Tim and I took off to San Diego a few days after Christmas. The last time we went anywhere without the girls (besides a weekend trip) was 14 years ago, so I guess it was time!
I got us a hotel with a kitchen so we could eat a few meals in. We packed food for lunches and the hotel served breakfast. I tried to eat well, since I didn't at all over Christmas. We also found an online "city pass" that let us pick four or so activities for a lower price than buying them all separately. Still, vacations are expensive. I'm grateful for being able to go and enjoy ourselves, and grateful to not have to worry about our girls or animals for a week.
We drove the whole first day. The highlight was stopping at the West's largest gas station. It has everything, including this Sasquatch statue that is about 25 feet. I think I could be a gas station junkie.
The first full day there we walked all around Balboa Park. I didn't realize how big it is- it's huge and beautiful. We then went to the San Diego zoo, which is a favorite. Other than it being crowded, it was awesome and I love animals.
The next day we hit SeaWorld. I love allll the animal shows. We went on the SkyTower, which is a 400' slowly rotating tower that literally gives a bird's eye view of the city and ocean.
That night we ate a fancy dinner at a restaurant that also serves as a lighthouse. I tried mussels for the first and probably the last time. I fell in love with the platter of cheese, fruit, nuts, and a dripping honeycomb. 😋
The next day we went to Torrey Pines National Reserve. We parked at the north beach and walked far to hit the base of the mountain (well, "mountain"), then walked to the top of it to get to the trailhead. Lotta walking.
The beaches all around town were closed, meaning it wasn't advised anyone swim or get too close to the water. The waves were unusually really high- the news said they were between 8-10 feet. They were incredible to watch on the north and south beaches of Torrey Pines. We drove to Mission Bay to walk the near empty shores and browse the shops.
On Sunday we drove to "Old San Diego" and walked around Old Town market and some museums and shops. We took the trolley to Harbor Drive and caught a boat cruise of the whole bay. It was pretty cool! We saw lots of seals, sails, and sights.
We walked the boardwalk for awhile before returning to Old Town San Diego. We ate at an open air Mexican place (no walls or roof and really not even in a building)right in the center of a bunch of shops.
It was New Year's Eve and we called it quits early and I fell asleep by 9:00.
On Monday we went back to Harbor Drive. We walked nearly the length of it, almost twice because halfway through we went back to the van to eat lunch we packed. We went to the USS Midway and walked through all the levels, which was really cool. We also went to the Maritime Museum and toured four or five ships. Tim loved the real pirate ships the most.
We crashed at the hotel that night. My feet aches from so much walking. We cooked steak, potatoes, and grilled peppers in our hotel room and watched reruns of Friends until bedtime.
Woke up at 5:45 the next morning and were on the road for home by a little after six; with the time change, we got home at 6:00 p.m. (long day!) and came home to this cute sign by the girls.
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