California – Page 15 – Paint Your Landscape

San Diego Vacation

March 18, 2012April 8, 2012LuAnn

Many of us have a specific food that, when brought to mind, elicits less than fond memories for us. For me that is an eclair, that fried doughy dessert with a cream filling (yuck). When I was a kid, I became ill when eating one. Honestly, I think I was already working on getting a ‘bug’ before I ate it and to this day I associate the flu with eclairs. By now you must be wondering what my ramblings have to do with San Diego vacations. Bear with me and I will try to connect the dots.

Terry’s sister and niece had never been to San Diego and with spring break looming, a four-day visit to San Diego seemed to be in order. Given that it was to be a short trip and they were looking at a 3-hour time difference, jet lag was bound to be an issue but no one factored in (or at least me) the daylight savings time change the day before their arrival. The weather in SD, which had been darn near perfect, turned cooler than their home state of Indiana. To add insult to injury, sister Denise contracted a virus shortly after her arrival, which landed her in the clinic and on the sofa for the following day. Even with all this, they seemed to be good sports and were able to enjoy a day at the San Diego Safari Park, giving it a two-thumbs up rating.

We had such a good time kayaking in the La Jolla cove that Terry and niece Sara decided to give it a go. The weather was sunny but breezy, which made paddling a little rougher than what we had experienced earlier. They were hopeful for dolphin sightings and with a feeding frenzy occurring just offshore (good sign of dolphins nearby we were told) they took off.

Alas, no dolphins, just a bunch of barking sea lions to entertain them. They were both smiling when they returned, although they looked a little blue around the lips! I must admit to wondering how warm they were, as I sat on the beach reading. Everyone else in kayaks had donned wetsuits, everyone that is except Terry and Sara.

The water was too choppy for photos and for paddleboarding as well (which was also on the to-do list) but we did grab a few great pics of sea lions from the walkway above and got to catch a glimpse of passing dolphins!

California sea lions at La Jolla Cove — Slip-sliding away!

Sara was determined to have a bonfire and s’mores before she left San Diego so Terry stoked the fire that night. Believe it or not, I had never had one before (s’more that is) and had to be guided through the process. Tasty but unfortunately not to be an ongoing part of my diet. Thankfully Denise had recovered enough to join in the fun.

So much to see in San Diego and only one day left so we decided to do a little sightseeing to give them a flavor of the area. Lunch brought us back to Blue Water Seafood Market and Grill for fish tacos and they were just as tasty our second visit.

We all welcomed a stroll along the coastline, providing us a pleasing contrast of colors and shapes.

A playful little grey squirrel caught my attention so I gave him his own photo shoot. He seemed to be enjoying it, posing for the camera. Although these little guys are cute, they have become quite destructive along the coast, adding to bluff erosion.

California burrowing grey squirrel — You have no idea what these hands can do!

A quick stroll through Balboa Park and the grounds of Coronado Island rounded out the last day.

So, to finally connect the dots, given jet lag, time changes, cool weather and illness, I hope San Diego does not become an “eclair” for Denise and Sara. I hope they decide to come back at a later date to enjoy all it has to offer.

If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to my blog via feed reader or e-mail?

Sea Caves of La Jolla

March 9, 2012April 8, 2012LuAnn

We had been looking forward to seeing the La Jolla sea caves for some time. Unfortunately we learned that this could not be done without a guide present so I started the research to find a company that would allow us to take our Sea Eagle out on the tour. After some phone calls I found one that would allow this and took out small groups only (just what I wanted to hear) but decided we would rent a double instead due to parking restrictions in La Jolla. Didn’t want to be truckin’ the darn thing several blocks after inflating her on the street. Nina and Paul were game to kayak as well as they had not seen the sea caves either.

