasar salad and fries.
Ramses II
Japanese Garden
The Arrest of St. Engracia by Bermejo 1477
The Crucifixion by Bernat 1480-90
Mercury Delivering Thunderbolts to Jupiter by Lamgetti 1670
Theseus Slaying the Minotaur by Barge 1843
Old Town and Ocean Beach
Shrimp cocktail with 1 lb of shrimp at the South Beach Bar and Grill was amazing. Bloody Marys, not so good. A Birria bowl filled us up. The Birria was a spiced stewed beef dish.
San Diego Zoo
What an incredible zoo! A bit spendy at $62 per person. AAA discount saved 10% though. The tour bus and the Kangaroo bus were closed due to Covid, but the Skyway was open, which saved a lot of uphill walking. We spent 5 hours and walked 15,000 steps. We did not see everything, but probably covered 80% of the exhibits.
Chance encounter with a sea lion
Tandem bike and other fun
One day we drove to Coronado and rented a tandem bike for half a day. We got a great deal $35 for 4 hours. Beautiful ride along the Bayshore Bikeway and the town on Coronado. We stopped at Silver Strand State Beach for a picnic lunch. In total, we rode about 15 miles. Afterwards, we had baby back ribs at Lil Piggy’s BBQ.
Always a pleasure to connect with friends and family while on our travel adventure. Mark, Arlene and Spencer treated us to breakfast at Tip Top Meats in Carlsbad. Afterwards, a relaxing stroll through Carlsbad Village.
Moreton Bay Fig tree
Vista with Janice
I had not seen my cousin Janice in over 50 years. We met for breakfast in Vista, where she lives. What a delightful visit. She gave us a walking and driving tour. It was incredibly educational, informative and entertaining.
USS Midway Museum
We jumped on the Coronado-San Diego ferry for a minute ride to the Broadway Pier which is right next to the Midway Museum. The Midway is an aircraft carrier which served from 1945-1992. Along with a self guided audio tour, there are excellent docent talks about the catapult launches and aircraft landings.
Visit with the Altobellis
Cousin Mike Altobelli and his wife, Becky met us for lunch at Las Olas in Carlsbad. Delicious food and then a casual walk by the beach. Fun to connect with family.
Little Italy San Diego
Farewell date night and sunset
One of our last nights we had date night dinner at Sea 180 at the Pier South Hotel. Incredible Brussels sprouts and braised short ribs with an ocean view. Another beautiful sunset. Our very last night, we met with our new friends, Mike and Carolyn at their place for conversation, cobbler, wine and card tricks.
Randy and Robin's Roving Retirement 