Today we started out the day and finished it at Balboa Park. First, we headed to the Automotive museum just after it opened to get up-close looks at cars from around the world, from every era. There was a big Nissan/Datsun exhibit going on, with several old 70s and 80s models that harkened back to my childhood. Andy had been to this museum before about seven years ago, and commented that he did not remember it being so small! You could see almost the whole thing from the front door. Oh well, we're here to see cars, and Alton would not be interested in a Guggenheim-sized place, anyway.
Andy and Alton at the museum when we first arrived.
This museum also had a small children's section with vehicles they could sit on, in stark relief to the big warehouse-style room full of ones they weren't allowed to touch! Even Andy was having a hard time with that. First, Alton and Daddy posed on a motorbike.
There was also a Frankenstein-ed vintage looking car, which one of the docents said he just cobbled together from parts for the kids to "drive." Alton felt so special to be in the driver's seat.
An old crank-start.
Alton illegally perches on this running board for a photo-op.
The two "AJ"s found a motorcycle with their initials on it.
When Alton saw this Ferrari, he said, "I drive this car." Here he uses his arms to demonstrate how!
And after all that, what was he most in love with? The Hot Wheels car we bought him at the gift shop.
After returning home for lunch and nap, we packed up a scrumptious picnic dinner and headed BACK to Balboa park for one of their thrice-weekly free concerts. While attending the "concert in the park" scene last Sunday in Coronado, we had major food envy to everyone around us; we had leftover chicken sandwiches and carrot sticks, and most of the other attendees had appetizers, wine, entrees, desserts...one fella walked in with two pizza boxes and a Stella Artois, and I considered asking to be his friend. So this time we came prepared for a much more fancy spread and brought caprese salad, a baguette and hummus, goat cheese and prosciutto, and even iced down some little champagne splits. (Even though alcohol is not allowed in public places in CA, and probably not in most public parks, there was clearly a major "don't ask, don't tell" policy in effect during the Coronado event.)
Well, we got it wrong again. Pretty much no one had food. Most people were toting water bottles and that was all--we saw a very few sodas and one bag of Pirate's Booty. And we were in the middle of it with our Ina Garten-worthy spread. Not only that, but there were signs as we entered prohibiting both alcohol AND glass bottles. I got around this dilemma by ducking the mini bottle of Moet inside our tote bag with a plastic cup, pouring the booze into the cup with the bag covering my hands, and then bestowing Andy with his glass of "Fresca.". Okay, so maybe I wasn't the stealthiest ever, but at least I didn't show our neighbors anything they would feel obligated to report! Below, Alton and I are ready for dinner.
The concert was held at the Organ Pavilion in the park--here Andy poses in front of part of the semicircular stage area.
I was looking forward to a relaxing dinner outdoors with music, and even more so once the sun made a rare appearance in the late afternoon, but was happiest about getting to meet up with my cousin Louise! I had not seen her in more than a year, save for a pitifully-brief visit over Christmas dinner. An accomplished woman in all things related to sewing and apparel, Louise does a lot of work for theater companies, and has spent the last three summers working with the company housed right in Balboa Park. She was able to get off of work and simply stroll over to meet us! We had a really nice time catching up (the dixieland combo, I'm afraid, just provided a background soundtrack for all our chatter), and while we ladies were absorbed in each other, Alton kept Andy busy by running around the pavilion with a new friend! A family nearby had a little girl just about Alton's age, and the two of them giggled, chased each other, and mimicked one another's daring activities, like kicking a bush. After a week being away from home, Alton is clearly missing his cousin and other toddler friends back home. Cousin Louise did manage to grab him for a quick picture, though.
Tomorrow....We'll see!
Yes, as of tomorrow afternoon we will have been here a whole week! We have had a very fun and relaxing time so far exploring, biking, (eating), operating with no schedule, and generally enjoying having all three of us "off" and together every day.
