Adventures in San Diego - May 2007

California....
California......
HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, well, we're back.

I have a few things to tell you - so read on, my friends!

PART ONE - California - here we come!

Every year, my family (Rob, Austin and I) make at least one trip to San Diego. It's about 5 or 6 hours from Phoenix - so not a bad drive at all. This year, like every other, we hit the beach, rode beach cruisers, hit some shops, restaurants and Birch Aquarium.

This year, my friend and her family were also there, so it was an added bonus to hang out with them too.

PART TWO - El Cajon Blvd

If you have already heard this story, I apologize for repeating it. Again. But, I have to tell it.

If you have ever been to California, you know that the freeway system is NOT like the one we have here in Phoenix (although, I guess that would also require you to have been to Phoenix. Well, just know that in Phoenix, we have a grid system. In San Diego - Not really.)

Anyway, we had been out one night and I had to drive us back to the hotel, which was in La Mesa (it's cheaper to stay outside of San Diego). I figured I would just reverse the MapQuest directions I had made to go from our hotel to our friends place to get home. Seems simple enough, right?

This was how I saw it: When we were heading West into San Diego, our exit to get to the hotel was El Cajon Blvd. So, it would stand to reason that when coming back from the beach - heading East - we would also take El Cajon Blvd. Right?

Wrong! If you do that like I did, you will end up in the City of El Cajon which is past the City of La Mesa. And, if you do this at 11:30 at night with a passanger who has had his share of spirits, it's a little frightening. I got off the freeway and was placed in the center of a business district type street and was not sure which way to go. There was little traffic - I was convinced that any car I did see held criminals. I kept my hat down low, and my body language as cool as I could. We made so many turns, trying to figure out which way to go that I was sure we were going to have to stop in some deserted lot and sleep in the car until we could see. I knew that if I could just find the ocean, I could figure it out. But, not in the dark.

Somehow, and while laughing at my nervousness, Rob managed to help me get back to the I-5 and back to the freeway headed West. Granted, I did have to drive up the off ramp at one point to get to where I needed to be, but at that point, I didn't care.

My only consolation was that the following night while Rob was driving, he did exactly the same thing and ended up where I had the night before. This time, we were prepared for it.

CONCLUSION

I can't wait for my next trip to San Diego. Beaches, here we come!