We woke up to the perfect weather, 70's and sunny, (as San Diego is known for) to go exploring. Our first destination was La Jolla. Back in 2000 when Adam was working here for 3 months I came to visit him and La Jolla was one of our favorite spots. When we were planning this trip we rearranged so that we could make it here again and this time share it with the girls. We skipped breakfast at the camper so we could get going sooner figuring we would grab something quick when we got to La Jolla.
We found street parking where Adam felt comfortable parking the truck but it had a 2 hour limit. We took it for the time being. As we walked we noticed a small little parking lot that was very reasonably priced, would give us more time and had spots available. We moved the truck right away so we wouldn't have to worry. There was an amazing mural of a dog painted on the wall adjacent to the lot.
As we continued on we saw a sign at the street's edge for a little restaurant pointing to the International Shops that sounded like it would be perfect. We meandered through the outside corridor filled with shops and restaurants. Towards the back we saw the sign for Deli-icious. They had outdoor seating and something each of us wanted to eat, making for a great first stop of the day.
After we finished we walked down to the Pacific Ocean. Wait, what?!? Adam and I just stood there and stared, not just because it was gorgeous but also because the reality of what we had just done, driven the whole way from one coast to the other, was extremely evident in that moment.
We strolled along the street and stopped for a while to watch the seals on seal rock. It was so fun to watch the wave hit, making them slide off the edge and then climb back up so the whole thing would happen again. We loved seeing them swimming in the water with their tiny little heads peeking out. We also kept looking at the ones that were snuggled up together laying in the middle of the rock too.
As we moved on, a little further down we noticed an older gentlemen working on a painting with several of his works lined up along the wall. We all were admiring his work as we past. Just then Lily noticed a squirrel that fascinated her as it played on the cliff side and apparently posed for pictures. We stood there for a bit watching him and the seagulls nearby.
Next we went over to the Children's Beach section and walked out onto the bridge over the ocean. We were having the best time watching the waves roll in. After a little time passed all of a sudden a huge wave came and crashed over the bridge and we all got wet. It felt good and made us all burst into laughter.
While we were on the bridge we were also spotting all of the seals swimming in the ocean. Most of them were swimming away from shore as we faced towards the horizon but a few times we watched from the other side as they came over to the shore line that was filled with families swimming.
We decided next we would go to the Sea Cave. This time when we got to the painter Lily was really drawn to his painting of sea lions and really wanted it for her room at home. While we were talking with him Ella really took a liking to his painting of a California Pelican.
With our two new paintings in hand we made our way to the section of the beach where the sea lions live. We climbed over the short wall, down the sand hill and onto the beach to watch them from a safe distance. We really liked watching the seals but observing the sea lions was even more fun. They made lots of noise and rocked on their flippers from side to side as they moved about. They were laying in the sand and on the boulders that lined the beach. An adorable tiny one jumped onto a rock close to where we were and stayed there to nap. There was one that was sitting in the crevice of a rock with his neck extended and head pointed straight up. There were tons of babies to watch too.
After staying here for a long time we tore ourselves away and continued to the Sea Cave. The Sea Cave is a man made cave with 145 steps down. At the bottom there is a small platform that sits just above the ocean. In front of you is an alcove built into the rock providing a very unique and incredible view of the Pacific Ocean. While we were down there a few people kayaked into the cave. We enjoyed the view and the experience before going back up the 145 steps.
All of the ocean viewing really got us ready for our next destination, Mission Beach. While we were driving over Lily said we should eat pizza on the beach for lunch. We set up our things on the beach and the girls immediately ran into the ocean. They were having the best time jumping the waves together. Adam headed up to the street to fulfill Lily's wish for lunch and came back with a slice for each of us. The girls started playing in the sand and Adam headed back up to the boardwalk and bought a small beach toy set. The girls immediately started digging with their new shovels and came across a sand crab. They were so excited they decided to make it a home in their bucket. They filled it with sand and water and watched as the sand crab buried itself inside. They kept finding more and putting them into the bucket. With each one they found they would add more water and sand. While the girls were playing a man came up and gave them his beach toys to keep. They were so happy and could not believe that this was the second time this happened to them (the 1st was the float at Lake Powell).
We stayed on the beach for a very long time but sadly it got to the point we had to go. All of us were hoping we could have seafood for dinner. After checking out a few restaurants that were too fancy (we were all in our bathing suits and cover ups) we came across the perfect place, Pacific Beach Fish Shop. This place was packed with people and had seating inside and out. Adam got in line to place our order and the girls and I got a table inside (the only one we could find). We got delicious grilled fish sandwiches and everyone else seemed to have just come from the beach too so we were not worried about how we looked.
To end our night I thought we needed to get some ice cream. We did a quick search and found Hammonds, a gourmet, homemade ice cream parlor close by. They had really interesting flavors and offered flights. Ella wanted her own and Adam, Lily and I shared a flight of 6 flavors. It came with 6 tiny cones and tiny scoops. Our favorite was black sesame. On that sweet note we drove back to the RV to get to bed.
