Sisters in San Diego

WOW! What a waffle!

Last year, my two sisters and I went on our first sisters' vacation, to San Francisco. Before it was even over, we'd already decided we'd travel together again. When the time came to plan an 2018 trip, we once again headed for beautiful California. But this time, San Diego.

I'd been to San Diego once before, on a family vacation with hubs and little man. We'd brunched on Coronado Island, visited the pandas in the zoo, built an awesome sand castle, toured the USS Midway and the Birch Aquarium, and kayaked out to sea lions in La Jolla. Since this was an adults-only trip, though, we planned a decidedly different flavor for it.

Day 1

My older sister Laura and I arrived first. We picked up our rental car at the airport and made our way to the cute, spacious Air BnB rental (a cute 2 bedroom, 2 bath house in the North Park area) that my younger sister Grace had reserved for us. We were about 30 minutes early, but the space had already been cleaned, so in we went! It was a great fit for us! Lots of room to spread out, a lovely kitchen, and a pretty little back patio for relaxing.

I loved the way the painter captured light in this piece at the
Timken. Seaport at Sunset, by Claude Joseph Vernet.

After unpacking a bit and cooling our heels, we headed out for dinner at Urban Solace, which was nearby. By the time we were seated, my younger sister Grace had arrived, straight from the airport. She found us in the al fresco dining area, and after hugs and kisses and exclamations, we settled down to the serious business of choosing our dinner.

We picked the cheddar-chive biscuits as a starter (delicious, and I preferred them with the orange-honey butter rather than the tomato jam). Then I got the duck confit (on the recommendation of our waiter - an excellent choice), Laura chose the meatloaf, and Grace got the Duckaroni (a doctored-up version of macaroni that featured duck, blue cheese, and bacon breadcrumbs). Soooo yummy! We ate as much as we could reasonably hold, with Grace getting a to-go box for some of the extras. Then, it was back home for an early night.

Laura and Grace in front of the iconic Botanical Building

Day 2

The next morning, we were up and at 'em early for breakfast at Wow Wow Waffle. We loved this charming little place! You order when you walk into the outdoor eatery, and then you find a seat at one of the shaded picnic tables. (A re-purposed Airstream serves as a bar of sorts, and upcycled stadium seating is clustered around picnic tables, too!) Then, a server comes out with your order on a simple, rectangular metal tray. The waffles are delicious! They are made with dough, not batter, and you can get them with all kinds of toppings! I chose the parfait (yogurt, fresh fruit, and raw honey), Laura got the health nut (almond butter, bananas, cinnamon, and coconut), and Grace got the number seven (bacon, avocado, and goat cheese). The waffles aren't huge, and you can eat a whole one without feeling overstuffed. Add a cup of coffee, and you have a perfect breakfast! In addition, prices are very reasonable.

Beautiful blooms at Balboa Park

After we'd sated our hunger, we headed for Balboa Park. We started with a stroll past the organ pavilion to admire the architecture. (We tried to poke our noses into the international cottages, but they were all closed.) Then, we stopped in the Timken Museum of Art. I'd missed this free little gem on my first visit to Balboa Park, so it was nice to spend some time appreciating its small, well-curated collection and taking in its elegant rooms.

Afterward, we set our sights on the Botanical Building and Lily Pond, where a street musician played as the orchids swayed. We admired all of the tropical plants in the building, snapped a few iconic photos, and strolled down to the large fountain at the east end of the park. Then, we crossed the pedestrian bridge to explore the desert and rose gardens, taking in some views.

By this time, we were growing hungry again. We made our way back to the car via the Alcazar Garden, then headed for Liberty Station, a mixed-use development in the Point Loma area. Laura had heard that there was a fun brew pub there, and she was itching to try it. We walked right into Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens. We were almost immediately seated (the place is VAST) in the beer garden. We opted for several small plates that we could all share, choosing the tuna poke, the steak tartare, and the wild arugula and burrata salad. They were all excellent selections, and all very different. (I could have swum in the tartare. Velvety.) We finished by splitting the coffee and mascarpone mousse cake. While Laura and Grace both got beers, I'm not much of a beer drinker, so I settled for water.

Laura takes the wheel!

Worth noting: the service here is great - friendly, prompt, and knowledgeable about the menu and the beers. If you sit outside, expect to hear planes frequently flying above, as the airport is close by. Also - they have outdoor bocce ball courts! So fun! We really enjoyed our visit here.

After lunch, we explored Liberty Station more, peeking into some of the shops and art galleries. And then we found the Liberty Public Market. Oh. Em. Gee!! Think Chelsea Market in NYC, but on a smaller scale. I was frankly sick that we weren't hungrier, as I could have sampled something from each booth! As it was, we purchased some jewelry and souvenirs (as well as some ground coffee, since we were running low back at the house), and tearfully bid it adieu. (We kept trying to find our way back there to purchase picnic fixings during our trip, but could never seem to swing it. On the list for next time!)

Lazy sea lions on the pier!

Next, we headed towards the marina so we'd be close to the next item on our itinerary, a sunset cruise with Sail San Diego. We were still a little early, so we found a place to the park the car and laid on the grass near the ocean for a while. Quiet. Breezes blowing. Waves. Sunshine. Palm tree fronds against a blue, blue sky. Heaven.

Then, we ambled across the street and down the pier to meet up with our sailboat and captain. We'd booked the 3-hour sunset sail, and we sprung for an extra bottle of champagne. (The sail already comes with wine and snacks, as well.) On our boat, there was Captain Art, one other couple, and that was it! We had a great sail. The weather wavered between cloudy and sunny, so we didn't get too hot or too cold. Capt. Art showed us all around the bay, telling us about the history of San Diego, sharing tidbits about the navy, and pulling our legs with other interesting stories! We got great view of the Del from the water, waved to other sailboats, and had a great time. Capt. Art even let us try our hand at sailing the boat!

Grace and I at the front of our sail boat!

Toward the end of the sail, my stomach started tying itself in knots. Capt. Art took such good care of me, giving me an aromatic to dab behind my ears and showing me to the steadiest seat in the boat. The feeling passed quickly, and then, we were back on dry land!

By this time, it was 7 p.m., and we were starving! We scooted into Humpreys, a local eatery, to scare up some dinner. I inhaled the steak Diane, and Grace got the lobster risotto. Laura chose scallops. They were all yummy! Service was impeccable, and the dining room was elegant without being stuffy. As we'd been in the sun for a bit, we all gratefully gulped our water.

More to come . . .