The American Pye Coast to Coast Adventure – Aug 2015 - Day 10 - Trolley Tour/Old Town

[SarahJayne]

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Day 10 – Trolley tour and Old Town

We were all up and ready for about 9 this morning and had breakfast at the house (toast and fruit for me – pop tarts for the kids, I’d never let them have these at home )

The plan for today was to explore San Diego and we were doing this on the Old Town Trolley Tours(we booked tickets in advance online). We’d obviously done a lot of research on the city and what we wanted to do and see here. The trolley tour was the perfect way for us to see lots in one day but also gave us the option to get on and off at key places.

We’ve drove into the city to the start of the tour to get our tickets and parked on the free car park across the road from the Old Town entrance. We were going to visit and explore Old Town later in the day after the trolley tour so it was great that we got to leave the car for free for the day.

We collected tickets quickly and easily and hopped onto the first trolley leaving for the day. The weather was again perfect (but really, really hot – the heatwave was continuing!)

As we were waiting to leave the driver explained that she did the commentary of the city along the way and would be throwing out some questions, whoever answered correctly first won a trolley tour souvenir chip/coin.

After leaving Old Town the trolley goes down to the harbour and travels along past the Midway carrier and the military dock. San Deigo has a really rich military history of which natives are really proud of (as they should be) and it was interesting hearing all about the ships and carriers that dock there. We didn’t have the time to do the Midway museum but will definitely fit it in the next time we visit.
The next stop is Seaport village where we decided to get off and have a mooch around. The trolley driver had explained that there were a few little shops and cafes here and a lovely flip flop shop (people who live in San Diego live in flip flops and there are lots of shops selling them – how lovely to wear them all year around). We had a look in an out of a few shops; the kids bought a couple of souvenirs and we took some pictures on the harbour.

We hopped back on the next trolley (they run every half hour) and stayed on until we reached Conorado. We passed through the Gaslamp Quarter and Pecto Park where the San Diego Padres play and Taylor Swift was performing that night! Jack was wishing we had baseball tickets (something else we’d try next time!) and Anna, being a huge Taylor Swift fan, was wishing we had concert tickets!

The city was lovely and so clean!

To get to the Conorado part of the city you have to cross over a peninsula that offers some fantastic views of the city as you travel across.

I was really looking forward to visiting Conorado and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a very beautiful part of San Diego

It main feature is the stunning Hotel del Coronado (that the Grand Floridian is modelled on), as we got closer the driver asked if anyone knew which famous film was made there. And being the good Dibber that I am, having read Geoffa’s trip report, knew the answer was Some Like It Hot – so I won the chip!

We got off at the hotel stop and walked a couple of blocks over to it. It’s a gorgeous part of San Diego and I’d love to stay there one day too.

It was really scorching at this point and the kids we’re a bit disappointed that we weren’t letting them go in the sea so we placated them with a treat from the most delicious icecream parlor at the hotel. Me and the kids all had Birthday Cake flavour, which of course tasted just like birthday cake! And Adam had his usual vanilla.

We hopped back on the trolley and carried on with the city tour. Our next stop was Balboa park. Balboa is a beautiful place and absolutely huge! You could spend a few days in there visiting the museums and galleries but we only had a couple of hours so we headed over the visitors centre to find the best place to eat. The guy was really helpful and we explained that we wanted a light lunch so he pointed us in the right direction. Unfortuantely when we got there all of the seating was outside in the scorching midday sun and we were all desperately seeking some air conditioning! Anna especially was struggling with the heat today. She struggled with it a lot in California and it really was boiling. Even though there wasn’t the humidity that we are used to when we’ve visited Florida in July/Aug it was tough because when you’re in theme parks, you’re in and out of air con and on and off rides so it breaks it up a bit, today in San Diego it was relentless. So she got a bit upset and our main aim at this point was to get her somewhere cool and out of the sun so we crossed over the road to the Natural History Museum. It was lovely and cool with a little café that you could eat in without paying to get in the museum, so that’s what we did!

