39 posts tagged “san diego”

The Beloved and I took a break from a pretty busy weekend on Saturday night to head out for a bit of a date-night to a restaurant that we’ve been interested in trying ever since we received the latest issue of Imbibe magazine.

In the article entitled, “The 100 Best Places to Drink Beer In America” was listed a restaurant in the North Park section of San Diego, called The Linkery.  It was cited for having a great list of beers on tap, in cask, and in bottles as well as an exceptional wine list.  The kicker was that they also specialized in making their own sausages.  Count us in.

Not only did both the bar menu and the links live up to expectations, but the resataurant was a real treat – espousing a farm-to-table philosophy, it has a menu that constantly changes depending upon what the chefs can get their hands on.  In addition to sausages, they had several higher-minded entrees, including vegetarian choices.  The atmosphere was young and hectic – it didn’t seem that anyone working there was over 30.  The bar was packed with folks watching USC annihilate Ohio State.  The tables in the back afforded enough quiet for a wonderfully pleasant dinner.

We started off by sharing a couple of very tasty sausages (with homemade mustard and saurkraut) and I had a Death & Taxes black lager, which had some of the overtones of stouts, but (to me) a more refreshing taste.  For dinner, the Beloved got grouper and cheesy grits, and I got an open-faced reuben that was excellent.  With dinner, I had a Prima Pils, which was also excellent – light and crisp.  I was curious about the large selection of Belgian-style ales they had, but I don’t know much about them.  I could have used my neighborhood’s resident expert for advice.

All-in-all, a great, fun experience.  Good food, good drinks, good atmosphere, reasonably priced.  Portion control was also sane – well, except for the dessert I got (carrot cake with citrus icing), which was also excellent.  We definitely needed the walk around the North Park art galleries afterward before heading home.

So yesterday, the Beloved and I had a real Labor Day treat.  We had brunch with Cori and Noelle!  Cori was down here visiting Noelle on an impromptu getaway and we took advantage of that to get together.
 

As with all the excellent vox get togethers this summer – getting to meet your friends for the first time is so strange and fun – because you fall right into conversation like you’ve been friends for years – which when you think about it, we have.
 
My only regret was that I didn’t have a chance to crush Cori at tennis and/or Scrabble.  Next time for sure… (see what a nice friend I am) :)
 

Coming back from my piano lesson (which is on Monday evenings after work), I almost always stop for this left turn at the intersection of the Pacific Coast Highway and Carmel Valley Road.  From the light, you look down on Torrey Pines State Beach, the cliffs of Torrey Pines State Park (on the left), and the point that forms La Jolla (on the right).

Unfortunately, I only had a couple of seconds (because the light turned green!), and the camera autofocused on my hand and not the vista. D'oh!

Nice way to end the weekend...

Because she loves me, the Beloved got us concert tickets to tonight's Death Cab For Cutie concert being held at SDSU.  So, my question is: that at the ripe, young age of 42:

So, the answer is: No -- not by a long-shot!  There seemed to be a reasonable number of men in their 50s, and they weren't lost or with the security team...

With a lot of time on my hands this weekend, I decided on Saturday not to drive anywhere, but to explore a little of the canyon that is essentially in our back yard.

The Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve is a 7000 acre city park that runs east-west for about 7 miles between Interstates 5 and 15 in the northern part of San Diego.  The western edge bottoms out near the ridge at Torrey Pines and the eastern entrance is essentially down the hill from The Aerie.  The canyon is home to lots of wildlife – birds, deer, snakes, even mountain lions have been sighted there.  It’s a fairly popular place for trail running, hiking and mountain biking

Saturday was overcast and cool – perfect weather for a pale person like me to spend several hours out in the middle of the day – the downside is that it doesn’t make for very dramatic pictures.

The preserve has a couple of different terrains – there’s a stream that runs through it and so there’s lots of glades.  Away from the stream trees change to brush and grasses.  Mustard plants are in full bloom here right now, which added nice splotches of color to the landscape.

My goal was to make the waterfall which is about 2/3 of the way through the canyon and back.  I meandered on my way out, taking footpaths and horse trails and getting lost (without really getting too lost).  Apparently, my “bush skills” needed a little help, because I did end up doubling back over one area – oops.