Today we were gearing up for an ambitious ride: 10 miles down the strand and back--wow! The weather, however, had other plans. After an overcast arrival, we basked in two days of sun here before the skies turned cloudy and have resolutely stayed that way. Several southern CA residents we've encountered joked that we "brought the weather down" from Oregon with us, each comedian thinking his material was both hilarious AND original. Har har. When this happens, we grit our teeth and make the correction that actually, it's currently 80 degrees and sunny in our hometown. Translation: What the frick is your problem, San Diego? You would not think that a late-July summer vacation in SD would involve planning around rain, but this morning when we got geared up for our marathon ride adventure, we rode about two blocks before we realized that the morning "mist" was so heavy that we'd be drenched in a matter of minutes. We headed home to wait it out, but when the mist thickened into an actual drizzle, we moved on to Plan B. This turned out to be going to downtown SD, walking around the Historic Gaslamp District, and going to Horton Plaza shopping mall to buy Alton a new sweatshirt (because, silly us, we thought one thin little hoodie would be enough for the trip!).
Our first stop was Starbucks, where we sat outside and admired passing bitty, crumb-eating birds while Alton munched a bagel. After awhile, he decided that HE wanted to be the one to leave a treat for his feathered friends, so he prized a small chunk off his bagel and left it on the pavement a little ways away from our seats. After a minute of watching, he had a "taker"! A small hopping bird who made a valiant effort but could not finish Alton's generous bagel crumb. Below you see Altie the Birdwatcher.
We then moved on to our original destination: a children's clothing store for Alton's new sweatshirt, so that he is not wearing the same sandy, food-decorated one every day! (Our pictures from the trip are starting to look like they are all from the same day! Or at the very least, like we never change his clothes.) He poses for you in the new duds.
Then we were ready for a stroll around the Gaslamp, which today is home to more shopping, restaurants and bars, and is only steps away from the San Diego Convention Center, which this weekend is hosting the International Comic-Con! In case you are unfamiliar, Comic-Con is a conference celebrating the "popular arts," as their advertising banners proscribed, including everything from comic books to sci-fi to all manner of gaming. Yes, some of them dress up. We were hoping desperately to run into a Darth Vader on the street or something, but the most we saw were groups of three or four people wearing t-shirts with sayings of various dorkitude. (I assume that since most of these shirts were selected to be as thematically nerdy as possible, it is not an insult to refer to their self-inflicted fashion decisions as "dorkitude.")
At any rate, no Sith Lord costumes for us, but we did run into a small courtyard with a statue of "Bum," who was a sort of happy-go-lucky ownerless mascot dog of San Diego in the 19th century. Alton thought he looked like fun.
We grabbed lunch and headed home for Alton's nap, plotting that we'd "best" the weather by going to the beach anyway, in the afternoon when the overcast cloud cover is at its warmest. Well, it was comfortable enough to be on the beach, but the water was unfortunately too cold for anything. Alton and Andy tossed the frisbee on dry land instead.
After their display of athleticism, Alton was ready for snacks, and devoured the strawberries I'd brought along. Note his little strawberry chin underneath his capacious sun hat.
We eventually meandered home to fix dinner in our beach cottage, where we enjoyed hamburgers, roasted potatoes, and sauteed zucchini we purchased yesterday at the farmer's market. Yum! Tomorrow's plan: another concert in the park, this time in Balboa Park with my cousin Louise!
The daily blog has been a great way thus far for me to keep track of the days of our trip, and to remind me to take pictures of all of our adventures along the way. Admittedly, the photo quality is not optimal because they are on a phone rather than a camera, but still surprisingly good! I have my cousin Matt to thank for my connectivity on this trip, because not only did he give me his barely-used iPhone when he got the newest one, but he made sure I had it before our trip so that I could use it while we were away. Since we did not bring a computer with us because of luggage overload, the "smart" phone allows me to take photos, upload them to the blogs I write, and then send out my email updates to you, all without having to visit a public library or internet cafe (do such things as internet cafes even exist in the US any more?) with camera data readers and SD cards in hand. Whew!
