San Diego was the most Southerly point of our trip and one place both of us were excited to visit. We had heard so many good things and were keen to sample them for ourselves.
We arrived late in the evening from Palm Springs, but managed to catch the Visitors Centre before it shut to grab the customary 1000’s of leaflets and brochures to help us plan what to do while here. The planning took up most of the evening but we had a very full schedule ahead of us.
The first day we headed to the world famous San Diego Zoo. This place has 1000’s of animals ranging from monkeys and elephants to jaguars and pandas. We took the shuttle bus round the zoo which took about 30 mins before making our own way on foot to get a closer look. Now having seen quite a lot of wildlife in the various National Parks we have been to, it has sort of taken the edge off seeing these various creatures locked up in cages without the freedom to roam. Don’t get me wrong, the zoo caters for them to a very high standard, but it’s just not the same. I didn’t really get the “WOW” factor feeling seeing a Tiger or a Polar Bear here as I did seeing the whales or the bison in the parks. But, having said that, we did really enjoy the day we spent here and it’s certainly a place to go if you are in SD. Here’s my favourite picture from the zoo – the Meerkats.
One thing you must to in SD is see the sunset over the Pacific – it is supposed to be amazing. We got back to the RV park, showered and headed out towards Mission Beach, which was a 10 min bus ride away. We knew that we had to be at the beach at 4.47pm as that’s what time the sunset, but were we up against it as the bus was running 5 mins late. As we reached our stop, we ran off the bus and towards the beach. People were pointing and laughing as I was running with my camera in my hand ready to capture to moment. As we got there the sun had set behind a band of clouds on the horizon, so the sunset wasn’t that great!
That night we spent down in Mission Blv, right by the beach, where there are lots of bars and places to eat. It is the more relaxed part of SD as it’s the drinking choice for the surfers and beach bums. I can highly recommend it. Cazzie and I got thoroughly “on it” and this was easily the most drunk night of the trip so far.
You will not be surprised to hear that the next morning was the worst hangover of the trip so far and we didn’t make it out of the van until 1 o’clock, when we headed to the Old Town to start a trolley tour. We have done several of these in various cities and it’s the best way to see a city as they let you hop on and hop off so you can explore the places you want to. As we were so hungover though, we just sat on the trolley bus for 2 hours and listened to what our driver / tour guide had to say, before getting off in Little Italy for a much needed slice of pizza. The best part of this tour was at the start – Old Town. Now, who knew that California used to be part of Mexico before the US government bought it off the Mexicans? Old town is where the first Mexican people settled and most if it remains there today. It’s a buzzing little place full of little old Mexican ladies making fresh tacos and burritos in a plaza full of old style restaurants with live music and dancing in the middle. Further into the town there were bands, shops and an old market. I only wish we were in a better state to fully appreciate it!
After our slice of pizza, we started to feel much better and headed to the Gaslamp Quarter, where all the trendy bars and restaurants are. We were recommended to eat at Fred’s, a very good Mexican place. So after a couple of Margaritas (which is rapidly becoming one of my fav drinks) we ate at Fred’s where we had tacos and pulled pork burritos! Wonderful. After a few more beers in a few more bars, we were done and ready for bed. Like many other US cities, there was a late night ice cream place open, so we decided to pop in there and get a quick treat. This quick treat took over 30 mins to get 2 scoops and I still have no idea why. It was organised chaos.
Our 3rd day we had planned to stop off in La Jolla, which is a district just north of SD. This is a great place right by the sea, with loads of boutiques, cafes and bars. It’s also a great surfing spot. We wandered up and down the beach area and around the town before choosing our spot on the rocks to see the sunset.
I feel as we missed out on seeing all of SD due to our hangover, but from what we saw of it, it’s a terrific place and I’m glad we’ve crossed it off the list.
The Zoo highlights are here and SD highlights are here.
Stuoobs
xxx
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