1380 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego, 619-291-2900. Located directly on the San Diego Bay, this hotel has panoramic views of the downtown skyline and the bay. Sort of out of town and away from the crowds and excitement, it is less than a 5-minute…Read More

1380 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego, 619-291-2900.
Located directly on the San Diego Bay, this hotel has panoramic views of the downtown skyline and the bay. Sort of out of town and away from the crowds and excitement, it is less than a 5-minute drive to the Gas Lamp District. The hotel has two towers, over 1,000 guest rooms, five restaurants, and lounges, a pool, Jacuzzi, spa, gym, and tennis courts. Like any other big city chain hotel, there were a lot of people there, a convention hosting meetings in-house, and lots of employees able to help but hard to locate. This is not a fancy hotel. Although well-maintained and very clean, it is kept at a very standard level, meaning you won’t find any bells or whistles here.

The East Tower has the sport facilities and spa, while the West Tower supposedly has the larger rooms with seating areas. The West Tower is where they put most of the convention people, we were told. Every room was equipped with Sheraton’s new "Sweet Sleeper" bed, balcony (bay or marina view), Internet access via the TV and data ports, free newspapers during the week, ironing board, hair dryer, etc. The bathroom was one room; nothing was separated (not even the tub and shower), and it was your standard, very basic bathroom. The room itself was fine, we had a standard marina-view room, and it was big enough to move around comfortably, but there was not much extra space. There was definitely a lack of lighting, though, which is annoying when you are trying to get ready.

The pool area was very small. It had about six lounge chairs and four or so regular outdoor chairs. The pool is located on the marina side and gated—obviously not a big attraction for this hotel, as we were the only two there most days. The hotel’s award-winning restaurant, Alfiere’s (619/692-2778, http://www.alfiereonline.com), serves Italian-Mediterranean fresh market cuisine. If you go to their website, they often update it with coupons, like ½ a bottle of wine. The parking charge is $16 a day, and the phone calls from the room start at $2—pack a cell phone or calling card. It is also important to note that off the lobby there are a row of pay phones, so for those who are less lazy, there are ways to avoid those high phone costs.

The walls were paper-thin and done in that standard yucky yellow/gold hotel wallpaper. Interestingly enough, one night, the front desk checked another couple into our room while we were still scheduled to be there. They tried to get in during the middle of the night—like 2am. We were awoken after they started to shake the door a bit and play with the doorknob. I called the front desk in the morning, and they were very honest about the incident, although they didn’t find much fault since the guests were not able to get in. After some complaining, the manager worked with us, but that was scary; thankfully, we always use the deadbolt.

The hotel offers limited service, upon request, to and from the airport. Although not exciting, it is interesting to note that during the early morning hours of one day during our stay, the space shuttle Columbia that crashed in Texas flew over the hotel (although very high in the air/space), and we were able to hear it. The sound actually woke us up because it was so loud and very different than any normal sound of a plane. Later that morning, when we were watching the news, we heard that the shuttle had in fact flown over Southern California and had obviously crashed. Recommended.

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"I’ve never seen these animals in real life before," he noted with no admonitions. "Are you sure?" I questioned, convinced he’d been along on at least one of our many outings at the zoo. "Not me," he stated, "you brought the other kids, though. " Guilt…Read More

"I’ve never seen these animals in real life before," he noted with no admonitions.
"Are you sure?" I questioned, convinced he’d been along on at least one of our many outings at the zoo.
"Not me," he stated, "you brought the other kids, though. "
Guilt was sprouting roots and about to spring from my ears when I grabbed at something, anything.
"What? You don’t recall Lincoln Park, Milwaukee, Brookfield?" I asked in amazement at his lapses in memory.

The child development experts had assured that multiple trips to cultural and artistic destinations would be ingrained forever in the young child’s consciousness. I’d taken the advice to heart, gone about it methodically, regularly. I must have looked confused and hurt, because he added rather flatly, "but then, I admit to not having a good memory."

Ignoring the cliched jokes about four years of college and what it does to otherwise healthy brain cells, I attempted instead, "Well, then, we will just have to do it all over again and remind you." But silently I asked myself, was I a rotten mother?

Searching my own memory now for all the potentially horrible reasons that he’d blocked out our many visits to zoos, but wishing to immediately override what offences I might uncover by such continued pondering of the issue, I stated instead, "You know, you visited your first amusement park at three weeks of age."

