San Diego

BOU AVENUE
San Diego

Zosia Zgolak and I visited San Diego, California on 1 January 2024. We had no intentions of hitting the most popular tourist attractions such as the USS Midway or the San Diego Zoo. This was more of a mental break from our recent camping/hiking routine and a chance to simply reset for the second half of our Christmas vacation.

Our first stop was Greg Rogers Park where Zosia and I played a full round of disc golf. According to UDisc, this course is touted as "The Most Southwesterly Disc Golf Course in the USA". The course has a generally open layout typical of city parks, but being on a hillside, it has some elevation changes which add extra challenge. Neither of us had a particularly stellar round due to windy conditions, but we enjoyed playing the course nonetheless mainly because the park is clean and does not have homeless or shady-looking people hanging around.

	Zosia flings her Innova Teebird at Greg Rogers Park disc golf course.
	Zosia attempts a short putt. Visible on the horizon is San Miguel Mountain.

After our round of disc golf, Zosia and I checked into a motel to relax and freshen up a bit before driving out to Sunset Cliffs Natural Park--naturally to watch the sunset. Despite heavy traffic congestion in the area, we managed to find a reasonable place to park our car before walking to the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Our timing was impeccable as we arrived just in time to see the sun beginning to dip over the western horizon. When the show was over, we headed to a laundromat to do some much-needed laundry before returning to our motel to retire for the night.

	Zosia smiles as waves crash upon rocks near Sunset Cliffs Natural Park.
	Someone's pet cat waits patiently just below the top of the bluffs at Sunset Cliffs. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Sonny and Zosia take a selfie at Sunset Cliffs.

A fabulous end to the first day of 2024!

The sun slowly dips below the horizon.

One of these days, that bridge is gonna collapse...

This natural arch is probably the most interesting geological feature at Sunset Cliffs.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Zosia enjoys folding freshly-cleaned clothes at a local laundromat.

On the morning of 2 January 2024, Zosia and I checked out of our motel and drove to La Jolla Cove which is a popular spot for viewing sea lions and seabirds. La Jolla Cove did not disappoint and was one of the most memorable highlights of our entire vacation. We spent almost an hour there marvelling at the antics of the herds of sea lions and flocks of seabirds--all against a beautiful backdrop of crashing waves from the Pacific Ocean. As tempting as it was to hang out here all day, the nice weather prompted us to get going to our next adventure outside the city.

	Zosia checks out some bird-of-paradise flowers near the beach at La Jolla Cove. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Boomer Beach at La Jolla Cove is teeming with wildlife.
	The sign in the middle forbids the taking of selfies with sea lions.
	A flock of terns swoop past some sea lions as waves crash against the rocks. Note the additional sea lions in the water. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Excellent decision!

In September 2023, San Diego's city council unanimously voted to close Boomer Beach to public access year-round in an effort to reduce human-wildlife conflicts.

	Pelicans can also be found in abundance beside the sea lions. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Most of the wildlife here keep a healthy distance from humans who have to stay behind this beach barrier. This sea lion is an exception.
	The sea lion seems like it is intentionally posing for tourists. Check out a video of this sea lion barking. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Here is a last look at Boomer Beach near La Jolla Cove.