Reminiscing

It has been sometime since I posted to this blog. Last week, I had the pleasure of being in San Diego, CA. I checked into a hotel overlooking Mission Bay, just to the North of downtown and the airport. I stepped onto a balcony to assess the view and what did I see but Dog Beach on Point Loma about a quarter mile away in the hazy sunshine. This is where the Coast2Coast bike adventure began just 11 months ago. I recognized the bike path along the San Diego River where we started the eastward trek into the mountains on the way to Alpine, the first overnight stop.

My friend, Phill, from Chapel Hill, NC and who did a prep ride with me last year around Newport Beach, came down by train from Seal Beach this year to visit a brother in San Diego. He stayed overnight and the following day we rode 21 miles on excellent rented road bikes around San Diego Bay from Coronado. We returned on a ferry boat that departed from the pier where the Midway aircraft carrier is moored as a museum. Here is an amusing sculptural display along the route:

Work, as such, began in the afternoon after the bike ride when the Road Scholar Board convened for two days of meetings. We had cookies celebrating the 40th anniversary of the non-profit beginning as Elderhostel offering continuing education programs.

The Board meeting was followed by a two and half day program exploring San Diego. Nan flew out with the cookies and to join the program. The first stop after a brief lecture on the history of the area was the Midway aircraft carrier.

We had dinner in Little Italy, fka The Tuna Capital of the World. The next day was spent in Balboa Park, a collection of Spanish inspired buildings and landscaping in the midst of modern San Diego and left over from two World exhibitions. Most of the group toured the art museums in the morning while Nan and I chose to stay outside to see the unusual redwood slat conservatory and explore the  folk art Mingei International Museum (www.mingei.org/). We spent the afternoon touring the adjacent, well-known zoo.

The last day we explored the Scripps Institute of Oceanography walking their pier and seeing their surprisingly modest research labs. We lunched at La Valencia hotel, aka The Pink Lady, and saw the quaint charms of La Jolla before flying home overnight.

Next month I plan to participate in a week long Bike Florida tour of North Florida as preparation for resumption of the Coast2Coast tour in April beginning from last year's departure point on Dauphin Island, AL. Of course, I will avail myself of Bubba's Pampered services in Florida. So, more posts to follow beginning in March.