Sunny San Diego

Alison and I got up this morning and got packed for our trip. CC would have really liked to come along, but we figured it would be better if we left her home. We went over to Blake and Debbie’s to pick up Debbie and get a ride to the airport. Blake dropped us off. After a nice short flight we arrived (so much better than the one to New York.)


This trip has been planned for a while. We booked it back in January. Blake and Debbie had some RCI points that needed to be used and we found availability at the hotel we are staying at in San Diego. It is the Gaslamp Plaza Suites. It is a boutique hotel originally built in the early 1900s. It is very historical. In fact, it was the first skyscraper in San Diego. It is old in a cool sort of way. The rooms are nice, but the best part is the location. It is right in the middle of everything.


We dropped off our bags and walked over to Petco Park for the ballgame (a few blocks from our hotel). The Padres were playing the Giants. Because I served my mission in the bay area we were pulling for the Giants to win.  We were really early to the ballpark so we didn’t have to wait in any lines. Plus it was a sunglasses giveaway at the ballpark so we all got free San Diego sunglasses. San Diego has a really nice ballpark. After you go through security there is a wide-open park-like area where you can walk around. It is really nice.  The one thing that was kind of strange is there isn’t one large concourse that allows you to walk around the stadium. Instead, you have to navigate the various levels and ramps to get around. We were disappointed batting practice was canceled and we weren’t able to get any player’s signatures. Instead, we grabbed some lunch. Alison and I went to Hodad’s, which is a popular local burger place. It was really tasty. They have the best fries. Debbie found some Mexican food. She loves her Mexican food. After lunch, we explored the park. Alison and I bought a San Diego baseball. One of our goals is to visit every MLB ballpark and buy a baseball from each one. This trip crosses one more ballpark off our list.





The game itself was a lot of fun. We were sitting out behind right field, which gave us a great view of the game. Alison kept score like she normally does. One of my favorite moments in the game was when Debbie realized the Padres mascot was a friar. She turned to me and said; “Now I get why those guys were wearing dresses. They were dressed as friars.” It was pretty funny. We sure love Debbie and we are grateful she puts up with us dragging her to baseball games. The only problem with sitting by right field was the sun. It was pretty warm when the game started so I got Debbie and Alison each a giant lemonade. They were nice and cold but didn’t last too long. Fortunately, we had some cloud cover so it wasn’t too hot. By the fifth inning, our cloud cover was gone and we were sweltering. We decided we couldn’t take it anymore so we moved up to a shady part of the grandstand for the remainder of the game. It was a tie game until the Padres went to their bullpen in the sixth inning. After that San Francisco’s offense exploded. They ended up beating the Padres 7-1.




After the game, we regrouped and cooled off at the hotel before heading next door to get some food at the Melting Pot. We saw a sign for half off fondue during happy hour and we couldn’t pass that up. We ended up getting cheese and chocolate fondue. Both were excellent. The best part however was the service. We became fast friends with the manager. She told us all about her favorite things to do in San Diego. She was so nice. It really made our experience extra special.


Next, we drove out to the San Diego temple. Of all the temples the church has built this is the one I wanted to see the most. I am so glad we got to see it. It is truly as beautiful as everyone says. It is absolutely grand. I was a little surprised by how small the grounds were (especially compared to the temple) and that they didn’t have a visitor’s center on-site. We snapped a few pictures and talked to a senior couple that is serving their mission at the temple. They were so nice and it turns out they knew a bunch of the people from Ephraim that we know. It is such a small world.






Our last stop of the day was La Jolla beach because it would be a shame to be surrounded by beaches and not step foot on one. This one was really pretty. We got there just in time to watch the sunset. It was so beautiful. We walked along the beach until we were tired. As soon as the sunset Alison said since the sun was in bed it was time for her to go to bed too. So we called it a night.





It was a great first day in San Diego. Tomorrow promises to bring many new adventures.

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