San Diego

Sunday July 11

The morning started with a visit to the local Starbucks and a chat with the locals in the parking lot.



One our way to La Jolla we got side tracked. We found a Swap Meet in Chula Vista - Mexican style market. Wonderful music, Spanish speaking, sunny, just a great time. A little taste of Mexico. I regrettably got some sunburn on my arms.

We left the Swap Meet hungry continuing on to Whole Foods.





We also needed to purchase some provisions for our trip. By this time it is way after two.

Visions Quilt Art Gallery is our next stop with the exhibit 3 Voices - Valerie S. Goodwill and Katherine K. Allen being the highlights for me. There was a binder showing Allen's process which is a silk screen over taped on grasses and leaves. Goodwill sew little ribbons, etc. on to get her small square shapes. She also sews pieces of fabric together for backing. She makes mini pieces on small acrylic art boards ($40.00) and makes bigger pieces sandwiched between pieces of mat boards ($90.00). The Fantasy Flower exhibit was very impressive, I wish I would got my pieces into the show.

Ken and I had some miscommunication over which Starbucks to meet in when I was done with the show. I sat by our parked van then found Ken in a different Starbucks. We went to the Goodwill on Rosencrans.

Saturday July 10

We decided to begin our first San Diego day with a big cup of Starbucks continuing on to garage sales. We only went to a few as we got going kid of late. I picked up a couple of Art Bins and a brush holder and pencil case for about $2.00. Great buy!

Ken spent hours at the Apple Store because our IPhone 3G will no long pick up the internet, very annoying. We were at Fashion Valley (a huge mall), likely the biggest, most expensive mall I have been to. The stores do not have an enclosed hallway system, it is open air. I walked around to see fashions and prices. I would never pay the prices that were on those labels, it was unreal. One store was going out of business and everything was at least 50% off. Still too crazy with the prices.

In the evening we has picnic in Balboa park - seafood salad, California Rolls, edema beans - um! Watched the jets land at SD airport just nearby.

We walk many steps passed several parties. One was raising money for the park. People were bidding on show tickets, services or dinners, etc. Someone bid and bought dinner for 25 people for about $3500. by some famous cook.

Friday July 9

It was expensive to stay in Santa Barbara and really no camping. We drove back to the rest area we had stayed in the night before only stayed across the highway, It was noisy to sleep here but worth every penny we spent (nothing). This is the day we drove from Santa Barbara to San Diego.

The highway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles is near the ocean and also near the railway. It is a beautiful stretch of road that is very congested with traffic, especially the closer you get to LA.

We used the IPhone and the blue dot to help us navigate through LA which is a total traffic jungle.

From San Diego to Tucson

The iPhone picks up Google Maps. Then you "drop a pin" for your destination and a "blue dot" shows your current location. While you have the internet to pick up Google Maps, you search around on the map so that your IPhone has saved your route in cache memory. It is great, especially in a big city. That way if you get lost you know not only where you are but you have a map on how to return to the proper road.

We decided not to eat until we were through LA and could easily drive to a Wholefoods to eat. That Wholefoods was in Tustin. It was the biggest Wholefoods with the most diverse food service we had seen. It was overwhelming to pick out lunch, but we had really put off eating and were very hungry. It was near the airship hanger.

We drove into San Diego and as usual I was excited. It is one of my favourite American cities.



We drove down to San Diego's waterfront park and walked along the water. With the city on one side and the ocean on the other side it is a beautiful. We had a bowl of seafood chowder in a bread pot for supper at the Seaport Village.

San Francisco to San Luis Obispo

Thursday July 8

For one thing, I thought it was Wednesday until evening when Ken clarified that for me, it all seemed so surreal.




Ken was up reading the travel guide early, before 7:00 am. He discovered a Danish Restaurant, that serves up a great breakfast - Paula's Pancake House. It was busy and very tasty. Our waitress didn't know flour was made from wheat - where did she come from?

After breakfast we explored Solvang. It is a very touristy Danish village. Buellton, Los Olives, Ballard and San Inez were next. We saw ostrich, pigs, donkeys and miniature donkeys.





