Visiting sensational San Diego
San Diegans all have beautiful feet and wear flip-flops all year round.
We were there recently and, because I have a foot fetish, I notice these things. My own feet are never on display. I have hammer toes, corns, callouses and toes that criss-cross one another in different directions. I keep my shoes on even in ideal weather.
The climate in San Diego is always pleasant, even though we were there for the first storm of the season. We laughed because the storm consisted of one tree falling somewhere in the suburbs and what looked like about a cup of water having been spilled in the parking lot.
It was my first visit to this fabulous city and my first impression was very favourable. Soft light in the sky and just a few minutes from the airport to our hotel. Everything seemed easily accessible. And all the attractions featured mature gardens and flamingos standing by. Did you know a brood of flamingos is called an edge?
My mother’s spirit is the heron and I was comforted to see her flying past our hotel’s courtyard every day.
San Diego is famous for the almighty California burrito. Since I love Mexican food above all others, I was in heaven because I could eat Cali Tacos all day.
We especially loved Candelas near our hotel for its skyline views overlooking the bay. Cali Tacos start with guacamole spread on hand-made tortillas and are stuffed with filet rolled in cheese, tomatillo rona, creme, jalapeño pico, micro cilantro and crispy potato skins that mimic the vital french fry ingredient. (Like carne asada fries). Very messy, like every good taco should be.
Because we stayed on romantic, quiet Coronado Island, we took the ferries a lot and got a real feeling for the watery world that surrounds the city itself.
We started on the Spirit of San Diego Harbour Tour and marvelled at the Navy Pier and the USS Midway. The graceful design of this pioneering aircraft carrier is so much bigger and more beautiful than the photographs convey. One can only marvel at its jail, massive galleys and climb-in sailors’ bunks. There are more than 25 restored aircraft, climb-aboard cockpits, helicopters and planes.
The USS Midway is the most accomplished and longest serving aircraft carrier in the history of the US Navy and was the flagship in Operation Desert Storm.
I was overwhelmed by Balboa Park and its many treasures of lovely gardens, walking trails, excellent museums, and, of course, the Spanish Village art galleries. The park is the nation’s largest urban cultural park — larger than Central Park or any I saw in Paris, like the Tuileries. Mike loved the giant fig tree and plants like we had never seen before. The too-big candelabra tree looks like it could eat you alive.
I missed so many of the activities in San Diego (the attractions there are endless) because I kept going back to galleries, like the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the numerous studios with artists working in every medium imaginable were irresistible for me. I was overpowered by a ceramic-wood-clay mixed media that was too heavy to bring home to Canada, but bought the masterpiece for our stairway anyway and it hangs happily here in Kelowna. I missed shopping at Horton Plaza and the Gaslamp area.
San Diego is considered the birthplace of California, and the Mexican/Spanish Colonial era is a look back at the Old West.
In San Diego, you see many of the original buildings built in the mid-1800s following the California Missions of 1769 established by Father Junipero Serra and the native Indians.
A day trip to La Jolla is a glimpse of the beautiful coastal setting of numerous beach communities including Idyllic Del Mar. La Jolla is home to many creative, innovative pioneers like Dr. Jonas Salk and the author of Dr. Seuss. Lindberg’s plane, the Spirit of St. Louis was built here. San Diego itself is called the Smart City because it attracts bright, creative souls.
I will never forget the San Diego Zoo. We’ve heard about it all our lives. The story goes that a lion cub was left behind following the Panama-California Exposition at the turn of the century, and a local doctor rescued it and founded the zoo, which now houses over 4,000 rare and endangered species.
We took the double-decker bus tour and the Skyfari aerial ride to see as much as possible. The tropical gardens are old, established mysteries of their own, giving habitat a new meaning.
A zoo is always a sad place, but a joyous one, too, in that people of all sizes and shapes delight in proximity to these exotic creatures that share our world and the wonder of life on our planet. When we were at SeaWorld, I was so near a killer whale I could almost touch her. And the dolphins are ever endearing.
Mike said his favourite part of the holiday was White Christmas, the Musical, at the Spreckels Theatre.
There are too many theatres in San Diego to count and I have heard a lot of unemployed opera singers from San Francisco are on stage there at any minute. We just missed The Nutcracker, but there are also symphonies and programs for every taste in this large diverse city.
Is it possible every other person you see is illegal? Who cares?
The Spreckels Theatre dates from 1912 and opened as the “first modern commercial playhouse west of the Mississippi.”
Restored to its original glory, the theatre holds almost 1,500 people in an intimate, historic decor. White Christmas featured a 20-piece orchestra and 20 singers and dancers who have performed this special for years. Everything was so fresh and new, the costumes, the choreography; no need for special props or settings. Just pure live music entertainment.
We stopped at the Corner Bakery Cafe on Broadway for a pumpkin baby bundt to top off the occasion. Mmmmmmm, so light and flavorful.
We will be in Vancouver with family for Christmas.
Seniors pray to spend time with their families during the holidays.
Second wish is for gift cards. Santa knows I have been very good and I hope he has a new 2017 Lexus RX (an LC500 would also work) waiting for me at the North Pole.
Third on the Christmas list are clothes and you know I am happy about that!
Maybe the New Year will bring a return visit to spectacular, sensational San Diego. I resolve to make that happen.
And season’s greetings from our house to yours.
Jeanette Dunagan is an Okanagan artist who has lived in Kelowna for more than 40 years. Her column appears every second week in the Okanagan Saturday. Email her at jd2399@telus.net.