Let me start by saying that the weather was pretty darn perfect. A sunny, calm 80° day could not be better. You see a ‘but’ coming here, don’t you? We did have a good day, in large part due to the company (Nina and Paul), and that we were wintering in San Diego on a gorgeous day and on the water. BUT I cannot recommend taking a kayak tour to the sea caves. I will not mention any company names because I suspect they are all the same. All four of us agreed that many times tours can be a disappointment, too commercial, too many people.

Kayaking La Jolla Shores — Looks like Paul is slackin' a bit.

We paddled out to the caves in a group, feeling more like we were playing a game of kayak bumper cars, dodging left and right. The small group we were expecting turned out to be more like 15-20 kayaks, what appeared to be the largest of the tour companies out there. The rented kayaks did not have a keel so the steering could be a challenge. Picture 15-20 kayaks, with mostly novice kayakers in them, bobbing out on the Pacific. Now put a paddle in those kayakers’ hands and tell them to paddle a straight line out to the caves. Guess what you get? I don’t even have to tell you, do I?

Kayaking at the sea caves — Traffic jam at the sea caves

We all made it safely to the caves and proceeded to get into a long line behind other tour companies waiting to get in (only two kayaks allowed at a time and only one cave available for viewing). The four of us were among the last of our group to enter, behind our guide. It doesn’t take much to paddle into the cave and as soon as we got into it our guide said “paddle backward once on your left and three times forward on your right”. This positioned us heading back out of the cave. We foolishly thought we were going to go in further backwards to see something spectacular that we could not be seen going in forward. What we heard next was “now paddle out”. That was it! If we had blinked we would have missed it.

Terry and me kayaking — Look ma, no paddles in the water!

When heading back to shore, we had the pleasure of having four common dolphins swim very close to our kayak. Unfortunately we were not able to grab any photos but this, along with the sea lions we saw on the rocks, probably were the highlights of our time on the water.

Sea lions at La Jolla sea caves — Sea lions sunning. Noisy little fellas they are.

We had decided on lunch after but none of us had planned to get wet (go figure) so didn’t have a change of clothes. Not to worry as we sat outdoors at a little Vietnamese restaurant and dried out. Great conversation and great soup rounded out the day. We said our goodbyes with the hopes of a hike in our future.

Back at home, over a glass of wine, Terry and I had a good laugh as we went over our 30 seconds in the sea cave. Not the best part of our day but a very good day overall and we would definitely go back out to La Jolla Shores for more kayaking, BUT in our Sea Eagle AND sans guide.

If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to my blog via feed reader or e-mail?

Two King-Size Attractions ~ Oceanside, CA

March 5, 2012April 8, 2012LuAnn

Two king-size attractions await those who visit Oceanside, CA, the first being Oceanside Pier.

Built in 1888, it is the longest wooden pier on the western U.S. coastline, ~1950 feet in length. Although grand in stature, it will not be the focal point of this post.

Second, and the main topic, is Mission San Luis Rey de Francia (the Mission of Saint Louis, King of France). Founded by Franciscan Fermín Lasuén in June, 1798, it was nicknamed “King of the Missions”, as it was the largest of the California missions, covering 6 acres at its most prosperous time.

At its peak you can imagine the grandeur of this mission, stark white façade against an azure sky. Incorporate into this image lush gardens and thousands of head of cattle and sheep being tended by the Luiseño Indians and you can see why it was dubbed “the king”.

Friar Antonio Peyri was put in charge of the mission and became solely responsible for the design and building of the site. He was much beloved by the 2800 Luiseño Indians who lived within the mission boundaries and it is said that after 33 years of service, upon his retirement, two of the Luiseños left their native land and returned with him to Spain.

Church construction began in 1811 and was completed by 1815. It was a showpiece due to its unique styling and is only one of two mission churches whose design is cruciform.

Nicaraguan crucifix — Stunning statues and colors in the main altar

The sense of reverence felt when you enter the chapel is palpable. Many of the original artifacts still exist today, the central crucifix from Nicaragua, the painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 14 Stations of the Cross, and the hand-hammered baptismal font, to name a few.

