Viewing posts tagged vacation
The year's Further Confusion was a pleasant surprise after last year. Granted, I didn't expect anything at all this time — too many regulars were not able to attend, mostly those who were important contributors to FC's unique atmosphere. They were dearly missed, indeed. I heard several voices blaming the Fairmont for lack of atmosphere, but it's the guests that make a convention, not the hotel. In fact I only had few issues with the hotel, mostly with the slow bar service, which on Sunday ignored us completely. The majority of the hotel staff was very lovely, at least to us. But even with many of our friends missing, something was back: the FC spirit. A bit weak, but definitely there.
So much was going on during the last days of our vacation! Whenever I had the time to update this journal (which was seldom enough) there wasn't a stable Internet connection or I just was too tired to write coherently.
Carrizo Plain National Monument had been on our list for a couple of years, but we always had to skip it due to weather or time constraints. Not this time. Against the recommendation of the GPS navigation we took the south entrance. The unpaved stretches of the road were in fact in a better state than most city streets in San Diego. The vegetation is unique, the park is heaven for bird watchers. Located exactly on the San Andreas fault, there is also a bit of an uneasy feeling involved. Located in the north of the park, Soda Lake is a good point for watching shorebirds. If you visit at the correct time of year, unlike us.
Last breakfast at the Best Western Yacht Harbor hotel with fresh waffles, check out, and then off to Anza Borrego, California's largest state park east of San Diego. The route to it is very scenic with steep winding roads through the coastal mountains, the park itself (or at least the small fraction of it that we were able to visit) is a surprisingly impressive desert landscape. We didn't see the mountain sheep, but the Palm Canyon trail was refreshing and entertaining even without it. We probably visited the park a bit too early, but at least some shrubs were blooming.
It's Monday, and most museums are closed. With few exceptions, one is the San Diego Air and Space Museum at the Balboa Park.
Coronado is an island next to San Diego. It is most famous for its beaches and the Art Nuoveau hotel, which is much more impressive on postcards than it is in reality.
San Diego Old Town was on the list on Saturday. It's quite nice, with a lot to learn about the history of California. The Mormon Battalion house with its multi-media tour is quite interesting, even though (of course) told from the point of view of the Church of the Latter-day Saints. A lot of information required to understand the political situation is missing, but the presented facts seem to be correct, as far as I can tell. Probably equally interesting is that the presentation shows how Mormons see and like to present themselves today. They are probably painting a picture which is a bit too positive. But maybe that's just my German perception.
Friday started with beautiful weather, and we woke up early, so we went to San Diego Zoo. It definitely has improved a lot compared to when I visited it last. Located in a canyon, it's somewhat similar to the Tiergarten Nürnberg, just four times the size and a lot of species which are rarely seen in other zoos. Sure, the entrance fee is quite high, but it is worth it.