After a quick bite and a cool down we headed back to the trolley tour stop and I took some pics of the beautiful park, while the kids took to the shade again!

Next time we visit we’ll definitely make more time for Balboa Park, there’s loads to do there and it’s a beautiful place.

We waited for about 10mins before the next trolley arrived so we could finish off the rest of the city tour through Little Italy and back to Old Town.

CONTINUED BELOW...DON'T POST YET!

[SarahJayne]

We spent the afternoon exploring Old Town – a whole part of the town set up as a museum! It was great and so interesting. We all really enjoyed walking around and going into the little shops and old stables, court house and the bank and learnt lots about one of the first Californian towns.

It’s a fantastic place and you could really get a sense of what it would have been like back in the 19th and early 20th century.

On the streets alongside Old Town there’s a real Mexican influence too as it’s not that far from the USA/Mexican border. There we’re a few really cool shops and a got a really nice vest top that I love wearing because it’s really ‘Californian beach style’!

At the top of that block is a restaurant called Café Coyote that Amy and a couple of other Dibbers had recommended and we’d made reservations online a few weeks before. We were seated straight away at 5pm and we’re really looking forward to it but were unfortunately a bit disappointed I really didn’t like what I had, I can’t remember what it was now but I didn’t eat much of it and Adam had a burrito and didn’t enjoy it, even the kids left most of theirs. Although Anna loved her churro dessert (following the addiction she developed at Disneyland!) Adam and I shared a deep fried ice cream because we’d always wanted to try it but he ate most of it as I wasn’t keen. So it wasn’t a great success and probably our least favourite meal of the whole holiday although it was also the cheapest!

So we headed back to La Jolla and home with a stop off at Vons on the way for bread and I induldged in People magazine (I always buy it at least once when we’re in the US – it’s my American guilty pleasure!)

We all vegged a bit when we got back and the kids played for a while but we had then in bed for 9ish. Adam and I chilled for a bit with a drink and I caught up on some trip report and read people magazine before heading off to bed after another busy but really fab day.

NEXT: Day 11 – San Diego Zoo

[mrsdjh]

San Diego looks a great place to visit – lots to do - and the trolley tour seems a great way to get around.

Shame Anna struggled with the heat – its that that makes me think we wouldn’t manage well in Florida in August.

[florida girl]

Lovely photos,you visited so many places in one day. We loved Old Town and Coronado, Balboa park is on our list for October.

[Aims]

You got in a good full day with the trolley tour, Sarah! Don't you love it? I always recommend new visitors to do this tour because it really gives such a great overall view of the city and it's perfect for those who only have a few days to spend in town (and congrats on winning that trolley coin!)

I love Seaport Village, that was a good choice to leave the trolley and explore. The locals all know it's a tourist trap, but I love hanging out there. And yes, we do live in flip flops here! I think I own more flip flops than heels

Your photos are lovely! I'm glad you enjoyed Coronado (another one of those "if I won the lottery" places I would move to, in addition to La Jolla)...the Hotel Del is so spectacular. Balboa Park you could easily spend a whole day in, so if you come back to San Diego again, do plan a day just for that. Old Town is lovely and you definitely get a taste for San Diego's hispanic history there. Here's a tip for next time: there is a Mexican bakery in Old Town, it's called La Panaderia. It's in the shopping area called Fiesta de Reyes...small place back in a corner, next to Gepetto's toy shop. They do the best homemade churros there- the bakery accepts cash only, so keep that in mind.

I'm sorry to hear that your family didn't enjoy the meals at Cafe Coyote. Do you think it was just Mexican food in general that you didn't care for? I had some friends from London come visit me a couple years ago and we took them out for their first try of Mexican food (not at Cafe Coyote though), and they didn't care for it much.

Yes, do plan on visiting the USS Midway museum if you come out again! It's very fascinating and massive, and even kids seem to enjoy it. As you noted, San Diego is very much a military town and proud of it. That is how I came to be San Diegan, as a matter of fact. My parents were from Chicago but my Dad went into the Navy and he got stationed in San Diego on a carrier much like the Midway. My mom followed him out here, they married here and I came along a short time later.

