In late February, two dear friends — Larry and Marcy Kenah — visited. They’re residents of Acton, Mass., had gone out to Bend, Ore., to join family celebrating their nephew’s 50th birthday, and decided to venture south.
I picked them up at the airport early afternoon on February 24 and we went for lunch at Stone Brewery Bistro in Liberty Station. I took the “long” way home after that so they could see more of inland San Diego. Our first stop, though, was UC San Diego, to see the Geisel Library there (named for Theodor Geisel, “Dr. Seuss” and a native of my hometown, Springfield, Mass.). It’s one of San Diego’s iconic buildings.
There’s also a bit of surprise behind the library. Here’s a photo of Larry and Marcy with the “surprise” circled.
Yes, it’s a house embedded into the corner of a building. Indeed, it is attached to the Jacobs School of Engineering main building. “Fallen Star” is an art installation by South Korean artist Do Ho Suh. The house is fully furnished and has a “yard.” It’s open a couple of days a week for public tours. Here’s a closer view from the UCSD “Fallen Star” website.
Back to more “mundane” matters.
The Kenahs joined us, including the Andersons and Dillon, for dinner at Harlow’s, a new restaurant in neighboring Bonsall. They spent that night and the next just up the hill from my house in a neighbor’s unit rented through Airbnb. Short walk between us.
Tuesday was our day in the desert. I had taken Larry out to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park during his visit in 2013 for the BC-USC football game in LA. Though Marcy had originally planned to accompany Larry here then, she decided assisting with a new grandchild was more deserving. She was particularly interested in making the trip to the desert on this visit.
Joining us on the trip were Betty and Wayne White, long-time friends of the Kenahs who live in San Juan Capistrano. As the route they planned to take to the desert brought them only two miles south of my house, we connected with them in Bonsall and caravanned out to Borrego Springs.
First, however, was a stop at Warner Springs to see Eagle Rock. It is a natural rock formation, located on the Pacific Crest Trail, but accessible only via hiking, three+ miles each way from Warner Springs. You can see it, however, ironically to Eagle/BC fans, from Camino San Ignacio. I had hoped we could get through the fence and get closer on foot, but the Vista Irrigation District, which owns the land, seems to have bolstered their barbed wire defenses. From the road, it was somewhat more difficult to discern the shape.
This photo had been taken on an alumni chapter trip to the rock in 2016.
After Warner Springs, we drove down the dramatic Montezuma Grade from Ranchita to Borrego Springs. It’s a drop from 4,065 feet in elevation to 597 feet in 10 miles of severe switchback roads. Here’s a shot of the Kenahs and Whites at an observation point on the grade.
We took a brief tour of the community of Borrego Springs, visiting the Anza-Borrego Foundation offices and its State Parks Store, both at The Mall. Then we made a stop at the Serpent Sculpture and drove east to the Badlands. Returning to Borrego Springs for lunch, we then drove out to the Texas Dip and visited Tamarisk Grove, finishing with hikes on the Cactus Loop Trail and Yaqui Well Trail. Here’s video (2:59) of the day in the desert.
We then headed west to Julian, climbing back up to over 4,20o feet elevation, to make a stop at the Julian Pie Co., for some of their delicious apple pie. The Whites then headed off to the rest of their day and we made our way to the Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens in Escondido for a repast. When Larry visited in 2013, we concluded my San-Diego-County-in-a-Day tour there and he sat in one of Stone’s Adirondack chairs holding a cold beer. Since that visit, I have brought each visitor there to have them sit in the “Larry Kenah Commemorative Chair.” It was near dark when we got there this year so the picture of Marcy in “the chair” is less than excellent.
On their last day with me, we started at my favorite breakfast spot — Beach Break Cafe in Oceanside. I have never eaten any thing there other than corned beef hash. Larry and Marcy were sufficiently persuaded by my enthusiasm to order it as well and are now, I believe, fellow enthusiasts.
Oceanside, once a pretty tawdry town infused with off-duty Marines from adjacent Camp Pendleton, has improved by at least several notches. It is still a quintessential SoCal beach town. Beach Break is in “South Oceanside.”
Beach Break does not hold back on its surfer vibe. Surfboards hang from the ceiling and are mounted on walls. Video screens show great surfing rides. The walls are festooned with photos, many autographed by the famous surfers who have visited the restaurant. The oceanic vibe extends to the restrooms as well. Here’s a gallery of shots taken at the restaurant by Marcy.
We then took the short trip to the Oceanside Pier. At 1,942 feet, it is reportedly the West Coast’s longest public pier. We walked maybe halfway along the pier, watching the waves, surfers, and birds. Here’s Larry and me pier side north.
Here’s very brief video (0:24) from the pier.
Just a short hop to Del Mar Beach (not the town) at Camp Pendleton.
It’s about a dozen miles from the coast to Fallbrook and the route is essentially across the width of Camp Pendleton and the adjacent Naval Weapons Station, where taking photos is problematic.
After lunch in “downtown” Fallbrook, the Kenahs took off for the Whites’ home in San Juan Capistrano to finish their SoCal week. As I consistently and perhaps annoyingly reminded them during their visit, “It’s February!”