Driving to the Grand Canyon offered little hints at the wonder to come as the scenery was fairly flat and almost desolate seeming. However once we arrived in the national park, the scenery opened up to a beautiful forest all around inhabited by all sorts of animals including a herd of elk that we stopped to see and of course the infamous canyon.
I was admittedly wary of the Grand Canyon to start after hearing some pretty daunting stories of people falling to their demise but the beauty and vastness of it quickly overturned any uncomfortable feelings. We were lucky in that our first rest stop provided a wonderful view from an old watchtower built in the early 1900s and from there we could bear witness to the seemingly never ending depth of red rock staggering down into the abyss. Layers and layers of rock build the canyon gradually upwards preserving almost 200 millions of years of geological history. Without even thinking of the scientific knowledge behind it, the Grand Canyon would be mind blowing to anyone and the next lookout point was even more spectacular than the first with more jagged cliffs and more spectacular drops. The drops made for some more heart pounding moments as my adrenaline junkie husband needed to explore beyond the guardrails but the photos don't lie and the view was out of this world. Although it was great being a voyeur, if we returned at another time of year I think it would be an amazing experience to hike in the canyon or white water raft in the river going through it.
We hit the road for a couple more hours and hunkered down in Kingsman, Arizona. There is nothing like staying in a cheap highway hotel to make a road trip feel authentic and we definitely achieved that feeling at our Super 8. We woke naturally early in the morning and hit the road right after breakfast to make our way to San Diego which I was really excited about since it was my first trip to California.
Our drive was uneventful but rather unexpected as we watched the scenery turn from desolate desert with cacti, to lush farmlands and palm trees, to unexpected sand dunes, and finally to a mountain pass that elevated us 4000 feet and had us battling snow! That changing landscape alone surprised me although in a country as large and diverse as the United States it probably shouldn't have. The only thing lacking were adequate rest stops for Diego and all three McKenzies were ready to bolt out of the car when we arrived.
We rented a beautiful apartment in a residential area of San Diego called Chula Vista which was about a twenty minute drive to most "happening" things like the beaches, Balboa park, or downtown. The location proved perfect for Diego with a park down the street that we could run him in however besides the price, we would have preferred to stay somewhere a little trendier. Tuckered out from driving we decided to have a relaxing evening enjoying the comforts of the apartment by watching a movie and eating popcorn.
Being the breakfast nuts that we are, one of the first things we did was tripadvisor the best places in San Diego for breakfast and we came up with a few options. We opted to head to Mission Beach which is a beautiful area right on the ocean with a really laid back vibe and trendy cafes. All the places were backed up since the day was beautiful with the sun shining and we just happened to be in San Diego for the weekend but the wait was worth it. Since the city is so close to the Mexican border there are definite Mexican elements in the food and we both had delicious food full of chiles and salsas which we thought would sustain us for our visit to the infamous San Diego zoo.
The San Diego zoo is one of those things I have been hearing about for a long time and I felt like I couldn't miss it. Or rather, the animal enthusiast in me could not miss it although I do find there can be some discourse over being an animal lover and a zoo-goer but we went all the same. Before we arrived however we parked and toured around the massive Balboa park which has just about everything from impressive museums, street stalls selling art, outdoor concerts, and rides for little kids. That being said my favorite thing was the one strip with all the booths purporting their religious ideals from the Hindu off-shoot the Krishna religion to the lone gentleman belting out the bible in his biggest voice. Needless to say we offered our support to the atheist/humanist group but I did feel impressed that some people could believe so strongly that they felt the need to come down all by themselves with their lone billboard on a Saturday afternoon to preach to others. Despite not believing, there is something admirable about someone so dedicated to their cause.
After a lengthy walk basking in the sun, we arrived at the zoo. The last significant zoo we had been to was three years ago in Mexico City at Chapultepec park (which was surprisingly free!) so this was the one to beat. One thing we didn't expect was that our experience would be diminished by the fact that we had hands on encounters with many animals during our travels such as elephants, camels, tigers, monkeys, and snakes but I suppose that should have been expected. Overall we had a really fun day at the zoo and we were particularly excited by the polar bears, the panda bears, and the hippo. The polar bears were amusing to watch eat carrot sticks and although they are massive creatures, their slimness and gracefulness surprised me since this was the first time I had ever seen them. The panda bears were adorable as ever, eliciting an "awe" from even the burliest of men watching them with their cute poses as they sit on their chubby butts and endlessly chomp on their bamboo. This was also the first time I had seen a hippo and it was really neat to watch him walk under water as fluidly as if he were above land. In general we had an awesome time and if anything it only reminded me of how much I want to go on an African safari one day to experience animals in the wild rather than behind bars.
Having been at the zoo for the afternoon and not wanting to eat overpriced junk food had us working up an appetite and we headed to Ocean beach to have yet a second breakfast. San Diego proved well adept in the breakfast department and we stopped at a grab and go place right on the boardwalk which is typically lined up in the morning. After indulging in massive burritos we grabbed a hot coffee and walked the promenade taking in all the eccentric styles and musings of a few choice characters before heading home to Chula Vista for the night.
The next day we returned to Ocean beach and had yet another incredible breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs and avocado at a quaint place on the promenade overlooking the ocean. This was the most ideal people watching (and surfer watching!) ever and with the heaters on, even the ocean breeze felt toasty. We returned to our car to don our rollerblades and it felt great because although it is something we typically do at least twice a week in good weather, we hadn't gone for over six months. I didn't feel too rusty but the speeds were slow since the promenade is narrow and meant for bikers, pedestrians, dogs, and skaters alike which made for a cacophony of people, paws, and wheels everywhere. Rollerblading took up much of the afternoon as we exercised and stopped in at little shops selling iconic California trinkets like brightly colored paintings of surf boards then we headed to Sunset Cliffs boulevard in the car.
Sunset cliffs were absolutely beautiful with huge rock faces and cliffs overlooking the unrestrained ocean as the waves beat against the rocks. Experienced surfers were out in the break and the views were dramatic. That being said, the views were highly reminiscent of Victoria and as with all things that are seen too often to be awe-inspiring every time, the cliffs felt familiar and comforting rather than extra special. Definitely a fun and quick excursion though and we also had fun driving around the ritzy neighborhood imagining what it would be like to live in such a grand house on the ocean.
The next day we would be saying goodbye to San Diego and if anything is for sure it's that it deserves another visit. In our short time we barely scratched the surface of the city and all it has to offer although I feel like we really connected with the laid back, friendly vibe of the place where you are more likely to see people wearing spandex and jogging than wearing brand name clothing and driving a fancy car. San Diego is definitely a charming and inspiring city and I am excited to see what the rest of California has offer as we drive up the coast to visit Jon and Maryam in Los Angeles.
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