San Diego Trip: Day 1

Gull at La Jolla Shores Beach, San Diego, California.

The trip to San Diego was amazing and I've already got my tickets for my next trip. We went to so many places last weekend and only barely scratched the surface of things to do. We never did make it to the Gaslamp Quarter but was able to see lots of La Jolla, Del Mar and Old Town San Diego.

The first day, Saturday, was beautiful. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and even thought the weather called for highs in the 70s it ended up reaching the low 80s. It was a welcome escape from the two-day-old dirty snow left behind from the last storm in D.C.

We started the day with a tour of The Villas of Renaissance, our new apartment complex. We decided on it solely on Jeff's recommendation and I have to say, he didn't disappoint. The pool and jacuzzi are literally steps from our apartment.


Jeff leading the way to the Villas game room, fitness center and main pool.

Next we went north toward the Del Mar area so Jeff could show me where he works. Yep, it's a huge office park. Nothing much to write about but I was impressed with the landscape. Just down the road heading to Jeff's office there is an incredible view of the mountains but Jeff assures me those were "hills" and you have to travel an hour or so to see real mountains.

Next we headed to the La Jolla Shores Beach. This is the main tourist beach and finding parking at 11am can be a challenge... and it was. When finally we were able to park we discovered several surfers and countless SCUBA divers enjoying the day. Groups of beach-goers dotted the expansive black sand beaches but only those with wet suits ventured into the 54˚F water. The beach was large and well cared for, had ample grassy space and offered clean bathrooms and showers, which seemed to appeal to families with small children. The surf was pretty decent that day and there were warnings of rip currents. I'm sure I'm bias, but while the beach is quite nice it still doesn't quite compare to the Nantucket beaches. Still, lounging on a Nantucket beach in February is NOT an option so I was thrilled to be there.


View of The Cove from La Jolla Shores Beach


Surfers at La Jolla Shores Beach


SCUBA divers at La Jolla Shores Beach


We ended the day lazing around the pool back at the Villas until the sun went down. Then we headed over to the Westfield Mall, which is just a short walk from the Villas. We drove.

The malls in SoCal are all outdoor style open malls. We spent the evening meandering through the stores and finally ended the evening at a gourmet pizza place called Sammy's Woodfired Pizza, a chain in California, Nevada and New Mexico. The first day was amazing and I was loving San Diego. After visiting, I can hardly imagine why I'd want to live anywhere else. I got the sense from the locals there they are well aware of what they have and are enjoying every minute of it.

Well, that's all for day one. I'll post photos and stories from Day 2 later.

First Visit to San Diego Tomorrow!

the Gaslamp Strip Club, originally uploaded by ashi.

I'm leaving tomorrow for San Diego! Finally I will get to see the new apartment and the new city. I'm toting along my new digital camera as well so I can document the trip for the Blog. It's going to be a long journey as I have to work a full day and catch a late flight. We don't have any formal plans in place yet but I know we're going to spend some time in the La Jolla / Del Mar areas since that's where we will be/are living. I will surely be hittin' the beach too. The harbor seals are on land and they have their pups in tow. There just aren't many things cuter than seal pups.

Since this is my first trip to the West coast...ever... I hope Jeff has plans to show me around downtown San Diego as well. Evidently the Gaslamp Quarter is where it's at with its phenomenal galleries, dining, shopping and nightlife. Maybe we'll hit a cafe and later check out the bar scene. Ok, ok... truth-be-told, the only reason I REALLY want to venture downtown is to check out The Museum of UnNatural History. I do have an affinity toward the macabre and how many opportunities does one get to take home both a great educational experience and an ancient irreversible curse? Now that's my kind of party.

Check out their website: http://www.museumofunnaturalhistory.com/ Sure, you'll get info on the museum but more importantly you have to read the NOTICE as to why the museum couldn't open on time. Seriously funny.

Big Empty Apartment Photos

Breaking news just in from our correspondent on the scene at our East La Jolla apartment. These photos were taken with Jeff's camera phone at night and are grainier than Bigfoot but they're all we've got. This is the first time I have seen the apartment and now you can too! Talk about an empty canvas. Wow, I've never seen so much beige and white. So here it is, all 1040 square feet in all it's glory.

Master Bath

You can't tell in the photo but that's a double sink... that's right... a DOUBLE sink! Go ahead, reel with envy. I'll wait.


Master Bedroom

Uh, yep. It's a bedroom.


Living Room

That window is actually a sliding glass door to our expanded patio, pool and water feature. We have a cabana and an outside fireplace. Look out Hugh Hefner.


Dining Room

You say "dinging nook", I say "dining room". Toe-may-toe, toe-ma-toe.


Kitchen

Is that a kitchen or an office? What's with all the computer equipment?


Walk-in Closet

Jeff, call the police! Clearly a burglar has ransacked this room and strewn your things all about.


Second Bath

We've got a second bath, 'nuff said.