San Diego Dreaming: Part 2

Besides the conference, the other two big components of my trip to southern California involved day excursions to La Jolla and Coronado. The above photos were taken in La Jolla. On my birthday, we rented a car and drove north to visit the beaches and check out the seals who bask and effectively squat the "Children's Pool."

You can see many of them (along with more photos and travel overview) below the cut:

Before we headed north for the day, we stopped by a taco truck called Mariscos Alex. We had the most amazing fish tacos I've ever eaten! And we ate them on the trunk of our rental car.

In Torrey Pines, we walked the beach and admired the dangerous cliffs.

While in La Jolla, I was pretty overwhelmed by the beauty and perhaps more so, the wealth that emanated from the area via ubiquitous luxury cars, large and beautiful homes, upscale boutiques, and carb-minimal restaurant menus.

We had a delicious impromptu dinner in the bar at Whisk and Ladle (another fabulous suggestion from reader, Megan!). Everything we ate was so flavorful! Although I did notice that nothing we ordered included a typical restaurant portion of simple carbs. This was not by choice so much as by circumstance. There were pastas on the menu but I must assume that their very attractive and fit clientèle avoids carbs otherwise. I had the stuffed chicken and I think Chris had steak. We also ordered a bunch of the cheap small plates only available in the bar.

While in La Jolla, I felt pangs of class-consciousness the way I often do whenever I enter socio-economic enclaves that strike me as overtly privileged. I am sure plenty of people who live there are not rich and there must be plenty of college kids who attend the University of California San Diego in the area. But I was definitely feeling like a plebe. Not to spark class war, as I am already very much aware of my own (albeit somewhat relative) privileges, but (and to quote Wayne's World) "it costs a lot to live this free."

Strolling along the oceanside park and walking the beaches in Torrey Pines was a wonderful experience. I wondered what it must be like to live in such an idyllic, sunny, and naturally stunning place. I said to Chris that if we were ever fortunate enough to live there, I'd be both more blond and more tan than my Pittsburgh self.

On the evening after I shopped the Fashion Valley Mall with the lovely Carol of In Pursuit of Pretty Things (sadly, no photos captured our time together), Chris and I took a ferry boat to Coronado.

 

We walked from the ferry station to the Hotel Del Coronado where Some Like it Hot was filmed. It was stunning with expansive grounds, beautiful event spaces, and elaborate woodwork. I felt like a gatecrasher roaming the property so I didn't take any photos of the interior but I did enjoy the beach, where we watched the sunset.

We also enjoyed the surrounding businesses. We went to Swaddee Thai Restaurant to have another great meal. Then we had gelato next door. I had such a nice time on this trip and will remember it fondly.

I did underpack and found myself vacation shopping. I bought some Sperry Topsiders, the above pictured Bailey 44 striped top (similar to the column dresses from Anthro), the above pictured maxi skirt, and a pair of sandals, all from Nordstrom Rack. I wish we had a Nordstrom Rack in Pittsburgh!

Thank you for reading. I admit I mostly write these for my own archival purposes so I appreciate the forum for such indulgence.