Saturday, February 26, 2022
What do you get when you add one nervous traveler to a mix of fried fish sandwich, lemon pepper chicken wings, weird dreams, and a snoring spouse? You end up with a very restless night. Had two alarms set for 4:00 am. Ended up getting up at 3:45. Glad there was some coffee in the room even if it was weak.
The 6:00 hotel shuttle was so full that Chuck and 3 other people had to stand. At least it was only a five-minute ride.
Delta was the first stop and the majority of riders got off here. I was glad to see that the outside baggage check-in was open. Makes it so much easier to check our bags. Got concerned because the scale kept moving from 51 to 50 pounds. Finally settled on 50 pounds. Whew – just made it. Thought I was going to have to throw something into Chuck’s bag. Guess any souvenirs will have to go in his bag.
Got smart today and before we got into the CLEAR express lane, we got our stuff organized – pockets emptied into backpacks, belt off, laptop and e-readers ready, and jackets off.
Still didn’t matter, Chuck’s backpack was flagged. Never seems to fail – one of our bags goes down the naughty belt. Never found out what the problem was – they just opened and closed it without a word.
Our flight was departing from Gate A2 so we were first ones off the people-moving train but I don’t know why are gate is always at the very end of the concourse. Can’t really complain – from getting on the hotel shuttle to sitting down at the gate – 45 minutes. Not bad for a busy Saturday morning.
Chuck bought us coffee and a bacon-egg-cheese biscuit from McDonalds since we had to leave before the hotel breakfast buffet was opened. The boarding was delayed a little by a late flight crew member. Not a good start to her day. We were in Comfort Plus this trip – little more leg and seat room so we boarded fairly quickly. We took off on time at 8:15.
Flight was very smooth. Watched two movies Addams Family 2 (cute) and the Eternals (meh). They got me through the entire flight.
It was 10:00 PST when we landed. Taxi ride to hotel was quick. Of course, our room was not ready so we stored our luggage. There were a number of people trying to check in from other early flights. Found out we were all going on a cruise tomorrow. Some on the Koningsdam and others, like us, the Zuiderdam. We were all excited.
We walked around a while to stretch our legs. Sunny day in the 60’s. I was glad I still had my jacket especially in the shade. Ended up at Queensland Public House. Even though we had about a 30-minute wait, the food was worth it. Found out it was so popular because they were serving their weekend brunch items with ½ price mimosas and bloody marys.
I had the quiche, and it came with spring mix salad and sour dough toast. Chuck had “The Cure” – large biscuit, tator tots, spicy chicken sausage all covered in in gravy. Both thought our choices were excellent.
We were able to sit outside and people watch. My observation – every San Diegoan is between the ages of 21 and 27, skinny, good-looking, and owns a dog – at least the ones who eat at Queensland on a Saturday.
We got a few items at the nearby Rite Aid. When we got back to the hotel, our room was ready. We are on the 12th floor, and we can see the Bay. Would love to be able to see the cruise ship come into port. The room has a balcony which is surprising. Only big enough to stand but a nice breeze.
Also, so glad to get the N95 mask off. Did what it was supposed to – stay tight against my face. I still have the sensation of it on my face. Aggravating. I am going to wear a regular mask tomorrow.
Since we can’t check-in tomorrow until 2:00, I was able to get us a late check-out until 1:00. I am currently very tired and still on Eastern time. I hope I will be able to be on Pacific time tomorrow with a decent night’s sleep. Fingers crossed.
Up next – Embarkation (pending another COVID test)
Travel Trivia
San Diego, California
San Diego is the birthplace of California. The first European exploration of the West Coast was lead by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese navigator sailing for Spain. He landed in San Diego on September 28, 1542.
Ronald Reagan, the 40th U.S. President, was the first person to drive over the landmark San Diego-Coronado bridge. It opened in 1969 connecting downtown San Diego with Coronado.
The San Diego International Airport is the busiest, single-runway major airport in the nation and the second in the world after London Gatwick.
Between The Old Globe and the Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego has sent more shows to Broadway than any other city in the U.S.
The Hotel Del Coronado has hosted ten United States presidents. In 1970, it was the first venue to hold the first state dinner outside the White House. The resort also unveiled the world’s first electrically lighted, outdoor Christmas tree in 1904.
San Diego has one of the top-ten best climates according to the Farmers’ Almanac.
Snow in the city is so rare that it has been observed only five times in the century-and-a-half that records have been kept.
The steep and varied topography and proximity to the ocean create a number of different habitats within the city limits, including tidal marsh and canyons.
Fondest Travel Memories 