But do not worry that I am spending our whole vacation chronicling our vacation. With Alton's long daily nap and early bedtime, Andy and I have several relaxing hours each day to pass quietly in the beach cottage, reading, or writing emails, or making activity plans. Otherwise, we are out and about doing fun things.
For today's doings, we first met a friend (one who is new to the area) for breakfast, and Alton was literally doing a hand-over-hand rip 'n tear gulping session with his buttermilk pancake. I think he finished it in about two minutes; it was like watching Minerva (or any Labrador) eat her kibble. He was doing a pretty good job of making it look like we never feed him, despite the fact that this meal was his second breakfast, hobbit-fashion.
Below is a photo of the boys in front of our rental house. The gate behind Alton is a cherished part of any activity to him, needing as it does for a helper of just his size to open and close it with any family departure or arrival. Other things that fall into this category: pressing crosswalk buttons, "locking" the front door, and begging to press the green "Okay" button on any transaction pinpad.
Today (Tuesday) is the day of the Coronado farmer's market, conveniently located at the ferry landing and just a few blocks from our house. We set off in the overcast but warm afternoon with bits and bobs of cash in hand to score some fresh produce.
Although the market boasted only a dozen stands or so, maybe a quarter or fewer of what you'd find at one of the THREE weekly farmer's markets in Hillsboro, this market offered such warm weather favorites as California avocados and heirloom tomatoes, the latter of which have yet to make their appearance in Oregon after our long, cold, wet spring. The strawberries looked delicious, too!
After the market, we headed toward home, but were waylaid by a spontaneous detour into a cute local bistro! Andy had read online that it was a great spot for dessert and drinks, which is exactly what we ordered, along with a well-balanced charcuterie plate. We biked earlier this morning, I swear! Andy ordered a sparkling glass of Prosecco, with which he and Alton toast you as they bid you adieu, for now.
This morning called for another family morning bike ride--with all the special vacation treats that are calling to us, like ice cream and margaritas, we are trying to compensate with physical activity. This time we swung by a bagel shop (see? More treats!) a little ways downtown in Coronado to help us get a better lay of the land.
After our breakfast, we rode out along the Silver Strand bike path again, and I was surprised this time when I was the pacesetter, instead of being the one panting in Andy's wake (and Alton's; Andy has the baby seat on his rental bike). We soon found out the reason for this: Andy had a flat tire! We rode carefully back toward town and parted ways at a little park off the highway--Andy and Alton hit the swingset, and I biked home alone to fetch our rental car and drive back, hoping the whole way that all three of us PLUS the bike would squeeze into the hatchback. When I returned to the park, Andy began dismantling the busted bike while I amused Alton at the beachside park, which overlooked the Bay and had glimpses of downtown San Diego visible through the morning mist. It was in this moment that Alton made his first joke! I was vigorously brushing off his hands and clothes from all the beach sand he'd been happily kicking up while he and Daddy waited for me to return. I said, "Look at you! You are covered in sand; what a sandy boy." He pointed out across the water to the distant high-rise buildings and corrected, "I'm not Sandy Altie; that's San Diego!" Well, I bubbled with laughter at this extremely clever little pun he concocted (surely a punning two-year-old is ridiculously gifted, right?), and we hustled right over to Daddy to let him in on the joke.
Laundry, nap, fix the bike, great Mexican food, beers with a friend of Andy's from college. Another great day!
Another eventful day on our trip! Needing some exercise, we got going early for a misty, marine-layered morning bike ride through the town of Coronado and along the Silver Strand. After our workout, we drove over to Balboa Park, a huge park and center in San Diego that is home to the zoo, greenspace, and museums. Today we met Andy's friend Ryan, who was in the area from NorCal, and went to the Air & Space museum. Ryan was a perfect docent for the trip, coming from a long line of aviation aficionados and holding a private pilot's license of his own. Alton went excitedly (in his usual sweet and serious face way, of course) from plane to plane, taking in WWI & II, astronaut paraphernalia, and a fun kids' activity zone.
He poses in a kid-sized craft.
Daddy tries on an astronaut helmet for Alton.
