Hump day is never easy for anyone, particularly when one is travelling. Gill and I were no exception to this case. Try as we did to pull ourselves together, we ended up rushing to our intended destination: San Diego Whale Watching in Dana Point. Come hell or high water (with neither being preferable in this case), we were bound and determined to make it to that ship. We maneuvered our way through the streets of Mission Bay, swerved our car into a parking spot and ran into the shop to check in for our trip.
Running up to the counter, we spotted an associate of the tours and before we could even say hello, he said to us, "Sorry guys, the tour's been canceled."
A weight of disappointment hit upon hearing this, but there was a ray of hope. The gentleman behind the counter said that the tour would be on for tomorrow and asked us to leave our names to guarantee us a spot. Feeling enthralled from the assurance that we would see through our mission, Gill and I headed out for a spontaneous operation - to see the historical side of the big SD.
Our car, Lady Snaggletooth, took us first to Bellmont, where Gill was able to see our West Coast boardwalk, which she was surprised to learn was made of concrete and not of wood. The other major culture shock to her was the fact that we have an actual parking lot along the beach. Having no experience on East Coast beaches myself, I imagine a long strip of curbs that people must park beside as the alternative.
After walking around a bit at Bellmont, we hopped back in the car, Old Town bound. Old Town, or the "Wild West," as Gill referred to it, is our historical encapsulation of where the mythical west was born. We strolled through the haciendas and shops, with Gill in awe of the breathtaking spectrum of color, both literal and cultural.
As you may be able to see, Gill and I were dressed in our bathing suits; our next destination was my favorite beach - Coronado.
Back into the Snaggletooth we went, heading south on the 5 to our quaint little island/peninsula. The drive to Coronado takes one past downtown and to the high standing Coronado Bridge which spans a whopping three miles and is two hundred feet at its tallest. While no Golden Gate, it is an impressive sight to see and a white-knuckle experience to drive.
Driving down the central artery of Coronado, Orange Avenue, I pointed out to Gill how the island has tried to stay true to its local roots; while indeed a great many of the shops are touristy, the feel of the villages on Coronado pertain to that which one would find in a small town.
We arrived at the beach around one in the afternoon and crossed the blazing white sand, which was hotter than the surface of the sun. With our song of "ow-owe" accompanying us as we skipped as quickly as we could go on that hot sand, we arrived most graciously at a spot where the sand was cooled by the receded tide. This spot, directly between the beautiful Hotel Del and the North Island Navy base, would do for us quite nicely.
It's always a great thrill to go to this strip of beach for first time for a few reasons: first, learning that the same strip of sand that we are sitting on will lead south into Mexico, which you can see from the beach; second, that the grand, majestic and historical Hotel Del sits proudly with you, enjoying the refreshing breeze from the ocean and the warming touch of the sun; and third, that Naval Jets fly around two hundred feet above your head.
That's right. All afternoon military aircraft soar above you and perform incredible maneuvers that certainly left Gill awed and inspired.
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| There is a plane coming in directly in the center of this photo...it may look like a spec, but it's there. |
While I know that Gill is not a beer enthusiast, San Diego is the micro-brewing capitol of the states, so the tour would not have been complete without a visit to my favorite brewery, CBC - the Coronado Brewing Company. Gill tried a few sips of my Coronado Golden and the signal she made below should be fairly universal as to what she thought of the refreshing ale.
I was not able to convert her into a beer enthusiast, but we were both exceptionally pleased with the food that we ate: an enormous plate of fried calamari with a delicious cocktail and tartar sauce and a rich serving of artichoke dip & chips. It was a satisfying meal on Orange, with the seaside a block away.
The sun was still up and there were still a great many stops for us on this day - we decided to revisit Old Town so that Gill could meet my best friend, Victoria. It was wonderful FINALLY have my friends from both coasts meet, something that I have been trying to complete for a long time. The pair shared a few laughs, and a few jokes about me, and it was a lovely event.
The call of the Snaggletooth hit our ears and we were back in her once more, headed now to the Wednesday OB Farmer's Market. While there, Gill was able to do what we do best in OB - people watch and I was able to buy a beautiful piece of art from Russell Hart, a skilled local photographer, and where Gill, my sister and I purchased a few squares of absolutely delicious baked goods from a gluten free bakery. With our intended goods tucked under our arms, we walked up to Wonderland, a year old restaurant that overlooks the OB peer and that has a hip-historical OB ambiance. After such a long day, it was great to be able to sit down and enjoy a cocktail with the ocean behind us and a fantastic band performing in front of us.
The sea had treated us well, but it was time to go to home. After all, we had another big day ahead of us, on in which we were bound and determined to see us a whale.
To see Gill's perspective on all of this, check out her blog: https://memoirsofawayfarer.wordpress.com/
Your humble author,
S. Faxon
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