Left La Jolla, CA (Travel Lodge) at 9:15 AM (PT) and arrived Raleigh, NC (Cooleemee Drive) 10:00 PM (ET). 2,605 miles. Flight time: ~5.5 hours
There's no place like home.
Sunday, September 13
Saturday, September 12
Samuel's Place
Just a few pics of Samuel's west coast home.
The house is 4th from the corner of La Jolla Blvd and Westbourne. A 7-11 sits on the corner, facing La Jolla, and a sports bar "The Shack" is located conveniently next to the 7-11. Behind the 7-11 sits a surf shop. What else could one ask for? Oh yeah.....great housemates!
House from the street. Owner lives on 2nd story.
Side door is their front door.
Living room. (Official front door is blocked/locked.)
Kitchen, bar, part of dining room.
Open patio/back porch/storage.
Samuel's room, standing at door.
Room standing in door of closet.
Closet door is on right, door to hall on left.
The house is 4th from the corner of La Jolla Blvd and Westbourne. A 7-11 sits on the corner, facing La Jolla, and a sports bar "The Shack" is located conveniently next to the 7-11. Behind the 7-11 sits a surf shop. What else could one ask for? Oh yeah.....great housemates!
House from the street. Owner lives on 2nd story.
Side door is their front door.
Living room. (Official front door is blocked/locked.)
Kitchen, bar, part of dining room.
Open patio/back porch/storage.
Samuel's room, standing at door.
Room standing in door of closet.
Closet door is on right, door to hall on left.Saturday, 9/12 - DAY EIGHT
First, I need to acknowledge that today is Mavis Gupton Holton’s 87th birthday. I have never been so far away from her on this special day. After numerous attempts, we finally connected around 5 PM (ET). Happy Birthday Mom!
The day is flying by, as I knew it would. We left the house mid-morning and headed to Qualcomm Stadium, home of NC State’s best-ever quarterback, Phillip Rivers, and his San Diego Chargers. Then we drove through downtown San Diego, passing by the gaslight district and the convention center. Lovely area I’d like to spend more time visiting in the future.
From there, we headed over the bridge to Coronado and visited the historic Hotel Del Coronado. Swanky! Grabbed a bite of lunch and watched a little football (Michigan v. Notre Dame), before turning back towards La Jolla. On the way back, we took a different route, traveling through Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Birdrock and finally, home-sweet-home for Samu, La Jolla.
We walked along the La Jolla Village shoreline, where the waves were crashing, spraying everyone….including the resident seals. Located several neat-looking mom/pop waterfront hotels to check out on future visits.
We’re kicked back now at the house, watching football, and getting updates on the State v. Murray State game via the internet and Nan and Maris who are using our tickets. Go Pack!
We had 3 ACC connections while out and about. First, a guy in a Duke t-shirt gave Samuel (who had on his NC State t-shirt) a shout out. Then, a little old lady walking by us on the sidewalk gave us a "Go State". Finally, we saw a guy eating lunch wearing a Wake Forest t-shirt. Too much fun!
San Diego skyline
Hotel Del Coronado
Cute seals.
A section of the La Jolla shoreline...not what I expected.
Wednesday, 9/9-DAY FIVE (Part II - The Highs)
We caught the free shuttle into the park around 11 AM, officially arriving at the Grand Canyon about 30 minutes later. A second shuttle transported us to mid-rim, where we finally were able to peak over the edge. All either of us could say was “Wow!”, over and over again. The sensation of height (or depth?) was dizzying. I was reminded of my first venture into the nose bleed section of the RBC center, a row or two from the top. Very queasy stomach.
The temp was about 10 degrees cooler than it had been at the hotel. My light “city” sweater was little defense against the chill, even buttoned from top to bottom. The sky remained overcast and threatening. The shuttle drivers repeatedly told us there was no shelter at the observation points, so if we did not want to get wet, don’t go up. But, at this point, nothing was going to keep us from seeing more after coming this far. Our risk paid off. Within an hour, the sun was peeking thru the clouds and I had to remove my sweater.
There simply are no words to convey how AWESOME the Grand Canyon is. Every overlook delivered a different, yet equally incredulous view. And the trees, shrubs and flowers were quite exotic. (See pics below. For great shots of the canyon, check out Samuel’s blog here.)
Another interesting aspect was the diversity of other tourists. So many different nationalities were represented. We heard many more foreign languages being spoken that day than good old American. It was fun to try to figure out the country of origin.
At one of the outlooks, a Condor passed overhead causing everyone to ooohhh and ahhhh. At another site, we were entertained by a scrappy western squirrel enjoying someone’s leftovers.
