Sisters in San Diego (cont.)

The Carlsbad Flower Fields are simply gorgeous.

Day 5

On our last full day in San Diego, we decided to walk to breakfast. We'd been passing Dunedin, which claimed to offer New Zealand eats, all week, and our curiosity finally got the better of us. It was a delight! We enjoyed a mix of eggs and pancakes al fresco. Staff was knowledgable and prompt, and we loved the flavored lemonades!

Sated, it was time for our next adventure - a trip to the Carlsbad Flower Fields! This enchanting attraction is about a 45-minute drive from San Diego, but it's worth every mile. Acres and acres of gorgeous ranunculus in riotous bloom. It's the dream of both photographers and gardeners. We had checked the website ahead of time, and we were there for 85% bloom, with perfect weather.

When we arrived, we hunted up a parking place, flashed our tickets at the gate, and headed in. We decided to walk all the way around the fields. Near the entrance, it's quite busy. But if you walk to the far end of the attraction, you'll have fields of flowers all to yourself. The blooms are color coded, so great swaths of pink, red, yellow, and white dominate the hillside. Amazing views. We took tons of photos and admired the beauty of the day before heading back towards the entrance.

There, we delighted in the poinsettia hothouse, the orchids, and the sweetpea maze. They have some beautiful formal and educational gardens to offer as well. We ended our day with scrumptious strawberry treats from a vendor at the entrance.

Strawberry yumminess notwithstanding, we were hungry, as it was late afternoon. We decided to drive up to the small town of Carlsbad and see what kind of lunch we could rustle up. We found culinary bliss at a little place by the ocean - Vigilucci's Steak and Seafood. Luckily, we arrived just as happy hour was starting, so we ordered some drinks and appetizers and decided to split a place of pasta.

It was then, then my friends, that I found the meal of the trip - the pappardelle con fungi e capesante. Think house-made wide ribbon pasta, studded liberally with a variety of mushrooms and large-pan-seared scallops, drenched in a white truffle brandy cream sauce. I was in heaven. HEAVEN. We enjoyed appetizers, pasta, wine and conversation, chatting for a bit with a nice gentleman who was so hospitable and proud of Carlsbad that he bought us a round of drinks! We were sitting outside with a view of the ocean and the glorious day, so we took our time.

When we were finished, we realized that the restaurant overlooks one of Carlsbad's beautiful public beaches, so we tooled down there, parked, and spent the rest of the afternoon walking along the surf, people-watching, and soaking up the sun. After the sun dipped below the horizon, we were hungry again. What to do?

I'll tell you. Go right back up the hill and have pasta again at Vigilucci's! I'm not ashamed. I know something good when I've found it. So, we indulged again. Full, happy, and with oodles of vitamin D circulating through our veins, we then headed back to San Diego and to bed.

Day 6

There's much to see when strolling the Embarcadero.

My older sister left town early that morning, but my younger sister and I had some time before our flights. We decided to have breakfast in a new neighborhood, which is how we ended up at Fig Tree Cafe in Hillcrest. We had literally the happiest waiter I think I've ever had. Like, EVER. He seemed absolutely thrilled to be serving us breakfast. After the pasta-palooza from the day before, I opted for the granola and yogurt, served with tons of fresh fruit. It's a huge serving (we could have split it), but what I ate of it really hit the spot!

After eating, we headed down to the Embarcadero for a stroll. We admired the public art and the green spaces, as well as the historic ships. We walked the length of it, from the Star of India all the way down to the (ghastly) Unconditional Surrender statue. Went out on a pier or two to admire the views and take in the air. Then, it was back to the car and off to the airport!

This was my second trip to San Diego, and I fell in love with this city all over again! Just a beautiful, beautiful place, with so much history and so many fun things to do!