Things To Do In San Diego

Four years ago, I fell in love with San Diego.  Before I visited, I created my very own San Diego bucket list.  It was a wonderful trip that my husband and I were able to take.  I did not get to cross everything off my list but I told myself, I would be back.  And of course, my wish was to have my children be able to experience this beautiful city as well.  Fast-forward to 2018, my son is stationed in San Diego and living on Coronado island.

Who would have known that this is how life would play out?  I love that I get to visit once again.

Here is my list of Things To Do in San Diego:

1)  Tour a Haunted Hotel-Who knows what you will see at Hotel Del Coronado?  Go for the curiosity, stay for the view.

2)   Hop Aboard the USS Midway-You do not need to bring your own sailor for a private tour.  There is a free audio tour available in several languages that is very interactive.  The volunteers are great too.  Stop and hear their stories, they have many to share.

3)  Hang out with the Seals-You may not be able to hang out with the Navy Seals but the La Jolla seals will even pose for you.

4)  Tour Caves-Do you dare travel down this tunnel?

5)  Experience the San Diego Zoo-It is an adventure.

Don't forget to check out-
-Seaworld San Diego

I could not believe how many things I missed doing the last time I was in San Diego.  I even found new things I wanted to add to my list.  Most of the items on my list I did on the fly, very inexpensive, or even free.  The city is tourist friendly.  You can find discounts online.  If you have time, plan ahead.  If you have active military or veterans, ask for discounts.  Parking was no problem. 

Travel Tuesday-Galveston Bolivar Ferry

Our family adventures now are taking us on the water.  Have you ever been on a Ferry?  We traveled South to Galveston Island.  There is always is so much to see and do in Galveston.  It is a beautiful place, if you have never visited.  Living so close, we get to enjoy it.  Today's adventure takes us on The Galveston Bolivar Ferry.

Rewind....let us go back to before we got on the ferry.

So I have learned that we always go on adventure unprepared.  I have heard of the ferry taking hours, the backs, and many more things that I should have paid attention to before getting in line to get on the ferry.

Tips to enjoying your Galveston Bolivar Ferry experience:

1)  Go online and check the schedule, wait times, and even watch the cameras.

Riding the ferry is FREE.  But it is a form of mass transportation between an island and a peninsula where people live, work, and play.  So wait times can get ridiculous.  We did not check and guess what, we were waiting in line for more than an hour.

2)  Fuel Up.  Make sure you have gas in your vehicle.  Planning a day trip or a short visit, no matter what, bring snacks and drinks for the wait time.

3)  Potty Break.  Make sure to take a potty break before you get in line.  Remember wait times could be long.  We did notice a port-a-potty but who wants to use that.  

4)  Patience.  You get in line on the left side of the road.  You will follow that lane all the way until they allow you to board the ferry.  There is no line cutting.  There are police officers watching.  And trust me when I say, they are watching.  We saw a car cut in line and then saw the police car come, light them up, and make them get out of the line.  Come on now, it is no fair.  Wait your turn in line like everyone else. 

5)  Enjoy the view.

Once you board the ferry.  You will be ask to turn off your car.  So get down and go enjoy the 2.7 mile ride.  You can go to the front of the ferry or you can climb up the stairs and get a beautiful view from above the deck.  

Riding a ferry, check.  Riding the ferry is always a treat for the kids.  Fair warning, if you go to the front of the ferry, you may get splashed.  Or you may get to see the dolphins.  We saw dolphins on both of our rides.

Travel Tuesday-New York Bucket List

2014 is looking awesome for me as I get to check off something else off my At Least Once in this Lifetime Bucket List.

-New York

I finally made it to NYC.  I was so excited I even made a little New York Bucket List for my short 24 hour trip.  See when I think NY I think of JLo, Friends, and the Big Apple.  My theme song was Aleshia Keys 

Alba's New York Bucket List-

1)  Bump into JLo
2)  Visit Central Park 
3)  Experience Time Square
4)  Admire the Empire State Building
5)  Cross the Brooklyn Bridge (I want to visit several bridges all over-on my life bucket list)
6)  Skate at the skating ring
7)  Ride the boat to the Statue of Liberty
8)  Visit the 9/11 Memorial
9)  Go behind the scenes or sit in the audience of a show
10)  Visit the biggest Toys R Us (per my son who was lucky enough to go on a church choir trip to NY and told me there was a 2 story Toys R Us with a Ferris Wheel inside the store)

I was on business so I did not know if I would even get to go to any of these places.  I told myself, "What if I never make it back?"  So the list was created.  I only had a small window for sight seeing and who needs sleep anyways?  After business was taken care of, I ventured alone in the Big Apple.

I crossed some of my bucket list items off and was able to experience other places I did not have on my list.

Visited the set of the Today Show, too bad everyone was gone to Sochi for the Olympics but I was there.

 Not on list -Go to the Top of Rockefeller Center-not on my list but now I have added this item to my Life list -go to the top of all the famous buildings in the different cities i.e. Seattle Space Needle

 That is Central Park.  Through the fog, the place covered in snow, and I did not care as you can see from my cheesy smile.

 I did not get to skate here, just pass through but I actually can say I was there.  I saw where the tree goes.

 To you just a subway picture, to me a Houston-Texan -Wow a subway! The NYC subway

 I made it to Time Square.  Not as big as I thought it would be but yet an experience.  Everyone was there and it was late at night.  I felt like a New Yorker.  Walked past the Late Show on my way to find the Empire State.  All I had to do was look up and see the beautiful colors that lit up the night.

That completed my search as I headed back to the hotel that night I still had the itch so visit Central Park.  Not realizing how close I had been to it all along.  My hotel was across the street from there.

 Central Park!!! I made it.  I did jog a little because it was night time, I was alone, my battery was dying, and I did not want to be a victim on CSI New York edition.  This place was amazing and I want to come back so I can jog, see the castle (yes, there is a castle there or so I heard), and just experience this huge park that goes for city blocks.

 Check out the ice on the river.  Nothing famous, just a body of water and some buildings.

 The Freedom Tower.  I asked the driver on the way out of the city to please take the long way to the airport and drive me by there.  He did.  I did not get to see the 9/11 Memorial from the car but just being in this area made me so emotional.

 On the way in and on the way out, we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge.  It is a beauty.  We do not have bridges like this in Houston.  Our driver was so nice.  He was a mini tour guide.  Telling me about the Bronx, the Queens, Harlem, the buildings we were passing up and then even coming to the rescue by not making me miss my flight home in all the traffic.  Oh yeah, almost forgot I passed through the tunnels.

Sad to say good bye to New York but I can honestly say I want to come back.  A different city, fast life, and I loved it!