Highlights
1. & nbsp; Weather – The whole city of San Diego is air-conditioned! It’s not too humid and its not too dry either. Our rental car had a thermometer and the temperature never got past 80. The weather was so nice you can see joggers at 3 in the afternoon! Boy, no wonder a lot of people fall in love with this city, especially retirees :)
2. & nbsp; Balboa Park – This was the first attraction we went to. We didn’t have enough time to visit the museums so we just admired the ornate facade of the buildings and hang out at a fountain and a koi pond. I counted 7 museums but later found out that it has 15!
3. & nbsp; Picking oranges – Going to the Wild Animal Park, we passed by some vineyards and other fruit farms. Some of them had signs saying “Pick strawberries”, “Pick Oranges”. After Wild Animal Park, we went back to an orange farm. We went up a hill passing rows of orange trees and at the top we met a farm hand and paid him $8 in exchange for a big plastic bag that we filled with ripe oranges. He told us to pick from the first 4 rows so we went down the hill and started our little adventure. We had a lot of fun doing this first time experience. I wish we also tried strawberry picking but we didn’t have enough time. We wanted to do so many things.
4. & nbsp; Wild Animal Park – we went directly to the park’s main attraction, a 1-hour train ride around the park where you see animals out in their natural habitats. We had to endure a 30-minute wait but it was worth it. The train tour included a narration so we had a lot of tips on how to spot the animals out in the open field. We saw rhinos feeding with their babies. We saw herds of gazelles on top of a hill scouting to make sure no predators would sneak up on them (the narrator helpfully pointed out how they were facing on different directions). We saw a herd of giraffes surrounding a newly born calf, standing tall, scanning the field to make sure the new baby is safe. We spotted an ibex (mountain goat) hiding in the shade of a rock, excellently camouflaged by its coat blending with the boulders. Of course we saw other animals you would normally see in a safari like elephants, zebras and bison. We capped our visit by enjoying a bird show featuring exotic birds instead of the common birds we are used to seeing in our local zoo’s bird show.
5. & nbsp; Sea World – This I think is a must see for all non-frequent San Diego visitors. The entrance fee is kinda steep ($50) but seeing dolphins, pilot whales, killer whales, sea lions do numerous magical tricks convinced me that the money was well spent. There was also an outstanding circus act called Cirque dela Mer performed in a stage built out in the ocean that deserved a lot of video footage in my handy cam.
6. & nbsp; Filipino food – San Diego, like many cities of California is a haven of Filipino immigrants. There was actually a city there where the greeting banners say “Mabuhay” instead of “Welcome” (Mabuhay is a Philippine greeting and is literally translated as Long live). Because of the high concentration of Filipinos, there were a variety of Filipino restaurants that we don’t have here in Utah, so we feasted on our native cuisine during our vacation.
7. & nbsp; My Father’s Day gift – my wife took us in a cruise which included an exquisite brunch buffet. It was also a narrated tour featuring downtown San Diego, the City of Coronado, some background of the ship building industry and the naval and cargo ships docked during that day. I thoroughly enjoyed the cool breeze running through my face while I listen to the captain. My most memorable Father’s Day so far.
8. & nbsp; Coronado Beach – We were actually joined by a couple of friends from Utah during our stay there. The guy is Filipino married to an American. It was really funny because she was really excited to go to the beach and get a tan, while her companions were trying their best to avoid the sun. Me and my baby had a lot of fun though. I gave her a ride on my shoulders and ran back and forth towards the ocean. The water was kinda cold but once you get in, it’s really nice to stay there and wait for the waves to splash on your back.
9. & nbsp; Playing tons of chess – The guy is also my chess buddy and we were able to squeeze in a lot of games during our stay but the most memorable were the ones we played at the beach, eating the oranges we picked earlier.
10. Saving a bundle of cash – This is because of my wife’s resourcefulness. She was able to get us a hotel for just $65 a night and it includes a continental breakfast everyday. She saved us more money by buying an entertainment book (for only $10) where you get coupons for huge discounts on restaurants and other things. The cruise was actually half priced because of that book. We also ate at a wonderful Japanese restaurant where we got a buy one get one deal, again using the book. She also got us a great deal for our airline tickets and rental car by bidding in Priceline.com. So thank you Mrs. Seeker and here’s to many more trips with you and the baby!
So as you can see, we had a grand vacation and I highly encourage every one of you who hasn’t been there to visit the truly awesome city of San Diego.
Previous Post: Childhood
posted by: danggi (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (1:31 am)
Hmmm... Sounds like fun... So are you a Filipino? : )
posted by: eka00 (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (3:59 am)
Yey! Welcome back Seeker, :)
Wow. Sounds like a dream vacation. I'm glad to read how much fun you had.
I've never gone orange picking, but I once visited an highland over here, and got to pick strawberries. I can tell you I ate about as much as I picked, hehehe... It was unforgettable.
posted by: theseeker (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (7:03 am)
Reply to: danggi
Filipino through and through :)
posted by: theseeker (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (7:07 am)
Reply to: eka00
Thanks my friend.
