Jan 10th, 2010

A nice hour and a half drive today to Del Mar Beach, San Diego. New territory and a chance to get Tazz used to water (her first visit, other than a couple of baths with the outside garden hose).
Kylie's eyes got as big as saucers once we parked, walked a short distance & there it was .... miles and miles of sand, water, people and dogs. So, first thing Kylie did was lay down in the water. Tazz didn't like to get her feet wet but she ran along the beach, chasing Kylie. Then we found the best spot ...a huge, shallow sandy beach with surf in the distance and about 1-2" of warm water.

Tazz got her feet wet and more, she started to run after Kylie; then this wave jumped out of nowhere!! Now she got wet up to her belly.

And, before you knew it ... getting wet wasn't a problem.

This long beach is where the San Dieguito river meets the sea. Not a popular swimming area as it has many shallow sandbars but also unpredictable currents. Instead, it's a popular dog gathering area, beach volleyball and intermediate surfing beach. The Del Mar horse racing track is across the way and apparently the trainers exercise their horses on the beach in the early morning hours.

We finally broke down and bought a GPS for the car - WOW, what a time saver. It's like having someone in the car with you that lives in the area & tells you when to turn, which turn lane to get in and how to get back home. Sure saves me from trying to read the exit signs on an extremely busy map, with my magnifying glass, while driving around in the car. We easily found Old Town San Diego.

Old Town S. Diego is often referred to as the State's birthplace; the first European settlement in what is now California. The town is a charming mix of white-washed adobe (mud brick) buildings with Spanish tile roofs and wooden storefronts like those seen in any Old West town.

Mexican, Italian and American restaurants are abundant in this small town. The town definitely has a Mexican flare; the waitresses dressed in flouncy Mexican dresses, mariachi musicians, sections in the restaurant where you can watch the women roll dough and making tortillas and the shops selling mexican wares (Ukuleles in every color imagineable, mexican blankets and jewellry). This Coyote Cantina was packed full of customers on a sunny, Sunday afternoon and the restaurant stretches two blocks and is two stories high. This little outside taqueria selling tacos for $2.00 or your favorite margarita to take with you while wandering the shops.