San Diego and Southern California. More Than a Place, It's an Attitude.

Not enough has been written about San Diego and Southern California, so I’m going to pitch in.  I visited there recently to witness my son, Ben, get married on the beach.  That was terrific, and there’s a whole story about it worth writing.

But what I want to tell you is that San Diego is all that.  There is a difference in how you feel the moment you arrive.  The change in attitude is immediate.  When my teenage children emerged from the San Diego Airport terminal and saw the bay on this side, the city on that side, and the palm trees all around they said something along the lines of “Whoa.”

Other whoa moments.  Hiking on the trails at Torrey Pines as a soaring hawk comes eye-to-eye with you.  You might know Torrey Pines for the televised golf tournament, but it is also a public park with trails threading through the arid cliffs to the beach.  The moment you first see the distant ocean the topography silences the surf.  That’s when the hawk stared me down.  Whoa.

 

I use the word “arid.”  The air in San Diego is dry, and a lot of desert flora thrives.  There is a wild succulent related to aloe that calls to mind string beans.  It’s everywhere and it’s fascinating.  If I awakened in a bed of that stuff I would question where I was.  Saturn, maybe?

Downtown San Diego is, according to Gail, like Baltimore.  With less strife, I might add.  There is a Little Italy, an historic bar and restaurant Gaslamp District (like FellsPoint), a touristy waterfront.  But if I had a 9-5 there, what might I do after work?  Surf, sand, kayak, beach sunset all minutes away.  Whoa.

Daytime temp: high 70s.  Nighttime temp: low 60s.  Pretty much all the time.  But wouldn’t that would get boring, you ask.  Not immediately, I say.

 

So you take your rented convertible and drive 10 minutes and cross the spectacular bridge to Coronado.  I have been on some pretty nice small town Main Streets, hello Ellicott City.  This main street has a dozen excellent restaurants and cafes, drug store, grocery, hardware, post office, tourist shops, hotels, and is two blocks from the Pacific Ocean.  The other end of the main drag boasts a splendid panoramic view of San Diego andthe bay.  We ate three meals at McP’sIrish Pub because Gail became addicted to the avocado toast.  Whoa.

 

From here drive south on the Silver Strand, a 5-mile strip of beach between Coronado and Imperial Beach, the Pacific on your right and the bay on your left.  You could throw a stone and hit either one. IB reminds Ben of Rehoboth, Delaware.  Maybe.  There is a commercial stretch similar to Del Rt. 1.  Every daybreak a dozen wet-suited surfers convene near the pier.  There is fantastic burrito roadside stand (of course) called Don Pancho's.  You could walk to Mexico on the beach.  Gail did it.  Whoa.

Next time I would like to sample local fast food.  Don Pancho's, El Pollo Loco, City Tacos, Jack in the Box are all in my sights.  Ben says this is wrong-headed.  Instead I should seek out the best rendition of the California Burrito.  This sounds to me like an argument with no losing side.

The travel sites are necessarily concerned with things to do, points of interest and top-10 lists.  Those are great, but maybe what is missing is some sort of barometer of how the place makes you feel.  How does San Diego and environs make me feel?  Whoa.

 

Best of The Baltimore Budget Travel Examiner - Top 5 Snacks in Savannah

Waking up in Savannah, Georgia means having a bevy of great meal options just steps away.  Savannah is lovely for many other reasons, of course.  And there are far too many restaurants worthy of mention to name here.  But these exquisite, welcoming, character-filled establishments are remembered fondly years after a wonderful visit.  You should not leave Savannah without giving them a try.

photo by Gail Shinsky

Start with Café M on Bay Street.  This little café is one of the businesses making good use of the retail space in the old cotton warehouses lining the Savannah River.  The young husband-and-wife proprietors were passing through town a few years back and thought this might be a good place to open a café and build a life together.  Fortunately, their French cooking parents passed on their talents to the children and the result is flaky, buttery croissants, delectable pastries and melts, and exceptional café au lait.  Pastel walls, small tables, lots of natural light looking into a leafy green park, and lots of happy morning chatter make this a really great breakfast stop.

photo by visitsavannah.com

Amble a few blocks away and you might find yourself at the Wright Square Café just in time for brunch.  As an aside, in Savannah practically everything is a few blocks away.  Whole travel guides ought to be written about Savannah.  What a welcoming, splendid place is the Wright Street Cafe.  They’ll make you a delicious Panini or a fresh salad here, and their dining room has the touch of a wealthy aunt who was expecting you.  They have desserty and gifty things here too, and did I mention that they make their own chocolate?  We found this place while surveying the squares, and the terrific vibe drew us in.

photo by Brandon Bartosev (flickr)

A few blocks west you will find City Market, with several blocks closed to traffic and open to shops and restaurants and pedestrians.  You glimpse someone eating a big slice of pizza and suddenly you are hankering for Vinnie Van Go Go’s.  Good move.  You can get table service, of course, but slice customers get to see the boiler-room-like kitchen operation.  The cooks manipulate manhole-cover-sized pies through the stack ovens with aplomb, and I feel like I’m seeing secrets meant for no man’s eyes . 

photo by Chris Barsam

My massive slice arrives and all of a sudden it’s almost like being in New York.  Almost.

photo by Gail Shinsky

By now you’ll be wanting a sweet treat, so walk around the corner and find Lulu’s Chocolate Bar and their big selection of cakes, pies, and designer cocktails.  The décor and the vibe are hip, and the staff is enthusiastic and happy that you dropped by.

photo by dianp (flickr)

Time for dinner and still at City Market?  Consider Belford’s.  It looks like it has been here for a hundred years, and the folks at the outdoor tables were enjoying some good-looking steaks and seared grouper like they didn't have a care in the world.

photo by US Dept of Agriculture

For dessert walk a few blocks up Broughton and find Leopold’s Ice Cream, or just find the long line of customers on the street.  I know this is the sixth place mentioned, but consider it a bonus.  Leopold’s is worth the wait.  It has been in the family for a hundred years, and the shop itself is a nostalgic throwback to the fifties.  I don’t think I have ever seen ginger ice cream before, but what a find.  Creamy, cold, gingery goodness melted in my mouth with pieces of candied ginger throughout.  Don’t look at me like that – it is spectacular.