California, Here We Come! DLR, Hollywood, and San Diego *OCTOBER 15-23, 2011*

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

Oh wow!! The graduation ceremony looks and sounds amazing. I can feel the family excitement in your pictures. Awesome opportunity!

The whole experience was awesome for us. Even though we weren't there to any specific person, it was easy to get caught up in the excitement. I was so happy for Stuart when we realized that we were going to be allowed to attend the ceremony.

It sounds like a great day a Sea World! You saw a lot of shows! Thats so cool that Stu got to meet his "hero" the Count! Thats great he was so excited about it.

The view from your hotel room was very pretty.

I thought the MCRD part was very interesting. I got a tear in my eye when they were dismissed. Again it was great for Stu to get to see that and meet up with an old friend.

Looking forward to seeing what happens next.

I was glad that we decided to spend a day at Sea World. We are pretty land-locked where we come from! Even though they only showed the main shows one time that day we were able to easily make it to all of them.

I still get the giggles at the memory of Stu that afternoon with the Count. It was like it took everything in his being to not break out in a run when he spotted him. I think it was fun for the girls to see him act that way.

It was easy to be emotional at MCRD. There was just so much pride and love in the air for the men. I think Stu and Greg had a great time reconnecting at a place that holds such strong memories for them.

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

Following our time at MCRD we decided to head back to our hotel to freshen up a bit. When planning our stay in San Diego I was really at a loss when it came to deciding where to stay. I looked at MANY options, but one of the things that kept coming up was the cost. I had secured a room at the Holiday Inn Bayside with the entertainment rate and I just couldn’t justify staying anywhere else when were able to get a room there for $74.50 a night. We decided to just stick with the Holiday Inn knowing we wouldn’t be spending much time in our room anyways. It ended up working out just fine for us. It ended up being quite close to Sea World and it also wasn’t far to MCRD. The hotel was also easy for us to navigate to all of our other activities.

When we went back to our room I decided I better get a few pictures before I forgot. Right below our balcony was a nine hole putting green. We didn’t end up using it, but it looked like it would be a lot of fun.

Just past the putting green was the pool. We were able to cut across the golfing area to get to the pool, lounge, and restaurant that was on-site.

Past the pool you can see Harbor Drive. Across Harbor Drive was a marina. You are able to borrow bikes for I believe two hours to explore the area. We didn’t have time for this either, but again I think that would have been fun.

The last picture is the building next to us, which was identical to ours. It was nice that all of the rooms overlooking the courtyard had outdoor seating available. The grounds were very nice.

The evening before Stu and I were exploring the hotel and found brochures for different attractions in the lobby. One that struck our interest was for Cabrillo National Monument because it stated that it had the best view of the San Diego skyline. We realized that it was fairly close to our hotel and we decided that we wanted to check it out.

As we were making our way we came to the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. There are rows of white headstones that mark the gravesites on both the ocean and San Diego Bay sides. According to the literature Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery includes those Veterans of WW I, WW II, Korea, VietNam and the Gulf wars. Also here are those who fell in the battle of San Pasqual in 1846, as well as victims of the USS Bennington explosion in 1905. It was truly impressive and I wish my pictures did it justice.

Continued in the next post

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

Once we passed through the entrance gate into Cabrillo we pulled over into a scenic overlook. From here we were able to take in the spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean.

We were also able to take in some of the area plants and trees.

We also decided we couldn’t pass up such a beautiful background!

We hopped back into the car and headed to the main parking area. From here we were able to access pathways to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. The lighthouse was completed in 1854 and first lit in 1855. The U.S. Coastal Survey selected the spot because it stood 422 feet above sea level and overlooked the bay and the ocean. They found that fog and low clouds obscured the light and it was closed in 1891.

Moving on along the pathway we came across the Whale Overlook. From here you are able to see whales migrate from the Arctic to the Baja California Sur Bays. It sounds like the best time to see whales is in January and February.

Unfortunately there would be no whale watching for us, but we did have a great view of the tidepools below us and a helicopter in front of us.

Continued in the next post.

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

As we made our way to the Cabrillo Statue we took in the beautiful surroundings along the pathway.

The Cabrillo Statue honors Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who was the first European to set foot on the West Coast of what is now the United States.

From the site of the statue we had a spectacular view of the San Diego Bay, downtown San Diego, and Coronado.

