I'm one lucky girl! Just a few short weeks after returning from a tropical getaway to Jamaica with my mom and Laura, I flew to the opposite coast on an amazing trip to San Diego, CA with Joseph. I managed to squeeze in a little work this month, too. ;) True to form, I took an obnoxious 600 plus pictures in California, so this blog post is several weeks in the making...
Ahh San Diego...home of Anchorman Ron Burgundy. We love this movie and can be pop culture nerds sometimes, so we were REALLY excited to see the city whose name means "a whale's vagina..." (loosely translated, of course).
Joseph and I started our mini-vacation in Savannah and Greenville, respectively, but met up in the Atlanta airport. From there we journeyed to the west coast on a late-night flight. By the time we got to San Diego, we were ready to grab our luggage and go! It's amazing how many people have small black rolling suitcases...and how hard it is to find your own after a long day of travel.
(Joseph made sure to get a colored luggage tag after this trip)
We finally made it to our resort, the Catamaran, on Mission Beach/Bay!
We were able to go on this awesome trip thanks to Joseph's invitation to attend the 24th annual New Dentist Conference held by the ADA at this particular resort. Poor guy-he was in class most of the week while I painted the town!
After some much needed rest, we went out for a run morning one. We did this a few times while we were there, which is good considering I need to squeeze into a fitted wedding dress in about 9 months! We caught some ducks and their chicks hunting and pecking in the early morning hours on our run...there were animals all over the hotel grounds!
One side of the hotel was bordered by Mission Beach....
...and the other side by Mission Bay. We ran both sides!
This was kind of our first impression of San Diego, so I grabbed the camera to capture interesting things we saw on the run. Including this very strange architecture...it was like a giant cactus statue in front of a beach house!
We also passed by Belmont Park, a historical and still functioning boardwalk amusement park. The main rollercoaster has been there since the 1920's and was renovated several years ago to the tune of 2 million dollars! We visited there later on the first evening for some junk food and fun rides!
Our final stop: beautiful Mission Bay Park. My only previous visit to Cali was almost 10 years ago to San Francisco with my family. I absolutely loved that place, and San Diego ranks right up there for me after my visit!
So while Joseph worked, I played. Hard. I became a master navigator of the San Diego streets! I rented a car twice and took the city bus several days with the locals. It was an awesome (and much cheaper) way to really see and experience this incredible city. My first stop was the AMAZING San Diego Zoo.
Getting ready to ride the double-decker bus...this zoo is huge, so if you ever go, be sure to ride the bus first! It shows you the lay of the land, PLUS I was able to see a lot of the animals in the early morning who were napping once I reached them by foot in the afternoon.
My view from the top!
Flamingos...did you know that these guys are actually born grey and turn pink because of their diet of crustaceans?
Polar bears! This one was attempting to stuff AS MANY carrots in his mouth as he could fit. Took a few tries...
But he eventually got it!
Another bear came out for some treats!
Sitting for the trainer...I thought it was really cool how the backdrop of the zoo is the San Diego skyline.
Moving on to the giraffes, who were in the same area as the baby gazelles.
When my bus tour ended, I set out on foot to see the rest of the animals...starting in the outback!
Sleeping koala bear...this is Nariha, whose name means "Lovely Place." She was born on March 5, 2002. I learned that the word "Koala" itself is an Aboriginal word meaning "no drink." In fact, koalas don't really drink since they get all the water they need from the eucalyptus leaves they eat. They can drink in periods of drought, though. And you thought this blog wasn't educational!
(PS-these marsupials only have a 36-day gestational period or pregnancy...must be nice girls!)
This one's for my goddaughter!
Domestic Bactrian Camel from a Mongolian habitat
Cute Yellow-Footed Rock Wallaby
The zoo wasn't limited to exotic animals only; every tree and plant there had a name and a home far from the San Diego area. Here is a Hawaiin garden complete with flowers and trees native to the beautiful islands.
Next stop was Africa Rocks to see hyenas and monkeys and big cats...oh my!
Spotted Hyena taking a snooze
Beautiful Siberian Lynx across the way...these guys are actually Asian natives.
Jaguar! He was hiding up top...
Start of the Kopje section
Peruvian Black-Capped Squirrel Monkey...these little guys were all over the place. Considering Penny's fondness for quick-moving squirrels, she would have loved these monkeys!
They had different shows running throughout the zoo at varying times. I stopped to listen to one about all sorts of birds.
I really liked this Miniature Mediterranean Donkey-he was super cute!
This is a Pronghorn Deer, an animal I hadn't really heard of before. It's actually native to America but is in extreme danger of becoming extinct. The zoo is helping protect these beautiful animals.
One of the coolest things I saw that day...dog and cheetah bffs! The zoo has a program where it raises one of each species together from infancy, and in every case, each pair has become best friends. I think this proves that dogs are everybody's best friend!
I thought the meerkats were super cute, too! I had to post this picture...Penny naps JUST LIKE this!
Both of my cameras died towards the end of my visit, so the panda, zebra, and rhino pictures were captured by my Blackberry...I did manage to get lots of pictures at one of my favorite places in the entire park before losing camera power: Elephant Odyssey!