It was really pleasant – I came across a number of hikers and riders along the stream, but there were places away from it where I’d go 10-20 minutes with the only sounds being the crunch of my soles on the trail, birdsongs and the wind in the grass.  I was glad I didn’t bring my iPod.  I made it to the waterfall in about 2 and a half hours and decided that I was tired enough not to “meander” back, making it back out of the canyon in a more-or-less direct route in about 90 minutes more.

In this last picture, our home is visible -- if you look at the hill in the distance, there are two horizontal rows of houses -- ours is on the top row, towards the right.  Saving the best (or worst depending on your opinion) I climbed the last half-mile up to our house (about a 13% grade).  Just about 4 hours and a little more 10 miles by my reckoning using this tool.

All in all, a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

"The sky broke like an egg into full sunset and the water caught fire." -- Pamela Hansford Johnson
Show us a self-taken picture of the sunset.
Submitted by Connie.

Two of my favorites...

An evening view from the cliffs at Torrey Pines State Beach.

 

The view from our house.  (The dots are hot air balloons that are fairly frequent here along the coast...)

Apparently, I like sunsets silhouetted by plants.

I know a lot of people are doing this, but Steve pointed out that reviewing your photos is a great way to relive and re-appreciate so many of the special things that happened this past year.

I couldn't choose just one:

I caught this little fella in a pond in New Hampshire in June.  I just loved the detail.

 

Eutaw running to retrieve in the ocean for the first time in three years at sunset at dog beach in Del Mar -- March.

This guy was waiting for his owner to come back from surfing at Torrey Pines -- Labor Day weekend.

This was just a funny juxtaposition of lines --- Santa Barbara, July (I think).

I don't take many "people" shots, but this little cousin was a little bored at a wedding in Minnesota -- Memorial Day weekend.

This arc of gypsum, water and sky at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, February. (The two little dots center right are people.)

The view from our balcony at The Aerie on the first weekend we moved in.  April.

Talk about a Happy Friday!  Today’s the first solid day of rain San Diego’s seen since sometime last Spring.  There were spotty showers in October, but today should be the first long, soaking rain we’ve seen in a long time.

For me, this is always a day to get excited about.  We’ve been so dry here; we need all the rainy days we can get.  (Tamzen, we’d be happy to take some of yours!),  Of course, one day isn't going to solve our drought, but I'd be happy with a day like this every week for the next six months.

To celebrate I’m going to walk over to the cafeteria (which is in another building) to get breakfast, just so I can get wet.

Here’s a favorite tune from my “rain” playlist:

Have a great day!

So the one thing that I sometimes forget working in the biotech industry here is that San Diego is a military town.  Practically from its founding, it has had an important military presence.  And it still does today-- there are several busy and important Navy and Marine bases here in town. 
 
This past weekend, while the Beloved’s folks were visiting, we came across an absolute jewel of a museum that both educates and inspires – The USS Midway Museum.
 

The Midway (CV-41) is an aircraft carrier that exemplified the change in naval strength from battleships to aircraft carriers in the second half of the 20th century.  Completed at the end of the Second World War in 1945, the Midway and its crew served nearly 50 years – from the post-war years, to Korea, Vietnam and as well as in Operation Desert Storm.
 

It was decommissioned in 1992 and now serves as a museum that shows what life was like aboard one of these “cities at sea” (let me tell you: it’s cramped) in the 1940s and through the oncoming decades – highlighting crew quarters, mess halls, sick bays, etc and the enormous operational complexity of keeping such an endeavor "ship-shape".

The museum also has aircraft of the last fifty years in its hangar deck and on its flight deck, highlighting the multitude of training aircraft, fighters, torpedo bombers and helicopters that have operated from its deck.

 
The audio tour is the best that I’d ever experienced in any museum and I highly recommend it. In addition, the Midway is also staffed by volunteers (docents, I guess you’d call them) who had served on her or other Midway-class vessels.  It was a thrill and an honor to speak with these vets about their time served and hear their real-life stories.
 

(One of my favorite parts was that from the deck you had a great view of the two carriers that are currently in port, the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76))

I’ve never served in the military, but have always had a respect for the difficult and occasionally monumental tasks they are asked to make routine.  The Midway highlights one facet of that endeavor and does a great job of integrating the technical and the personal – and it has gone to the top of my “must-see” list for anyone coming to San Diego.