Helen and I are settling in nicely at Fiddler’s Cove RV Park on Coronado Bay. The view is remarkable, and the weather is even better. We’ve had nothing but clear skies and temperatures in the mid-’70s. Of course, we have the added benefit of no humidity in Southern California…quite a change from Eastern Tennessee.
Another benefit of camping in Coronado is that our son and his family are about two hours north of us. We will spend much time with them in the coming weeks, but we couldn’t wait that long, so we arranged to meet for a full-day outing in Oceanside, CA, about halfway between us.
Justin (son), Abby, and Carter drove down early on a Saturday morning. Unfortunately, Wendy, our daughter-in-law, had to work that day and could not join us. We met up at the Oceanside Pier, then walked to “Hello Betty” for an early lunch. It was fantastic to see the grandchildren—they have grown so much and too fast!
Lunch was fun but filling. We decided to walk back to the pier to rid ourselves of a few calories. A beautiful day is not something to waste, and the surfers were out in force, taking full advantage. Fishermen were out as well, and a huge Pelican kept tormenting them. Each time a fisherman tried to put bait on a fishhook, the big fellow would try to snatch it away. Attempts to move him along were futile.
The day got away from us too soon, but Helen and I wanted to visit Camp Pendleton with the kids before they drove home. The vast Marine Base is a few short miles from Oceanside, and we wanted to see the RV Park for future reference. We found the campground and hiked around it. After we finished our walk, Carter played us a few tunes on his saxophone. We hated to see them drive off.
In Coronado the next day, Helen touched base with Ann and Joe, friends from Knoxville who were in the area visiting their daughter. Before leaving on this trip, we discovered that we would be in San Diego at the same time and agreed to get together while there. They came to the campground the next day. We chatted away in our trailer before driving into Coronado for drinks and dinner at Coronado Brewing Company, a favorite Helen and I discovered on our previous visit here. We had a delightful evening and made plans to meet the next day.
Ann and Joe’s daughter, Catherine, lives in Solana, a very scenic beach town near La Jolla. We met them at the train station, jumped in their car, and rode with them to Catherine’s lovely home atop a peak overlooking Solana with a view of the Pacific beyond. In addition to the fantastic views, Catherine’s home is a gardener’s delight, complete with fruit trees and terraced vegetable gardens. She even has banana trees producing fruit. We captured a picture of the family under the banana tree.
Before returning to the train station, Ann and Joe took us by the condo they rented while staying in Solana. They rented well. The view from above the beach was outstanding.
I couldn’t live in California…but I love visiting there. We have another week to enjoy ourselves in Coronado before Easin’ Along to Temecula. Stay with us.
Joe, your granddaughter has the most beautiful hair. I hope she knows how special it is. Seventy degrees and dry sounds like heaven to me and Solano beach is calling my name. I love how you two manage to bump into friends (by design, or otherwise) every time you travel. That says a lot about your personalities. Enjoy!
Good morning, Suzanne,
Abby has the same hair color that I had at that age, but her hair has a special shine. Helen and I adore her, she’s a lovely young lady. Our grandson is special as well. Solana Beach is a charming small town that you and Malcolm would love muchly. Our friends rented a very nice condo overlooking the beach (and the sunset). We’re blessed with great friends who love to travel and grateful that we’ve been able to meet a few of them on the road. Fair warning…we’re liable to drop in on you two someday! Have a great week! Joe
How lovely to spend time with family in such a gorgeous location! I grew up in San Diego (east county) but views of Coronado and Pt Loma were visible from the elementary school I attended. Glorious weather–a heatwave for sure–here’s hoping the Santa Ana winds don’t kick up early wildfires! I miss seeing our SD family so hopefully a trip down south will happen in a few months. Glad you are enjoying my hometown 🙂
Terri,
Your hometown is one to be proud of! It is sooo beautiful here, and I hope we can return for a longer stay next winter. The Santa Anna winds seem to be down a bit today so we’re going to watch the Super Bowl outside and take in the view for another day. Great to hear from you! Hope it’s warming up around your new home! Joe
Hi Joe,
As usual, the photos are divine…and so are the grandkids! Adorable. Will be anxiously awaiting the post from your next stop, but I’m sure you will enjoy Coronado in the meantime!
Hi, Nancy,
Thanks for the nice comments…our grandkids are special to us and we love being with them. In fact, our next stop is Temecula, CA and they will camp with us for three nights. Excited about that. Thanks for checking in! Are you and Dan RVing right now? Enjoy! Joe
Hi, Joe and Helen – I absolutely love Oceanside, California. I have a family photo taken with my parents, three of our sons, Richard and me in almost the exact same spot that your family photos were taken (ours were also photobombed by a pelican).
I’m delighted to read that you are having such and awesome trip, with family time as the icing on the cake. I am a tad jealous of your incredible weather! 😀
Good morning, Donna,
Your family photo is a treasure, I’m certain. On a previous visit to Oceanside, we had lousy weather (including rain), but we more than made up for it this time. Our trip is going very well with more family time later this week. We left our pelican to pester a few more fishermen…he was huge! Have a great week! Joe
Oh, now you’re making me long for those gorgeous days on the west coast! You’re in an idyllic spot, as you know. And you’re clearly having a fabulous time visiting with your family and friends. I love the relationship you have with your grandkids.
We feel the same as you do about enjoying visiting California but not wanting to live there (although Eric did live there for 40 years). There are pros and cons to every place, and you’re finding the best of everywhere!
Hello, Laurel,
Gorgeous is a good way to describe Coronado. We played tourist yesterday, took a trolley tour around San Diego, and finished it off in an Irish Pub. Big fun! Supposed to rain today, so we’ll do laundry. Just a few more days until we meet the family in Temecula. Excited about that, but Coronado will be hard to leave. Eric’s Rams won out–congratulations! Have a great weekend! Give Magnolia a love pat from us! Joe