The Road That Beckons: Wrapping my arms around Southern California

Leaving Arizona I was excited to trade the desertscapes for some seascapes in San Diego, California. As a child I grew up for a very short time in Northern California in Marin County and have been to San Diego as an adult before but visiting there is still a treat. San Diego, and Southern California in general, is a wonderful place although I find it hard to wrap my arms completely around its unique lifestyle. For people-watching though it's hard to beat. Having worked in Human Resources for a time I found myself constantly fascinated by the mix and blend of behaviors along the coast this Spring.

My wife Sophie and I stayed at a place called "Campland on the Bay" and it is indeed located on beautiful Marina Bay which is minutes away from the coastal beaches as well as a short drive (or bike ride!) from downtown San Diego. Sophie was in town for this year's American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) conference and I had used that, and the fact that San Diego is only a five hour drive from Phoenix, as an excuse to tag along.

Campland on the Bay is an all-inclusive RV campground and if you were so inclined you'd never have to leave. They have their own beach, swimming pools, game rooms, restaurant, store, boat rentals, etc. And every night at 11:30 they come over the speakers reminding folks that it's now quiet hours, a very pleasant change from the sometimes rowdy late night behavior I had experienced at Lake Pleasant in Arizona. But as nice as COTB is, the real attractions lie outside its gates on the public beaches, boardwalks, and other destinations this part of the country offer.

"Good Rhino..."

One of our first jaunts was to Safari Park, an offshoot of the world famous San Diego Zoo. Located in Escondido the Safari Park is a wild animal preserve primarily featuring African big game traipsing around in somewhat similar habitat to their original homes. Sophie, as a child, had visited the Park after it had just opened many years (45) ago when visitors would drive their own vehicles through the preserve but with today's crowds they now shuttle you on open-top buses where you can get up close and personal with the resident fauna. I've actually been to Africa but I had never had the chance to feed a Rhinoceros or Giraffe by hand, both things you can do at the Safari Park. We saw a lot of baby animals including Sharifa, a baby Giraffe born the day before we visited, who was already walking around exploring her new home. Now, I'm a little suspect of any place that names (personifies) animals who I respect enough in their own right that I don't think they need human monikers attached, but the Safari Park turned out to be a fun day worth the visit and the very hefty (this is Southern California folks) admission price.

Of course no one heads to San Diego without wanting to go to the ocean and with our trusty bike steeds beneath us we explored beaches, boardwalks, and attractions from Coronado Island to La Jolla. There are beaches galore - Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Imperial Beach - and all the ones we visited were extremely clean and seemed family friendly. And for those with furry companions, there are even dog beaches. The beaches all seemed to have well-equipped lifeguards driving some very nice rescue vehicles. Just offshore there were the requisite surfers, windsurfers, kite surfers, and body boarders while on the warm sands were the ubiquitous beach volleyball players and sunbathers. I'm happy to report that this year's swimwear for the ladies is scantier than ever ("David!!! Keep your eyes on the bike path!") and the Southern California women seem to have worked out hard over the winter months to be in good shape to model the latest fashion trends. Thank you ladies, your efforts were very much appreciated!

Aah! Love, beachfront weddings
and no limit on your Mastercard...
Priceless!

Now I have to admit that my pocketbook doesn't allow me to partake in all the things Southern California has to offer including the Hotel Del Coronado which appropriately enough is on the beach on Coronado Island. Still the epitome of luxury, when it opened in 1888 it was the largest resort hotel in the world. I've hinted that Southern California may perhaps be prone to excess but even the sand castles take it to the extreme on this island's beach. On our next visit we'd like to stay at this beautiful resort. With rates "from" $289/night this is a bucket list item that we'll be saving our pennies (and nickels, dimes, and quarters) for. Coronado Island also hosts some great recreational cycling as well as restaurants and shopping and is a short ferry ride (or car drive across the Coronado Bridge) from downtown San Diego.

San Diego is also home to more museums than I can count but with every visit I try to check out at least one. This year, while Sophie was slaving away at her conference I took in the San Diego Maritime Museum adjacent to the Broadway Pier. This particular museum has an eclectic assortment of vintage sailing ships along with two submarines. I love working with wood and put me on a sailing ship where you can smell the varnish and be blinded by the sunlight shining off the brightwork and I'm in hog heaven. The Maritime Museum is also one of the less expensive museums and for an additional small fee you can also take a 45 minute ride on a pilot boat around the San Diego Harbor where you'll see lots of naval ships, yachts and sailing ships, and even see Navy Seals conducting their small-boat training.

Biking in San Diego is at times fun and at times challenging. The city has its share of bike paths as well as bike routes along some pretty high traffic roads. Even Google Maps got lost a couple of times while we were out riding but sometimes that's when you discover the most interesting things. And riding on the boardwalks (yes, the boardwalks are open to not just pedestrians but cyclists, roller bladers, skateboarders, runners, and any other form of non-motorized conveyance you can think of) is truly an experience and a test of one's bike handling skills. Crowds are a part of the San Diego experience whether you are on foot, on bike, or in a car. I think some of the surfers patiently floating offshore are actually out there more for the relative solitude than waiting for the perfect wave.

Yup... Just happy to be here!

A trip to this part of the country is a journey into sensory overload and it will take some time to fully digest this year's San Diego/SoCal visit. As much traveling as I have done the more I realize how lucky I am to live in Colorado and as much as I'll miss the sights and sounds of my California Dreaming it will be nice to finally get home.

Now where'd I leave that winter parka?