SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 - ON TO SAN DIEGO, CA

DAY 2

We both sleep well and long. There is a Denny’s not far from the hotel and we go there for a lumberjack breakfast in the bustling restaurant. Returning to the hotel, we pack up, check out and head for the nearby Mission San Juan de Capistrano.

 

People our age grew up on the famous song, "When the Swallows Return to Capistrano," and it is neat to see this famous place. It was the seventh of twenty-one missions, founded in 1776, by the Spanish Franciscans along the California coast from San Diego to San Francisco. We get there about 11:00AM, pay our admission fee of $9.50 each, pick up our self-guiding tape players and tour the mission grounds, the intact buildings and the ruins of the original mission church, destroyed in an earthquake in 1806. The Mission is beautiful and lovingly cared for.

The town of Capistrano is touristy and they are all out on this sunny, Sunday afternoon. After a short walk and stop or two we get in the car and head down toward the coast to pick up The Pacific Coast Highway #1 at Oceanside. We stop here for lunch at Monterey Bay Cannery down by the small picturesque boat harbor.

We stay as close to the coast as we can all the way down to La Jolla. It is one little town after another and the traffic is heavy. The beaches we see are full of people enjoying the water, beach sports or surfing. Parking is at a premium. It is only about 60 miles to San Diego but we take all afternoon making the drive. Finally, at La Jolla, we pick up I-5 and blast into San Diego by the most direct route the GPS will provide. We find the Marriott Gaslamp with no difficulty and check-in.

After unpacking and getting settled, we head out for "Old Town San Diego," the site of the original settlement. This area is now a tourist mecca with all sorts of shops and restaurants. We get there just before dark, find a parking spot and explore a little on foot. We then enjoy a nice meal at Jack and Giulios Italian Restaurant. We are given a booth back in a corner and people watch while enjoying our food.

On the way back to the car, Carolyn get an ice cream cone and we do a little shopping but do not buy anything. Returning to the hotel, we crash. Our clocks are still off and not adjusted to the time change.