How I Spent My Winter Vacation - Part Four

February 10 was my last full day in San Diego. My plans for the day had changed rapidly. Originally I was to meet Judy and Lisa, two women I knew from our mutual love of Owen/Cristina, in the morning. Lisa was taking the train from LA and Judy would pick up both of us and we'd eat. But then Judy's kids got sick and so did she.

So Lisa and I tried to figure out how to meet up - and I tried to figure out what to do with the rest of my day. When Judy started feeling better, it became more complicated. Part of me wanted to see more of San Diego, but honestly, I had been doing a lot of walking and exploring and didn't really feel up to figuring out the bus system. I could have rented a car, but the California freeway system looks pretty complex and intimidating.

Judy felt better so we eventually settled on meeting for supper. I decided I would make things simpler by not exploring San Diego. Polina suggested that I walk to the Mission Trails Regional Park nearby, and that turned out to be a great idea.

So I walked half an hour to the park. I found the environment very interesting - most of my life has been lived in northern climates. (I checked Google Maps - San Diego is actually the farthest south I have even travelled).


The park has a visitor's centre. A volunteer encouraged me to follow a path around the centre, which he said he could do in 45 minutes and he was "an old guy". He also assured me it was safe for a lone woman to be walking on and suggested I visit the Grinding Rocks.

He also gave me a guide to native plant life around the centre. This is made in the tradition of the Kumeyaay and was on the grounds.


Panorama.


Fuchsia-flowered gooseberry.


The trail that "the old guy" can do in 45 minutes was marked as being 5km. Which I had done in 65 minutes two days before. :-P I had plenty of time so I decided I would hike it. I loved the California sunshine and terrain.


There were signs along the trail warning of poison oak. At some point, I got off the trail - there was an intersection that wasn't marked clearly. It was fine for a while, but I ended up having to go downhill through shrubbery, which I think is where I may have brushed up against poison oak. I had a rash on my hands for a couple of days but fortunately no blisters formed

. This pond connects to a nearby river. There were a few other visitors around but it was mostly quiet.


The Grinding Rocks was a location where native women had ground their grain close to the river, and the rocks still bear indentations from their grinding stones.




It was a lovely hike.


Walking back to Polina's house, I felt that I had done enough walking that weekend. Because the route back was uphill. :-P At least the foliage was beautiful.


I miss this green.


That evening, everything came together and I was able to meet Judy and Lisa. We ate at the Del Mar Rendezvous, which features a gluten-free menu (Judy is also GF). Lisa insisted on holding Vibrating Han and put forth a convincing argument for why I should visit Los Angeles next - "We can do Star Wars stuff in Disneyland!".


Meeting them was very interesting. Judy and I had been part of a fanfiction writing project years ago. Both of them are convinced that I should be writing more. I do have an idea for a novel. I also have a zillion other things I want to do.

I've already posted about most of the next day. Polina's husband drove me to the airport, my flight got cancelled, I got to LAX by shuttle van. Once I boarded my flight, I was able to relax.


And a couple of hours later, I was flying over the land of ice and snow again. I love Canada, I really do. But it was hard to leave sunny and warm California.


I'm so glad that Polina invited me to visit - she and her family are great and I felt very welcome and at home. It was great to spend time with Kris and indulge my mermaid ways. The time we spent at Sunset Cliffs, watching the sun set and the waves crash closer and closer, was really special. I will be posting pictures of the waves and sunset for the next few weeks, I think!

Some of my coworkers thought it very strange that I was going to meet four people that I knew from the Internet, but it worked out very well and gave me some great memories. I'm starting to think that I should go to California or somewhere warm every February. :-)