San Diego CA… It’s a Wrap!

We managed to squeeze in a few more fun things in San Diego before our departure. We keep discussing the possibility that this might be our last time to stay at Mission Bay RV Park but if things improve over time, who knows, we might return…

One thing we had never done during all our stays in San Diego was to walk out to the end of Ocean Beach Pier. It was originally named the San Diego Fishing Pier and at at 1971 feet It is the longest concrete pier on the West Coast.

Another interesting tidbit about the pier is that currently a fishing license is not required for fishing there. Fish such as calico bass, yellowtail, barred sand bass, halibut, surf perch, croakers, jacksmelt, mackerel, sharks, halibut, rays, barracuda, and white seabass can be caught.. Maybe next time I will fish there especially since a license isn’t required making it free to go and the views are amazing!

We also enjoyed several walks in OB (Ocean Beach) and of course couldn’t resist  visiting a couple of the well known establishments there. We mentioned Hodads for burgers and fabulous onion rings already but OB Noodle House is also a great place for a bite combined with a wonderful happy hour of half price craft beer!

Another hike we did that we had never done before was to hike to Black’s Beach. Black’s Beach is most well known for its nude sunbathing which is why many don’t go there. However, the day we went was cloudy and very cool so we figured that we wouldn’t have to see anything our eyes wouldn’t be able to un-see!

We began the hike at the Torrey Pines Glider Port where parking is free. The hike is only a short distance to the beach however, it is pretty much straight down about 400 feet on a not so easy trail down. They have done a good job of placing boards as steps to go down but with all the foot traffic and normal erosion it is a bit hazardous and required careful attention from us as we were descending.

Black’s beach itself is a great beach especially during low tide where we found many interesting shells.  The beach has a large expanse with cliffs rising above it. We walked several miles down the beach and back then eventually decided to just climb back up the trail we came down. We were surprised that we didn’t take more “breathing breaks” while ascending the trail and actually found it much easier to go up than down.

Before leaving San Diego we had one last Happy Hour with Jeff and Fran at their house. They treated us to some of the best shrimp from Mexico as well as an array of treats to snack on while we had some great conversation.  Thank you for your wonderful hospitality, Jeff and Fran!

Of course we also had to visit our favorite Happy Hour at the Draft House in Mission Beach to savor one more beautiful San Diego sunset…

NOTE: We are currently in El Centro CA until Jan. 8th before moving over to Arizona.

More Fun in San Diego…

There were a few final places on our list to see with Katie and Brooks before they left San Diego. One of which was a visit out to Point Loma. The Cabrillo National Monument is a great place to be during low tide. We timed it perfectly and got there at the peak of low tide so we could easily navigate to the tidal pools to see what we could find.

While we didn’t find any starfish we did see lots of hermit crabs towing their new homes around and lots of anemones including one that was brooding. I also spotted a small grass crab who blended in with the seaweed perfectly and was hard to find.

The final place we visited with them was Coronado Island and we simply couldn't have picked a better weather day. It was sunny and warm yet when we arrived we were surprised how uncrowded it was. There were times we felt as if we had the beach all to ourselves. It was also low tide and we were finding sand dollars everywhere!

It was a great day at the beach and we enjoyed the Christmas decorations at the Coronado Hotel. Afterward we made one final stop at the Coronado Brewing Company for a frosty beverage and had some spirited games of cornhole out on the back porch.

It sure was fun having them but the next day we dropped them off at the airport where Katie and Brooks headed back to North Carolina. While it was great having them with us it sure was nice getting our space back. Four adults in an RV is really two too many!  Sharon is happy that the clutter has gone and we are back in our little nested home. It didn’t take long for us to get back into our winter routine in San Diego.

Our time too is soon coming to an end so we had a few more events and places we wanted to revisit. First up was the Saturday Little Italy farmer's market. This is one of the largest and best farmers markets we have seen. It is here that we first found Bitchin’ Dip, an almond based spicy dip we love. Rain is back in the forecast but we hope there will also be some sunshine so we can be out and about a little more before we depart.

NOTE: We are currently in El Centro CA until Jan. 4th before moving over to Arizona.