In total, I think we hiked between 2 and 3 miles, about a quarter of the south rim’s length. I’d like to return one day and walk the entire 12+ miles.
Guess it’s time to disclose my unfortunate encounter with a honey bee at Hermit’s Rest. Facilities at the outermost points are fairly primitive. (Imagine a half moon on the door.) Your two goals are (1) to find a unit with few or no insects flying around and (2) to hold your breath for as long as possible. After opening and closing several doors, I finally found one that appeared to be in decent shape. I quickly took care of business and pulled up my drawers. Just as I finished zipping, I felt an excruciating, burning sensation in my lower left buttock. OMG! I dropped trou quickly, and out fell Mr. Honey Bee. Ouch! I killed that little sucker, reassembled myself and limped the rest of the afternoon. They should post “beware of bee” signs at the GCNP.
Samuel kept me on edge (pun intended) all day by venturing out to extreme ledges so I could take his picture. My stomach was upside down and in knots. He also enjoyed throwing small rocks over the edge, then listening to hear how long it took them to hit bottom. Boys will be boys!
Around 4, we began the shuttle journey to Yaki point, the eastern most outlook along the south rim and a prime vantage point for taking in a Grand Canyon sunset. Changing shuttles, it took the better part of an hour to get there. Then we waited, hoping some late day, low lying storm clouds would not obstruct the sunset. At 6:38 PM, it happened and it was worth the wait.
We hopped back on the next shuttle, and encountered a herd of elk, including a big Poppa bull on the way down. What a wonderful end to a great day in the Grand Canyon.
*Samuel took 283 pictures and I took 103, but we could have taken hundreds more.
Cool bush growing on rock.
How did he get out there?
Happiness is......
Standing (living) on the edge
Love the shape.
Friday, September 11
Friday, 9/11 - DAY SEVEN
After a great night’s sleep, a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee, I walked 2 blocks from the hotel to Samuel’s house. Lots of folks out along the way, walking their doggies. He was the only one up, and looked a little tired. Said everyone stayed up until almost 2AM talking, which is a good sign.
Our first priority of the day was to head to UCSD campus to get Samuel’s student ID, sign up for a meeting with his advisor, do a little shopping at the bookstore and take me on a short campus tour. I’ve attached several pictures below. The buildings are very different than what we’re used to at State, not to mention the lush, tropical grounds and the absence of bricks. The architecture is “way out there” on many of the buildings, very eye-catching.
After campus, we headed out to buy a mattress and box springs. (Samuel slept on the futon last night. Okay for a night or two, but not where anyone needs to sleep long term.) We struck gold at Big Lots and returned to the house via back streets rather than the freeway with the mattress inside the Blazer and the box springs ratcheted down on top. The rest of the day has been spent picking up this and that, here and there. In addition to Big Lots, we successfully located Costco, Walmart and Target, all of which are fairly close. All of these stores are on Mom’s approved locations for shopping.
Our excitement for the day occurred as we were returning from Wally-World, along the main highway back to La Jolla. Houses are perched all along the surrounding hills, and around many are retaining walls. As we were passing by one neighborhood, we spied a bobcat sauntering down a retaining wall, like it was no big deal. Not one of our everyday sights in Raleigh.
It’s now 6 pm, and Samuel is off with a bunch of folks at a UCSD soccer match. I’m enjoying the laptop all to myself, sitting on his futon and surveying his room as it has come together nicely today. In a few minutes, I’m going to walk down to the ocean and savor the view. Tomorrow will be our day to see some of San Diego, and maybe take a dip at one of the La Jolla beaches. Wish y’all could be here to enjoy this with me.
Engineering Building from balcony of Student Services Center
Student Union (right next to Eng. Bldg.)
Structural Engineering Dept. (Re-purposed WWII era building)
Geisel Library (named for the "real" Dr. Suess)
School mascot/symbol - Neptune and his Triton - along with my favorite Triton.
Thursday, 9/10 – DAY 6
(No, I haven't forgotten that I owe you Part II of Wednesday, and a ton of pictures. Maybe tomorrow?)
Left Grand Canyon, AZ at 7:05 AM (PST) and arrived La Jolla, CA at 3:30 PM (PST). 8 hours driving, about 495 miles.
Quite chilly when we left, +55%. (Thought it was odd that the hotel displayed the temp with a plus sign in front until I remembered there are probably negative temps there in the winter, so plus and minus signs are necessary.) Within 2 hours, though, the temp had climbed to 99 degrees, eventually hitting 100 just outside of Barstow, CA. Talk about extreme!