I elaborated on the story of how we''d gone on an outing with a friend, her two tikes and his two-year old brother. We’d spent the entire day enjoying the sunshine, encouraged by the toddlers’ glee at the buzzing bee ride and carousel. We had been able to carry on this way for hours because he had been such a good baby.
"But I couldn’t expect you to remember that. You slept through it all."
"The good thing is, I''m awake now," he responded with no small inference.

I bought the deluxe pass which included the tram ride and bus tour of the park, explaining unnecessarily (as I so often still did to my now-grown-up son) that it’s a good way to get an overview of the park before deciding which exhibits most capture your fancy. He listened, nodded dutifully as we boarded the double-decker safari bus on that brilliant blue/gold autumn day.

The last outing of this sort had found him squirming uncomfortably in his seat. A restless, sarcastic teenager then, he scoffed at the "silliness" of such a touristy endeavor.

The fidgeting was gone now. He was relaxed, attentive, listening to the tour guides’ spiel, remarking how this fellow must really love his job, for he brought a sincere enthusiasm to the notion of sighting animals in their dens in the sleepy calm of a warm afternoon even though he’d obviously repeated this canned delivery thousands of times.

Past the polar bears and giraffes, the elephants and zebras we turned down "cat alley," our eyes trained for a glimpse of our mutual favorites, the majestic and cunning athletes of the animal world.
"I hope we see the snow leopard," I said, "they are the most beautiful creatures in the kingdom, I believe."
Hopefully we’ll see the snow leopard today. They are certainly one of nature’s most beautiful creatures the tour guide intoned seconds later.
"You have been here before!" my son laughed.

When the tram came to a stop, we took photos of a black cat sleeping lazily on its back, stroking the air with an overgrown paw.
"I love cats," he told me. "Why do guys think it’s cool to hate cats? Cats are so lithe and interesting."
I was learning to let him think for a moment before volunteering my own ideas and opinions on the matter.
"Hey, do you suppose cats, being smarter and more cunning, are too much for most men to figure out?" he asked.
He was trying hard to see things from my perspective these days.

At the gorilla village we watched giant man-like creatures pick their fleas, tumble down hills, annoy their neighbors for the pure pleasure of a reaction, and stare at us with "waddaya lookin‘ at" gazes.
"Now how can anyone see this and try to refute the theory of evolution?" he asked, rhetorically.
"Remember that news story where a little boy fell into a wild animal cage at a zoo and a mother Gorilla rescued him from the lion?" I asked him.
"No way!" he exclaimed.
"Motherly instinct, they called it. Evidence of a relationship perhaps?"

In our the search for the African mammals I turned repeatedly in the wrong direction, my dyslexic tendencies reversing the clear signs outlined on the map. My son patiently offered encouragement and graceful excuses.
"Gosh, mom, I do that, too," he pretended. "You find more interesting things when you get lost!" he chuckled, adding a philosophical dollop of support to the thinly disguised pretext. I stood, startled, wondering what had happened to him since that last such outing when annoyance and impatience bubbled over with each of my missteps.

The park was closing down. Finding ourselves as far from the exit as possible we decided to take advantage of the purchased ride on the sky tram. San Diego spread out below us, the high rises of downtown, the bridges, harbors and highways all visible from our roost. A golden glow from the sun’s angle in the western horizon glimmered in the trees. The riders in the sky tram were suddenly wearing its halo.

"Hey, mom," a kid dressed up as a 200 pound surfer said to me. "Thanks for bringing me to the zoo -- you know, just the two of us."

With that, the remnants of guilty mother leaped from the tram into in the lion’s den below. My maternal instinct insisted, "leave her there." It''s where she belonged. After all, everything had turned out just fine.

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This is one place in San Diego you won't be mobbed by tourists: Barrio Logan. Chicano Park was created on land seized by Chicano activists back in the seventies and has grown into the heart of the Barrio culture. The main…Read More

This is one place in San Diego you won't be mobbed by tourists: Barrio Logan. Chicano Park was created on land seized by Chicano activists back in the seventies and has grown into the heart of the Barrio culture. The main feature is the collection of murals painted on the abuttments that support Interstate 5 and the Coronado Bridge. As you walk through the park you will get different angles on dozens of pillars, with distinct paintings by very talented artists. Some are political, some very 'Chicano 1970' with logos of Ceasar Chavez' Farm Workers' Union, others are purely mythological, others have created their own mythology blending Aztecs and Low Riders.

