Look, I’m not even going to try and pretend that I’m neutral on this one. The east coast is just better.
Of course, even I am not immune to the allure to the beautiful weather of the west coast. As I sit here writing, I am outside in the SHADE just dripping sweat because yay for DC summers.
But you know what I learned from my trip to California? Those west coasters are big old exaggerators! “Best weather ever! Perfect sunshine with no humidity! You can’t beat it!”
LIES I TELL YOU! ALL LIES!
There is not a single west coaster who decided to tell me about this “June Gloom” nonsense. And take a wild guess when we decided to take our trip to the west coast to knock California off the list?
Why, yes, you really are so good at guessing! It was June…
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It’s always nice when I can find (or drag) someone to run a race with me. Our planning for San Diego started at my sister, Mara’s, wedding in January 2023. Our Aunt Donna and Uncle Chuck were in attendance and they mentioned that the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon goes right by their house. They then told Mara and me that we were always welcome to stay with them.
And because Mara and I are still broke college kids in our heart, we heard “free housing” and immediately started planning. Once our husbands got word of our plans, they decided they wanted in on the trip too. Thus, began our couples trip to visit Aunt Donna + Uncle Chuck, run a half marathon and visit San Diego.
Andy and I left Friday morning (June 2) and our trip absolutely started off on the right foot. We had a nonstop flight from Dulles to San Diego and I cannot make this up….but there was NO ONE in the row in front of us or behind us. We had all the space and I was ecstatic like a little kid in a candy shop.
I was nervous about flying because I get motion sickness normally and being 8 weeks pregnant, my morning sickness was also in full force.
(You see how I just snuck that in there? Yes, yes, Andy and I are having our third kid and we’re both excited, scared and questioning our sanity. Ya know, just normal parent stuff.)
I packed a million snacks for the flight and let me tell you how amazing of an idea this was. 10/10 will be doing this again.
Upon our arrival, Aunt Donna and Uncle Chuck picked us up at the airport and brought us to their house which is located centrally in San Diego in Mission Hills. While we waited for Mara and Billy’s flight to land (they were coming later that afternoon) we took a walk around the neighborhood. We saw lots of sights on our walk:
- The house of Elizabeth Holme’s in-laws (of course this is really just a picture of the beginning of their driveway because I’m not that much of a creeper. But also…that VIEW!)
2. The most beautiful weeds in the world
3. A LOT of signs with “SB 10”
I feel like you can tell a lot about someone by what they notice when they visit a new place. Andy notices infrastructure, engineering and communication systems. Me? I notice political messaging. So of course after the third SB 10 sign in someone’s yard, I interrogate Aunt Donna and Uncle Chuck about SB 10.
SB 10 is a law passed in California that would allow single-family homes to be rezoned to multi-unit residences (up to ten units) and three stories high. Although the law was passed at the state level, it is up to each city to decide if they want to adopt it or not. At the time that we were in San Diego, it was a very controversial and hot topic as the Planning Commission was voting in August on whether or not to recommend adoption of SB10.
(Update: In August 2023, the Planning Commission unanimously voted not to recommend/include SB10 in the housing plan to send to the City Council.)
It’s so interesting to me that at the end of the country, we are literally having the exact same conversations. Affordable housing is extinct and everyone (minus probably a few developers) want more options with better pricing. But no one wants it in their neighborhood and have to deal with the impact of more traffic, less parking and constant construction. Maybe us uptight east coasters aren’t so different from these laid back west coasters, huh? 😂😂
After our walk, Andy and I headed into Old Town San Deigo for a late lunch at Keema Cafe. Highly recommend Keema’s if you ever find yourself in Old Town San Diego!
By this time, Mara and Billy had arrived. We spent some time soaking up the sun in the backyard while Andy left to meet his college friend, Alex, for drinks.
Mara, Billy and I met up with Andy and Alex for dinner at Miss B’s. While I wouldn’t recommend Miss B’s for food, it was definitely a good happy hour/drinking spot.