You can't tell in this picture, but they are playing with a remote control helicopter.
After a quick lunch and Alton's nap, the three of us Rhynes decided to hop back on the bikes and head to a nearby "concert in the park" with a picnic dinner. Alton happily munched strawberries and other packable edibles while the grandmotherly types around us on the grass smiled and told us how cute he is.
He and Daddy happily grooving to the music, which was a sort of "soft rock" collection of Jimmy Buffett, Beach Boys, and other classic summer tunes. A wonderful evening!
Today we had visitors coming, with no time to waste! Claire, Scott, and Holly, college friends of mine who have become great friends of ours over the years, were coming from their SoCal homes to visit us in Coronado for the day. We had big plans to hit the beach and hang out. Once we got their ETA, we calculated that we had enough time to go to the bike rental shop and snap up a one-week rental of two adult bikes, one with a baby seat on the back for Alton. The little guy, naturally, was most interested in the unusual bike and surrey rentals available at the shop. He was giddy over this four-wheel pedal car because he thought he'd finally gotten to sit in a real ATV.
With locks and helmets in hand (we even brought Alton's helmet from home in case they didn't carry one small enough, which appeared to be the case), we dashed home and packed up a brief sandwich lunch before pedaling to the beach and coinciding our arrival just before our friends'. It was great to get to bike to the beach: short ride, avoided the seaward-bound traffic I'd gotten stuck in while driving the day before, and although parking at the bike rack was getting tight, it was available and right at the entrance to the sand, no block-circling required!
We had a great time introducing a tentative Alton to the water, tossing the frisbee for him, and splashing a bit. We dashed home to put him down for his nap and snacked and caught up with our friends. After waking up refreshed, Alton had a little playtime (Holly brought him a present: farm-themed Duplos! He loved them and she considerately chose toys with small, light pieces, knowing that we wouldn't have been able to bring many toys for him OR have a lot of room to bring ones home. What a sweetie!), then caught an early dinner before our friends hit the highway. He cracked up at the silly faces Scott made to him from across the table and made some back. At one point while we waited for our food, I picked up one of Alton's crayons and began writing on his kids' menu, asking him to say the letters aloud: H-O-L-L-Y. I told him it spelled Holly. Then I began a new word, and got as far as C-L-A-I-R when Alton proudly said, "Claire!" Smartypants can read?! On the sunny walk to the restaurant and back, Alton made it clear who was #1 in his eyes (although he also insisted on holding hands with Claire after this picture was taken).
Andy, Alton and I are on vacation! The first significant getaway the three of us have had together. After two years of living in Oregon and squirreling most of our vacation time to take a long Christmas break, we decided that it was time for a trio trip. Somewhere warm and beachy. With lots to do. Easy to get to. Doesn't cost too much. We scanned our options and decided we'd get the most bang for our buck in San Diego! Coronado Island, to be exact. Since our flights and rental car would be more economical than, say, Hawaii, we opted for a short term home rental to give ourselves more space and a kitchen for our two week break. We found a cute two-bedroom cottage mere blocks from the ferry building and the Bay, a mile across the island from the ocean and one of the top 10 beaches in the US. We'd have a little deck and backyard for hanging out, and with Alton still taking a long midday nap (hoo, hope he keeps that up!), the separate bedrooms would give us freedom to pass that time doing things other than sitting frozen on the bed, which is what we'd be doing in a standard hotel room.
We arrived yesterday and the cottage is indeed adorable. Sort of "granny chic" decor, made possible (according to the owner) by thrift stores and Ikea, which makes things cute but comfy, so that you aren't constantly worried about messing up an antique from an actual granny.
The place is not without its quirks. Although the cupboards are stocked with dishes, pots and pans, small appliances and even some pantry staples, a thorough search has turned up not a single potholder for use with the cooking of the hot things. An alcove beneath the sink is home to a bevy of poisonous household cleaning supplies, but is only sealed off by a ruffly curtain! Shh, don't tell Alton about that--I'm still figuring out where in the house of no storage space I will allocate this stuff to, but for now he hasn't found it!
