San Diego Through the Lens

San Diego Skyline view from Coronado.

My view from our room at the Westin Gaslamp District.

Mom & I just got back from a girl trip to San Diego, California. Both of our husbands were invited, but they didn't think that it was a good time for them to take off work, so it was just us. We saw everything in the 4 days we were there. We took the Old Town Trolley Tour a total of 3 times because it was our main means of transportation, so we are both experts on the history of San Diego now. We also rented a car & went to Miramar, La Jolla, Qualcomm Stadium (where the Chargers & Texarkana's own Brandon Jones plays), and we hit 2 places that were featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives.

The Hotel Del Coronado where Edward & Wallis met, where they filmed Some Like It Hot, & where we saw Cameron Diaz (she was trying to blend in with other vacationers).

Let's talk about Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives.... Those people know what they're talking about when it comes to good food. We ate at El Indio - They claim they invented taquitos in the 1940s. Best Guacamole on Earth! Filippi's Pizza Groto - This place looks like every grocery store in Italy, but you walk on around to the back & Bam!! There's a restaurant & the Pizza is killer!

The above pictures were taken at Seaside Village which was built by the same people that built Disney Land. It was really pretty.

The Naval Ship Yard - they are building 7 new aircraft carriers like the U.S.S. Midway.

In Balboa Park the Cherry Blossoms & Naked Coral Trees were blooming.

This was the view at Sunset Cliffs in Ocean Beach. It was so beautiful that I almost cried. God does beautiful on a BIGGER scale than any canvas could ever hold!! One of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen.

Of course we went to the San Diego Museum of Art. It was small, but they have a really nice collection. I loved the Georgia O'Keefe!

Seals at La Jolla, they were so cute! They were just swimming, playing, & talking! The waves were really crashing!

Riding the Skyfari at the San Diego Zoo!

My all time favorite wild animal! Jon & I love meerkats! How could you not? They are precious!

Peacocks are the coolest birds on earth! Seriously, don't argue with me about this one ;)

This peacock came walking through all of our tables while we ate a snack at the cafe!

I've never seen Flamingos laying down like ducks! I guess I thought they slept standing up on one leg!

This Mommy Giraffe had just had her new calf seconds before we walked over there, & we got to watch it try to stand for the first time! How neat is that!

Oh, this is "The Baby Daddy!"

A little Bit of This & a dash of That

Earlier this week I went to a little store here in town called Ellis Pottery, (which carries a lot of seasonal decorations and plants) and in their hot house area they had several of these little baby pineapple plants. Luckily I had my little camera. I couldn't help myself I thought they were the cutest things! If only it would stay healthy and little forever, I'd bring it home and call it my pet pineapple.
Some little scarecrow friends.

Pink with sprinkles donut ornament, which used to be my favorite when I was little.

Today was the launch of the latest Vera Bradley prints, and we have a little store here in Texarkana called Fan-Fare Gifts that has a really fun launch party with drinks, refreshments, door prizes, & free gifts (yes free gifts I got a coin pouch & a wristlet in the new pattern Versailles) on the day the new bags are released. During the last release I won a desk set and a photo album, and this time my Mom won a free tote of her choice in any of the new patterns. Seriously we never win anything, so how cool is it that we've both won now? My Mom was about to step on a cricket earlier today, and this lady told her, don't do that! If you see a cricket you're going to get money tomorrow or something good so she didn't step on it, and what do ya know... she wins the Fan-Fare drawing, and tomorrow she gets to go pick out her tote. We have laughed and joked about it all day, because that woman was so serious she says she saw a cricket and won the lotto the next day, and now her family is going to the Bahamas for Christmas. I'm not superstitious (I have 2 black cats for crying out loud), but ... I hope our old friend Jiminy Cricket is enjoying his little cricket life! I believe in Shop & Tell as long as you have a picture to go with it, so here is my new mini laptop case in Buttercup that my computer is happily snuggled down into while I'm typing this blog.

Tonight Jon and I went over to Mom's and watched Princess Kaiulani on her big screen (Dad was at the hospital working of delivering his 3rd baby for the day, otherwise he would have watched it with us). I thought it was really good. Of course I love all of the beautiful costumes, the love story, and the scenery.

The Architecture & Scenery- Santa Fe, Glorietta, & Taos

I just got back today from our wonderful trip to New Mexico. The weather was perfect! Believe it or not, there are places in this world where summers don't get up to 118* heat index. If we had taken our little furry family along with us, there is a strong chance that we wouldn't have come back. The highest temperature was 78* while we were there, and when we went up to the ski slope area it was 51*!! I've been there two other times on ski trips with our youth group, but we didn't do a lot of sight seeing, and everything was covered in snow. This made it feel like I was really seeing it for the first time. It was Jon's first time to go out West of Fort Worth, TX. If you ever go, I recommend staying at The Old Santa Fe Inn. Every morning they had the best complimentary breakfast burrito bar. This is my 99th post, so I decided to give you a taste of New Mexico, and save the BEST for my next post.... Coming tomorrow... My 100th post will be.... The ART of NEW MEXICO. I'm excited! Even now, I'm trying to decide what pictures are going to make the final cut. There were so many beautiful things to see, and fun things to do. It is really romantic, and I couldn't help but think several times that there is a lot of things about the countryside around Taos and Santa Fe that remind me of Tuscany. If I were getting married during the hot summer months I would definitely put Santa Fe among my top choices of places to go on a honeymoon.

Black Mesa Winery - Home of Black Beauty Wine (it has a delicious slight chocolate undertone!)