SISTERS IN SAN DIEGO

Cynde and her sweet little pooch, Sophie.

My sister lives in San Diego in a town called San Marcos; a ten minute drive from our RV Resort in Escondido so we got to spend plenty of time together. Unfortunately for her, she is not retired (like me) and works a full week but we found plenty of time in the evening and on week-ends to have dinners and lunches with her and her husband, Bruce, who I refer to as the world's best brother in law. One excursion was the day we went to San Diego and did a little tour. When I lived in San Diego I used to go to the city quite a bit but it was to pick someone up or drop them off at the airport, to go over to Coronado, or some other outing. I don't really know the actual city all that well. Our initial reason for going was to shop at a little hat store that sells every hat known to man including a Greek Fisherman's hat that Cynde (my sister) had promised she would buy for Erik. Off we went one bright and sunny Sunday morning. Commuting the freeway in her snappy little Mazda Miata was a bit hair-raising (it's so low and I'm getting used to trucks!!) and she sure does nip in and out of lanes at will. Then I realized she does this trip on a daily basis in commuter traffic and sighed and took in the view.

The thing about San Diego is that it's a compact downtown area with pretty much everything you want to see or do within walking distance of each other. Our destination was Seaport Village, a unique little village right downtown and on the ocean with a selection of eclectic and specialized boutiques and stores and restaurants. After buying the Greek Fisherman's hat we were freed up for the rest of the day.

One of the little streets at Seaport Village.

A street magician.

Lunch of fish tacos (what else??) at this little restaurant overlooking the water.

Such a blue sky.

After lunch we wandered through the various little shops and happened to pass a little bakery that specialized in cupcakes. There is a television show in the States called 'Cupcake Wars' on the Food Network and this little shop was a winner. Not sure which season they won or which cupcake was the best but it was enough of a draw for two chocoholics to do a taste. I can't even remember what the flavour of the cupcake we got was called but I do recall it was absolutely melt in your mouth luscious.

We shared this one cupcake. It was DIVINE.

From Seaport Villages we walked along the Embarcadero to view the famous statue 'Unconditional Love' which takes pride of place in front of the USS Midway Museum, the decommissioned USS Midway. Funnily enough this statue, also known as the 'Kissing Statue', has caused a bit of controversy. The statue recreates the famous embrace between a sailor and a nurse celebrating the end of World War II in New York’s Times Square in 1945. In 2007 the Sculpture Foundation loaned the statue to San Diego and the port added it to its Greatest Generation Walk. In a nutshell, the Greatest Generation was a book written by Tom Brokaw, former NBC New Anchor, about the men and women who fought in and lived through WWII.  The spirit of those men and women is commemorated with a collection of U.S. military heritage art in Tuna Harbor Park in San Diego Bay.

The controversy occurred when the original prototype statue began to look a little worse for wear and it was removed. A bronze replica was to take its place in the shadow of the Midway but not before true art lovers deemed it repulsive and unartlike and tried to stop its erection. Luckily (I think, anyway) hearts won out over logic and at the dedication ceremony of the new bronze statue in February 2013 couples renewed their vows in front of the kissing nurse and sailor. It was reported that two of the statue committee members were so outraged that the statue would be erected they resigned.

Unconditional Love or The Kissing Statue

That's my foot (the one in the sandal).

The bridge to Coronado Island and the famous Hotel Del.

Ships in the harbour.

Couple of nice little boats.

Along the Greatest Generation Walk.

Naval Base across the water at Coronado.

USS Midway Museum.

USS Midway Museum.

Along this walk there is a monumental temporary public art exhibit called "Our Silences," by the Mexican artist Rivelino that was officially unveiled January 29, 2015.

These bronze statues weigh about a ton each.

The ten statues all have metals plates where mouths would be to depict the importance of freedom of speech.

Don't believe this is part of Our Silences but it is pretty cool.

I liked these trees. You can just see the USS Midway Museum in the background.

San Diego itself has enough attractions to keep a tourist happy for at least a week if you go out every single day from dawn until dusk. There is a tourist tram that will take you through the city with frequent stops where you can get off and pick up the next tram if you aren't inclined to drive yourself and find parking. I've done that several times with visitors and it is a great way to see the city and to show the city to others. Here's a few attractions that are at your disposal, all of which I have seen or done or been to.