As we were enjoying our view the people around us were excitedly looking at something in the water. We first noticed the escort boats and soon realized that they were bringing in a submarine. In a couple of the pictures you can even see that people from the submarine are standing on top of it as it is coming in. It was very cool to see.

Continued in the next post.

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

After witnessing the submarine we decided we would like to check out the tide pools. We drove the car back to a parking area where there was a tide pool access point for us to walk down. Sandy decided that she didn’t want to climb down to the pools, so she had a seat by the car. I really wish she had joined us because we had a blast! The walk down was amazing.

We all enjoyed the pools, but I think Erin enjoyed exploring the most.

Again I was wishing Sandy was there because it was absolutely stunning down there.

Of course we couldn’t pass up another fantastic photo op.

We decided that we better move on to our next adventure. You can see the stairway that is built in for access.

Thankfully it was an easy enough climb, so there was no clamoring from anyone that they wanted to be carried!

We had no intention of going to Cabrillo and it was just on a whim when we saw that brochure at the hotel. I can’t believe what a fabulous time that we had and it ended up being a highlight of our time in San Diego. If you have time in your schedule I would highly recommend stealing an hour or two at Cabrillo.

Up next:Sunset at Coronado

 

[tessieg]

Loved the Cabrillo pics. May add that to our plans if we can!

 

[Kathy Jetson]

Your hotel looked very nice! It looks like you found some very fun things to do on your vacation. I was showing River your pictures and he said can we go there? I told him if we ever get to go to Disneyland we would probably follow your vacation plan

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

Those are some good pictures!!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Wow!!! What absolutely gorgeous views you had!

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

Loved the Cabrillo pics. May add that to our plans if we can!

If you get a chance I would definitely recommend spending some time there. We went into it thinking we would just get a nice view of downtown San Diego, but it ended up being so much more! It was a very pleasant surprise.

Your hotel looked very nice! It looks like you found some very fun things to do on your vacation. I was showing River your pictures and he said can we go there? I told him if we ever get to go to Disneyland we would probably follow your vacation plan

For the price our hotel was perfect for us. I would have liked to splurge on a place on the ocean, but it was too cool for us to enjoy it anyway.

I'm glad that the pictures have made it look like a place that River would like to visit! I hope you get the chance to borrow my plans someday!

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

Those are some good pictures!!

Thank you very much!

Wow!!! What absolutely gorgeous views you had!

The view was just amazing! It was so cool how you could go to one side to see the city and then take a short walk for amazing secluded views. Cabrillo sure was a surprising treasure.

 

[tessieg]

Loved the trip report----is it all done?

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

Loved the trip report----is it all done?

No, it's not finished yet!

We have had absolutely fantastic weather for the last couple of weeks and we have terrible Spring fever at our house. This weather has kept me away from finishing, but I should have our last two days wrapped up soon.

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

After our fantastic time at Cabrillo we decided we better make our way to Coronado if we were going to catch the sunset. In a short time we arrived at the bridge that would take us out to Coronado.

I was more than a little uncomfortable going over the bridge, but I put on my brave face so I could get a few pictures as we went across.

We made our way to area that was near the Hotel del Coronado. I was pleasantly surprised that we easily found a parking space on the street right where we wanted to be.
I had decided before we left home that Coronado would be a great place for us to take a picture for a Christmas card. Stu has a huge aversion for us to be wearing matching clothes. I am not quite sure what his hang-up is, but he is pretty adamant about it. I told him that I wanted us all to match for our picture and he reluctantly agreed for us to all wear the same color. This was a big step for him! We changed our shirts and quickly made our way to the beach. Ava was quick to shed her shoes-she needed to feel the sand on her toes!

This was the view to my left-

Straight ahead-

And to my right-

Continued in the next post.

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

We decided that we better get going on some picture taking before we lost all of our sunlight. Sandy was tasked as photographer for our endeavor and she may still be scarred from it. I was happy that the girls were in the mood to be photographed and even Stu behaved.

Ava decided that she needed she needed to chase some seagulls between pictures.

I sure love these little stinkers!

After all that picture posing we decided it was time to have some fun!

Continued in the next post.

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

We decided it was time to make our way over to the Hotel del Coronado. On the way we noticed that the sun was setting over Point Loma. It was a beautiful site.

