San Diego, CA

Driving on I-5 in So California can be a  trying and exhausting 30 miles between Oceanside and San Diego.  After the drive to La Jolla a few days previously, we thought the train might be a good plan. In our travels, we have found that public transportation can be easier than figuring out where to go and not have to find a place to park. This turned out to be true this day.

Oceanside is the most northern stop on the Coaster with an option to take Amtrak. We found a cozy seat on the ocean side on the upper level since the train was empty when we boarded.

Arriving at the Santa Fe station after a relaxing 45 minute ride.

This train station has been in use for 100 years.

The old tiles still nicely preserved.

There several stations around to rent a B bike.

Midway is the longest serving aircraft carrier and now a museum.

Fishermen selling the daily catch.

 

 The legacy of Bob Hope is commemorated by a major sculptural artwork titled “A National Salute to Bob Hope and the Military,” On Waterfront park on Port tidelands, with  views of San Diego Bay, the National Salute is a tribute to not only Bob Hope but to the servicemen and women he entertained over the years.

 

 

We listened to recordings of Bob Hope entertaining the troops back in the day as we walked through the statues.

 

Seaport Village is a nice place to walk and take in the views of Coronado Island. There are plenty of places to shop and eat. We just enjoyed watching the boats float by.

 

I have finished my first two weeks of work which are always the most tiring of the contract. The first week is orientation and second just figuring out the flow and where things are. Mike is getting things figured out on how he will do things here while I am working my 3 shifts a week. When we first started our travels, we were maniacs on my days off. We thought we had to see everything on my days off and go nonstop. Now we just enjoy the area and plan when we will see the must dos on our list. He used to find a job and we would have to work around our schedules to fit it all in. Now he is the house spouse and that is pretty nice for both of us.

La Jolla, CA

It's no surprise that La Jolla is one of the most popular beach destinations in California. Surrounded on three sides by the sea and backed by the steep slopes of Mt. Soledad, La Jolla is always such a beautiful destination with a temps that rarely drops below 50 degrees or exceeds 90 degrees.

The roads in and out of La Jolla are narrow and can get pretty congested, parking at La Jolla shores fills up quickly. Unfortunately, the trains don't get you close enough to get to the beach in this area.  Once you get parked and take a breath, it is just blue and beautiful.

There are so many VWs all around.

The rocks get pretty slick when wet. I took a digger when I slipped and had a pretty sore wrist for a while.

We didn't check the tides and got here during high tide which limited our tidal pool walk.

A sea wall to a house on the ocean. Is it there to keep the water or people out. Probably both.

We were taking a rest under this stop and met a very nice couple from the Great Britain. We sat and visited about their travels for a while.  

This seawall was built so children would have a safe place away from the waves to swim. It didn't take long for the seals and sea lions to take over.

La Jolla Cove is San Diego’s most desirable spot for kayaking, snorkeling and diving. The water is calm and ecologically protected, providing a safe home for colorful garibaldi, yellowtail, rays and even leopard sharks.

Somewhat hidden with alluring curves and caves, it is often cited as the most photographed beach in San Diego. This ocean view's striking beauty simply cannot be overstated even with stinky critters on the beach.

Lately, the increasingly territorial animals have started blocking swimmers from getting into the water, forcing people to walk back and forth on the beach until they can find a safe opening to enter the ocean. One even went so far as to bite a swimmer wearing a wetsuit at the water’s edge.

Lots of mysteries around this box. What do lifeguards keep locked up in a small metal box on a post? Spare speedos? 

 

 Is it a form of memorial to a body surfer who drowned, called David C Freeman?

 

Or is it that Boomers has a strong rip tide pulling out to sea between the call box and the green shack, making the beach quite hazardous.

During the summer Boomers Beach has a lifeguard part of the time, with the box being used by lifeguards to call in additional help when needed.

The box used to be open to allow the public (or Boomers locals) to call for help when lifeguards were not present (looks locked now).

Oceanside

What a great week we have had living across the street from the ocean in our little RV park. We can take a morning walk or ride our bikes as we listen to the waves crashing along the 3.5 mile long beach. Now that I have finished my first week at work and orientation, I have to say that I am going to like it here working at a community hospital and some very nice people.

 

Historic Oceanside Pier is one of the longest wooden piers on the West Coast, spanning 1,942 feet in length.

The walk from where we live to the pier is 1 1/2 miles each way. Add walking on the pier and up the street for coffee, we get about 4 miles in with plenty of people watching

Fishing poles and  bait are available for rent right on the pier. No fishing license required. Plenty of people bring their fishing gear on a special cart. Some of the older people look like they might not make it out to the pier but just keep moving until they get to their spot and look pretty content.

 

San Diego’s North Shore, Oceanside is a classic California beach community with its warm sandy beaches, historic wooden pier with unlimited water sports and recreation. We need to get the kayak out and recreate soon. Most of the time, we just splash our feet in the surf.

 With its year round sunny climate, and average temperature of 70 degrees, Oceanside’s weather has been rated as the second most ideal climate in the United States, and the fifth most ideal weather in the world.

 

Riding our bikes along the ocean and then the San Luis Rey Rails Trail, it seems everyone is outside playing one way or another on the weekend.

Fortunately, my contract covers our housing expenses. This cement slab with full hookups and a daily newspaper goes from $900 per month to $2200 starting Memorial weekend. These are discounted monthly rates. The nightly rates go from $70 to $120 for the cheap, sites which we live in on Memorial Day and an additional $30 premium for Memorial and 4th of July weekends. You can imagine what people pay for the premium sites.

I found the entrances and doorways to homes interesting on our morning walk along Ocean Drive.

 

As we walk there are public access to the beach between the condo and houses.

What a nice treat to find the farmer's market that we would visit when we lived in Carlsbad previously is still here.

After so much sightseeing and moving around the past few weeks, it is good to settle down and just enjoy the area for a while. Don't doubt for a minute that we will be ready to head out once my contract if finished. But for now, 7pm we grab out beach chairs and head across the street for sunset.