Old Town is the oldest settled area in San Diego and is the site of the first European settlement in present-day California. It's a stop along the tourist trams and is worth spending some time looking around. There are funky

A pretty corner in Old Town.

restaurants, specialty shops, art galleries, hotels, historic buildings, live theatres and a heritage park to keep you busy for several hours or a day if you wish.

Balboa Park. Balboa Park is 1,200 acres right downtown that houses arts, culture and the history of San Diego, musical theatre, performing arts, exotic gardens, fabulous restaurants and shopping and houses the San Diego Zoo.

This building houses some restaurants and shops.

San Diego Zoo. A world class 100 acre zoo that offers a trolley tour of the zoo if you don't wish to walk. Part of Balboa Park.

Hotel Del Coronado. Built in 1888 the 'Hotel Del' is a landmark for residents and tourists alike. I'm partial to this place because Erik and I once spent a week-end there to celebrate our birthdays. Reportedly, the ghost of a woman who was wronged walks the halls of the hotel at night and can be heard weeping.

The mighty Hotel Del Coronado.

Star of India at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Here visitors can walk the decks of the magnificent Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing ship.

The Star of India.

Sea World. A theme park with rides and exhibits and, of course, the animals.

gaslamp.org Gaslamp Quarter. Sixteen and a half square blocks of artfully restored Victorian buildings to modern architecture. Over 100 shops, fine restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, theaters, art galleries, museums and concert halls. I believe this is where the widow of Jim Croce still has the late singers bar that has morphed into an upscale fine dining establishment.

San Diego bills itself as America's Finest City and quite honestly I would find that difficult to argue with. When I lived here I loved it and when we visited it on this trip I loved it. The weather is perfect (okay, okay, there's that little drought thing going on), the scenery is breathtaking, there is an abundance of outdoor activities, there are sports teams if you are so inclined, too many world class golf courses to count, tennis for me, fishing for Erik and plenty of restaurants and wineries and pubs and bistros to keep anyone happy. Let's not even talk about the shopping. You can shop until you drop if you wish; everything from outlet malls, high end boutiques, famous department stores right down to the dollar store that's pretty much in every community. As tourists this go around we were pretty fortunate. We had friends here already, we knew our way around, and I had a sister to drag me around her San Diego (she works there every day and knows it like the back of her hand) and snap pictures on my behalf and have lunch with and end the day at our favourite place, TJMAXX. Life was good in San Diego.

For anyone who remembers why Cynde and I went to San Diego in the first place - Erik loved his Greek

Fisherman's hat and can't wait until boating season to show it off.

The next leg of our adventure is north through California, Oregon, Washington and then back into Oh Canada where we will stay in Victoria for a month before taking the long trek back to eastern Ontario. All of that will be documented on this blog as well as my attempt at answering a request - How Does One Fill One's Days in an RV? Until next time.........

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA.

San Diego County, where I was lucky enough to live for ten years, is, in the opinion of many who live there and most of the tourists who visit, a fabulous little corner of the world. Besides the perfect weather, the stunning scenery and the wonderful 70 miles of beaches/coastline you also have snow capped mountains and a couple of lakes and a river to see. The city of San Diego is a wonderful cosmopolitan city that sits on the Pacific Ocean and has a temperature that is so moderate and predictable weatherman, Al Roker from the Today Show, reportedly joked that San Diego didn't need a live weatherman to report the weather. A simple recording of 'Today will be sunny with a high of 75F' played daily would suffice. It's not quite true; sometimes in the winter it can go down to the low 60s. San Diego County is located in the southwest corner of California, has a population of 3,100,000, its County Seat is the city of San Diego and, as already stated, 70 miles/110 kms of coastline on the Pacific Ocean.  Most of the county has a mild Mediterranean  to semi-arid climate, though you will see frost or even snow on the mountain tops in the winter.

Most of San Diego is hilly with mesas and small canyons with mountains rising to the northeast and the Sonoran Desert to the far east. Cleveland National Forest is spread across the central portion of the county and the Anza Borrega State Park occupies most of the northeast. The mountains and deserts in the eastern two-thirds of the county are pretty much undeveloped land with very little population. The western third of the county is primarily urban which is where the 3,100,000 people live and would explain the constant movement of traffic on the freeways.

