Ten of us left Calgary January 2nd for San Diego! An adventure, for sure! From the outset, Hacienda Hotel, with its beautiful tile floors, outdoor fountains, and hillside views, was our home base for the first 3 and last 4 days of the tour. We biked the city on streets lined with palms and spectacular pine trees. The Plaza, an amazing city feature at Balboa Park, was wide open, stunning, and filled with tables and chairs for relaxing and chatting amidst history, museums and architecture.
We enjoyed post-ride dips in the hot tub and the variety of food at restaurants within walking distance each evening.
On our free/rainy days other activities enjoyed were shopping at GasLamp Quarter district, the hop on hop off bus, a Sunday church service and the zoo, art museum and a concert at Balboa Park.
On day four we rode 60m km from Old Town to Carlsbad where we made Best Western Beach View Lodge our home for the next six nights. Blair graciously moved all our luggage in the rental car.
The out and back rides from Beach View Lodge were often dominated by the ocean views…amazing waves in La Jolla, surfers on beaches in Carlsbad, the breakfast room overlooking the ocean. We had opportunities to walk on the beach and see more wildlife: pelicans, seals. From the second floor picture window of the breakfast room there was a chance sighting of a school of dolphins and on the open deck some breathtaking sunsets for some amazing photos.
A ride to the Botanical Gardens in Encinitas and then to the Self Realization Fellowship Encinitas Temple resulted in the walk through the beautiful Meditation Gardens and time to meditate.
The company on the trip was charming, our group accommodated two speeds of riders, and Don made a point of offering outings which would appeal to individual interests. We also received a lot of expert advice on tire changing. Suffice to say, that Anne received the “flat tire” award!
Thanks, Don, for such a well-planned trip!
