San Diego: Day 1 - a ferry trip to Coronado Island

Hilary and I rose just before dawn to finish packing our bags, and after a hurried 'goodbye' to sleepy kids (who will be going to their aunts and grandparents later in the day), set off for the airport to San Diego.

The flight was amazingly short. San Diego is remarkably accessible as a holiday destination for Vancouverites! Before we knew it we were having lunch just off the promanade overlooking pleasure boats in the harbour outside the grand Hyatt hotel, where Hilary's conference will begin tomorrow. It was a perfectly splendid afternoon.

Later in the afternoon, we made it to the gym - nice, after sitting in an airplane all morning - and, after taking the little ferry to Coronado Island, where we had a wonderful Italian dinner at Il Fornaio.

That evening, we opened up the curtains of our apartment to view fireworks over the harbour that seemed to come from the USS Midway, a historic US aircraft carrier that played a crucial role in naval warfare through three wars, from the time it was commissioned one week after the surrender of Japan to the battle of Kuwait in 1991.  I will just have to check it out later this week, while Hilary is busy listening to her fascinating lectures. I'm glad I didn't take my bike to San Diego - the humid heat here just about knocks your socks off when you step outside. Any attempt at serious cycling during the day a pretty grueling exercise. Evenings are great, though. As the sun goes down, the town seems to come alive. Last night, while walking home, Hilary and I were surprised to find police cars with flashing lights appear on the street, leading literally THOUSANDS of cyclists down the road. You guessed it... it's the last Friday of the month, and, like Vancouver, Critical Mass staged a cool evening late night ride here in San Diego. It was an incredible sight.

There's lots of things to do here... I won't be bored while Hilary is away at the conference!