I have to be honest here. I was bit a bit nervous to meet Alex. You see, Alex was basically my pretend competition. Many moons ago, when Andy and I first started dating, we were playing truth or dare and we had to pick someone of the same sex to marry. I literally have no idea who I selected but you better believe that I remembered Andy chose Alex. 😂😂
Of course, Alex was super cool and after meeting him I decided to give Andy a pat on the back because he chose well haha
The next morning, we picked up our packets which was very uneventful except that Mara and I got some exciting photos next to the San Diego neighborhoods (but also do you notice the **sweatshirts** we are both wearing because it was such nice, warm weather?!?!)
We then grabbed an early lunch at Jimmy Carters which is a favorite spot of Aunt Donna and Uncle Chuck. Their recommendation did not disappoint and would absolutely go there again for some delicious Mexican food.
Post lunch the four of us went on a bike tour. Andy and I had done a similar bike tour when we were in Paris and it was spectacular so we were very excited for this one. Except this tour was…average? mediocre? not even a tour?
Basically our “tour” was really just someone leading us on a designated route and stopping every once in a while to be like, “okay time to take photos!” I mean, yes, we did get some awesome photos out of the tour. But also, why were we paying for a guide that literally provided zero information?! I even asked him on our first “photo stop” for some details on where we stopped and he goes, “oh, I’ve only been here for two months.” 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
At the end of the “tour,” our guide asked us to leave a review as it would help them grow their business. And blunt Julia just came out and about…I explained that we were disappointed in the experience and when they advertise something as a tour we are expecting history/information, not a line leader. I told them the service they are offering now isn’t worth the price and we would be better off renting bikes and riding by ourselves.
And…they didn’t get angry at me but I really don’t think they got it. They actually had the audacity to suggest that there “isn’t enough history in this part of San Diego” for a tour with information stops. Soooo yeahhhh…maybe if you’re in San Diego and thinking about going on a bike tour, pick someplace else?
(Meanwhile, Andy, Billy and Mara were all cringing behind their hands throughout the entire conversation – sorry not sorry haha)
On the bright side, the bikes we rented were actually really awesome. Electric bikes, brand new and SO MUCH FUN. Literally, I spent the entire next week googling how much electric bikes cost to see if we could swing one (Andy told me I would need to ride my normal bike a heck of a lot more for an electric bike to make sense haha).
Plus we had a built in photographer at all these “photo stops” so we got some nice pictures of the four of us!
That night for dinner we went to Ciccia Osteria and holy moly…the food was outstanding! I eat a lot of Italian food in my life and if you are looking for some authentic Italian in San Diego, this is a must go place. The restaurant is not located in Little Italy but don’t let the location deter you.
Alright brief pause: There are definitely some negatives to writing blog posts many months after the fact. The biggest is that memory is a fickle thing and sometimes I can’t remember specifics or I don’t remember the full story. What I am about to write next is one of those times. So while I feel mostly confident what I am about to say is true, I am not an 100% reliable source. To put it in context if Uncle Chuck were to cross-examine me about this, I would definitely not be seen as a reliable witness (although I think that says more about Uncle Chuck’s lawyering skills than my memory…)
Okay now back to story time…While at the restaurant the owner came to our table and we asked him the meaning of the restaurant’s name. He said the restaurant is named after his ex-wife and that Ciccia is a nickname for Francesca.
Except when you go to their website, all they mention about the name is that ciccia is a term of endearment in Italy (like honey or sweetie). And look, is it possible that my memory is wrong? For sure. But also here is what I do know:
- The owner and the chef (named Francesca) were married at some point per my google investigating
- I remembering feeling that the owner was bitter about the divorce
- I also remember being surprised to here that is was a nickname for Francesca because my aunt’s name is Francesca and I have never heard anyone call her Ciccia. In fact, according to my Italian friends, Ciccia is not a common nickname for Francesca. One told me that Ciccio is a nickname for Francesco but that she had never heard Ciccia for Francesca. Another told me that it’s more common Cica or Ceca.
