San Diego

Ah, summer vacations. I recently returned from a trip to visit some friends out west. My second trip to California was to San Diego, the same city I went to the first time. The last trip was for a conference, though, and I spent most of my time within blocks of the hotel. I was afforded a much broader experience this time, seeing more of the neighborhoods and getting more of the flavor of the city.

I really enjoyed San Diego both times I've been to visit. It's a big city that felt homey to me. At this point in my life, I have no interest in moving to that type of climate, beautiful as it can be (I would miss the seasons changing), but I could live there and be happy. Well, I could live there if I made a bit more money.

And speaking of the famed climate: it was apparently on vacation, too. Instead of the mid-seventies, San Diego enjoyed temperatures in the nineties while I was visiting (though Tucson would soon take the cake at 110).

Considering the proximity of Los Angeles and the Indians being in town as the visiting team, a day-trip up to Dodger Stadium was in order. A fair job was done avoiding the worst of the traffic, making possible brief stops at Amoeba Records and Giant Robot. The game was entertaining, complete with a strong starting performance, an absolute meltdown somewhat mitigated by an extra-inning victory, and copious grousing by the hometown crowd. Not a meaningful victory in any way, but Cleveland fans will take what we can get this season.

One of the aspects of the trip I was most looking forward to was the weekend visit to Tucson, Arizona. I had also been to Tucson before, but that visit lasted all of 24 hours, enough time to fly in, put in a days work and fly back out. And being plopped down in a new location is no way to get a sense of place. This time, I would drive in from the west and get to experience the scrubby, rocky landscape along the way. This time there was no work to be done. Only exploring, spending time with friends and eating - the hallmarks of any good vacation.