Take the Trolley toward Tijana from downtown (or vice versa) and get off at the Barrio Logan station. Walk East two blocks--you can't miss it, it's under the enormous-ass bridge. The park is also a kiddy play ground and neighborhood lounging grounds. Buy a bottle of Corona and some chicharones from the little grocery across the street and hang out while scoping one of America's truly unique outdoor art museums. If you you're still hungry, there's a good Mexican Restaurant on the way back to the trolley. If you are getting interested in Barrio culture, walk up Main and take a look at the neighborhood. Visit a cantina, buy a pinata. Wave to the gang-bangers.

If you happen to visit the park on a Mexican holiday (May 5 or September 16 are big ones) you will also be treated to a show of Low Rider cars...sleek and macho, troupes doing Aztec drumming and dancing, folklore dancers, art booths, and some great cooking.   Close

Since part of our time in San Diego was a family reunion, it's no surprise that we were concerned with making sure there were cribs in the hotel rooms. The hotel has the normal selection of fold-up cribs, but they couldn't promise us that one…Read More

Since part of our time in San Diego was a family reunion, it's no surprise that we were concerned with making sure there were cribs in the hotel rooms. The hotel has the normal selection of fold-up cribs, but they couldn't promise us that one would be available. It all depended on how many cribs happened to be free at the time the families with babies arrived.

This was frustrating to me and I went online and googled "rent baby cribs in San Diego," and found a wonderful local business called Go Baby Go! www.gobabygosandiego.com.

This business is family owned and operated, Go Baby Go! is all about making your trip stress-free and convenient to bring babies along on San Diego trips. They have full size cribs, car seats, high chairs, toys, swings, strollers, baby gates, room monitors, air purifiers, pack-n-plays and so much more.

When you rent from them, they bring the equipment and, if it needs setting up, they do it for you. Between uses, they complete sterilize everything so that no germs can pass from one family to the next.

If you're coming to San Diego and bringing along a baby, why take chances with hotel equipment that might be available and might be clean enough and might be of high enough quality for your child?

I love the fact that this is a startup business created by someone who saw a need and created a service to meet it. They really care about you and want you to have a stress free time in San Diego. If you travel with small children, give them a try. You won't regret it.

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Jennifer wanted me to visit Coronado Island but I wasn’t sold on the idea. It had been raining the last few days and I didn’t want to walk the beach wet and cold. But the weather decided to turn around and our day turned out…Read More

Jennifer wanted me to visit Coronado Island but I wasn’t sold on the idea. It had been raining the last few days and I didn’t want to walk the beach wet and cold. But the weather decided to turn around and our day turned out to be a warm and sunny wonder.

When you drive to Coronado Island from the mainland, you have to cross this huge bridge that is across the bay. Looking down you see these large cruise ships and naval ships as if they are small boats. You are so far up in elevation that when you approach the island you see the ocean ahead of you in large expanse, a very beautiful sight to behold.

Once on the island we drove through the picturesque neighborhoods enjoying the lovely and expensive homes. We decided to stop and walk along the beach at the Hotel Del Coronado so we parked along side the shopping area we would visit that afternoon. The hotel is marvelous in of itself. It is a 120 year old national landmark that has seen many a celebrity, a few royal members and countless others seeking its quality and beauty. There is even said to be a resident ghost of a young lady who checked into the hotel in 1892 but never checked out. The hotel is has lovely dark wood and original lighting and artwork.
We did a little window shopping in the shops downstairs from the hotel. I say window shopping because the prices were out of our ranges.

After our window shopping, we walked along the pier and beaches watching the children playing in the sand and just enjoying the quietness of the day. In the distance we could see cruise ships leaving port and oil rigs drilling for that precious oil.

The remaining of our day consisted of visiting the shops across the street from the Hotel Del Coronado. Just a lot of tourist shops with the same stuff. We did find an art shop that showed local artist’s paintings. Since Jennifer is also a painter, it was our favorite stop.
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On a sunny afternoon in San Diego, after a long day at work, I decided to prepare for the Fourth of July holiday by going to my favorite garden in San Diego! It was before sunset, and the glimmer of Tuesday's last rays of…Read More

On a sunny afternoon in San Diego, after a long day at work, I decided to prepare for the Fourth of July holiday by going to my favorite garden in San Diego!