This detailed map of the county shows the number of towns that run down the coast line and a bit further inland. Basically the population lives from the coast and east to I15 with nothing between the individual towns to show that one has ended and another begun. They simply run together which makes for a lot of traffic.

Many people in the North County commute daily to the city of San Diego for work as do those who live in the eastern, less populated area. The sheer volume of traffic is something you, as a visitor, will certainly notice. But, let's talk about the other thing that you will notice about San Diego - the absolutely fabulous weather.

It's true, the city of San Diego and the coastal towns enjoy pretty consistent weather year round. The city has mild, mostly dry weather, with an average of 201 days above 70 °F (21 °C) and low rainfall (9–13 inches (23–33 cm) annually). Winter temperatures are 60-70F/15-20c and summer temperatures are 70-80F/21-26C. Go inland only 10 miles/16kms and the weather will be substantially hotter and drier.

This brings us to our tour of the county of San Diego. I have to preface it by saying that I lived here from 1997-2007 and am probably a little biased with my love of this little corner of the world. There is a lot going on here, there is plenty to do, and with the wonderful climate there's a lot of outdoor living to be done. San Diego to me though was a place where I lived and worked and had friends and played tennis. Going back was such a kick. Visiting towns and cities and areas where we had never been before has certainly been enjoyable and quite honestly, easier to write about as my impressions were completely unbiased. But going back to a place where you once lived and trying to write about it in an unbiased way has proven very difficult for me. So, I've decided to just tell it like it is, biased opinions and all.

I lived in a small town called Fallbrook, situated slightly inland in the North County. It is an unincorporated town with a population of about 35,000 and stands at elevations between 500 and 1500 feet, with an average around 685 feet. Because of the different elevations and the hillsides and mountains it can look almost uninhabited. It isn't until nighttime when you see the lights from the houses dotted along the hills that you realize how many homes are out there. Fallbrook enjoys ocean breezes which keeps the humidity relatively low, something you are grateful for when summer temperatures sometimes exceed 90 degrees. On September 1, 2007, the day Erik and I got married, the temperature was an even 100F. Humid or not - that's hot!! When I first saw Fallbrook in 1997 it gave the impression of a forgotten town you would see in a western movie, rustic, very rural with most people living on acreages and plenty of horses. It's known as 'The Friendly Village' and sometimes 'The Avocado Capital of the World'. Depending upon whether you enter from the north or from the south you will be greeted by one of these signs - take your pick - Avocado Capital or Friendly Village.

California produces 90 percent of the country’s avocado crop with San Diego County producing 49% of total production, according to the California Avocado Commission. Over the years avocado growers have sold off their land in the Fallbrook area to make way for much needed development of houses and some have simply switched their avocado groves to something else. Fallbrook is still host to an annual one day Avocado Festival that brings in the neighbourhood of 100,000 visitors to the town for that one day in April when the avocado is king. 

Many of the avocado grove owners who wished to diversify started growing flowers, with protea being a crop that suits the local climate. Protea is the name of a genus of South African flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes, used in flower arrangements and very exotic. Protea is not something you see a lot of places. It is used not as a bouquet but more as an addition to a flower arrangement.

Fallbrook is a very artsy community with the  Fallbrook School of the Arts, numerous art galleries, approximately 30 pieces of public art and an active Art Center with rotating exhibits. You need only to walk around the town and you will see examples of the artwork in the form of sculptures that decorate the outdoor market, some local banks and the main street, called, yes, Main Avenue. It's a community of people who enjoy the isolation from yet proximity to the rest of the County. Here are some photos of Fallbrook.

Typical hill top homes, on acreage.

A grove in the background.

Courtyard of a bistro.

Another view.

Antique shops in downtown Fallbrook.

This theatre, Mission Theatre, shows live productions.

While I lived in Fallbrook and Erik still lived in Victoria he visited me at least ten times over the course of a year and he, naturally, got to meet and make friends with the people I knew. One of those friends, a couple, are also musicians. There were many music nights when Erik was in town with Candy and Gil in their music room at their home in Vista. He was looking forward to getting some music in on this trip and was not disappointed. If you are unaware, my husband is a very good keyboard player/pianist and plays a lot back home in Brockville. Candy and Gil's music room is a converted two car garage that houses numerous guitars, a set of drums, a keyboard, several microphones and a semi-professional sound mixer. This is serious stuff folks and I was taught to move the dials up and down on the mixer.

