THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY

We picked up our rental car, which was a bit of a fiasco because the Hertz location was closed due to computer issues so we had to be shuttled to a different location. After a long delay we headed to a popular National Monument which was closed due to the government shutdown. We ended up in the adjacent National Cemetery for a moment of reflection and a good view of the city. We had lunch at the top-rated Mexican restaurant in San Diego near the touristy Old Town, where San Diego originated. Old Town is a state park but it’s very commercialized in true American fashion.

Our home for the next 4 nights was at the Marina Suites in Oceanside, a small beach town an hour’s drive north. The one bedroom timeshare unit was dated but clean and right on the oceanfront. The location was convenient for day trips to La Jolla and Laguna Beach, two of my favourite spots. We drove along the Pacific Coast Highway and I was able to show JS the different resorts I had stayed at 3 years ago. The weather continued to be cool, in the low teens, and cloudy.Read more