San Diego and Spooky season

I spent most of the last week in San Diego, without the girls, for a work conference.  Since I had never been to San Diego before, I flew in on Saturday, a day earlier than I needed to arrive, so that I could explore. 

Normally, for a trip like this I would have had every detail planned before arriving so that I wouldn't miss anything.  But this year, I just don't have it in me to plan details.  It's just not something my brain can handle right now.  So I went with a basic idea of what I wanted to see and a rough timeline.  That was just going to have to be enough.

The zoo was not originally where I thought I'd be on the day of my arrival, but, with it's proximity to the hotel where I stayed on my first night in town, it made the most sense.  So after grabbing lunch nearby, I headed to the zoo to explore.

 

Upon the recommendation of someone who has visited the zoo, I immediately got in line to take the free bus tour.  It was a good way to learn some interesting facts about the zoo, to get the lay of the land, and to see some animals along the way.  The California condor was pretty cool to see. 

After the tour, I started to explore on foot.  I was excited to get a glimpse of the Tasmanian Devil and some close-up views of the Koalas.

The hippos were also a favorite, although they were mainly under water.

I spent over three hours walking around and seeing as much as I could see, and I saw a lot.  This is an amazing zoo and well worth a visit if you're in San Diego.   I was really glad I had made the time to check it out, and kept thinking the whole time just how much Fiona would love it.  Maybe someday we'll visit it together. 

After a long day of travel and my visit to the zoo, I was exhausted and ready to get back to my room for some rest.  I was happy to make it back in time to watch the big U of M vs.  MSU rivalry game.  I picked up some dinner nearby during halftime and went to bed as soon as the game was over.  It had been a long, busy day.

I woke up at 4:30am on Sunday and patiently waited for breakfast at the hotel to start at 7am.  Then, I packed up my stuff and got an Uber to the hotel where I'd be staying the rest of the week for my conference.  I was happy to learn that they had a room available to me at 8am so that I could get settled in before heading out to explore the area nearby.

After unpacking, I headed out for a walk along the Embarcadero to see what I could find.

It was a nice quiet walk along the waterfront and I enjoyed the trees, flowers, and quirky sights along the way.  And there were lots of people out walking their dogs.  I even got to say hello to a few of them.

Of course a trip to San Diego wouldn't be complete without a stop to see the USS Midway and this famous statue. 

I also stopped at the Bob Hope Memorial nearby before continuing my walk.

When it was time for lunch, I made the walk to nearby Little Italy to check out the Crack Shack.  

I enjoyed my lunch there while watching the planes flying overhead on their arrival to the airport.  They were flying so close over head it was a little scary.  

After getting some food and hydration, I was ready to explore some more, so I took an Uber to Old Town Historic State Park.

The Festival of the Day of the Dead was in full force, which was really interesting to see.

I found a short, quiet trail to walk before heading through the very busy part of the park and Old Town.

I loved all of the statues and the ofrendas,  the beautiful marigolds, and the vibrancy of this celebration. 

Before leaving Old Town,  I walked down to the small cemetery there and found a small marker on the sidewalk marking a gravesite.  There were several of these along the sidewalk, which I thought was a bit sad.

I was fascinated by this tiny cemetery.  It was a celebration of those who have passed before us.

At this point, I was exhausted from a really long and busy day, and I decided to Uber back to the hotel to relax.   I had walked over 6 miles at this point in the day and I needed a break.  I arrived back at my hotel shortly before 2pm.  

I didn't think I'd add any additional exploration to my day, but I discovered that the hotel had a free shuttle to Coranado Island and the beach there, so I did a little research to find out more.  By the time I figured out the bus schedule, I had missed the 2pm bus.  But that was okay because it gave me an hour to rest before catching the 3pm bus.

I thought I'd check out the area, take a walk on the beach,  and then grab the 4:30pm bus back to the hotel.  I so enjoyed my time walking along the water and looking for shells to bring home to show Fiona.  I also couldn't help but think how much the girls would have loved it here too.

