Hello, San Diego – Part 2

Day 2 of my San Diego mini-vacay brought even more sightseeing at the side of Design Milk! Our first stop – after bagels, duh – was the island of Coronado. I’m not sure what I expected, if anything, but I completely fell under the spell of this beachy village, its sweet shops, and its cottages.

 

 

Then of course there was the Hotel del Coronado, which I’ve dreamed of visiting for ages. I’d always pictured it living on a small cliff, but there it was right on the beach. The Del (as locals refer to it) is currently celebrating its 125th birthday, check out the oversize gold bow on the left turret!

 

 

The interior was pure old Hollywood magic and I really appreciated that the grounds are open to the public to enjoy as well as guests. Though I have to say it’s definitely high on my list to stay here for a getaway sooner than later!

 

Next up were the tide pools at Point Loma. It’s a long drive through the town, up a big hill, and past several military facilities to get there. Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery was a beautifully sobering site as we neared our destination. The cemetery is spread out quite a bit, but all areas have this incredible view of either the bay or ocean side of the Point. Such a peaceful resting place for those who gave up their life for our country, and so well-deserved.

 

We made our way down the other side of the gigantic hill to the tide pools… only had neglected to think of what time the tide would actually be out. It wasn’t and the pools were covered, but we still walked down the crazy cliffside and admired the striated cuts.

 

 

We then stopped at the Cabrillo National Monument for some stunning views. All the way to right? Mexico. For real.

 

Our last stop was Old Town, the birthplace of California where the first Europeans settled. Everyone was dressed in era-appropriate clothing and the signage was especially noteworthy to this designer.

 

 

 

 

All of the shops were so cute, I left the pottery one with a small piece – a cat of course! My only regret is that I made Jaime eat ice cream for lunch at the Hotel del Coronado and we were too full to stop at one of the restaurants for a bite.

 

 

 

 

In the information center they had a to scale version of the town as it most likely looked in 1850, this is only about 1/3 of it all. I’ve visited lots of settlements like this in the northeast, but it was really interesting to see one in a different region of the U.S.

Many thanks to Jaime and family for a super fun visit!

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InstaJune

Saw a minor league baseball game from some great seats! Kept working to reunite animals and their owners separated by the Moore tornado. Enjoyed plenty of deck time with a view, including cotton candy clouds. Bikes came out of the woodwork! Bebe practiced for a yet-to-be cast roll as Toto. Spruced up the guest bath with a new shower curtain and the living room with an arc lamp. Oh, and me with a cute purse. Ate strawberries like they were going out of style. Spent quality time with this stinky butt, and this tiny pony, and this sad-eyed pup. Managed to sneak away for a few days and unplug and see The Sandcastle Man along the way.

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Hello, San Diego

Last week I picked up and headed west to visit San Diego and one of my good friends, Jaime Derringer of Design Milk! San Diego was the last major city in California that I had left to visit and I couldn’t wait to pack my bags and get airborne. Not even a sinus migraine or delayed flights could hold me back!

 

After landing much later than originally planned, Jaime and her beyond adorable daughter picked me up at the airport and drove me directly to the source of all things good in the world – fish tacos at Rubio’s, the supposed birthplace of my favorite Mexican delight! Now that’s a friend.

 

The next morning I worked them off (and then some) when we went hiking at Torrey Pines. I complained a little, sweated a lot, but couldn’t have asked for a better view along the way. The area is so well maintained, it’s seriously impressive.

 

I loved all of the crazy foliage everywhere, not so much the rattlesnake holes.

 

After a few trails we drove down to the beach and stood in the freezing cold water, then walked along the edge a little. I was busy looking for shells and realized the west coast is all about rocks. I collected four smallish ones and proceeded to unintentionally carry them along everywhere I went for the next few days in my purse. Let’s just call it extra weighted cardio, shall we?

 

I fell in love with this unattended lifeguard stand against the rocky outcropping of the reserve behind it.

 

Next we headed over to La Jolla, where I promptly picked out several seaside homes to live in that I can only ever dream of setting foot in let alone affording. The little details of the town are what really stuck out to me (well that and the bazillion foot tall palms), and the juxtaposition of an Armani Exchange next to a local shop selling seashell wind chimes was a treat.

 

 

I loved this woman sprawled out in the middle of this park with her pink bike and pink outfit!

 

 

 

What happened next was this animal lover’s dream come true. SEALS!

 

We walked out onto the seawall and I was in heaven, I swear I could have stood there for hours observing these flubbery, flippy-floppy guys!

 

I promptly picked out my favorite – the light brown guy just to the right of center – and a few minutes later realized he wasn’t a seal at all. Instead he was the lone sea lion on the beach! Such a Kelly thing to do.

 

We stopped for lunch at the sweetest converted house, Cody’s, where Jaime had the best fries ever and my chopped salad was amazing. I think I could have sat there for hours under the shade of all their umbrellas admiring this little modern building.

 

When we got back to Jaime’s I was just about as exhausted as Lulu the English Bulldog looked.

The adventure continues… 

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