Oh-No - SEVEN-OH

For our 35th wedding anniversary I took Fran on a cruise! altho it was aboard the William D Evans, which we rode (cruised) 4 times across Mission Bay, between the Catamaran in Pacific Beach and the Bahia in Mission Beach.  Perfect for us, tho not what everybody might consider for a special event.


Now as we turn 70, what to give a gal who has spent more than half her life with me?  Personally I think the cruise is going to be hard to top!, but read on and see what I come up with.

Dinner, well that's a given.  And with Old Town so close that’s always a good choice.  But which restaurant?  For this occasion it’ll be Barra Barra, where the patio seating looks out over the Plaza.

Fran’s sister Susan, with her husband Bob and their son Joey all joined us for a very nice dinner on the patio.  It was indeed a very pleasant setting.


Over the weekend, we biked over to Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach to watch some of the Old-School Long Board competition.  The boards must also be ‘old school’ in that the minimum length is 108”, weigh at least 20 lbs and NO leash.  Points are awarded for distance, form and trick moves.  Bonus points for moves from the Bruce Brown classic ”The Endless Summer”.

I hope the kid in the blue jersey won.  He’s young but knows how to ride a long board old school style.  He was the only one we saw ‘roll’ his board into the oncoming wave while going out.  He also was the only one doing the ‘knee paddle’.  The ‘edge grab’ is a classic move as is ‘walking the plank’ to ‘hang 10’.   Remember there is no leash, hence after the ‘bail out’ it’s a long swim to shore.



As we ride back we stopped at Sail Bay to watch a SUP yoga group.  That takes more balance than I have.


This is also Bayfair weekend, which closes off the bike path at Crown Point for the hydroplane races.  We din't stop for the boats, but had to detour around Crown Point park.  We decided to have lunch at Rocky’s, which is where Joey works.  Rocky’s is PB’s version of OB’s Hodad’s.  The menu is pretty simple hamburger; cheeseburger; french fries – that’s it.


Rocky’s is a locals place compared to the tourist attraction Hodad’s has become.


I cannot afford to take Fran to the South Pacific, so it was perfect that PIFA (Pacific Islanders Festival Association) brought the charm of those South Sea islands to us … again.



SPAM and eggs are sold out!  So much for that popular treat.  There are lots of other options


But we go back to where we ate a couple years ago and again order BBQ chicken, rice and macaroni salad.


The dried mango I get, I've tried cutlle fish – it’s an acquired taste for sure!


Last year’s queen will turn over her crown as part of the closing ceremonies.


There are vendors here to represent their home island.  Samoa has a fairly short line, but Guam? is packed!


Hawaii has several booths, all very colorful with their vibrant displays.


There are quite a few more folks attending this year!  It’s getting crowded and we still have to make it to the other side of the bay for Asian Dragon Boat races.  So we leave without hearing the drums or the seeing the men dance.



Why are they called ‘Dragon Boats’?  With a crew of 20!, the boats race a 100 meter sprint from a standing start.  The teams are made up of various Asian nations.  The Vietnamese team of Fresno Pho appears to have won this heat.  Besting team Sticky Rice and my home team of Linda Vista.  Linda Vista is another Vietnamese team, but they need a better name!


After American, Mexican, Pacific Island, Asian … what did Fran really get for her 70th birthday?

Chicago!  Not the city, but the musical at the Moonlight Amphitheater, a nice outdoor venue in Vista, where we picnic while enjoying the performance.


No Bad Days in Fran’s birthday week – “And all that Jazz”!

Sept 21 2018 - It’s ZIP Code Day in Coronado

A once in a centennial party is being held in Coronado CA, 92118, to celebrate its ZIP Code Day (9/21/’18).  Any excuse for a beach party, works for me!  This mural will be finished by those who join in the fun at the 92118 Day Beach Party.

image from CHS

The Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) began in 1943 evolved to 5-digit codes in 1963.  The centennial party is one of its best side effects!

Coronado’s party was held along Ocean Boulevard and the sands of Coronado Beach.  Bicycle parking is being offered at Star Park, hence as I have blogged in the past we will ride the ferry over with our bikes since there is no charge for the bikes on the ferry.

However this time we’ll do our loop backwards and ride the ferry from the Convention Center, which boards at the Mega Yacht Basin.  With 15 minutes to spare, we have a chance to look at the yachts here today.  This is the Huntress and is available for charter at a mere $450,000 a week.


“Here Comes the Sun”~Beetles, is Russian owned mega yacht.  Although available for charter no price is given, but check out the photos!  For me I’d be thrilled with a glass of wine on the rear deck of Wine Down.


It’s nice that the little ferry received a face lift, but black paint on the upper deck seating? Good Grief!  Never tire of the San Diego skyline from the bay.


These fun, whimsical directions abound near the party.  That’s the Beer Garden behind the white fence beyond the sign.  We’re looking for Bicycle Parking which is the same direction as Tijuana and the Wizard of OZ House.  Our 2 bikes bring the count to 4 at the bike racks.  There's room for lots more.  BTW- that’s the OZ House on the left.


The lone bike next to ours has the most awesome water bottle holder!


There are more bikes heading to the bike racks as we walk back to the main event, past a few unique cars.   The old woody wagon is always a favorite.  In 1906 Right-Hand drive was quite common, by 1916 Left-Hand drive was the norm for American made autos.   Guess somebody had to show off their $300,000 McLaren 720.



There are a lot of 92118 crafts at the vendor booths, all with Coronado prices!  An outdoor thermometer is $75, T-shirts $40, Hawaiian shirt $110 … etc.  Altho the US Post Office has a booth, they have no commemorative stamps.




With a few thousand party folks on the beach, who do you call when 911 First Response is stuck in the sand?  The local lifeguard!


The live music is about to start and we’re getting hungry.  I pick up a Beach Dog while Fran selects a couple of portabella mushroom tostadas.


This was a pretty clever gal who showed up with a 92118 well made picture frame and charged $1 for a picture. 
The dance floor is Ocean Blvd with 92118 clearly lettered in heavy vinyl stick-on.  It’ll be there for a long while.


The first group up is a local local favorite, Midlife Crises was very good with Rock ’n Roll cover songs.  At least one young lady agreed with me. 
The format was great, as they played on the west stage the next group setup on the east stage.  Not much delay between bands.


Along with non-stop music there were non-stop games on the sand.




I think most bloggers who have seen this little DubBox have taken its picture.


A  few more bikes have arrived!


We are taking the big ferry back to the Broadway Pier for the return, when the Genuine Ace (Monrovia) overtakes us.


The Unconditional Surrender and Bob Hope memorials always bring a smile.  Even better from the bay.
Just a few weeks ago a sailboat crashed into the USS Midway.  The Midway has a ding in the netting of the port catapult ramp. The sailboat didn’t fare as well, check out the 20 second video at the link above..


And the big ferry still has white seats on the top deck.  DUH, so should the little ferry!!!!!
Fran congratulated our captain on a safe arrival.


Coronado really knows how to throw a party, it was an awesome day.  92118 Day in Coronado was a very good day, in fact there are No Bad Days in Coronado.