Not just elephants in here...lots of interesting animals, mostly originating from Africa. This lion was absolutely majestic.
Rattlesnake-I felt like he was looking right through me...chills!
They had a section about fossils-in particular of now extinct animals-and how these can be preserved over time.
The California Condor, who is in extreme danger of becoming extinct. These bald-headed vultures are as such because after they eat, they rub their heads on grass, rocks...essentially whatever they can find to remove leftover meal scraps caught around their faces.
Ahh my favorite! The elephants! There were 5 girls and one boy (lucky guy) at the zoo. I think these are amazing creatures, and I could have watched them all day.
Though it looks a little scary, this is their beauty compound where they receive baths, special treatments and even pedis!!
I fell in love with one female elephant whose name escapes me but whose joy never will. Unprovoked by any trainer or bystander, she was off in her own world, dancing back and forth, swaying her trunk to some imaginary tune. She was adorable!
And all of that was just day 1! The second day in Cali was spent immersing myself in the museums scattered across Balboa Park (one of the largest urban parks in the world-over 400 square acres bigger than Central Park in fact!). Even my trip there was educational since I made my way through the public transportation system! I had coffee with Joseph first before he headed into class... (we had such a nice view from the hotel)
Balboa Park-this is one of the most photographed places in all of San Diego!
So I of course took my turn taking pictures of it :)
It is also where many Anchorman scenes were filmed as we discovered from our segway tour guide later in the week!
The architecture was really ornate and beautiful!
They were featuring dinosaur and gemstone exhibits during my visit, so I got to learn about completely different but fascinating things. I caught a 3D dino movie after doing my first walk-through!
(This enameled egg holds a miniature replica of the carousel in Balboa Park and took 10 years to make!)
The plumed headdress up top is circa 600-900 AD from Pre-Columbian Peru.
Love of my life! The 1935 Cartier necklace to the right has a Mughal Indian carved emerald and is set in platinum and diamonds while the Mayan flute player pendant to its left is from 600-900 AD Costa Rica.
Wrist cuffs from Pre-Columbian Peru.
What a jewelry box! This one is even made from dinosaur bone.
This symmetrical butterfly was 12 years in the making! That's how long it took to collect enough rare colored diamonds to create it.
Birthstones! Can you find yours??
What a jewelry box! This one is even made from dinosaur bone.
This symmetrical butterfly was 12 years in the making! That's how long it took to collect enough rare colored diamonds to create it.
Birthstones! Can you find yours??
Pink tourmaline-a rosy stone first discovered in a mine in California and made popular by China's Empress Dowager in the 19th century.
...they were the start of the famous California gold rush in the mid-1800's, putting Cali on the map as the "Golden State."
One of my favorite stones from the day was one I'd never even heard of: benitoite. It's California's state gem, named after San Benito County-the only place in the world where it is found! The stone was especially neat because you'd look at it from one angle and it would appear a beautiful deep blue. As you moved your head across the stone, it would become lighter to the point of appearing white from the other side. It was really breathtaking!
Girl power! This bracelet is the "Give Women the Vote" bracelet circa 1910 to represent women's suffrage. Any jewelry set in green, white and violet (GWV-Give Women the Vote) at that time represented female solidarity. It was really pretty, too!
Probably the biggest stone I have ever laid eyes on at 19,600 carats! Beautiful smoky quartz...
Large limestone rock found throughout California
Opal-this one's for you Kristina!
I LOVED this necklace...Christmas anyone??
My birthstone and one of my personal faves-pearls!
And my last stop at this astounding exhibit: the necklace mirror! You're never too old for dress up...
Back to the rest of the museum...and the dinos!
This particular section had a lot of donations from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. I couldn't take pictures in certain parts, but some of the donated dino skulls were three times the size of my entire body!
The museum had an extensive fossil section, too.
It wasn't just limited to big animals, though. This reminded me of home!
Fossilized imprints of pre-historic vegetation
I also learned a little about the state I was visiting in the California exhibit!
These people really liked their rattlesnakes! Here's the speckled version...
Whale skull
25 million people drink from the Colorado River, including Californians! I gotta say it tasted a lot different from the water back home.
The back half of museum day was spent in the 1935 Ford Building at the Air and Space Museum!
Equally impressive to the Natural History Museum, this place boasted a varying amount of airplane recreations throughout the years and throughout the wars, including the Lockheed Vega 5B from the movie, Amelia.
Their impressive collection:
They didn't just have planes...
1932 Ford Phaeton
Apollo 9
The shuttle tire...I feel a little relieved that NASA uses Michelin tires, just like me! No wonder those suckers are so expensive...
Different spacesuits throughout the years, one from a local astronaut!
Just as the airport in Jamaica was unique as it jutted out over the water, so was the San Diego Airport...which was smack dab in the middle of the city! Planes would barely clear the tops of buildings downtown in the landing process. The top of the Ford Building actually has "Air and Space Museum" printed on the top of their dome for travelers to see upon landing.
Initially named Lindbergh Field in 1908, the airport has evolved greatly since its early beginnings. This museum had a large section on Charles Lindbergh, including the recreation of his Spirit of St. Louis.
