Today is a Tuesday and while I was helping with the packing I gave my NY friend another cool thing to do.
What and where? Hiking at Golden Hill Trails
Why? It's a great workout, no matter how good gym machines are, there's nothing like actually hiking up hills. I wrote two posts on the #22 Trail which is 4.4 miles and that's the one he completed, see Balboa Trails - Golden Hill Part 1 of 2 and Balboa Trails - Golden Hill Part 2 of 2. The reason I picked this workout for him was so he could have the opportunity to see the normal, every day non-tourist part of the city. He loved it and was a bit sore afterwards!
Money saving tip: If you live in the area, instead of going to a gym just do the trails to keep in shape. In my case it doesn't work as well since I prefer to exercise in the evening and during the winter time change the sun goes down way too early.
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| In some areas logs are added to make it easier to get up and down hills |
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| And no cars within earshot, it's like leaving the city |
What and where? Check out the Maritime Museum
Why? This has been on my personal to-do list for a long time and finally I got to do it. Now this was a great deal, for $14 we got to get into the Star of India, the HMS Surprise which was used in the filming of Master and Commander and one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, an art exhibition from Gauguin, we checked out some smaller ships and got inside a tiny submarine. We couldn't get into the Russian submarine since it was being used in the filming of a movie starring David Duchovny, I tried to linger as much as I could hoping for a glimpse of him, but no luck there.
Now this is great deal and all, but I doubt I'll ever do it again. I get seriously claustrophobic inside the ships, not to mention the submarine, all I wanted was to get back outside!
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| At the helm of The Star of India |
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| Never will I complain about my tiny bathroom again |
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| A view of the USS Dolphin submarine. The Gauguin main exhibition was at the old ferry Berkeley |
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| Amazing view! Even if there wasn't a Duchovny sighting |
What and where? Watch Mexico vs Brazil friendly football match at Funky Garcia's in Downtown
Why? My friend Tom is part Mexican and one thing he wanted to do on this trip was to experience more of that culture, without going into Mexico since he doesn't have a passport...yet! So what better way than to watch a FIFA football match, with most people wearing the National team jersey and all of us glued to the TV screens and with big expectations for our team. I mean, we were going against Brazil so I was hoping to an honorable loss or dare I even say it...a tie...but we lost 2 - 1, which was very good indeed, the first half was great, with the Mexico national team giving it all their energy and........OK I need to stop the narration now or I'll write pages and pages on the subject. And about the restaurant, it's pretty cool, we had great service and the food was very good, it has become one of my places to take visitors.
Money saving tip: Funky Garcia's is close to Horton Plaza so you can park there for three hours for free with validation, as long as you get there before 9 PM. Also we were lucky it was Taco Tuesday, which is now a tradition for great deals all over San Diego.
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| This pic was taken from their website |
What and where? A stroll through Seaport Village
Why? Day or night this place is magical, full of unique specialized shops dedicated to selling only hot sauce, or flags, or wooden toys, not to mention the amazing Wyland Gallery. Even on weekends when the place is full of people, there is still a feeling of peace and calm there. Looking at the stores, the ponds with ducks and coy fish, the bay or downtown, everywhere you look is a treat. And the shopping is great, I'm in love with so many of the stores there!
Money saving tip: If you get there after 6 PM it's easy to find a spot on the metered area, so at least you don't pay for parking. Otherwise it'll be 2 hours of parking at $1 with purchase and $4 an hour thereafter. Also, if you are on @foursquare you unlock a VIP shopping pass for shopping and dining.
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| T-Shirt from The Little Viking Store in Seaport Village |
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| Love this one! |
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