It took us a long time to figure out what to do for Spring Break this year. We knew Ellie had a volleyball tournament the beginning of the week and we knew we wanted to go somewhere warm. To fit around everything and to hopefully get our wish for warm weather, we decided on sunny San Diego.
We left Tuesday morning in a literal BLIZZARD!!!
We were delighted to arrive in San Diego early afternoon and found the warmth and sunshine we were looking for. We decided to head to Old Town for some lunch and a little browsing.
While we were walking around old town we came across the Whaley House which is advertised as the most haunted house in America. Ellie really wanted to go on a tour, but of course the best time would be night. We went and checked into our hotel then made our way back to old town in time to catch a sunset view from Heritage Park before heading over to the Whaley house for our tour.
Ellie was excited to see this little bunny, maybe Stanley's relative?
She was concerned about its well being.
As the sun set we headed to America's most Haunted house.
Word on the street is that there is a lot of paranormal activity here, in fact there are videos that can be found of this activity.
Our guide informed us of the history of the house and also explained that many sightings will occur afterward when people go through the pictures they have taken. So as you enjoy these pictures look for any strange images.
Our guide also told us to pay attention to the feelings we had as we walked through. Ellie said she felt others around us. :-)
One of the daughters who had died young after battling mental illness supposedly can be seen in one of the windows looking out.
The next day was SeaWorld and Dad's 50th Birthday. Of course he got the special treatment and even got a pass for a free treat from one of the food places, but no birthday button. Not quite as exciting as a Disney birthday.
Dolphin Show is always a favorite. We were able to watch two shows.
Sea Lion and otter show.
Large tank aquarium
Fed the Sea Lions and seals
Cleaned the skin
Saw the local duck family.
Killer Whale show and Pilot dolphins
Enjoyed the full moon sight and thought about Ethan. It was strange to be on a vacation without him.
I'll be honest, I teared up as we walked into Sea World without him. Ellie said she did as well.
The next day we headed over to La Jolla for the morning to walk along a beach side trail.
Our intention was to find sea lions and we were successful.
The sun and warmth were a welcoming treat.
After strolling the coast we headed into town to get a burger and as we left the place we ate we noticed a little bakery shop. It said Vietnamese Coffee, but a little sign about Ube caught my eye. Ube is a root vegetable in the Philippines that is known for an ice cream flavor. Well of course we had to check it out.
We found a variety of bakery items made with Ube. Cheese cake, pastries, cookies, but no ice cream.
We tried the cheesecake bites and Ube mochi bread. It was really good and we couldn't wait to tell Ethan we had some Ube. We also got to talk to the girl working there who we gathered through our conversation was from the Philippines. She talked about her family being there and explained how the little shop was just getting started in its new location.
After some time in La Jolla we headed over to Coronado Island to enjoy.
We ended up renting some bikes and riding around as much of the island as we could. The traffic was super heavy this week.
After the bike ride we walked over to Hotel Del Coronado and enjoyed some time at the beach.
When at the beach we have to get some jump pictures.
There was a special sand castle built in honor of Kelly's milestone birthday.
We wanted to catch a sunset so we looked for a place along the coast near our hotel and everyone else in the area had the same thought. We barely found a parking spot and watched as the sun went down and we got a quick selfie.
After the sunset we drove over hoping to explore Point Loma Lighthouse, but the area was closed at 5 pm. The gate was open so we decided to still drive through. Unfortunately we got to a point where we could not go through the gate so we had to turn around, but we were able to catch a different view of San Diego. We were able to drive through Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery and were humbled by the number of service men/women honored for their service and sacrifice.
Last full day in San Diego was spent at the San Diego Zoo.
We actually took the time to wait in line and ride the zoo bus for an informative way to explore the zoo.
The bears were quite active. There were actually 2 baby sun bears that were out and about.
So cute!
We also had some great entertainment at the gorilla exhibit. There were 3 males out when we first arrived and they knew it was about time to go in and eat. They were hanging out by the little door where they are let in. At one point two of them got into a fight. They are quite fierce beasts when they are angry at each other. It was cool to see, but at the same time a little startling.
After the males were let in a little family of mom and youngins came out. They made a grand entrance that was super cute. One came running out by the windows pounding his chest, exhibiting the characteristics you'd expect to see from a gorilla. Sadly we didn't get a video or picture.
Not sure if it can be seen, but the grizzly in the back is lying on its belly with its back legs sprawled out like both Riggs and our late Cooper will often do. it was pretty cute.
Fun day at the Zoo, but missing our boy Ethan
New Zoo sign since the last visit we made here.
After the zoo, we were all craving ice cream. So we did what any traveler would and sought the help of google to find a locally run ice cream shop. My google search led us to a place that offered Ube ice cream, (coincidence? I think not) so of course we had to try it out.
Stella Jeans Ice Cream
The Ube ice cream was delish and we are always in search of homemade waffle cones with our ice cream and Stella's did NOT disappoint. Everything was just what we were hoping for.
Next day was time to go home. We definitely enjoyed our time away and especially the warmth and sunshine. Until next time San Diego.
Our arrival into the valley looked like winter, but there was no longer a blizzard.
Clear roads for the win.
