Day 8 - LA County Dept. of Health urges masking when indoors

Spreckels Organ Pavillion at Balboa Park…

7/6/21. Tuesday

8:30 – 9:30 - I’m up and I make coffee immediately -- this time I make sure it’s caffeinated.  B. and I chill out and drink our coffee.

9:30-10:30 – Shower. Lotion. Shorts and a floral shirt. Light make-up.

10:30-11:00 – Today is the first day of my online summer school class at College No. 2!! I log onto the Canvas shell and make sure everything is on schedule. There are three emails from students asking questions about the class and 8 of them have logged onto the Discussion Board for attendance. I respond to the emails and exit the class. Things are going well thus far!!

11:00-1:00 – B. suggests we drive to Café 21 for breakfast.  This restaurant is on the outskirts of The Gas Lamp district so we have to drive.

Elevators. Toboggan Tunnel. One-way streets. B. finds the café and we park at a meter. We tell the hostess “two for breakfast” and she says the wait is 30 minutes. This is on a Tuesday, at 11:00. Doesn’t anybody work in this town?

B. suggests we walk around the block and see the sights. Because we’re on the “outskirts” of the ghetto, there are fewer homeless here; HOWEVER, most disturbing is the black male, in decent shorts and flip-flops, asleep on the sidewalk, right outside the café. He’s not as dirty as the rest of the homeless and could easily pass for a college student. Passer-bys literally have to step around him and it is on this day that I am finally troubled by the homeless situation. Collectively, in our haste to be seated at a “boogie” café and eat gourmet, over-priced food, everyone – not just B. and I - are choosing not to see that a man is actually sleeping on the sidewalk! All of us are stepping around him so we can ask the hostess if we are next in line to be seated. What does this say about our society?  What does this say about capitalism?  Did you know there are no homeless in Denmark? None.

Okay – that was my moral rant and now I’m back to the blog and my own self-absorbed life. B. and I are eventually seated – there is only outdoor seating here, which I appreciate – and it is surprisingly cold outside. By the end of breakfast, I can’t feel the tips of my fingers, I’m so cold.  I swear I’m not exaggerating. I order the Green Eggs and Spam and B. gets the French Toast stuffed with banana and peanut butter, allegedly created by the legendary Bobby Flay. My breakfast is very good, but B.’s is amazing.  I have two bites of his French toast – excellent combination of flavors.

We leave and the black male is gone.

1:00-4:00 – B. and I decide to visit Balboa Park – a gigantic expanse of land containing 17 museums, 11 botanical gardens, several performing arts theaters, and the Spreckels Organ Pavillion. There are numerous other sites to explore – it would take days to see everything.  The best thing about Balboa Park is it’s free!

Almost immediately we find there is no parking.  Also, we have no idea where to go or what to do. Two college girls are holding a map, so B. asks them where they got it – the Visitors Center. Somehow, B. finds the building, but because he can’t park, I get out of the car and head out on foot, looking for the Visitors Center and a map. Success!  I grab a map and return to the car where…B. has found a parking spot!! Earlier in the week, B. printed out the Balboa Park Bucket List so I rank the attractions and plan our itinerary:

1.       The San Diego Museum of Man [the word “Man” has since been changed to “Us” (kind of funny)] where the California Tower is located. It’s a 250-step climb to get to the top, but once there, the bio promises views clear to Mexico. Also, it’s a good workout.

2.       The Botanical Garden and Lilly Pond

3.       The Palm Canyon Trail

4.       And B. wants to check out the Automotive Museum

We start walking and come across a sculpture garden – it’s unnamed on the map – that is very interesting.  We walk around and view the sculptures then head to the California Tower. Unfortunately, The San Diego Museum of Man is locked.  There is no sign on the door, so I don’t understand.  Scratch the California Tower. There’s an Information Office next door and B. and I want to know what’s going on with the California Tower so we try to go inside and talk to one of the employees…it’s locked and there is no signage. We check the hours listed on the door…they’re supposed to be there…but they’re not.

I should note this place. is. crowded.  I mask most of the time.

Continue walking and we find the Botanical Garden and Lilly Pond. Actually, it’s just the Lilly Pond because the Botanical Garden building is locked - there is no signage. The Lilly Pond is very beautiful, but surrounded by people. I do like it, though. 

Continue walking and there are other sites we stumble across: The Balboa Park Carousel; a fountain in the middle of everything; the Archery Range, etc.

B. and I are searching for the Palm Canyon Trail but are having no luck.  We never find it. [Spoiler Alert: we find it tomorrow, when we return for our dinner reservations, but the Trail is closed. There is no signage explaining the reason for the closure.

As we’re walking around, we hear live organ music at the Spreckles Organ Pavillion and walk toward it. The organist is behind closed doors – we never see the instrument or the musician – but the music is piped out through speakers surrounding the Pavillion and it’s beautiful. This is so great!  I sit down to listen and eat some cherries I brought along for a snack.  Apparently, there are free organ concerts every Sunday, at 2:00 – you can have a picnic and listen to the music. What a nice way to spend Sunday brunch.

B. and I are on the move and we stop by the Automotive Museum.  Surprise!  This museum is open, but it’s $25 per person.  I hate cars so I encourage B. to check it out and I’ll wait for him outside, at the covered patio. B. declines – the price is just too high and he only wanted to see ONE car anyway. We walk to the San Diego Air and Space Museum – that’s open, too – but the tickets are around the same price.  I’m not interested in Space (don’t hate me) and I’m not sure B. is into it at those prices. I don’t blame him.

We call it a day and head out.

4:00-5:30 – Driving. One-way streets. Hotel. Toboggan Tunnel. Elevators.  Suite.

5:30-6:30 – It’s still early so B. and I walk to our fave sidewalk bar and order drinks at Happy Hour prices! We sit and chill then walk back to the hotel.

6:30-7:00 - We stop at the Concierge for suggestions about where to eat – I’m feeling Japanese today. The Concierge suggests Menya Ultra, on University Avenue, near the college. B. and I return to our hotel room and call the restaurant – they’re open and we don’t need reservations! Elevators. Tobaggan Tunnel. We drive to Menya.

7:30 – 9:00 – The parking lot is full, but somehow B. is able to find ONE parking space and maneuver the SUV accordingly. There is only indoor seating, but this establishment leaves the door open, which is something. I’m uneasy about eating indoors, but what can I do? I mask as I walk through the restaurant – it’s a small place. B. and I order pot stickers, edamame, and our respective ramen dishes. I eat some of the best ramen I’ve ever had – it’s that good. I get the Tonkotsu Ramen and B. gets the Miso Ramen and sake.  B. said he liked it. I eat almost everything, but there is a little left so I take it to go. 

9:00-10:00 – Return to our hotel. Toboggan tunnel. Elevators. Suite.

10:00-11:30 – B. and I watch the documentary Framing Britney Spears.

11:30-12:15 - Nighttime routine. Bed. Nice day, overall.