Casa Granada San Diego

... wait for our rental car longer than expected because their office had "resized" their staffing needs.

Overall do we see signs of a weak or depressed economy? Yes and no. Yes, in that when we left the States the commercials on TV tended to focus on "you deserve to pamper yourself" and now they all focus on, "this will help you save money." No, in the sense that in this particular area all the stores, restaurants, etc, seem to be doing just fine ...

we have nw continued down route 1 to san diego rther log but great on the coast...not so good through LA down to san diego....6 hours in the car getting lost at the end stress stress . Got to our cheap motel and spent a couple of days i the sun. sEALS ON THE OAST AND WARSHIPS IN THE HARBOUR...Great ribs ...off th yhe cooks on an overnight flight so hopefully get some rest ...I know you all feel sorry for me !

So it wasn't THE best trip I’ve ever taken, but I survived. There’s a reason I postponed going to Africa all these years. It’s pretty much as I expected, but not without its highlights. South Africa is not one of them. The place is simultaneously cursed and blessed. On the one hand it’s got natural resources beyond belief and a developed infra-structure unparalleled in sub-Saharan Africa. On the other hand it ...

... cigars and cheap tequila. And amid the gen**al tattiness and faded infamy, endless pharmacies. Pristine, shining white, glass paneled and f*r all the w*rld like the c*smetic secti*ns *f department st*res. Smiling in their starched white c*ats attendants wait t* dispense. Next t* them stand neat English signs displaying the rainb*w *f available drugs - Vic*din, Viagra, Valium, Oxyc*ntin, diet pills etc. etc.

It seems as th*ugh the d ...

... Reef NP: *C
Bryce Canyon: A++ (on the AP scale)
Grand Canyon: B
Flagstaff, AZ: A
Sunset Crater Volcano & Wupatki Ruins: B-
Phoenix, AZ: B-

* = incomplete due to time constraints or closures

Grades based on:
25% - Ambiance/ Overall Vibe
25% - Entertainment/ Attractions
25% - Convenience factors (location, weather, traffic, parking, etc.)
25% - Food

... that we're all grown up it's not that often that we have time to simply hang out together. It was also neat to get to know Andi's housemates. There are 5 of them living in a relatively small space, and so it was really kind of them to let me crash on the couch for awhile. We made it out to Fremont to visit our cousin Jenny and her husband Joe who very recently had a baby... we felt very fortunate to be the first relatives on the Bower side to see little Mack Racklin ...

... customs and security in Vancouver ALMOST screwed me with my connecting flight. I asked every employee I could to try and push me through and they wouldn't, ARGH! Well, to end the suspense, I caught my flight with 7 measly minutes to spare! SEVEN!! SE7EN !! Oh well, all that matters is that I caught it. I get to my window seat (seat A, my wife suggested that the view was the best from there) and sit beside an interesting guy who travels ...

... introduced me to her Serbian friend Ivana and then explained that because she is a wine club member, the three of us could all enjoy flights of wine for free (yesssssssssssssss). So we started with a white wine flight of local and international wines, then nibbled on a cheese plate and moved on to reds. Our sommelier was great, as was my company, and I learned ...

... under the freeway. After several random turns, we reached a large street lined with palm trees and lit up like Las Vegas....it was the Mile Of Cars. We drove the mile (which was in reality 2-3 miles) of nothing but new and used car dealerships. This brought us to some familiar landmarks, which brought us back on track. At the end of the Mile Of Cars we could see US Navy ships docked in the ...

... I had the pleasure of being asked if I was old enough to drink when I tried to buy a bottle of Budweiser with the groceries. I spluttered that I'd be thirty in a month and the store owner pursed his lips and reluctantly handed over the bottle with the manner of someone who wasn't sure if I was telling the truth. I felt like a naughty schoolboy.
But we couldn't stay for long in San Francisco as we were rapidly blowing our budget. We needed to get yellow fever jabs for our trip to South ...