Finally, I sat down and just enjoyed the beach and the sound of the waves...and decided I'd stay until the final shuttle for the day left at 5:30.

I loved my time at the beach so much.  It was the perfect spot to end my busy Sunday of adventures.   

As the clock moved closer to 5:30, I slowly started meandering to the shuttle pickup location. 

I found this interesting piece of history as I waited for the bus.  This excursion had been a fantastic way to end my day.

And I was happy to be back in my room in time for this beautiful sunset.   What a day I had had in San Diego!

I was up at 4am on Monday with nothing to do until 10am.  I felt well-rested and just sat in my room enjoying this view and relaxing until sunrise.

Once the sun was up, I got ready to walk to nearby Lucky's Lunch Counter for breakfast.  I sat outside and enjoyed my breakfast burrito and met several friendly dogs there too.

Then I took a walk around Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.

And I found a dog park at the back of the stadium!  Of course I stopped to say hello to the pups there.  No one at the conference who knew me was surprised that I had found this spot.

Finally, I walked back to my hotel and stopped to check out the Dole banana boat.

And then I headed up to my room to check in with Nicol and talk to Fiona before getting ready to start my work day.

This was a very large conference for us, and I had a long day ahead.  I knew I'd be busy all day, but when I found out that my work spot for most of the day would include this view,  I was pretty happy.

After hours of general sessions and breakouts, a marketplace and lots of talking to lots of people, my day finally ended at 7pm, and I was ready to head to my room for a quiet night.

After changing into my shorts, I headed downstairs to grab a couple of things from the convenience store, and I decided to walk out to check out the pool.  There was no one there, so I stuck my feet into the pool for a bit, and then moved over to sit on the edge of the hot tub with my feet soaking in the warm water.   It was peaceful and I enjoyed just sitting there for a bit.  But I was exhausted from a long day and so soon I headed back to my room for a good night's rest.

Tuesday was another long day, with my workday starting at 6:30am.  We had a short break at 5pm before our evening event, and I got out for a nice walk.

Then, as the sun set, I started my walk back to the hotel.

And then made the short walk to our special evening event. 

After a very long day of work, I finally made it back to my room around 9:30, and headed to bed!  Thankfully, Wednesday would be a much shorter day.

Wednesday morning my day started at 7:30, but the conference was over by 11am.  I stuck around to see some friends and some of my counterparts from other parts of the country who were arriving for their conference to end the week.  But by noon, I was in my room and ready to relax.  

I grabbed quick lunch close by and walked around the Gaslamp Quarter before heading back to the hotel.

While I had originally had some loose plans for the afternoon, I decided instead that I'd just take the shuttle back to the beach on Coranado Island for a relaxing beach walk.

I only had about an hour to spend, but I'm so glad that I went.  I love the beach so much and it was just what I needed.

When I got back to the hotel, I had to quickly change for an evening Harbor cruise we'd be taking.

It was a three hour cruise with delicious food, good conversations with our advisors, and beautiful views.   The weather was perfect, and I thought it was the perfect way to end my final evening in San Diego.

I had an 11:45 flight on Thursday morning, and I was up early like I had been all week.  I had time to pack before sunrise which gave me time to get out for a walk before I left town.  But before my walk, I had to head down to the conference to visit with a friend.  

I got in a nice two miles before I had to checkout and then I grabbed an Uber to take me to pick up breakfast before heading to the airport.

I certainly was sad to say goodbye to this view, but I was ready to get home to the girls.

I was so happy that Taco Centro was open for breakfast  because they honestly had the best tacos I have ever eaten.  I was happy to get to eat here twice. It was so good!

After a quick breakfast,  I was off to the airport.  

Security went smoothly and before I knew it, we were boarding the plane and headed home!  

When we landed, I was off to get the girls from Canine College, thankful for their latch key program that allows for pickup until 9pm.  I got there around 8pm, and we were reunited amd in the car headed for home.  I was so happy to get some love from my favorite girls!