It was before sunset, and the glimmer of Tuesday's last rays of light were kissing the blossoms that overtook your senses at the Rose Garden at Balboa Park.

I tried to get as many angles of view as possible, knowing that one wide shot could not describe the beauty you can find here. And, zooming in on every blossom would eat away the little time left before the sun dipped behind the clouds forming in the ocean air.

Here is a place, where anyone can go and enjoy the atmosphere, even if you don't think you care for roses in particular, you will find so many majestic varieties all around you that you'll be tempted to smell each one for it's sweet fragrance!

Whether you are alone, or with a lover, or taking a family stroll, anyone can appreciate the journey these flowers took to bloom in such splendor for your eyes and nose to enjoy.

The garden is named the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden. You may not want to count the approximately 2,500 roses of nearly 200 varieties that live on the three-acre site across from the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center. But, be prepared to be wowed by the different walks, and nooks, and surprises you will find here.

My wish is for anyone who visits San Diego in spring or summer to come and say hello to the roses awaiting your glance, the feel of your hands touching their petals with admirations, and your noses coming in for a snuggle and a sweet remembrance.

So next time you hear people say you should stop and smell the roses, be sure to come by this garden and get what they mean!   Close

On our first trip to Legoland, my husband, my 7-year-old daughter, and I took the coaster train from downtown San Diego to Carlsbad and took a taxi from the second Carlsbad coaster station to Legoland. We purchased our coaster tickets outside the downtown San…Read More

On our first trip to Legoland, my husband, my 7-year-old daughter, and I took the coaster train from downtown San Diego to Carlsbad and took a taxi from the second Carlsbad coaster station to Legoland. We purchased our coaster tickets outside the downtown San Diego Santa Fe Depot (located at the intersection of C street & Kettner Blvd.) for approximately $11/person round-trip. The coaster ride took 50 minutes and is highly recommended.

The coaster train itself is clean and safe (spoke with a policeman on board). Most passengers appeared to be commuting to work. Not only is it clean, economical, and fast (few stops, adheres uncompromisingly to the published schedule, and avoids freeway congestion), the coaster ride offers spectacular views of the California coastline (see pictures). Be sure, however, to gather your stuff and exit promptly when you arrive at your destination since they open and close doors very quickly!

After arriving at the Carlsbad Village coaster station, our family took a taxi to Legoland for about $15 including tip. During our ride, we asked the taxi driver how much it would cost to taxi directly from Legoland to downtown San Diego. He indicated that the approximate fare would be $75 (one way) and would take about an hour. Based on this information, I would definitely recommend the coaster.

My daughter and I felt safe enough on the coaster to go alone the next day. On this trip, we found out that the round-trip coaster fare includes a free transfer to the Breeze Bus #344 at Carlsbad Village Station, saving us the taxi fare. The bus stop is right outside the coaster station, on the other side of the trains. You just need to save your validated coaster ticket to give to the bus driver. The bus trip took about 20 minutes, and they drop you off right at the front entrance to Legoland.

I would suggest calling 1-800-COASTER (coaster stops/times) and 1-800-COMMUTE (bus routes/times) to verify coaster stops (it doesn’t always stop at every station) AND to verify that you have adequate cushion time to transfer from the coaster to the bus.   Close

During my week long trip to San Diego, I was able to take in several local establishments, from San Diego north to Cardiff. This review is a summary of the highlights a couple of the places Susi and I had the pleasure of experiencing.The Field…Read More

During my week long trip to San Diego, I was able to take in several local establishments, from San Diego north to Cardiff. This review is a summary of the highlights a couple of the places Susi and I had the pleasure of experiencing.

The Field Authentic Irish Pub & Restaurant
544 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, CA
(619) 232-9850

We had a big group get together for dinner and adult beverages during our conference in San Diego. This restaurant did a wonderful job of accommodating our group and providing outstanding service, food and drink! I had an Irish stew (of course) that seemed to be from an authentic recipe direct from Ireland. The meat and vegetables were tender and delicious! This restaurant is located in the Gaslamp Quarter and is about four or five blocks from the San Diego Convention Center.

Lou & Mickey's
224 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 237-4900

Located at the entrance to the Gaslamp Quarter on Fifth Street is Lou and Mickey's. While they are primarily known as an outstanding seafood and steak restaurant, we stopped in to sample their "exotic" cocktails. I had the "Horny Monkey": a blend of vodka, coconut, banana, and pineapple juice that they advertise "will have you swinging from the trees." My friend Susi had the "Witch Doctor": "a devilish twist of banana, fruit juices, and a blend of four island rums."

