TT Pio Pico, San Diego, California

Thousand Trails Pio Pico is situated in a little valley between the hills and mountains mostly covered with sage brush. Unfortunately most of the ranges were black from the fires that burned in April 2007 that covered miles all directions from the park. It is a sad sight.

But the backyard...

San Diego, California

We spent a day in San Diego seeing the sights. The Old Town Trolley is a good way of getting a narrated tour of just about all the important parts of the city. The ship was used in the movie "Masters and Commanders", there were fascinating sculptures all over the streets, and the harbor view was from the top of a two mile bridge going out to Coronado Island.

Coronado Island

We got off the trolley on Coronado Island for a look-see and some lunch. The island is the home of the Coronado Hotel which boasts that all (but the last) the presidents have stayed there and has beautiful flowers. There were birds of paradise growing everywhere. We found a wonderful lunch of blackened ahi sashimi, beef barley soup, and a calamari sandwich which went with our bottle of Four Graces Pinot Gris just perfectly. We took a picture of ourselves (actually we took three or four--that's why I was laughing!)

Torres State Park, San Diego, CA

We ended our day with a walk on the beach. Torres State Park is in northern San Diego and has beautiful white sand beaches, unique red cliffs, and a gorgeous sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

Spa and Ribs

Not a day went by that we didn't do something and eat more. Marlene and Renny invited us again to their home to enjoy the beautiful backyard and wonderful spa and then Renny did ribs. He and Mitch had a little sparring match about whose ribs are the best. Guess we just have to keep eating to find out!

More Fun

This is the motley crew that we spent Thanksgiving week with: Renny and Marlene at home in Rancho Mirage, Murray and Joan from Montana, and Erling and JerriLee from Idaho.

The Living Desert

We still aren't done with our Thanksgiving vacation. Heather, wife of pilot R2 and daughter-in-law of Renny and Marlene, was our hostess to The Living Desert where we spent Sunday morning on the inside track. I even got to feed the giraffes.