We were able to take a trip to San Diego in June because Andy was going to a technology conference there. Let me just say that San Diego quickly became one of my favorite destinations! We were a little worried about taking Amelia this far from home by ourselves and on a plane...you never know how this child is going to behave! Generally, she did pretty well, other than the times she was just ridiculously tired. It helped a lot that Julie and Jaimie came down and stayed with us-Amelia was pretty tight with both of them! Not to mention that I was thrilled that I got to visit with J & J...we don't get to see each other that often, so I was pumped! I knew there were so many things to do in SD, but I really had no idea how wonderful it would be! Of our 429 pictures we took, here are some highlights:
Boarding her first flight with another little girl
Three hour lay-over in Dallas=yuck, but we survived! Not that fun dragging an almost three-year-old through three airports in one day. Especially one that can't walk very well because she was feeling the effects of dramamine. Couldn't take the chance of her becoming motion sick on the plane like she does in the car!!!
Our hotel...Hilton San Diego Bayfront...very nice!
Then we were off for a rickshaw ride around the city-a well spent $80! So many laughs and so many sights!
See our silhouettes? Our poor bike driver was working his bootie off!
John-spelled "Can" was our driver and he was very friendly!
Aahhhhhhh, beautiful!
Off to the zoo the next day
Monkeying around
The flower and plant collection at the zoo is worth more than the animals; the orchid collection alone is worth a cool 2 million. Truly beautiful!
The Dole plant was right outside our hotel
The "Altessa"...North America's largest yacht owned by a private businessman. Look closely, there's a helicopter on the third deck. I swear we stood and marveled at this for close to thirty minutes. It was unreal. Aahhhhhhh, to have that luxury!
Seaport Village
Our sea lion tour-the vehicle drove right into the water to become a boat. So cool!
Amelia loved the ride, but thought the sea lions were very "skunky". Seriously, she started gagging and I thought she was going to puke on Julie. I had to wisk her off to the other side of the boat and waft some fresh air into her face. Whew, it was a close one!
Big poppa! Interesting fact: the military in SD actually trains sea lions to dive and recover missiles as well as detect underwater mines. They train dolphins as well. I had no idea!
Navy ship in the bay
We returned to have lunch at Seaport village
For dinner one night, my bff all the way back from Kindergarten, Andrea took us to Old Town to a Mexican restaurant called "Miguel's". Very cool area and excellent food!
Then we went to Mission Beach where people were surfing and walked out on the pier.
Seriously, it is so easy to see why Andrea moved out here! Love, love, love!
Another day Julie, Amelia, and I went to the Maritime Museum. They had several ships docked that you could go on and explore. Very, very cool! First we stepped aboard the Star of India, launched in 1863. It is the oldest ship in the world that still maintains a regular sailing schedule.
Looking out of a porthole on the third deck
The HMS Surprise
Julie climbing through one of the tunnels on the Soviet Attack Submarine. Let me emphasize the creepiness of this thing. You had to crawl through four tunnels this size, not to mention the steep staircases. Lots of oily, electrical machine smells and noises. NO way could I ever make it on one of these!
An old fishing boat...we were taken aback by the title and the colors!
Later that day, we went exploring to Coronado Island, which is directly across from the bay where we were staying. Literally, the bridge was right at our hotel. First stop-the beach!
Andy and Amelia exploring the tide pools
The famous Hotel del Coronado
The sand on the beach literally had sparkly golden flecks in it. Magical!
Enjoying drinks at the posh pool side/beach side bar
Our rental car
We finally decided on the Coronado Boat House for dinner. We sat outside and gawked at all the yachts!
View of the Hilton from Coronado
Our last day there, we went to the USS Midway Museum. Talk about mind boggling! It is impossible to describe in words the size of this aircraft carrier. We were there for five hours and did not see the entire thing! Perhaps the most impressive part were the docents, or retired navy men who volunteer and are stationed all around the aircraft to give you information. Words cannot describe how awesome this was!
This is on the flight deck, whose size measures 4 acres!!!
On this level, there were many other planes and helicopters to view...the entire aircraft carrier can hold 72 aircraft!!!
View of the Tower on the Flight Deck
Looking down the runway...do you see any clouds in the sky? We did not see one the entire time we were there!
One of the Coast Guard ships docked right in front of our hotel
A little more time at the pool
Beautiful terrace area. It was wonderful to sit around the fire pit at night, soaking up the cool air and warmth from the fire while indulging in adult beverages!
Outside the Hilton...convention center in the back right
Really cool walkway bridge over to PetCo Park
Baseball stadium across the street from the Hilton
We could not have wished for a better vacation...I'm sure we will be visiting again soon!
2 comments:
Awesome pics depicting a wonderful vacation with family and friends!
I don't think I knew you went to the Midway. I loved it and yes, was there for 5 hours and still didn't see it all. Great pictures, come back anytime!
Post a Comment