San Diego Vacation - La Jolla Kayaking

La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya)

 What a great way to end a memorable 2-week vacation in California...kayaking in the Pacific Ocean! Got up early on a Sunday morning and my son drove us about 12 miles north of where he lives from Downtown San Diego.  La Jolla has about seven miles of curvy shoreline on the ocean which would be very interesting to see in a kayak.  It is considered to be in the city limits of San Diego and is the home of the University of California as well as Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the oldest institute of its kind in the country.

La Jolla Kayak has been providing tours of the spectacular sea cliffs and caves of La Jolla since 1995.
They are the original with a variety of tours with certified instructors and sit-upon ocean kayaks that are new this season.  They also offer snorkeling and coastal bike tours.  For my son and I, the guided 2-hour cave tour sounded like a lot of fun!  This was my son's first experience in a kayak but he had had extensive experience canoeing growing up.  I am a seasoned, frequent kayaker and even toured Blackbeard's Cove in Ocracoke Island at the Outer Banks in the Atlantic Ocean.  This is my first time in the Pacific Ocean.  What an exciting way to spend time with my son!

The following photos, videos, and musical album include photos taken mostly by me and Jake.  I think the reader will be able to tell which ones I got off Google.  I wanted to include a wider view of the area for perspective and found a chart and map that is useful.  I saw all of the species shown in the photos except for the sharks which was okay by me!  It is difficult to take good photos from a kayak and many photos were just deleted and replaced with much better ones I found online.  Nothing can match the real experience but I wanted to share it best I can and make aware the beauty that can be found around the water.

I understand that Emerald Cove has a geological uniqueness which was explained by the guides.  Something about a major shelf plate shifting under another one which creates much instability but draws a wide variety of wildlife.  The houses built around this area are on unstable soil and can slide into the ocean anytime.  All are very expensive houses and many are not lived in full time; many utilizing airbnb marketing.

La Jolla Kayak Storefront about 2 blocks from beach

La Jolla Beach Launch Area

La Jolla Shore Launch Area

Site of Seven Caves

Sand Castle House Built on Sand  - valued at $30 million!

Unstable Shoreline Area

Cave Site to Point

Jake

Jake

Beti

La Jolla Guides Casey & Cameron have extensive knowledge about the area and its nature.

Beti & Jake inside cave

Typical Wildlife in La Jolla Area

Map of Garibaldi Habitat

Garibaldi School

Garibaldi Fish

Leopard Sharks

Tiger Shark

Smiling Sea Lion

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelicans

Nesting Cormorants

Black Turnstone Shore Bird

Heermann's Gull

Osprey

Royal Terns

Go Full Screen on this musical album that takes 2:37 minutes...

San Diego Vacation - Balboa Park Zoo Time

Day at the San Diego Zoo with my son, Jake.

Zoo memories are fun memories and most people keep them throughout their lives from their childhood and then again with their own children and grandchildren.  Some great new memories were made as my son and I spent seven hours walking to exhaustion to experience and capture every possible attraction!  

I always thought that one can get a good perspective of a city by it's museums and zoos.  It shows what they value.  San Diego Zoo is a not-for-profit organization committed to ending extinction with global efforts.  Learn more at www.endextinction.org and at San Diego Zoo Global 

Mission Statement

San Diego Zoo Global is committed to saving species worldwide by uniting our expertise in animal care and conservation science with our dedication to inspiring passion for nature.

The San Diego Zoo was founded October 2, 1916 by Harry M. Wegeforth, M.D. after the 1915 Panama-California Exposition which put San Diego on the map.  This is the 100th year Anniversary!  The San Diego History Center in the heart of Balboa Park tells the whole story and is definitely a must-see when visiting.  It is a very colorful history!