Shaking hands with the man himself!
A collection of his awards and personal possessions
The museum had every possible wing and pin from every airline and country in the world throughout the years! This was only one section of a long wall of wings.
After missing my connecting flight home in Atlanta, I wasn't too thrilled with these guys...
With one of my early predecessors!
One of my favorite exhibits of the day-stewardess fashion through the years! Who says these ladies aren't with the times?? The 1910's are on the left, ending with the 1990's on the far right.
My pretend copter ride!
The last section was the space part and included this really neat globe that changed into different planets at the push of a button.
Hey-wasn't this guy on Dancing With the Stars?? Just a few years younger in the picture...
All that museum-ing made me hungry! Our Friday night was spent at an authentic luau held at our resort.
It was a little chilly there as you can tell from all the long sleeves!
My first luau was great! I enjoyed the food...
the costumes...
the dancing...
and the fire finale!
Afterwards, we bundled up and took a Mississippi-style steamboat around Mission Bay and watched the fireworks from neighboring Sea World.
The Bahia Belle
True southerners...we were freezing (note my fleece and scarf!).
I shopped 'til I almost dropped at the infamous Fashion Valley Mall on Saturday....I managed to save up enough energy for the #1 thing to do in San Diego later that day: the segway tour!
Starting at the San Diego Convention Center, which really revitalized the town when it was built. It is supposed to emulate the Pacific Ocean it sits on.
Joseph didn't bring any warm clothes, so he bought this sweatshirt at the hotel. He was like a walking ad for the city!
Start of the Gaslamp District
Petco Stadium-home of the Padres!
And we're off down MLK Jr. Park...segway-only pathway.
This is a children's playground believe it or not...somewhat resembled a miniature jailyard to me!
Kansas City Barbeque-the famous scene from Top Gun where Goose is playing the piano was filmed there!
I know it doesn't look like much, but we could see the hills of Tijuana Mexico in the background and Coronado Island to the right of that!
Looking back on the city from the pier.
Posing in front of the USS Midway!
We headed in to get a closer view of the Midway...
On the way, we caught these Australian trees that are scattered throughout the city.
We also passed the famous, larger-than-life statue of a soldier coming home from war and kissing the first girl he saw...who turned out to be a nurse! She actually passed away just this year.
USS Midway-it was so big, I couldn't fit it into one picture!
Nod to my Irish heritage!
We continued down the harbor for other sites while maneuvering around the crowd. Those things were a little tough to steer! I was still able to take lots of pictures while speeding around.
USS San Diego's Battle Record (World War II)
The Star of India
It looked like a real-life pirate's ship!
The other boats in the harbor were really beautiful, too! A little different than the ones I'm used to seeing in Charleston.
Riding through Little Italy on our way to Balboa Park...
We caught some lawn-bowlers on our way. It's apparently a lot like bocci ball!
Kate Sessions: the mother of Balboa Park. She is credited for the amazing number of trees, flowers, and other greenery that make the park what it is today.
Riding through one of the various flower gardens. This is a popular spot for weddings and bridal portraits in the area.
Palm Canyon
The segways were exhausting but a great way to cover over 10 miles in about 2 hours! I would highly recommend one of these tours!
Sunday was probably the highlight of the trip...I think I aged down about 18 years as we headed to DISNEYLAND in Anaheim, CA. The drive down the Pacific Coast Highway was just as much of an experience as the park itself.
Mountains on the opposite side of the coast
So close!
Long Beach and Orange County were really pretty...though their road signs look just like the ones on our coast!
Arriving at the happiest place on earth after only a short hour and a half drive.
Disneyland is neat because it is smack dab in the middle of the city...
This was our first trip to Disneyland...Joseph hadn't even been to Disney World, so it was really new to him.
Disneyland!!!!!
This one's for you Penny girl...I ran into someone right after taking this picture!
Sleeping Beauty's Castle
Walt's original baby
Pumped...I'm pretty sure I didn't stop smiling ALL day. Until we had to leave that is...and then I almost started crying!
We visited all the originals!!
The Jungle Cruise
New Orleans Square
We had lunch at the Blue Bayou Restaurant, which was cool because it was located in the middle of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride!
My Tinkerbell cup...I'm telling you I felt like I was 10 the entire day!
Splash Mountain!
Tea cups!
New Indiana Jones ride-that was one of my favorites!
Catching part of the Princess and the Frog live show
After spending most of the day in Disneyland, we headed across the way to its other park: California Adventure.
We did a couple of rides there before leaving for good. It was a magical day, and I can't wait to bring my kids back one day!!
We headed back to the east coast the next day after a really great trip. Needless to say, June was really busy but I loved every minute of it! "You stay classy San Diego, and thanks for stopping by!" :)
Awesome post Katie! Seriously though...did you take fact notes along the way or are you a sponge for information?? You crack me up...having strangers take pictures of you shaking hands with a poster! Ha! My brother lives right across the street from Balboa Park...can't wait to visit.
ReplyDeleteWow!!! I love this post! How fun!!!!! Love the Sydney nod and the opal pic!
ReplyDelete