San Diego

September 29 - October 8, 2022
Hello San Diego! We have officially reached the end of our second stage, 'West Coast USA.' It's crazy how fast time flies, and everything we have experienced so far and what lies ahead.
We will spend the next 10 days here in San Diego. In addition to sightseeing, we will prepare our RV for sale. That means cleaning inside and out, and of course, packing our suitcases.
A lot has been added in the last five months. In addition to brochures and maps, we bought new clothes for the kids, a fishing rod, and two scooters. Now we need to weigh what we can take with us on the rest of our journey.
San Diego has a lot to offer, so we will have a lot to explore in the next few days.

Beach

In the past few days, we have enjoyed the beach life along the coast. It's clear that we will also go to the beach in San Diego. We have chosen Mission Beach, which is right next to an amusement park. The beach is wide and expansive, and the fine sand invites us to dig. As usual, we find the perfect shovels right there. It seems like every other person leaves something behind here. That's good for us because we can create animals in the sand.

Zoo San Diego

On our journey, we have gotten to know wildlife a little bit. In Canada, we mainly saw bears, moose, deer, foxes, and prairie dogs. In the USA, we followed the coastal road and saw dolphins, seals, and whales.
In San Diego, we are visiting one of the largest zoos in the USA. There are various themed areas to explore. We start in the Urban Jungle with hippos, giraffes, zebras, and funny bears. These bears have cool hammocks to rest in, all they need is a cocktail.

Through the Outback with its many cute, gray, and cuddly koalas 🐨, we reach Africa Rocks.

Here, we encounter various primate species, large elephants, camels, lions, gazelles, penguins 🐧, and sharks.

In the cold north, we stop and observe the polar bear underwater as it tries to get food from a sealed jute sack. Some fish fall out until it finally gets a delicious carrot between its teeth.

In the Asian Passage, our personal highlight awaits us, the pandas. We pass by the leopards and snow leopards.

The red pandas hang in the trees, and there is no sign of the black and white pandas. 🐼 No wonder, they moved to another zoo two years ago. It's a shame because we have never seen these animals before.

We continue into the Lost Forest, and here we lose our orientation.

There, we come across a roaring tiger. We're not quite sure if he wants to play or if he's hungry.

If it were up to the crocodiles, they would just chill. The monkeys, like the orangutans and gorillas, do the same and laze in the grass.

In the last themed area, the reptiles are waiting for us. Beautiful large tortoises walk through the enclosures. The cormorants sleep, and the snakes hide.

3) The big reunion! Finally, the time has come. My parents are coming to visit after five months. The excitement has been building up for everyone in the last few days. While we are still busy cleaning up the RV, we receive the long-awaited message, 'We have landed.' Now quickly to the airport. We are at the beach, and it only takes us 15 minutes to get to the airport. While looking for a parking space, we drive through a barrier because this parking lot requires a fee, but then the shock... we can't go any further because our vehicle's height doesn't fit through the entrance. What to do? There is no going forward or backward! But there is an emergency number on the barrier. After a short consultation, the barriers are opened for us, and we can get out again. The whole thing took so much time that my parents were already waiting for us outside. Unfortunately, it was too late for our homemade surprise. But the joy of the reunion is priceless.
Nice to have you here!

Sea World

The first attraction that we, as a family travel group, are experiencing is Sea World. We are surprised that besides the many animals, there are also plenty of rides and roller coasters.

But we dedicate our visit solely to the animals. It quickly becomes apparent that we can get very close to the marine creatures. On the one hand, there are pools where we can touch the animals, like manta rays, crabs, and shark fish.

On the other hand, there are shows that provide information about the life and behavior of the animals, allowing us to get to know them better. Animal conservation and how everyone can contribute to the protection and preservation of marine animals are major topics in the park.

Some animals have been rescued and rehabilitated in the park. Afterward, they are released back into the wild.

The highlights for us are the various whales, dolphins, turtles, sharks, and the large walruses.

A incredibly beautiful, impressive, and interesting day comes to an end.

Downtown

In the night, Jens drove to Los Angeles to drop off our RV. We handed it over to a friend, hoping that he can sell it for us this year.

Since we have to spend a day without Jens, we decided to explore downtown. From the hotel, we take the bus and train to the city center. Our first stop is the Gaslamp Quarter.

As the name suggests, there are old gas lamps in the streets. The old and brightly decorated houses are beautiful to look at in this neighborhood. Mainly, they are restaurants, hotels, and clubs.

We then continue to the waterfront. On the way, we pass through the financial district and the historic Santa Fe train station.

Here, Benedikt proudly shows the aircraft carrier, which is now a museum. Right next to it, there is an oversized statue that symbolizes the end of World War II.

Additionally, there are sailboats and cruise ships to admire in the harbor.

We end our tour by walking to Little Italy. This neighborhood is also beautifully decorated and has many restaurants and delicatessen shops to offer.

Then we head back to the hotel. We hope to see Jens there as well. His return from Los Angeles was more difficult than expected. The Flixbusses were fully booked, and all trains were canceled. So in the end, he had to rent a car.

A long day comes to an end, and Jens is back.

So tomorrow, we will start a new exciting day and board the 'Noordam' ship from Holland American Line.