We have had a pleasant 24 hours settling in. Today we got to explore the little plaza at the ferry pier before Alton crashed for his nap and I betook myself to the Hotel del Coronado for a pricey pedicure in celebration of my 25 pound weight loss achievement! As I have mentioned before, Andy and I are doing a home weight watchers program together to lose weight, and since we are not paying to be in the "real" program and go to meetings, we put that money toward rewarding our milestones (and we treat ourselves to better stuff than those little bookmarks you get at WW).
We are definitely staying on track for eating and living healthy during our vacation, though. We compiled a shopping list as soon as we got to town, hitting all three grocery stores on the island to get what we needed (who knew we were so spoiled in Oregon with so many healthy, natural, and organic products to choose from? Think of that the next time you make a comment about your secluded, Amish Rhyne friends up north, hmm?) and immediately set about making a fresh, whole wheat pasta primavera for our dinner, congratulating ourselves on how organized we were to prioritize our weight management over doing the easy thing and ordering pizza, even though we were just hours into town.
Of course...we were also making the dinner effort to counterbalance the In-n-Out burgers we'd had for lunch.
We hosted Alexa and Brian in town last weekend, eager to get outside in the warm (hot) weather and hit a u-pick berry farm! We decided to try a nearby place that I'd never been to before, a farm and field that are not only u-pick, but self-serve. Yes, you enter through a gate that gets locked at night, pick all you want, and on your way out stop at a dusty, unmanned kiosk that has an old-fashioned scale and a money box. Totally on the honor system to pay for what you take--how wonderful is it that a concept like this is still in practice? The blueberry bushes were picturesque; widely-spaced rows of bushes covered with fat berries the size of grapes. We came prepared with a few empty pint boxes, a cardboard flat, and a bucket...and had to ask Andy to grab some of the reusable grocery sacks from the car, because we were filling our berry receptacles to overflowing! There were raspberry bushes on site, too, and after we'd picked (what we later found out to be) more than 10 pounds of berries, we kept murmuring things like, "Oh, we should move on to raspberries...", "I guess we've picked enough by now...", and "Yeah, let's get going...." But we were far too busy stuffing our mouths with juicy, sun-kissed blueberries to pull up stakes and move a few rows over. By the time we hit the raspberries, we were glad that we'd picked and eaten our berry fill, because the raspberry bushes nearest to us were unpruned, wild bushes with little prickles and overripe, shrunken berries. Meh.
We paid (properly) for our haul, rinsed our berries at home and divided them into bags for freezing and eating. Alton was overjoyed, because he loves blueberries, and hasn't gotten enough of them for the past few days. Several times he is snacking so voraciously that he winds up with bits of blueberry skin covering one of his front teeth, giving him a charming Hayseed appearance.
When we arrive at the berry farm, Alton is still carrying his snack cup full of crackers.
He holds on tightly to Brian ("B" or Bee), one of the coolest dudes ever in Alton's eyes.
The barns on the property (and the fields that I'm surprised didn't have me wishing that I'd shot the Claritin up intravenously that morning).
Alton discards his snack cup and settles in with his very own pint basket.
He proceeds as follows: sidle up to one of the adults and request some berries for his little basket, then eat them all. Repeat until entire body turns blue from the inside out.
You can already see berry stains around his lips.
This time it's Alexa who gets to fill Alton's pint basket.
Thanks for the hard-earned berries, Lex!
The munching never stops.
The berries were so ripe that I could hold my berry flat underneath a branch and gently tap the berries to make them fall into it.
The Scarfer returns.
He gets Bee to fill his bucket. Mmm.
After awhile, Alton, Brian and Andy take some time away from the berry bushes to check out the goat pen on the property.
The aforementioned self-serve "checkout."
Berry Boy saunters back to the bushes for more.
He now knows that Brian is his food source.
Bushes loaded with fruit!
Alton traipses with us one more time, checking out the raspberries before he gets swallowed by rogue branches.
Look closely; he's waving goodbye!
