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December 15, 2023

The Quiet Before Christmas - and a de Anza update

I like jalapeño poppers!  Fran’s tennis club had a gathering and one of the gals brought some her husband made.  Fran is not as big a fan and didn’t think to smuggle me one.  So I am on a mission :)


Stuffed with cream cheese, cilantro, fresh lime and garlic, then wrapped in bacon.

The heat of the popper can be controlled by how much of the veins are removed.  From the 3 peppers I made two mild, two medium and a couple hot.

I microwave the bacon first to cook off some of the fat, then wrap the pepper.  bake for ~20 minutes and a brief broil for browning.

I liked the hot best, however, the ones from Costco are still better.  I’ll try again … But I am open to your favorite recipe suggestions!

We had a very heavy fog roll in for a couple days.  It was a perfect morning to venture up to the Cabrillo National Monument.

Fog coming in as seen from Sunset Cliffs

The foghorns from the Coast Guard Station below and the one on the Jetty made for a mesmerizing rhythm.

Our version of a 'White Christmas' :)

Neither North Island nor downtown were visible.

Reminds me of the John carpenter movie 'The Fog'

Afterwards I took a walk in Ocean Beach to check out their Christmas displays.

Street lights were adorned with wreaths and palms.

I only saw one beachball on the OB Christmas Tree this year.

After the chill of the foggy morning, a bit of comfort food seemed in order for lunch.  Hodad’s !!!

This chopped VW Bus was in the annual OB parades for a long time, now just a mascot.

An eclectic collection from visitors decorate the walls.

Still my favorite burger! and I requested ‘a combo of wedge fries and onion rings'.  If it's not busy they will make it special.

More than enough to bring home and share with Fran.

Marty had a cardiac appointment in Tacoma, and needed to return from Mazatlán.  He had a couple days layover. I picked him up at CBX. He brought a bottle of Monte Xanic with him!  My favorite Mexican winery.

Marty and I took the trolley to Old Town to check out their Christmas decorations.

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We walked a bit outside of the state park to the Campo Santo Cemetery.

The cemetery has mostly early residents from the mid 1800s.

When the roads and sidewalks were added to Old Town some of those residents were not relocated.  Walking along their resting places are indicated by a simple marker.

In Old Town, Casa de Reyes always has some of the better decorations.

A nice manger display

And the three kings arriving via camel, elephant and horse.

We stopped for lunch at Barra Barra.  Marty has spent enough time in Mexico to have become accustomed to having his main meal at mid-day.  I cut mine in half.  Too much!, I took the rest home.  But he did finish his!

Marty’s flight was Sunday, freeing Saturday for the Pacific Beach Christmas Parade.

The PB Bug offers rides from the trolley to various places in PB.

Skip Santa, the OMBAC surfboard demonstration, my favorite is the this Ford!

This is a true small town parade with lots of kids and community.

After dropping Marty off at the airport I stopped for a look at the latest family play area added to Mission Bay.  This one is at Tecolote Creek.

The stray cats may miss the sand, but the foam base is certainly welcomed by the kids.

San Diego has cracked down so hard on eBike anything that all rental facilities have left the city.  Effective yesterday it is now a misdemeanor to ride your own powered device in areas of Mission Bay.

The Code does allow for ADA approved devices such as 3-wheeled or 4-wheeled mobility scoters.  Bet there are a lot of disabled here that are still able to responsibly ride 2-wheel devices ...

I also took a look at the Mission Bay RV Park.  Some progress is becoming noticeable.

The construction fences are all removed.  The old trailers have been removed and the area can now be accessed.

Watch your step!

The original 260 paved campsites are called the ‘Resort’. 

Another 147 ‘Campsites’ are level dirt.

All sites are FHU with 20/30/50 Amp service.  The WiFi should now reach all sites and allow streaming!  Nice …

And back at home .. although some rain is expected later next week, we can continue to play our evening Hand and Foot on the patio.

Fran will win ... again!, But look at all those oranges!

Such is life in America's Finest City.

BTW - Marty is doing fine with no changes to his meds.  he was hoping to have a change there.  But what works ... works!

12 comments:

  1. What a nice post Jeff. Joe and I had one of those foggy mornings at Cabrillo NM a few years ago. It was quite beautiful. We have been to OB several times…I love that pier. We have passed by Hodad’s
    every time, but have not eaten there. It is definitely on for our next visit. I love the street lights with the wreaths and palm trees…so SD! We have always stayed at the KOA so I have no idea what the RV sites at MIssion Bay are/were like. I have seen beautiful sunset photos from other blogs taken from the RV sites there. Glad to read Marty is doing well and Fran is still winning! I have never had a jalapeño popper so I can’t help and I think it’s interesting about the grave markers on roads and sidewalks in Old Town…I have never noticed them.

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    1. Hi Gay !!!! - Those foggy mornings are indeed special, and not that common this late in the year. if you're in the mood for a burger and in OB, well I'd recomend Hodads, Fran likes Rocky's in PB, so that's an option too :)
      The Chula Vista waterfront is well into development. The pics look awesome, and we need to ride down there to show the changes.
      Next time in Old Town wander out to the Cemetery and you'll see quite a few markers. I the burial was unknow it was paved over and marked, if known the remains wee relocated.
      Merry Christmas !!!

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  2. We love poppers as well. I cannot take a lot of heat so I rinse mine well before adding the cream cheese and bacon. Barb likes hers full strength. Lord help me should they get mixed up!

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    1. Ho Jim - Fran likes a bit of a bite, but not really hot. I'm sure 'full strength' would be a bit much for me too. But the experiments are fun.

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  3. I do miss our stays in MB but alas, will not be buying a newer RV just to go there. Enjoy the holidays!

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    1. Thanks John. Fran and I wish you and Sharon the best of the holidays as well.

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  4. Love seeing all the city holiday decorations - beautiful tall tree all in red! Poppers are so much work and my eyes water when I make them at home. Our Safeway makes good ones to just put in the oven or AirFryer so that's my go-to "recipe" these days :-) I miss those California oranges.

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    1. Our Safeway stores are now Vons ... same stuff different name. I'll have t look for Poppers there. I planted the orange tree over 30 years ago and it produces the very best juicy tree ripened Washington Navel oranges!
      Best wishes to you and Bill for a Happy Holiday Season!

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  5. The views from Cabrillo Point are fabulous, no matter if it's clear or foggy. I'm sorry to see that there was only one beach ball on the OB tree, it's always so full and funky! Thanks for Mission Bay RV "resort" updates. We always enjoyed our time there so much, I wonder how it will be when completed. Ah well, Merry Christmas to you and Fran!

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    1. We're waiting on the final-final design plans for the De Aza Cove area. Latest shows more marshland and less recreation. I've stopped going to the meetings as the city is going to do what it wants to do. But I will continue to keep an eye on the developments.
      Merry Christmas to you and Dave and the family in Spokane.

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  6. You continue to keep busy, between cooking to attending parades. Those Poppers look amazing. My mouth is already watering.
    Be Safe and Enjoy the upcoming holidays.

    It's about time.

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    1. Thanks Rick. I still need to find my ultimate popper, but even the testing is kinda fun!
      Merry Christmas to you and Kathy! And all the best over the Holidays.

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