The girls enjoyed some last minute digging in the sand while the grown-ups enjoyed the sunset.

At this point Stu realized that he had set down his sunglasses while we were taking pictures. Erin and Stu decided to try and retrace their steps to find them, while Sandy, Ava, and I went to check out the Hotel del Coronado.

The grounds were positively immaculate.

We were all getting hungry and tired, so we decided to head back into San Diego for dinner. We made our way to The Fish Market, but the parking lot was completely full. We ended up parking next door at the USS Midway and walked over to the restaurant. We found that there would be a significant wait, but we were allowed to wait in the lounge. We ordered some appetizers and drinks while we waited, but once we finished them we all decided we were too tired to make it through dinner. We decided to head back to the Holiday Inn, order up some room service, and call it a night. On the way out we said goodnight to the USS Midway and to a fantastic day in San Diego.

Up next: Our San Diego tour by trolley

 

[Lovemy3babes]

I love your family photos! Did you frame any or use one for a Christmas card?

Did Stu find his sunglasses?

Sometimes there is nothing better than going back to your hotel, getting some food and going to sleep early.

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

I love your family photos! Did you frame any or use one for a Christmas card?

Did Stu find his sunglasses?

Sometimes there is nothing better than going back to your hotel, getting some food and going to sleep early.

Thanks!! We did end up using the second one that I posted of the four of us for Christmas cards. I also have a copy in my room at work. It has been a great conversation starter because everyone wants to know where it was taken.

Unfortunately Stu did not find his sunglasses. I don't think he would have even tried to find them, but he had just bought them the week before the trip. He has the worst time when it comes to sunglasses.

Looking back on our day I realized just how much we accomplished. It was no wonder we were all practically falling asleep at the table!

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

On our last day in San Diego we decided to take the Old Town Trolley Tour. The tour takes you on a 25 mile loop through San Diego and Coronado. If you stay on the trolley it would take you about two hours to make the round-trip. While you are riding the driver tells you about the area that you are in and most of the drivers were quite entertaining in their narratives. The nice thing about the trolley is that you are allowed to get on and off at any of the stops along the way. This allowed you to tour an area and then get on another trolley to continue to the next stop. We decided to get on the trolley at the stop nearest to our hotel, which was on Harbor Drive at Broadway. We ended up parking at the USS Midway again and the fee to park was $7 for 10 hours. If you were to get off the trolley at this stop you would be able to go to the Maritime Museum, access the harbor cruises, or see the Midway. The first stop after we got on was at Seaport Village. We decided that this would be a good spot for us to wrap up our tour, so we stayed on the trolley. Two more stops were made before we decided to get off in the Gaslamp Quarter.

The first place we explored was the Horton Grand Hotel. The Horton Grand Hotel is a restoration of The Grand Horton Hotel and the Brooklyn Kahle Saddlery Hotel. According to the Horton Grand Hotel’s website The Grand Horton and Brooklyn hotels were scheduled for demolition in the late 1970's and were purchased from the City of San Diego for $1.00 each. The redwood infrastructures were swapped for the labor needed to dismantle them brick by brick. Over 10,000 pieces were cataloged and stored in a warehouse until the rebuilt "Horton Grand Hotel" reopened at its present location in May, 1986.

Across from the trolley stop was the William Heath Davis House. The William Heath Davis House is the oldest surviving structure in Downtown San Diego.

We hopped back on the next arriving trolley. One more stop was made before heading out to Coronado. Stu really enjoyed his opportunity to be a passenger and not having to concentrate on driving. It was a much hazier day, but he was still able to get a few pictures as we crossed the bridge.

The first stop on Coronado was at the Ferry Landing.

We continued on our way towards the Hotel Del Coronado, enjoying some of the real estate along the way.

The driver explained to us that the large mounds of sand on the beach spelled out Coronado. We had just taken our pictures there the day before, but we had no idea!

Continued in the next post.

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

The Hotel Del Coronado was just as beautiful today.

We were having a great time just relaxing without having to drive or navigate.

The flaps on the sides of the trolley could open to allow more air flow. Ava thought that was hilarious. The driver was so concerned that she wouldn’t like the wind, but she loved it.

In the next picture we are on the freeway making our way to Balboa Park. You can see another one of the company’s trolleys behind us.

Continued in the next post.