Some of the outstanding exhibits for me are shown in the following musical album which takes about 3 minutes and shows about 30 of my favorite photos.  Jake and I were there at the day's opening which greeted the crowd with a large container full of birds released high above the crowd to begin the day's adventures!  We began with a Guided Bus Tour for 35 minutes to get an overview and then decide where we wanted to spend the most time.  There was also a Kangaroo Bus that allowed you to hop on and off at four locations around the zoo.  We didn't use this service but knew we could if we needed too.  We did the Skyfari Aerial Tram once after we walked to the far end and used it to come back.  There was entertainment on the street and on film in various areas.  The programs for children are too numerous to list but worth checking out if you have little ones.  There's even a Nighttime Zoo program but we didn't make it there that long!  The Dining and Shopping was exceptional and Jake and I both got new hats!  We ate at the Sabertooth Grill which featured farm fresh California cuisine and the best hamburgers!

We did manage to take home a couple of very cute souvenirs!

San Diego Vacation - Balboa Park Botanical Bldg & Gardens

 1.  Botanical Building with Lily Pond

As a Missouri Master Gardener, I can appreciate the skills needed to have beautiful gardens in the middle of the summer!  In Missouri, the best time to tour gardens is in May/June as they quickly become a challenge as the drought season takes over by the end of July and into August.  I was very happy to be in southern California to see and learn about plants that can tolerate low water.  I also noticed an overall friendliness for plants that attract pollinators and butterflies.  I'm so impressed as these gardening masters have a larger variety of plants that grow year-round and get so big!  We may be able to grow some of the same varieties but they are only for a relatively short season.

One of the world's largest wood lath structures was built in 1915 and contains over 2.100 permanent tropical plants along with seasonal floral and plant displays.  There is also a carnivorous plant bog.  Including the Botanical Building and Lily Pond, there are 10 garden/horticulture attractions and I visited eight of them.  When there was a plant name tagged, I usually noted it but much of the gardens are just there to enjoy without tags and that's just fine.  I took photos of what impressed me the most but so much more was just there for the momentary experience of beauty as one walks along inviting paths enriching the soul.

The two end plants are Crown Plants; a type of milkweed loaded with monarch caterpillars in all stages!

Can you see the hungry caterpillar?

The gardens are scattered all over Balboa Park.  During the time I was visiting the museums, I would break away from the indoors and enjoy some time outdoors and walked through each garden as I came upon one on my way to the next museum.  Several of them had hiking paths and were quite vigorous!  It was a good balance and gave me the time needed to reflect on the wonderful things I saw and learned.

2.  Alcazar Garden

3.  Moreton Bay Fig Tree viewed from theNAT

3.  Moreton Bay Fig Tree

4.  Desert Garden Overview

4.  Desert Garden

4.  Desert Garden

4.  Desert Garden

4.  Desert Garden

5.  Next to the Desert Garden is the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden

5.  Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden

5.  Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden

5.  Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden

5.  Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden

5.  Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden

5.  Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden

5.  Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden

6.  Zoro Garden

6.  Zoro Garden

6.  Zoro Garden

7.  Palm Canyon

I saved the biggest and best garden for last because it I knew it would take at least couple hours.  The Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego has 16 points of interest and 22 if one wanted to do the self-guided audio tour using a smart phone.  I just wanted to walk around on my own and stay as long as I wanted at the places that interested me the most.  I certainly was tired by the time I was done walking but my soul was energized!

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden - Charles C. Dail Memorial Gate

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden - Light of Friendship

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden - Bonsai Exhibit

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden - Bonsai Exhibit

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden - Koi Pond

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden - Dragon Bridge

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden - Cherry Tree Grove & Azalea/Camellia Gardens

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden - Dry Waterfall

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden - Crepe Myrtles

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden - Pathway with beautiful flower

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden - Inamori Pavilion with heron on roof

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden

8.  Japanese Friendship Garden

The other two gardens I did not see on this trip were the Veterans Memorial Garden and the Old Cactus Garden.  Both were farther away near the museums I didn't want to see at this time.  There are many other attractions in Balboa Park but I almost had all I could handle!  One final trip was planned for Saturday with my son for an all-day experience at The San Diego Zoo!!!!!  That will be the subject of my next post...