Friday, the girls were still exhausted from their 6 days of doggy care, and they both happily slept in while I worked.  Mina didn't move from her bed until almost 1130am!

I worked a half day so that I could get the girls out for some fun.  I had missed the woods and walking with them and was ready to spend some time outside.

We had a beautiful drive.  While most of the area is past peak for fall colors, there were still plenty of beautiful trees.  Some pops of red and orange were sprinkled around the yellows, browns, and golds that are prevalent this time of year.  While I don't love fall, I certainly would miss it if I lived somewhere that didn't experience all of the beauty we are lucky enough to see here in Michigan. 

We visited the NCT section where the Chief Noonday Chapter hosts a storybook walk and it was the perfect spot to get into the woods and enjoy a nice fall day. It really is a beautiful section of the trail.

The colors were beautiful, and we had a lovely 2.7 mile hike, leaving us just 7.9 miles until we reach our 100 miles this year.  I think we'll be done by Thanksgiving if all goes well.

Then we headed back to Lansimg where I had to run some errands.  Most importantly,  I needed a pumpkin to carve for Halloween!  

I got my errands completed and my pumpkin carved in plenty of time and we sat down to rest  bit before trick-or-treating began.

We had 32 kids show up and overall had a pretty good Halloween.   The girls were excellent and I was happy that we were able to enjoy our Halloween evening at home.

 

While I was at Horrocks buying my pumpkin,  I also picked up some flowers which we'd be using to celebrate my dad on Saturday.  I loved having these in my house overnight. 

On Saturday morning, I loaded the girls into the car for a ride to Mason.  We stopped for a bit at a geocaching event there before I had to get to the shelter for our Saturday morning dog walk.

The weather was beautiful for November 1st, and we had a great walk with four very nice dogs.  I think everyone was happy to be out enjoying the morning. 

The girls waited patiently in the car while I walked dogs, and then we headed home where I quickly fed them lunch, changed, and then got back in the car to head to Oakley. 

On this beautiful fall afternoon,  we finally laid my dad to rest in his final resting place at the Ridge Road Cemetery.   Mom, Mark and I, Nicol, Tyler, and Fiona, Robin, Sidnee, Mason, and Brezlyn, all together to celebrate my dad one final time.

After each we said a few words and shared stories and much laughter, Mom, Mark. and I placed his ashes, and then each of us took a turn, oldest to youngest, to place a shovel full of dirt in the hole.  Little Fiona didn't want to use the shovel, but happily joined in by throwing a handful of dirt on top.  Then we finished filling hole and left our flowers with dad.  It was a perfect celebration.

Afterward we all went to lunch together.  Then we ended the day at mom and dad's house.  I got the girls out for some exploration, and Mom and Fiona joined me for awhile. It was fun to explore my old childhood yard through Fiona's eyes.  She really loves nature.  

We ended the day with ice cream before I had to head home.  I saw a beautiful sunset, our final  6;30pm sunset of the year, on my drive, and we got home just after dark.  It had been a long day, but filled with love and good memories.

For the first time in over a week, I slept in this morning, clearly exhausted by the previous week and all I had done.  I took full advantage of daylight savings time ending and our extra hour!  Thankfully, the girls did too.

We got out for a quick visit with some fellow geocachers late this morning and then had a walk around this little park in Webberville.  Now we're home watching the Lions game.

I have one more fun Halloween themed event tonight with Nicol, Tyler, and Fiona at Glenlore Trails.  Nicol is making us dinner before we head to the event, and I'm very much looking forward to it.  Fiona is very excited, but sad that Halloween is over.   She's said she can't wait until she is four and it's Halloween again.  I won't get home until late again, and then the crazy whirlwind of work and life continues tomorrow.   

I have loved this month of the spooky season, but Im looking forward to the month of giving thanks, and hopefully, someday, things will start to slow down.  I hope you all have a wonderful week.