I am sorry your daughter struggled with the heat so much. August and September are usually the most scorching months of the year in southern CA. It can be very sapping, even if you're accustomed to it.

[SarahJayne]

Originally Posted by Aims

You got in a good full day with the trolley tour, Sarah! Don't you love it? I always recommend new visitors to do this tour because it really gives such a great overall view of the city and it's perfect for those who only have a few days to spend in town (and congrats on winning that trolley coin!)

I love Seaport Village, that was a good choice to leave the trolley and explore. The locals all know it's a tourist trap, but I love hanging out there. And yes, we do live in flip flops here! I think I own more flip flops than heels

Your photos are lovely! I'm glad you enjoyed Coronado (another one of those "if I won the lottery" places I would move to, in addition to La Jolla)...the Hotel Del is so spectacular. Balboa Park you could easily spend a whole day in, so if you come back to San Diego again, do plan a day just for that. Old Town is lovely and you definitely get a taste for San Diego's hispanic history there. Here's a tip for next time: there is a Mexican bakery in Old Town, it's called La Panaderia. It's in the shopping area called Fiesta de Reyes...small place back in a corner, next to Gepetto's toy shop. They do the best homemade churros there- the bakery accepts cash only, so keep that in mind.

I'm sorry to hear that your family didn't enjoy the meals at Cafe Coyote. Do you think it was just Mexican food in general that you didn't care for? I had some friends from London come visit me a couple years ago and we took them out for their first try of Mexican food (not at Cafe Coyote though), and they didn't care for it much.

Yes, do plan on visiting the USS Midway museum if you come out again! It's very fascinating and massive, and even kids seem to enjoy it. As you noted, San Diego is very much a military town and proud of it. That is how I came to be San Diegan, as a matter of fact. My parents were from Chicago but my Dad went into the Navy and he got stationed in San Diego on a carrier much like the Midway. My mom followed him out here, they married here and I came along a short time later.

I am sorry your daughter struggled with the heat so much. August and September are usually the most scorching months of the year in southern CA. It can be very sapping, even if you're accustomed to it.

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Amy! I'm so glad that you found my report! (And I've finally just finshed it!)
Your help and advice last year before we went was absolutely invaluable and we honestly wouldn't have had the amazing holiday we did without you - so thank you so much for taking the time to help us, we really do appreicate it.

We will most definitely be returning to San Diego one day as there is a million and one things that we want to do there and felt like we barely touched the surface. The Midway, staying and Conorado and more of Balboa Park are just a couple!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the rest of it now that it's finally done!

[Erial]

I love hop-on hop-off tours. They're always a great way to explore a new city.

It's a pity Anna struggled with the heat. Hot kids are not much fun to drag around, especially like you say, when there aren't many places to cool down.

Old Town looks fun and Jeff would love all the Mexican influenced food.

Claire
X

[SarahJayne]

Originally Posted by Erial

I love hop-on hop-off tours. They're always a great way to explore a new city.

It's a pity Anna struggled with the heat. Hot kids are not much fun to drag around, especially like you say, when there aren't many places to cool down.

Old Town looks fun and Jeff would love all the Mexican influenced food.

Claire
X

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Old Town and the trolley tour we're fab. You guys would love San Diego!

Anna bless her did struggle that day for an hour or so but soon perked up once she was fed! Her skin tone just doesn't lend itself to the sun at all - being so fair and pale. And her eczema doesn't help either! She battled through though and was fine for the rest of the day.

[ginger ninja]

Have just found our report and its giving me so many ideas for our trip next April. Loved the trolley tour and think it will be on our list of must do's!

[SarahJayne]

Originally Posted by ginger ninja

Have just found our report and its giving me so many ideas for our trip next April. Loved the trolley tour and think it will be on our list of must do's!

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The trolley tour was fab! A lovely way to see lots of the city quickly. San Diego is gorgeous - you'll love it