2016 – Sunny San Diego and Settling Back in Colorado

Amy: Our summer break provided us with more family time than we have had in the last decade. What a gift. However we were itching for a final getaway and we had accumulated a number of frequent flyer miles that we wanted to utilize. The best option for our waning travel budget turned out to be San Diego.

Although we both had been on the outskirts of the city before, neither of us had been into the city itself.

We booked a stay at the retro and affordable Kings Inn on the main hotel strip. What surprised us the most was the accessibility of the hot spots and ease of travel throughout the city. Here were the top five things we enjoyed the most on our trip:

1- The Zoo– Jon and I are major wildlife lovers and we have questioned whether zoos are ethical and kind places for these remarkable creatures. After seeing so many animals living wild while on our safaris, we questioned zoos even more. We both did some research on the San Diego Zoo and learned that it is a non-profit committed to saving species worldwide and inspiring a passion for nature. We certainly have that passion for nature and decided to check it out. A friend, Melissa, was also able to connect us with some free tickets.

The zoo is quite remarkable with a bus tour and sky tram that soars over the grounds. The animals, especially the pandas, were a delight to see and photograph. This was our first time seeing a panda in person and we made it just in time to see Xiao Liwu (or Mr. Wu) chowing down on his bamboo lunch. The toucans, cheetahs (and their companion dogs), giraffes, and other animals were also amusing to view on the beautiful grounds surrounded by large varieties of trees, plants, and impressive hibiscus (Jon’s favorite flower).

2- The Beaches- Being next to the ocean with the salty sea breeze in the air always makes me feel relaxed. A number of fun beach spots were within a short driving distance. Mission, Pacific, and Ocean Beaches were all a joy to visit. We watched the waves crash against the sandy shoreline, checked out surfers attempting to catch a wave, and dipped our feet into the cool Pacific waters.

3- The Seaport- On our first day in the city we walked throughout the charming Seaport Village area and visited the USS Midway. We admired the engineering feat of the huge aircraft carrier and the sheer number of people and planes that were housed on the floating city.

4- The Tasty Treats- While we were traveling we tried not to splurge too much on restaurants and food (breweries were a bit of an exception to that rule). On this trip though, we did check out a few fabulous places to eat including returning to a favorite spot we visited north of the city on a previous trip. The fish tacos at Le Papagayo were every bit as good as the first time and brought back vivid memories from 2011 when our friends, Karli and Mark, lived in California.

We also enjoyed morning coffee at Jungle Java (a tent covered coffee shop full of plants) and another trendy breakfast spot called Hash-a-Go-Go with the largest plates of food I’ve ever seen (a little too big actually). We also enjoyed Taco Tuesday at the Pacific Beach Shore Club while watching the sunset and enjoyed a pale ale on the roof of the Ocean Beach Brewery. Yum.

5- The Historic Locations- We checked out a number of free “tourist” spots while on this short visit. We strolled through Balboa Park with beautiful Spanish Colonial architecture, visited Old Town State Park with many historic buildings from the mid 1800’s, and cruised through the gas lamp district with its Victorian charm.

We also visited Cabrillo National Monument and the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, which gave us views back into downtown San Diego and the hazy mountains in the distance.

Although not as exotic or of cultural interest as some of our other destinations, we definitely enjoyed our visit and San Diego helped us cap off the best year of our lives.

What’s Next- Now we have landed in the foothills outside of Denver and are embracing our days in a unique cottage nestled among the pines in Coal Creek Canyon. Slowly, we are adjusting to being back and thinking about what life brings next. Each day greets me with mixed emotions as our year of travel is now in our rear view mirror. Although being able to settle back in and enjoy some of the comforts of being in one place has its benefits, I am missing our travels and can’t believe this part of the journey has concluded.

We were truly changed by this incredible experience and are already setting goals for future travels. I am embracing living in the moment, as we did over the past year, and am bringing an approach of flexibility with each new day. For now, we will look forward to a short trip to the southwest for the International Balloon Fiesta early this fall and planning for our next journey…large or small.