 The back country road was worth it just for the creatures along.

Los Olives is where the Andy of Mayberry show from the 1960's was filmed. If you remember it, you grew up before the Beatles became famous.

We took the back way into Santa Barbara and got lost in Goleta.



Once we got to the main part of Santa Barbara the tourist information centre was closed and the weather had turned cool again so we walked around.




More walking on tree and garden lined streets with expensive stores to tempt us.


Wednesday July 7

We ate breakfast in the flower garden.







We saw California quail and cactus - odd, as we have the quail in our garden at home.

San Luis Obispo (SLO) is where we went for morning tea and coffee to warm up. It actually got warm and sunny by the end of the morning. I shopped the morning away, Ken was at the Apple store talking to a "Genius". SLO has great trees, gardens and shopping. It is a city but fairly easy to get around in and absolutely beautiful.

We are trying to cut down on our food consumption. When you are at home you can snack whenever and make big meals consisting of food you love. It is hard to cut down the "food" cycle. When you are on holidays it is easier because you don't have food in easy access. The added bonus of holidays is you can walk frequently.

We checked out a few restaurants for supper and settled on The Firestone Grill. It was reasonable with great French fries (I know, not very food conscious but we are on holidays). Then of we went for new adventured in a new area.


Tuesday July 6

We awoke to sunny, warm almost hot weather, so we did some walking at the campsite. I could actually wear shorts.

When we stopped for lunch we decided we needed a good long walk.

From Gabriola to California

We walked into Paso Robles. It was a nice little town with a beautiful park. It was a very good walk.

 

When you walk you get to see the flowers and birds. Smelling the scents of the flowering trees.





Sometimes you even find good thrift stores.

Once we arrived in Morro Bay we went way out on a land bridge to a big rock island.
 

We saw many seagulls and many little gophers. The greatest aspect was baby seagulls.



Have you ever seen one? They are grey fluffy, wobbly creatures. We also saw a crow and an Egret rookery up in the trees by the triple tower power plant.



There is a walk behind and through waterfront restaurants that we strolled along. We checked out all the menus when we returned to our campsite it was still empty.


Monday July 5

We got up, I did a yoga routine, Ken stretched. Ken did some e-mailing and looking up places we might want to go to in San Francisco on the internet.

We walked to the Goodwill on Mission and 11th. It had so much. I tried on lots but only purchased two tops. It is often wise to not purchase when you are uncertain about something. Once we returned to the hotel it was check out time. We walked to Shalimars on 532 Jones St. and Geary. The food wowed us as it did at their other location, so flavourful with whole spices. The atmosphere was noisy, busy and not very clean looking.

 

We went to the Haight District.

 





I walked around and discovered a Goodwill and a cool looking house.

From Gabriola to California

Ken recorded a response to some questions posed to him by The Shingle Newspaper.

We found a Japanese Restaurant we went to before, but ended up at Wholefoods. Sadly we left San Francisco - south on I-5.


Sunday July 4

I got up and did a great yoga routine, felt great. I will not stop doing yoga again. Sun salutations are hard again, not that they ever were particularly easy. We ate breakfast in the room.

On our way to find a thrift store we discovered free first Sunday of the month at the Asian Museum. Mostly it consisted of Hindi and Buddhist religious artifact.

From Gabriola to California

Wow, was it ever windy outside when we took pictures of city hall.

Being lost and walking we ended up in the Mission District at Community Thrift Store (huge). Then we took a BART to Embarcadaro and hoofed it up to Chinatown for a late lunch.

From Gabriola to California

From Gabriola to California

From Gabriola to California

From Gabriola to California

From Gabriola to California

From Gabriola to California

From Gabriola to California

From Gabriola to California

Cold and windy as we continued into the Italian District.

 



We actually left a great coffee shop as we did not have enough cash - lucky for our waistlines.

We walked around Union Square area in the evening. Exhausted we went back to sleep.

We hiked back through a residential arae and passed the Ritz Carlton. We were very cold and went back to our cheapo Motel 6. We ate at a Turkish restaurant close to our hotel. What we each had to eat was made with freshly baked bread - yum.