Sunny San Diego

I grew up a couple of hours away from San Diego, but never really spent much time there. The weather is nearly perfect year-round and it’s next to the ocean, which is one of my favorite places to be. There are tons of things to do, great food, and fairly diverse. It’s also a bit pricey, especially to live.

I’ve had the opportunity to spend more time there in recent years via motorcycle trips, family trips, and a girl’s trip. Each visit brings about a new experience and several memories.

I have thoroughly enjoyed quite a few motorcycle trips through twisty canyons and hills on the way to or from San Diego. We rode around the water, stopped at some piers, had picnics, and ate at different restaurants on every trip. There are several people I’ve met in San Diego through the motorcycle community, including a group of awesome women who ride.

There’s nothing like a road trip, especially with people you care about, to build bonds, create memories, and just enjoy the moment. Don’t get me wrong, I love my solo trips as well. I’ve met so many diverse people from the community and learned so much. We represent all walks of life and many bikers are some of the most giving, community-minded people you could ever meet if you get past the stereotypical stigma of a “biker.”

One of my brother’s friends has a houseboat docked in San Diego that he frequently visited. I’ve went down there to stay on the boat and enjoy family time with my brother, my nephew, my boys, and sometimes met my mother and stepfather there as well. In fact, we celebrated my youngest son’s 19th birthday on the boat. He was living with my brother at the time to help out around the house and with my nephew because my brother broke his neck the previous year.

I got in a kayak for the first time, which was not necessarily my most shining moment. The first time I tried to step into the kayak from the dock, I fell into the bay in the most miserable way. Then, to make matters worse, I couldn’t pull myself back up on the deck or into the kayak. I cut my foot on barnacles or something growing underneath the water.

My brother was laughing so hard he could barely instruct me on how to get out of the water. I swam to the front of the boat, in the small space between the boat and deck while he pushed the boat away from me, to the other side of the slip, with his foot so it wouldn’t float into me and trap me. I had to climb up the engine and onto the boat.

I didn’t give up though. That’s not typically who I am. I was able to get into the kayak the second time and paddle myself out into the bay. My nephew (he was only six at the time) jumped on his paddle board like a pro and ventured off with me. He’s our little fish and might love being in the water more than I do, which is a LOT.

My brother purchased a sail boat and completely refurbished it shortly after that trip as he continued with his healing. It turned out amazing! We got to go around the bay and everyone took turns playing captain, even though my nephew tends to be the realest one. He jumped on his paddle board in the middle of the bay and was going around us in circles. He didn’t want to get back on the boat at first because he was enjoying being in the middle of the water.

One of my favorite trips to San Diego was a girl’s trip to celebrate one of my best friend’s birthdays in 2015. We flew there to take advantage of as much of our weekend as possible. 

We had a huge hotel suite in the Gaslamp District (or Quarter). We were within walking distance to several bars, nightlife, restaurants, and several other points of interest.

The hotel had a rooftop deck where we hung out one afternoon. I decided to climb down some ladders off the side of the building and sit on the frail metal railing. The pics turned out pretty awesome, though my friends and mother thought I was a bit nuts. (I’ve a picture before, it’s one of my mother’s favorites.)

In good fashion, we went bar hopping the first night. One place we settled at for a while had a casual, fun vibe with good music and cheap Fireball shots. We didn’t realize it at the time, but a few of us kept ordering rounds of those shots for the group. The birthday girl doesn’t drink much…the Fireball got her. She got sick that night, and to this day the strong smell of cinnamon makes her nauseous. She refuses to drink it anymore.

The second night, after a day of relaxation, sight-seeing, and recovery, we ate a hearty meal in Little Italy followed by a safari-themed bar crawl. That was my first time doing anything like that. It was tons of fun. We had a great group of ladies who were all there to enjoy and encourage each other and no drama.

Our final day was spent walking around the pier and quaint villages with some shopping. Overall, it was an amazing weekend that strengthened existing relationships and sparked some new ones. We decided to make it an annual girl’s trip.