Darn, we should have gone strawberry picking. I'm sure we would have done what you did and gobbled a ton too :)
posted by: jennjr (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (8:11 am)
Wow! Sounds like a great trip!
I would love to visit San Diego. Now I want to go more! (Although, I don't live too far from what used to be Sea World in Ohio, so I could skip that bit. heh).
posted by: theseeker (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (8:44 am)
Reply to: jennjr
Sea World in Ohio? Wow, Utah is really getting left out, LOL.
posted by: jennjr (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (8:52 am)
Well, it *WAS* Sea World. Then Six Falgs bought both Sea World and Geauga Lake (which was an amusement park), and called the whole conglomeration "Six Flags Worlds of Adventure." It lasted a few summers, and now the whole thing is back to Geauga Lake...
So yeah, that's the Sea World Saga. It's still there, I just don't know what it's called anymore. :)
posted by: Deanna (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (9:52 am)
Sounds like you had a great time and you did come out when the weather was perfect. It wasn't too hot yet and it wasn't cold so you got the best of it.
I am glad you had a good time.
posted by: theseeker (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (10:20 am)
Reply to: jennjr
So they think Geauga Lake is better than Six Flags Worlds of Adventure? Hmmmm, and how do you pronounce Geauga Lake? (wink, wink)
posted by: theseeker (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (10:21 am)
Reply to: Deanna
A great time it was! We seriously considered living there :)
posted by: jennjr (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (10:32 am)
Reply to: theseeker
heh - it's pronounced Gee-o (short o) - ga. ;)
Geauga Lake did better financially - lower admission price...The problem is that Cedar Point (HUGE amusement park - much fun, especially if you love rollercoasters - they have 16 of 'em!) is about an hour and a half away. So if the admission price is the same as Cedar Point's, and Cedar Point is a bigger, better park, Six Flags didn't stand a chance.
posted by: childish (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (10:32 am)
a godly wife is a crown to her husband!
sounds like a great trip!
posted by: theseeker (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (11:15 am)
Reply to: childish
A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
- Proverbs 18:22
We had oodles of fun :)
posted by: theseeker (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (11:24 am)
Reply to: jennjr
I think you have to find your niche. I didn't mention it on my list but we also went to Legoland, a park tailored to small children. They know they didn't stand a chance against the other parks in attracting adults so they attracted children who make their parents go. I actually enjoyed the place and found the Lego reproduction of famous places like Paris and New York interesting. It just didn't make my top ten :)
posted by: jennjr (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (11:26 am)
Reply to: theseeker
I have seen that place on the Travel Channel? How cool is that?!
posted by: mnash (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (12:40 pm)
Sunny and 70. It is only like that about 10 days here in Texas.
You should post an itinerant schedule on tblog. Along with coupons and money saving details.
Sounds like a trip I would loved to have taken.
Playing Scrabble tonight! I'm 2 wins and lost 1 game by 1 point due to the point deduction at the end.
posted by: basild (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (1:29 pm)
Sounds like ya'll had a terrific time. I'm glad you've all made it back safe and sound, my friend.
posted by: FinalyFree (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (2:49 pm)
Sounds like an absolutely wonderful trip! I love San Diego, been there twice and the Sea World there is the only one I've ever been to! I agree it's well worth the price :)
And what a sweetheart of a wife you have!
posted by: danggi (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (6:43 pm)
Reply to: theseeker
I guessed right then... : ) Mabuhay, kababayan! : )
posted by: theseeker (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (8:44 pm)
Reply to: mnash
I think Kollel (another tblogger) does that coupon thing.
Losing by 1 point is a bummer. So you use a timer in your games? I think that's a good idea because some people take so long to play they lull you to sleep, LOL.
posted by: theseeker (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (8:46 pm)
Reply to: Basild
We are sharing the fun with our family back in the Philippines by sending them a DVD of the footage we took in San Diego.
Thanks for the nice comment :)
posted by: theseeker (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (8:48 pm)
Reply to: FinalyFree
Absolutely wonderful is the right term. And yup, she's pretty handy.
posted by: theseeker (reply)
post date: 06.24.05 (8:49 pm)
Reply to: danggi
I kinda sensed the force in you the first time I saw your name. Now if you would please educate me as to what danggi mean.
posted by: mnash (reply)
post date: 06.25.05 (10:53 am)
Reply to: theseeker
We don't use a timer, but SHOULD. My wife's friend does take a LONG time.
posted by: danggi (reply)
post date: 06.25.05 (8:29 pm)
Reply to: theseeker
Danggi is my nickname. : ) weird, huh?
posted by: Deanna (reply)
post date: 06.27.05 (7:34 am)
Reply to: theseeker
Great place to live besides the cost of living. Very expensive to live here. If I wasn't so fond of California and I didn't love my job so much I would move out of state just so we could buy a house.
