Safely in San Diego after a peaceful and beautiful drive down from LA, it was time to get out and meet a few people.
Having safely deposited Charlotte in an overnight car park for the princely sum of $10 in the Gaslamp Quarter, I ventured out on foot to see the sights.
Wandering along, I eventually found my way to Neighborhood, one of San Diego’s premier craft beer establishments (ok so there’s a pattern developing that we all can see!). Nursing a lovely imperial stout, I opened up the laptop for the first time in a while and did some full screen searching (I love my Note 4 but that small screen eventually can drive you crazy)
A quick couple of posts on the US 7 weird things and my sleeping arrangements Charlotte – a paparazzi expose and it was time to see what the night would bring.
A little bit of searching and I discovered that the local San Diego Couchsurfing community were having their weekly get together this very night.
Not wanting to trouble the slumbering Charlotte, and since the lovely imperial stout from earlier had somehow morphed into a belgian ale, then a black ipa, then a porter, then a pale ale, transport was required.
Uber to the rescue! Whatever the complaints about them back home, over here they are ridiculously quick, cheap and driven by people who engage with you in interesting conversations..
Deposited at my destination, another craft brewery Tiger Tiger! about 10 kms across town, for a fare of less than $10, it only took 30 mins or so before people started to arrive.
Sadly photos from the evening have not survived, but I spent a fantastic evening chatting to a great bunch of locals – Arina, Tim, Yuen and so many more.
Finally, around midnight it was time for another Uber trip back to Charlotte before settling down to snore.
Next morning I woke fresher than I expected, so a day of sightseeing beckoned.
First stop was San Diego old town – a state attraction set in the 1800s, with old time shops, restaurants, etc. Think Sovereign hill but in California and without the gold mine.
Here I tried locally brewed beer and wine (one taster of each only) and pit my palate against the offerings from Awesome Hot Sauce. There I learned that the Ghost Chilli no longer holds the title as the world’s hottest chilli, having been taken over by the aptly named Carolina Reaper. However, Daniel and Rebecca (owners of AHS) have used the Reaper judiciously – their sauces tread a beautifully balanced line between heat and pain and I’d recommend them to anyone.
After strolling further along old town, snacking on fresh tortillas cooked in front of me, and taking in the sites, it was time to seek further delights. A trip across the Coronado bridge took me to the ridiculously beautiful streets of Coronado and the Famed Hotel Coronado that sits on a little peninsula and offers both inlet and ocean views.
So, having filled my soul with a last glimpse of the ocean for some time, Charlotte and I then headed North and inland to an almost opposite experience – the heat and desolation of Death Valley.
