Gifts of the Golden Coast

Tuesday, May 27th
Early morning, we headed out to one of my favorite restaurants - Brockton House Villa. The abalone covered villa looks out over the Pacific and captures some of the greatest views of the golden coast readily available to us San Diegans.

But at 8:30 in the morning, the views of our breakfast were much more appealing.

 Gillian enjoyed herself an incredible plate of carne asada eggs Benedict with a hearty fresh serving of fruit, while I enjoyed Brockton Villa's world famous Coast Toast.

  If you find yourself in La Jolla in the morning, treat yourself to the heavenly souffle that is Coast Toast, you won't be disappointed.

 After breakfast, we walked down to the cliffs to take a peak at the wild life. Gill's favorite animals are sea lions, and throughout the day we got sea lions and seals in abundance.

After getting our toes sufficiently covered in gold-silted sand, we jumped back in the car and took the hour drive north into our little Napa, Temecula county.

Our noon reservations for a winery tour and tastings was a plot well made. We visited Miramonte Vineyard and throughout the tour we were given two ounce samples of a rainbow of wine, starting with whites working our ways to reds. The tour guide was highly informative and the wine was among the best that I have ever enjoyed. My personal favorite was the Opulante 2010, which paired nicely with Baby-bell cheese. The experience was something that I will never forget. Seeing the mountains as backdrops to beautiful rows of brilliant green vines was breathtaking.

View from the Vineyard

Any trip to San Diego would not be complete without a trip to In-N-Out. And on our way back to avoid traffic, we stopped at the Escondido In-N-Out where Gill was able to taste the sweet nectar of our favorite burger stop.

Watching a sunset at La Jolla is one of the most incredible daily events in town, so we ended the day where we started. However, this time, I took Gill to Children's Cove where she could be face to face with her favorite animals. For those of you who do not know, Children's Cove is a beach that has been reclaimed by nature - where once kiddos would romp and play in the sand and waters protected from large waves by a man-made jetti, the sea lions have found similar refuge from the elements. In the evening times, they all gather for their nightly rest, away from the chomping teeth of sharks and the great, wet unknowns. For Gill, sitting among the sea lions in the gentle glow of twilight, there was nothing more spectacular or memorable.

The evening could not have been more wonderful for either of us and I cannot wait to tell you about what happened to us today, but alas, it is late and it is time for a long summer's sleep. If you're still awake, check out Gill's blog to hear her tales - memoirsofwayfarer.wordpress.com

Until tomorrow.

Your humble author,
S. Faxon