Attached to this review is a photo of us enjoying the libations. Don't we look like we're having fun? Check out Lou and Mickey's at www.louandmickeys.com.

Cardiff Beach House
2530 S. Hwy. 101
Cardiff, CA
(760) 753-1321

Driving up the Pacific Coast, I settled in on this restaurant located right on the beach. Patrons have the option of dining in or out on the patio with the sea breeze whipping your hair. The waves rolled and added atmosphere as they crashed on the shore.

As I watched the dinners of others pass my table, I found myself very intrigued by the preparation and presentation of each meal. I selected the Pacific Prawns, a jumbo shrimp stuffed with lobster and crab and broiled to perfection. The meal was accompanied by steamed mixed veggies and a potato casserole that was simply wonderful! Salad was à la carte here, so expect to add a few bucks if you enjoy a good salad before your meal.

I would venture to guess that this would be an outstanding restaurant for the special romantic dinner for two. Unfortunately, I was traveling solo, so no candles and romance for me on this night.

NOTE: Because of very limited parking, they do utilize valet parking, which also adds $3 (plus tip) for your dining experience.   Close

I had no idea what I was getting into. Two dive buddies of mine sent me a website link, "Did I know you could dive with a Great White out of San Diego, Ca?" My response after looking at the shark images on this site…Read More

I had no idea what I was getting into. Two dive buddies of mine sent me a website link, "Did I know you could dive with a Great White out of San Diego, Ca?" My response after looking at the shark images on this site was "Let's go!". Four months later we were all boarding the MV Islander for what would be an amazing encounter with the Man In The Grey Suit.

The shark diving is run by an operation called Shark Diver. Patric Douglas is the excited CEO of this company. To say this guy loves shark diving is an understatement. After a 20 hour crossing to Isla Guadalupe we arrived at the Island ready to cage dive with the Big Boys.

Isla Guadalupe is remote, really remote. It's 200 miles into the middle of the Pacific. The water surrounding the island is calm and very blue, so it was a huge surprise when the first Great White shark about (17 feet long) showed up within 10 minutes of our arrival. I mean you expect to have to wait hours to see a Great White. Our group was in the water with this beast in about 30 minutes from the first sighting. I didn't even have time for breakfast!

Great Whites are even more impressive in person. They are simply huge and wicked looking. The Shark Diver staff said this shark had been on site for the past two weeks and had already bumped the cages twice. Luke Tipple, the dive operations Guru on board told us this was just this sharks way of saying "hello". To tell the truth we were all hoping he would not be as friendly with us.

Cage rotations continue all day long for three days. You are in for an hour and out for an hour as another team gets in to see and snap shots of the sharks. The cages are huge. Shark Diver runs with two cages bolted to the back swim step, they are solid, and you can see 360. Even then the Great Whites manage to sneak up on you almost every rotation.

When not diving we were stuffing our faces with great food from Chef Paul in the galley. This guy is big on hearty food, with lots of butter and sauces. It was perfect. There was also a vegan on board who Paul cooked for all week, I tried some of her curry/veg mix one night and it was pretty good!

On the downside these trips take 20 hours to get there and back, in the open ocean. The upside is that this is simply an amazing place to cage dive with Great White sharks. The vessel, the sharks and the company Shark Diver all exceeded my expectations.

Shark Diver and more images and video is located on the web at www.sharkdiver.com

Hell of a way to go shark diving!

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Old Town San Diego is a part of town you can park and walk around. It has quite a few museums, little restaurants, and the famous Whaley House. The area has a lot of neat little stores to browse through. It is a great place…Read More

Old Town San Diego is a part of town you can park and walk around. It has quite a few museums, little restaurants, and the famous Whaley House. The area has a lot of neat little stores to browse through. It is a great place to spend a relaxing day. There is an old saloon, a jailhouse, and a Wells Fargo Stagecoach, among other things. The Whaley House is a haunted house that has been featured on the Travel Channel several times. It is definitely worth going through, and at only $5 a person it will not break your budget. Once you pay you can go through the house as many times as you would like that day and stay as long as you want. Some of the Whaley family actual artifacts are on display here. I saw no ghosts, but who knows what will show up in the pictures!!! This is a neat area and and a must see if in San Diego.   Close