The alarm went off at 8.00am the next morning. We figured that it would be best if we set off reasonably early, in order to fill in the day with as many activities as possible. The plan was simple really – to follow the rather questionable directions blurted out by the GPS, amongst visiting a few places we thought might be worth a look - of which we had googled the night before. The skies were gray and unusually miserable-looking. Patches of fog covered much of the ocean, and although there seemed to be no rain yet, you could feel the dampness of the air encompassing, like a burden weighing down upon your shoulders. We took the gamble, though, and set off down the 5-freeway.
We figured we’d make the initial stop in San Clemente. I had heard a lot of good things about this town from the guests I had talked to at work, so figured that we best stop in for a bit, grab some coffee, and snap up some quick photos if the weather was willing. Following the GPS down to the beach access, we parked up and started walking down a dirt pathway parallel to the shore and a railway track. There was already plenty of activity on the path, sporting a bunch of joggers, dog-walkers and new-mum’s pushing their infants in strollers. There were squirrels everywhere too, which was a real novelty for the fresh New Zealand folk, who had never seen such a strange, fidgety animal. We stopped off at the San Clemente pier, grabbed a couple coffees, and just hung out for a bit. I could already tell that I would love it here. The town itself is built on some fairly steep and hilly terrain, which towers above the ocean shore like a fortress. It has a very Spanish-Mediterranean feel to it, and the overall vibe and atmosphere of the place is very relaxed and chill when compared to the ever-hustle and bustle of Huntington Beach. The skies were still overcast, but a considerably lighter shade of grey. We snapped up some photos, jumped in the car and continued our journey of epicness.
Again, we followed the shady logistics of the GPS, this time locking in La Jolla Beach. Not knowing exactly what would greet us there, we were pleasantly surprised by a long and narrow beach littered with beachfolk (and their colourful umbrellas), and a grassy patch that looked decidedly viable for a game of cricket. For the second time of the trip, we pulled out the bright yellow cricket equipment and ensued to have a bit of a hit around amidst a backdrop of houses on hills, and the growing glow of the sun as it began to peek its head through the weakening clouds. After about an hour, we figured we’d call it quits, grab a bite to eat and continue on our mighty mission to the very core of San Diego. So we did.
I had heard a fair number of good things about Coronado, so figured it may as well be the next stop on the trip. I just loved the freedom of being on the road again. A sense of true euphoria crept into my inner being as I briefly conceived the awesomeness of it all. No agenda – just figuring it out as we rolled along, finally ‘travelling’ in a tourist-sense after much hard work during the past few months. Addittionally, I was enjoying it all with my family who were just as pumped to be a part of the journey. As we assailed a rise in the 5 freeway, the downtown San Diego skyline shot into view. The scale of it was impressive, in full-view as the freeway veered around the city and headed toward the bridge connecting downtown with the Cornado Island. The bridge! We all gasped in awe at the sheer size of the beast. Tall and uncompromising, we had never seen anything like it. Indeed, it was one of those structures that makes you appreciate and marvel at the extent of human achievement. However, that sense of awestruck-wonder was shortlived – at least in my mind anyway - as I realized that I was about to drive over it. To some, this may seem no mean feat, but coming from smalltown-New Zealand-drive-on-the-left-side-of-the-road, the experience was exhilarating, and every bit significant in the adventure thus far. With my eyes firmly on the road and everyone else’s looking wildly about, we successfully crossed that bridge, and headed for the next destination that we thought may be worth a look. Yes.
That destination turned out to be the Hotel Del Coronado and its adjacent beach. The beach itself was pristine, dotted with a bunch of people along a long coastline, with the odd plane fresh from the U.S military base flying straight overhead at fairly regular intervals. It was a real gem of a place, somewhere where I really could see myself living in the future – however distant that may be. We figured we’d better soak up the serenity of it all, so we all chilled out on the beach for an hour or so before leaping into the fresh ocean in order to best stave off the California sun, at least for the time being. When we were satisfied with our stay, we hopped into the trusty rental car and set off back over the bridge and into the depths of downtown San Diego in search of an altogether different experience. Here, the relative peace of the beach setting in Coronado was replaced with a sky immersed in tall impressive infrastructure, and a throng of folk with business suits and busy schedules. We eventually navigated our way to a shopping mall before grabbing a bite to eat at an awesome organic burger joint, and made our way back to Orange County for some well-deserved shuteye.
This day was especially epic. Going somewhere new always makes me appreciate how stoked I am with this adventure so far. God is continuing to hook us up, so we in turn can bless others, I think. So thank You for that.
Next episode: In betweens and Goodbyes….coming soon.
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