So what is Ciccia Osteria named for? Meh 🤷🏻♀️ Make your own judgment. But either way…you should definitely make a point to dine at this fine establishment.
The next morning we woke up at the crack of dawn for the half marathon. And this is not an exaggeration. The race started at 6:15 AM! 6:15 AM!!!!!! That should be illegal. No races can start before 7 AM.
Mara and I took a pre-race photo and shockingly we don’t look like we just rolled out of bed (although let’s be honest…that’s 100% how I felt haha).
There were 15,000 runners in the half marathon and around 6,000 marathon runners. This was the biggest race I have run in a few years and lets just say that I forgot all the pros and cons of big races.
Cons:
- Logistics: To put it bluntly, big races are a logistical nightmare. Trying to get to the start line requires hours of planning. Aunt Donna and Uncle Chuck drove us downtown for the start and I’m not sure that we would have ever made it on our own. They were taking us down back road after back road and we still hit a ton of traffic. Of course, trying to leave the race isn’t much better. You need to park miles away to get out but who wants to walk miles before and after running a long race?! Not me that’s for sure haha
- Crowded: There are people everywhere. Which is not necessarily a bad thing but while you’re running you have to actually pay attention or else you will run into someone.
- Perks: The “perks” of big races are practically non-existent. You get your apparel and your medal afterwards but there really isn’t anything else exciting. Actually, we did get to personalize our running bibs and because I’m so funny I went with “RJ & Bo Mom” 🤣🤣🤣🤣 (If you didn’t get that joke…those are the names of our cats hahaha)
Pros:
- Community: There were supporters and cheerleaders throughout the entire route. It was so wonderful to see people on every corner with signs, sending encouragement. And to be honest, the San Diego locals were incredibly entertaining. One squad of runners had a “beer” pace group which I found hysterical. There was a bar called “Mile 4.5 Bar” which was conveniently located at mile 4.5 (clever, I know). Another group had a mile 5 sobriety check point with lots and lots of whisky shots. Oh, and we did get flashed by a woman as well which certainly wakes you up 🤣🤣
2. Personal Cheerleaders: Okay this isn’t for all big races but I can’t ignore how amazing it was to have the whole squad (Andy, Billy, Aunt Donna and Uncle Chuck) cheering us on. They met us at mile 9 as well as the finish line. I really needed that boost at mile 9 because I was done at that point. (I mean, truthfully I’m pretty much always done with running after 7 miles which kind of feels like a personal problem after all these races but alas I keep torturing myself…sigh)
We finished the race in two hours and thirty five minutes.
After the race we did brunch at Davanti in Little Italy.
While it was not as fantastic as Ciccia’s, it was a very delicious brunch (and another recommendation of Aunt Donna and Uncle Chuck).
Unfortunately, this is where everything started to go downhill for me.
Luckily for you, I won’t actually make you brush up on your algebra skills and I will provide the answer key.
IT WAS BAD. REAL REAL BAD.
Look, I’m not going to get into details but what I will say is that I was pregnant. Constipation is a common pregnancy symptom. Running 13 miles did not make my bowels feel good.
(Side note…I just learned that when you do a google image search for “screaming in pain” that 95% of the results are males. Take from that whatever you would like…cough wimpy males cough…hahaha)
A few hours after the race, the pain had subsided to a moderate 5 and the four of us went to the beach to relax.
AND GUESS WHAT?!?! THE SUN FINALLY CAME OUT?!?!?!
Andy and I turned to each other and we were like, okay I get why people want to live in California now. 🤣 It wasn’t hot per say but it was very relaxing and beautiful. We spent the afternoon reading books, chilling and playing card games.