Desert surrounded us in western Arizona and eastern California, rising up gentle slopes to surrounding mountains that seemed to grown in height with each passing mile. Lots of low-ground cacti, sand and rock.
Shortly after crossing the California border, we passed through an inspection checkpoint. The official took one look at the fully loaded Blazer, kind of rolled his eyes and asked if we were transporting any plants, vegetables or fruit. He seemed quite relieved when I said no. Then he winked at me, and we were off.
California gas prices were a shock. $3.59 per gallon, regular unleaded. Up until now, we’d enjoyed lower than normal gas prices, since most states we have passed through have lower gasoline taxes than NC.
We switched up the routine for our last leg, with me driving the morning and Samuel taking the afternoon shift. Samuel worked industriously while I drove, finishing his loan paperwork on-line as well as opening up new bank accounts and updating his calendar for grad school activities over the next few weeks. He reminded me of Jimmy Connors, typing furiously away on his iPhone, taking a break and blowing on his hands, trying to cool off those fiery thumbs! An iPhone is looking more and more appealing. Dear Santa, if you bring me an iPhone, please bring me a new pair of glasses so I can see what I’m doing.
We also made a last-minute change in our route, deciding to take I-40 to its terminus and traveling south on 15/215, skirting LA, down to La Jolla. Saved 2 hours, and we can now say we’ve driven the entire length of I-40, cross-country, from Wilmington, NC to Barstow, CA. (Though not on this one trip.) While it would have been nice to see southwestern Arizona, Samuel is ready to get there and get settled. And me? I’d like to keep driving a few more days.
Train sightings have been numerous today. Long trains, with multiple engines up front and at the back. The rail industry appears to be alive and thriving out west.
Traffic is heavy for the first time west of Barstow, probably because people actually live around here as contrasted with the sparsely populated areas we’ve traveled prior to today. Glad Samuel is driving and not me. By the way, California drivers are crazy. Can’t tell you how many times some jerk cut in front of us today. Samuel skillfully avoided hitting them, and never said one bad word.
Air quality around San Bernadina is horrible. Either smoke from the LA fires, smog or both. What a sad contrast to the crisp, clean air we enjoyed at the Grand Canyon. The palm trees are pretty, though. Temp is up to 102 degrees, no wait…108 degrees. What a day of extremes!
By the time we reached La Jolla (just north of San Diego, where UCSD is located), the temps had returned to a very mild 75 degrees. We listened to the Eagles “Hell Freezes Over” CD on our way in, particularly enjoying my all-time favorite “Hotel California”.
La Jolla is beautiful, and Samuel’s west coast home is awesome. We unloaded the Blazer, with Gil’s assistance. Then we set about cleaning his room. Just a little elbow grease on the floor, shelves and window was all it took. We made a quick trip to Wally-World for a few items, and will look for a bed and other items tomorrow. The futon will have to do for a day or two.
I’ve met all of his housemates, Gil, John, Kerry and Ryan, and they all seem pretty cool. He’s out in the kitchen/dining room getting to know them, and I’m cozy on the futon blogging. Will head out soon for my room at the Travel Lodge, just down the block. Samu needs his space now, and I need mine.
More later on La Jolla, UCSD campus, San Diego, and the ocean. Did I mention that it’s just a short 3-block walk from his house to the Pacific?
Left Grand Canyon, AZ at 7:05 AM (PST) and arrived La Jolla, CA at 3:30 PM (PST). 8 hours driving, about 495 miles.
Quite chilly when we left, +55%. (Thought it was odd that the hotel displayed the temp with a plus sign in front until I remembered there are probably negative temps there in the winter, so plus and minus signs are necessary.) Within 2 hours, though, the temp had climbed to 99 degrees, eventually hitting 100 just outside of Barstow, CA. Talk about extreme!
Desert surrounded us in western Arizona and eastern California, rising up gentle slopes to surrounding mountains that seemed to grown in height with each passing mile. Lots of low-ground cacti, sand and rock.
Shortly after crossing the California border, we passed through an inspection checkpoint. The official took one look at the fully loaded Blazer, kind of rolled his eyes and asked if we were transporting any plants, vegetables or fruit. He seemed quite relieved when I said no. Then he winked at me, and we were off.
California gas prices were a shock. $3.59 per gallon, regular unleaded. Up until now, we’d enjoyed lower than normal gas prices, since most states we have passed through have lower gasoline taxes than NC.
We switched up the routine for our last leg, with me driving the morning and Samuel taking the afternoon shift. Samuel worked industriously while I drove, finishing his loan paperwork on-line as well as opening up new bank accounts and updating his calendar for grad school activities over the next few weeks. He reminded me of Jimmy Connors, typing furiously away on his iPhone, taking a break and blowing on his hands, trying to cool off those fiery thumbs! An iPhone is looking more and more appealing. Dear Santa, if you bring me an iPhone, please bring me a new pair of glasses so I can see what I’m doing.
