Monday, March 30, 2020

San Diego: Surf, Mariachi, Space, Safari, & a Hot Air Balloon

There's not really much that can get HG more excited than the luxury of hotel room service for breakfast. She loves ordering it, setting it all out, squealing over all the mini bottles of jam, etc. So we started our morning with that on Friday and then took advantage of the lack of rain (although still wet from the night before and only 57 degrees) and headed back to Shell Beach. Helen Grace was really sad on Thursday about being so close to the beach but not being able to enjoy it, so we made that a priority. We were the only crazy people on the beach for most of the time, so they ran and splashed, collected shells and dug in the sand. Cressey had been begging to go back to the (freezing) pool, so after the beach, we headed back to the pool to rinse off. We were pleasantly surprised that the heater was turned on that day! I thought I'd never get them out of the pool!

We decided to head into old town San Diego to explore the downtown area, the marina, Balboa Park, etc. We had lunch at Cafe Guadalajara where a mariachi singer serenaded a VERY SHY Cressey with Itsy Bitsy Spider and mama enjoyed a nice margarita before the sightseeing adventure began. We walked through a really neat area, the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, which had replica buildings from the 1800s with employees dressed up from the era working in historic shops. We stopped in the general store and bought some sticks of hard candy, and the girls loved it. We started on a trolley ride, but the girls were a little bored so we hopped off early and Uber-ed over to the Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park. Someone compared Balboa Park to Central Park in NYC, and while it's not quite that big, it does have that same wide-open feeling, and there are tons of beautiful museums sprinkled throughout it. HG is working on a school project about Amelia Earhart, so she loved the exhibit on her. Cressey couldn't get enough of the space exhibit, especially getting into the capsule and acting like she was taking off in the shuttle. 

We came back to La Jolla for dinner and stepped into Eddie V's. Since we got there a few minutes before 5:00, we snagged the best table in the house where we watched a big squall of rain roll through, HG literally died over their delicious chocolate chip cookies, and I literally died over their bananas foster dessert (and steak too). They had to roll us out of there. We had seen lots of people climbing down on a peak below us during dinner, so we had to go explore afterward. It was muddy, and HG almost gave me a heart attack and she climbed up and out over all the rocks- which were covered in birds! It was quite the adventure! The walk back to the hotel was another story. HG was covered in mud from head to toe; her tennis shoes were ruined. It was like the walk of shame down the main strip of La Jolla. But we had the most fun taking in the one of a kind view!

Saturday morning brought us more rain, so we waited until it pushed through a bit and headed 30 miles northeast to the San Diego Safari Park. The safari park is owned by the zoo, and I'd be hard pressed to say which one we liked more. Both are breathtaking and so very well designed. The safari park might be a bit more hands on with a farm animal petting zoo, bird feeding exhibit, hot air balloon ride, etc. They had a tram ride that was included in your visit, but the wait was an hour and all our 'whittle wegs' were tired. You can also do a ropes course, zip line, and truck and cart rides out in the safari area. They have a kangaroo walk-through area, and they are the only zoo outside of Australia to have platypuses! We were able to get up close and personal to one of the tigers too. Such a fun day!

Before dinner, we squeezed in a visit to Sunny Jim's Sea Cave, the secret passage underneath the peak we were on the night before which was used by pirates for smuggling goods in the 1800s. You enter through a gift shop and go straight down 144 steps. Of course (rolling my eyes), Cressey was DONE about 10 steps into the trek, so John carried her on his back almost the whole way down. As you approach the bottom, the cave opens up and you can see the surf hitting and splashing on the rocks. A worthwhile adventure! Cressey was able to climb back up on her own, thankfully! We had dinner at Duke's one more time and on a much better weather night. Thank you, La Jolla, for giving us such fun family memories- and NOT the Coronovirus! 

The queens of room service


57 degrees- no big deal!









Cressey's footprint and mine






Daddy spotted the girls in the pool!

 

Cafe Quadalajara






Cressey hid behind my chair for his entire serenade, but HG loved it!


Skipping away from mama- when they team up, they go big!


Trolley ride


Balboa Park



Air & Space Museum




Eddie V's, a little piece of heaven



HG having a moment with her cookie



John took this pic of the girls and I out on the peak before he came down to join us






A very sweet treat from a friend was waiting on us in our room



Saturday: Safari Park



That straw was like aroma therapy for him. He wasn't eating it but rubbing his face all over it.


Kangaroos!!!


A sweet little wallaby


And sweet little sisters!








Feeding the lorakeets was a big hit








As we were about to leave, this bird flew right up to HG and made himself at home. We were dying laughing. You know she's the animal whisperer!




Our first hot air balloon ride- it was so amazing!




There's daddy down there!





Sunny Jim's Sea Cave

 

What a sweet daddy





Finally some sunshine and blue skies at Duke's


One last romp at the hotel lawn and pool before we left (and while daddy returned the rental car)




The staff were gracious enough to bring me a glass of wine and decadent dessert at the pool!


Why do I feel like someone is watching me (or my food)?


Happy girls!




Praise the lord, Cressey is finally a professional traveler like her sister. Speaking of professionals, HG led us completely on her own from each connecting flight to the next. So proud of her ability to navigate an airport!


Cressey needed a little daddy hand hold


Annnnd she's glad to be home and reunited with her Blue Blue!