We stopped for dinner on the way back in Old Town San Diego. And that was just a bad decision all around. Half of the restaurants were closed and the ones that were open didn’t look good at all. We ended up at a Mexican Seafood restaurant and honestly top five worst food experiences. Not a single one of us liked our food and Andy didn’t even finish his which is really saying something haha.
On top the horrible dining experience (I will go on the record to say that we had no issues with the service), my stomach came roaring back and it was so bad that I was crying. Andy and I left mid-dinner to head home where I spent a few hours curled up in pain.
Thankfully, I was feeling back to normal on Monday, although I still feel bad that I killed the entire day for Andy.
On Monday, our last day, we went to the zoo. Obviously, we had sticker shock when we bought our tickets. Do you know how much the San Diego Zoo costs? SEVENTY-ONE DOLLARS!!!!! Yes, you read that right. $71.
In comparison to our DC Zoo which is free (yeah I know we’re spoiled over here), this ticket price seemed incredibly aggressive. Basically, I was expecting rainbows and unicorns and a firework show and maybe talking animals. What? I have high standards! 🤣🤣
Okay, all jokes aside, after visiting I was a lot more understanding of the price tag. The San Diego Zoo is AMAZING. Not only it is ginormous with so many animals but it is clean, organized and full of activities. We were also incredibly impressed by the passion and dedication of the employees and volunteers. We had several employees/volunteers come up to us proactively to share information about the animals. Some other aspects that I liked:
- All the CATS!
Of course, I made Andy take me to the cats first. Actually, if we’re being honest, I made Andy map out a route for us that would allow me to see all the cats. 😻😻 We saw tigers, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and jaguars!
We arrived at the tigers first and we were lucky that two of the brothers (both nine years old) were out and about. Look at me geeking out over the tigers.
2. Unlimited inspiration for Andy’s plant obsession…
So Andy has become a crazy plant person. I don’t know where or when or how this appeared but he is a downright gardener and spends whatever free time he has (which admittedly isn’t much) with his plants. Why does this matter? Well in case you have never been to the San Diego Zoo, there are a lot of plants. And not just normal plants but obscure, crazy ones. I can’t tell you how long it took us to walk anywhere at the zoo because Andy had to stop to look at the plants!
And Andy, if you’re reading this, no you cannot add these to your plant room!!
3. Animal Pop Quiz
I have no idea how many animals there are at the zoo but it felt never ending. If we’re being honest, I am not so great with animals. Like a bird is a bird is a bird. Why do I need to know a million names of the different types of birds and be able to tell them apart?!
I actually think I would have gotten away my whole life without anyone knowing that I am incompetent when it comes to animals. Except I apparently married into a family that is animal obsessive and also really annoying smart about animal. No seriously, Andy’s mom has like a whole separate brain that is just animals. She can tell birds apart by their chirping!! Who can do that?!?! It’s not normal!!
Anyways, I had a really enjoyable time taking pictures of obscure animals and sending them to Andy’s mom for a “zoo pop quiz.”
(Of course, not surprisingly she knew almost all the animals haha)
4. Fun Activities
Since Andy and I are basically kids in grown-up bodies, it is not surprising that we decided to experience all the kid activities. It started with watching Andy single-handedly make the world spin 🤣
Then we did a “climate change” game with the polar bears. The goal was to reach the seal (aka the polar bear’s prey) except that with the melting ice in the Artic, it is more and more difficult for polar bears to travel since ice pieces are becoming smaller and farther apart. Don’t worry, Andy still made it to the seal.
Finally, we rode the skyfari which is an aerial tram.
After the zoo we headed back to Aunt Donna and Uncle Chuck’s house. We had an early dinner with the family and headed to the airport.
Although I don’t think we would recommend traveling to San Diego in June, overall it was a fun trip and a great way to spend time with family. And of course, serious shout out to our parents for watching the kids while Andy and I were both traveling. It is an ORDEAL to figure out childcare and thankful to both sets of grandparents for stepping up so we can have some time away.
Taking Little Steps 