Candy and me selfie.

Erik and Gil.

A few of Gil's many guitars.

Erik looking serious at the keyboard.

Gil, who always wears a hat while playing.

Candy in background plays bass and background singing.

A pre-music dinner outside at Candy and Gil's.

Looking down from Candy and Gil's terrace.

Escondido, where our RV Resort was located, is a town about 30 miles/48 kms north of the city of San Diego and inland with a population of about 145,000. Escondido has loads of great entertainment and activities for visitors and if the beach is your thing, that too can be accomplished as Escondido is only about 22 miles/35 kms from the ocean. Escondido has a thriving downtown with Grand Avenue being the hub for art galleries, restaurants, pubs and the California Centre for the Arts. Every Friday night from April through September, you should check out the popular Cruisin' Grand. Historic and antique cars and hot rods are on display. Didn't get to see it this time as we left mid-March but we have both been to see this and it's great fun.

vinzwinebar.net  Vinz Wine Bar, on Grand, is a bistro/winery with a lovely eclectic menu and a very large outdoor patio that is dog friendly. We spent a truly delightful Friday evening sitting outside on the patio, enjoying tapas, sampling the wine and watching the Friday night crowd walking up and down Grand. Freddy and Kaede enjoyed it too; lots of oohs and aahs and strokes from the wait staff and the general public walking by.

Dixon Lake, just slightly north of our RV Resort, is a fresh water lake that supplies some of Escondido's water. There is fishing allowed but no swimming. Armed with his trusty fishing rod and some lunch, Erik went up there to spend an afternoon. He came back empty handed but enjoyed the solitude of fishing in the warm sun in beautiful surroundings.

The Chateau

bellemarie.com Belle Marie Winery and Dragoo Chateau, is a boutique winery two exits up the Freeway from our RV Resort. The Chateau is currently used as an overflow for the tasting room and also for private functions. The winery is very dog friendly to the point that Kaede and Freddy were in the tasting room with us getting their photos taken and being stroked. The winery does not offer food but you are encouraged to bring a lunch and sit outside with a bottle of their wine and enjoy the beautiful setting.



We did just that. Had lunch in the beautiful California sunshine, drank a bottle of their white and watched the world go by. We were also treated to a tour of the Chateau.

Part of the courtyard.

Inside the Chateau

Inside the Chateau

Inside the Chateau

Inside the tasting room

Inside the tasting room

Inside the tasting room

 http://sdzsafaripark.org /San Diego Zoo Safari Park is one of the largest attractions in all of San Diego County. Located in Escondido it is an 1800 acre zoo that houses over 2,600 animals representing more than 300 species, many endangered. Many of the animals are free range, living in their natural environment.

The rhinos.

Elephants.

Giraffes.

One method of getting around the park. The lions are NOT free-range.

The walk-out affording a great view of the park.

We spent a month and a half in San Diego, at the Escondido RV Resort and we loved it. We probably didn't see even 1/10th of the attractions that are available in that very beautiful county. We were overwhelmed with the sheer beauty of the topography, we spent a huge amount of time hanging out at the RV having nice lunches and dinners with friends and the majority of our time was spent socializing. I was lucky enough to get out to play tennis three or four times per week, Erik was able to spend several evenings in the music room at Candy and Gil's and we did a lot of relaxing. If you do get the chance to visit San Diego DO IT. There are so many places to visit, so many outdoor activities and wonderful restaurants, pubs and bistros just waiting for you, so choose wisely with your time there.

This picture was taken in the garden of Phyllis Miller, our friend. We were married here in 2007.

Looking out from Phyllis's patio.

Me, Adriene who stood up for me at our wedding and was my real estate partner and Phyllis.

Othylia, who lives in Irvine (an hour and a half north of Fallbrook) who I met many years ago in Toronto.

Beautiful ground cover called Ice Plant.

Looking across Phyllis's property to houses below.

The occasion of Candy's 65th birthday and Erik and me saying good-bye to California. Phyllis Miller organized a party to celebrate both.

For us the time went very quickly even though we didn't see as many of the sights as perhaps a first-time visitor would. I did spend a wonderful day down in the city of San Diego with my sister getting lots of pictures. So, next time, we're visiting San Diego proper. See you then.