The Quadrangle (4-sided patio) houses the historic pepper tree planted by Father Peyri. The seeds for this tree were brought to the mission by a sailor from Peru in 1830. Now dubbed the “California Pepper Tree”, it sports creamy white flowers in the summer and dark pink peppery berries in the fall. We grew several of these trees on a former property of ours in Phoenix and it is interesting to know its origins.

: Oldest pepper tree in California

The lavanderia (laundry) was particularly interesting to us, as the grounds here reminded us of some of the archaeological sites we explored while in Mexico. This was the area where the residents went to bathe and wash their clothes. The water used for these tasks was siphoned in from the San Luis Rey River via aqueducts into a series of stone and tile pools. It was considered a comprehensive water conservation system, even by today’s standards.

Excavation work here continues today with plans for future archaeological digs. Two gargoyle fountains, a part of the lavanderia, were unearthed in a nearby swamp.

Gargoyle fountain at Mission San Luis Rey — Gargoyle fountain

Today Mission San Luis Rey is a working mission, watched over by her parishioners. The historic church faces closure if fundraising attempts for a state-mandated seismic retrofit are not successful. If would be sad indeed if this slice of California’s cultural heritage is lost.

If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to my blog via feed reader or e-mail?

Our Mission for the Day ~ Mission San Diego de Alcala

March 1, 2012April 8, 2012LuAnn

The email read, “your mission, should you choose to accept it…”, ok not really, but the invitation to join Nina and Paul of Wheeling It at Mission San Diego de Alcalá was a great suggestion.

We have been fans of their wonderful blog for some time and when I discovered we were all to be in San Diego at the same time, I had hoped for a meet-and-greet and hooray, they were game. Excellent writing, photography, and RV tips are just a few reasons we are big fans of their blog, not to mention what a lovely couple they are .

During our time in Mexico, we found ourselves gravitating towards the magnificent churches in the lovely colonial cities we visited and have been drawn to the missions and churches in our travels ever since.

Mission San Diego de Alcala (Wikipedia image)

The far West gave birth to Christianity with the founding of Mission San Diego de Alcalá on July 16, 1769, by Franciscan priest Junípero Serra. This, the first of 21 California missions, dubbed the “Mother of the Alta California Missions”, provided a foothold for Catholicism in this corner of the world.

The naming of San Diego the city occurred ~225 years earlier than the founding of this first mission and was originally named San Miguel, after the saint whose feast day was closest to the landing of the first Spanish expedition here. In 1602 it was renamed San Diego, once again being named for the feast day closest to the fleet’s landing date in the harbor, that of Saint Didacus (San Diego) of Alcalá. And the name stuck!

The original site for the mission overlooked the bay but remained at this location a mere 5 years; the water supply was lacking and the soil was not fertile enough to sustain the crops. The decision was made by the pastor of the mission, Father Luís Jayme, to pick up stakes and move 6 miles to the east. This second site was closer to the river and the Kumeyaay Indians, with whom the friar had a good rapport. The Kumeyaay were hunters and gatherers and fairly nomadic, not unlike we RVers. Unfortunately a few rogue Indians incited hundreds of others to riot and during this uprising, Father Jayme lost his life and the mission was burned to the ground.

Father Luis Jayme during Kumeyaay raids, shortly before his death. — Father Luis Jayme during Kumeyaay raid, shortly before his death.

Father Jayme became California’s first Christian martyr and his body is interred under the altar in the present-day church.

Many arduous years passed before this mission was to be rebuilt and become productive but it did, having its most plentiful year for both crops and Christian conversions in 1797.

When Mexico gained her independence from Spain in 1821, the Mexican government did not have the same allegiance to the missions as the Spanish, and the United States (having acquired this land from Mexico) strayed from the original intent and allowed the missions to be occupied by the Calvary. They moved on in 1859 and it sat vacant for many years until becoming a school for American Indian children for 17 years. In 1862 Abraham Lincoln signed an order to restore ownership of the Mission proper to the Roman Catholic church.