We also made a last-minute change in our route, deciding to take I-40 to its terminus and traveling south on 15/215, skirting LA, down to La Jolla. Saved 2 hours, and we can now say we’ve driven the entire length of I-40, cross-country, from Wilmington, NC to Barstow, CA. (Though not on this one trip.) While it would have been nice to see southwestern Arizona, Samuel is ready to get there and get settled. And me? I’d like to keep driving a few more days.
Train sightings have been numerous today. Long trains, with multiple engines up front and at the back. The rail industry appears to be alive and thriving out west.
Traffic is heavy for the first time west of Barstow, probably because people actually live around here as contrasted with the sparsely populated areas we’ve traveled prior to today. Glad Samuel is driving and not me. By the way, California drivers are crazy. Can’t tell you how many times some jerk cut in front of us today. Samuel skillfully avoided hitting them, and never said one bad word.
Air quality around San Bernadina is horrible. Either smoke from the LA fires, smog or both. What a sad contrast to the crisp, clean air we enjoyed at the Grand Canyon. The palm trees are pretty, though. Temp is up to 102 degrees, no wait…108 degrees. What a day of extremes!
By the time we reached La Jolla (just north of San Diego, where UCSD is located), the temps had returned to a very mild 75 degrees. We listened to the Eagles “Hell Freezes Over” CD on our way in, particularly enjoying my all-time favorite “Hotel California”.
La Jolla is beautiful, and Samuel’s west coast home is awesome. We unloaded the Blazer, with Gil’s assistance. Then we set about cleaning his room. Just a little elbow grease on the floor, shelves and window was all it took. We made a quick trip to Wally-World for a few items, and will look for a bed and other items tomorrow. The futon will have to do for a day or two.
I’ve met all of his housemates, Gil, John, Kerry and Ryan, and they all seem pretty cool. He’s out in the kitchen/dining room getting to know them, and I’m cozy on the futon blogging. Will head out soon for my room at the Travel Lodge, just down the block. Samu needs his space now, and I need mine.
More later on La Jolla, UCSD campus, San Diego, and the ocean. Did I mention that it’s just a short 3-block walk from his house to the Pacific?
Wednesday, 9/9 – DAY 5
(Apologies for not getting this posted last night. We were without internet connection.)
A day of highs and lows. Thank goodness the lows came first and we ended on a high.
PART ONE: The Lows
We got up early to sift through Samuel’s financial aid information in order to accept or decline the various options offered. Any of you who have ever looked at higher ed financial packages will know how confusing this information can be. Nothing is called or labeled what it really is. For example, what would you guess that “pending support” was? (Turns out, it’s his TA salary for winter and spring quarters…IF he’s re-hired.) So, we end up teleconferencing with Betty in the UCSD financial aid office who ultimately answered all of our questions.
But the call itself was difficult, with the 3 people participating coming from 3 different perspectives and levels of understanding. Shortly thereafter, we lost our internet connection – right in the middle of Samuel finalizing his financial aid choices.
Our moods after the call matched the weather outside, which was overcast and chilly, with sprinkles of rain. Not how we planned to see the Grand Canyon.
PART TWO: The Highs
Sorry to keep you in suspense, but I’m too tired to do this justice. Suffice it to say the Grand Canyon was GRAND and surpassed all of our expectations. Many more details (& pics) to follow at a later time.
A day of highs and lows. Thank goodness the lows came first and we ended on a high.
PART ONE: The Lows
We got up early to sift through Samuel’s financial aid information in order to accept or decline the various options offered. Any of you who have ever looked at higher ed financial packages will know how confusing this information can be. Nothing is called or labeled what it really is. For example, what would you guess that “pending support” was? (Turns out, it’s his TA salary for winter and spring quarters…IF he’s re-hired.) So, we end up teleconferencing with Betty in the UCSD financial aid office who ultimately answered all of our questions.
But the call itself was difficult, with the 3 people participating coming from 3 different perspectives and levels of understanding. Shortly thereafter, we lost our internet connection – right in the middle of Samuel finalizing his financial aid choices.
Our moods after the call matched the weather outside, which was overcast and chilly, with sprinkles of rain. Not how we planned to see the Grand Canyon.
PART TWO: The Highs
Sorry to keep you in suspense, but I’m too tired to do this justice. Suffice it to say the Grand Canyon was GRAND and surpassed all of our expectations. Many more details (& pics) to follow at a later time.
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