I’m a Travellin’….Woman!
So you may have caught on to the fact that I have a soundtrack for my life. It plays in the background of my thoughts from time to time. The words also change from the original to…well to whatever I make up at the time. Today’s music comes to you from I’m a Ramblin’ Man by Mr. Waylon Jennings (Yes, I am an “Okie” and I did grow up on Country & Western music), but since I’m definitely not a man and, right now, I’m not rambling…weelll, at least not too much anyway, the words have changed. This month you have the benefit of my absolutely insane travel schedule. So today’s post comes to you from the beautiful San Diego, California!
Tonight I’m sitting at a lovely Italian restaurant, Toscana, in the Gaslamp Quarter. The Gaslamp Quarter is the historic heart of downtown San Diego. There are a ton of restaurants, bars, clubs and shops to entertain both locals and tourists. Right now, it is a busy area of town, but not crowded. It offers up the perfect opportunity for people watching, and like a lot of writers, I do so love to people watch. Making up stories in my mind to go with what I see before my eyes is more entertaining than television.
The wine and the service are lovely, and the weather…bellissimo! There’s a bit of a chill in the breeze that sweeps in off the ocean, but only enough to make me grateful for a table near the outdoor heaters. When the hostess insisted on seating me right next to the glass enclosed flame, I just shrugged my shoulders and decided that if it became too warm I could move to a different seat at the table. Within minutes, I was grateful for the gentle heat at my back. The mild temperatures seemed much cooler as the sun dipped below the rooftops!
This week I’m here on business, and although I’ll be back to host some clients for dinner at what smells like a truly amazing steak place across the street from where I sit now, tonight is my only evening to explore a bit. (My boss chose tomorrow’s venue, and the man definitely knows how to find the best steak restaurants, no matter which city we’re in). Luckily, this is only a few short blocks from my hotel, and the smell of the ocean and the palm trees lining the street were too tantalizing to keep me inside for long.
Truthfully, I have never been to San Diego,or to California for that matter, before today. In fact, the cab ride from the airport to the hotel gave me my first peek at the Pacific Ocean, and I couldn’t resist rolling down the window to let the saltwater breeze wash over me. We passed three masted boats…like pirate ships! Except they do dinner cruises, which takes away a bit of the adventure, if you as me. I even turned around in my seat to keep looking as the road took us further inland to the hotel. (No, even on the 19th floor I can’t see the ocean unless I crane my neck from the left corner of my window and look as far to the right as I can.)
I will do my utmost to take some pictures to add to this post, but be warned, it will be with my phone and I am not a photographer. Also, I missed getting a picture of a turn of the century paddy wagon. A police officer (or someone dressed like one) just got in it and drove away after honking the horn. It made that aaaaahhhhooooooggggggaaa sound. It was fantastic. I’m sorry you missed it!
Now why am I eating Italian when I’m so close to all that gorgeous seafood? Tuscan salad with scallops. That’s why. I’d take a picture, but you really don’t want to see my dinner…and I ate it all. Oh yeah, I steadily made my way through those blackened scallops, fresh mozzarella, crisp lettuce and homemade croutons, bell peppers and red onion like they were drizzled with the most fantastic vinaigrette I’ve ever tasted…they were. I don’t even like scallops usually, but they just sounded so amazingly perfect that I decided to try again. (I’m glad I did!) I was so busy people watching as I savored every bite that I didn’t really notice when my plate was empty. Oh the joys of sitting on a patio on a gorgeous evening on a busy street! The best part is playing peek a boo with a little boy who is convinced that I can’t see him when he stands perfectly still, like a statue. Every time his parents walk in the vicinity of my table he comes by to say hello, with this huge grin and eyebrows that skyrocket toward his hairline every time he “hides”….four times now and counting. I hope that I see him once more before I get the check.
This area is a great mix of tourists and locals tonight. Families, couples, club goers, and even joggers pepper the streets. There is this laid back atmosphere that is punctuated every now and then with hoops and hollers from the crowd that got their party on a little earlier than most (it isn’t quite 8:00 PM here yet!).
Now before the chill in the air gets any cooler, I’m going to meander my way back to the hotel. There are a few shops that I saw on my way in that deserve a visit, there are gifts to buy! San Diego, definitely goes on my “places to visit for fun” list!
Next travel stop Washington, DC….what could I possibly get in to there?
Til next time,
Jessica
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