West and Back

I never thought I would get to the West Coast in
this life time, but a friend invited me to go, and
after much deliberation........... I accepted. One of the highlights was a trip to Balboa Park in San Diego. I admired the Spanish architecture and walked through a rose garden and cactus garden where many specimens were in bloom.

At the Museum of Natural History I drooled over
a fascinating fossils exhibit, and in the lower level,
a gem and mineral display. There were some awesome pieces!

After walking through an elegant hotel on Coronado Island to get to the beach, I dipped my feet in the cold Pacific Ocean, picked up seashells, watched crabs scuttle over rocks, and had lunch at an Irish pub. The sand was speckled with gold flecks of mica everywhere, which glinted in the sunlight.

At Roberto's drive-in/take-out restaurant I tried Carne Asada French Fries piled high with chunks of steak, guacamole and sour cream. Forget counting calories there!

Expressways are everywhere. Hillsides are either overbuilt with condo's and apartment complexes or left wild, brushy with huge boulders. In a vacant lot, lizards scurried about. Ground squirrels chowed down on weeds. They were a bit mangy looking. Later, I read that they may be carriers of Bubonic Plague, their fleas spreading the disease. Ugh.

There was time for a brief visit to Mission Trails Park which has many paths through the rugged wilderness. I could easily imagine a cougar or rattlesnake lurking about, although I saw neither.

On the return trip, the mountain views were breath-taking. The airplane flew over the Grand Canyon but I was on the wrong side and didn't catch that sight. I changed planes in Las Vegas and was surprised to see many many slot machines in the airport.

All in all, it was quite an amazing trip, one I am glad I made. Who can predict what adventures may await us?

Spring greetings, all friends!