The mission that stands on the current grounds is the 5th church on this site. In 1976, Mission San Diego de Alcalá was named a basilica, an honor bequeathed by Pope Paul VI. The mission continues to be an active parish today, staffed by secular priests.

The campanario (bell tower) deserves mention as it has an interesting history, I believe. Church bells across the world are rung to signify specific events during the day or the year, with different tones and sequences, and these are no exception.

Today there remains an original bell from 1802, that being one of the two larger bells on the bottom right in the above photo. When the King of Spain wanted bells forged for his missions, he insisted on a crown atop the bell. The large bell on the bottom left has been made from remnants of other original bells. All five bells are rung in unison only once a year, that being the mission’s birthday.

Apparently we all worked up an appetite while getting our history lesson for the day, so decided on an early lunch at the Blue Water Seafood Market and Grill, another great recommendation by Nina and Paul, found while watching Diners, Drive-ins & Dives on the Food Network.

I have heard it said that you can tell who the bloggers are in a restaurant as they are the ones taking pictures of their food. While I don’t often do this, I had to make an exception before I dove into this gastronomic feast. They tasted even better than they look and yes, I ate the whole thing!

With full stomachs and smiles on our faces, we headed over to Nina and Paul’s pad to meet the rest of the family. Polly, a border-collie mix, is just as spunky and beautiful as her pictures; Taggart, an orange tabby, is very sleek and elegant; and Rand was being a cat, very independent, and not accepting visitors on this particular day. We can only vouch for her existence by her pictures and the lump we saw under the comforter!

All-in-all it was a truly lovely day and we feel we have made some new friends, which is one of the fabulous bonuses of this lifestyle.

And here is the lovely couple, Paul & Nina, silently willing Terry to get on with it and take their picture so they can dive into their fish tacos.

If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to my blog via feed reader or e-mail?

One of My Weekly Pleasures

February 27, 2012April 8, 2012LuAnn

Farmers’ markets are a pleasure that we just cannot deny ourselves. It feels wonderful to know that we are eating healthy and supporting the local economy. The farmer’s market in Encinitas is a colorful display of organic fruits and vegetables just beckoning us to “come taste and take me home”, which we do and always walk away spending more than we had intended.

I am always on the hunt for nutritional finds and it was to be the jujube fruit on this trip. Also called the Chinese date, it is a small fruit with red skin, whose inside is similar to an apple. It tastes best when dried; is an excellent source of vitamin C; and has long been considered a sleep aid according to Chinese alternative medicine. A bag of them finds their way into my cart.

Being a great lover of artisanal cheeses, farmers’ markets are a great place to find these local delicacies. Spring Hill Cheese, in Sonoma County, provided some creamy, pungent samples of their cheddar. What sets them apart is their certified organic designation; use of Jersey cows instead of Holstein, producing richer, higher nutritional cheeses; and creation of “truly raw” cheeses, never bringing the milk over 100º during the cheese making process. This cheddar will pair perfectly with a spinach quinoa salad recipe that we love. My taste buds are already singing!

Terry and I have become hooked on Lära Bars, discovered some time ago while searching for healthy hiking snacks. When I stumbled upon recipes for homemade Lära Bars, I was in heaven. They are unbaked treats that come in many, many flavors, with typically only 4 or 5 ingredients, allowing for a quick sweet-tooth fix. The sweetener base is dates instead of other processed sugars, and ground nuts instead of white or wheat flours. Finding dates at the farmer’s market, I knew what I would be whipping up later in the day.

Here are a few of our favorites:

NOTE: I use twice the amount of lime juice as called for and unsweetened organic coconut. I also just roll the batter into bite-size balls, place in a container, and pop into the frig. Quick, tasty little decadent treats!

I am already looking forward to next weekend and new discoveries.

If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to my blog via feed reader or e-mail?