San Diego trip report from 15-18 May 2025.
my friends were the same, predictably unpredictable. we were greeted with a nice suit and a not-so-nice beer that had to be shotgunned. thankfully no disgusted or disapproving onlookers. the city is much less impressive than i had anticipated or remembered from when i was 10. skyscrapers weren't scraping, instead rising a mere 30 stories up and not nearly as dense as other places. it didn't loom in the distance like others cities, where even from many miles out it was massive. it felt less corporate, more surfer, less hustle and bustle, more laid back. we had tacos on a street corner on 10pm on a thursday night, surrounded by other not-corporate, surfer, not-busy, laid back people also just loving their time in the city. this is how you know it's a solid spot.
i hit the stairmaster and legs. we have donuts and coffee and chilaquiles to energize ourselves for the long day ahead. the sun was a silent killer. like most people i associate uv strength with heat. san diego chew me up and spit me out with red and peeling skin. the temp was pushing a wind-assisted 80 with a very sneaky UV of 8, making laying out in the bright sun without sunscreen a really bad idea. we played frisbee and football on the beach and explored the shops and traditional interiors of hotel de coronado. i don't remember the mexican influence—which totally makes sense given the proximity—but man was it apparent across food and culture and language. the beach town vibez were all over in the form of golf carts and a relaxed atmosphere. a cooks us an immaculate dinner of tomahawk, pork belly, mac and cheese, and asparagus. we watch the padres get smoked by the mariners. i eat an overpriced hot dog and refuse to get a beer on sheer principle.
the zoo. the famous san diego zoo. a mixed bag of emotions for me as i've become more sensitive to animal suffering over the past few years (thanks ea). we saw everything there: rhinos, flamingos, koalas, birds galore, anteaters, elephants, lions, gorillas, monkey, pandas, snakes and lizards, bears. claude tells me some suffer and others don't, that it's highly animal dependent. it looks like all are suffering. i feel a sense of awe at the beauty of some of these animals and the excellent design of their exhibits. i simultaneously feel a sense of guilt at having paid for this and enabled the forced captivity of these poor animals. perhaps i should read that paper in more detail before i go to the zoo next. we shotgun a beer on video for the memz (not memes). our next stop is a rose garden nearby. we walk quietly through the thousands of blossoming flowers, my exhaustion setting in faster than the delightful sights are increasing my energy. we go to mothership. tiki bar? nah. spaceship? yah. i order drinks that would make me feel like i'm in space if i had more than three. thankfully i was only pressured into drinking two and a half. our beds call us from far away and we blindly listen. our nap gives us a second wind and we head to dinner at a restaurant that doubles as a dj spot for young folk. i experience what i'm pretty sure is the acute onset of covid real-time at dinner. we go home and i collapse in bed, unsure of what awaits me in the morning.
it's not covid and i feel fine. we drive to la jolla to have a massive breakfast burrito and walk around. the seals are out tanning while lookin' all cute and cuddly. some awkwardly struggle to make it up onto bathing rocks while those already on do their best to keep them off; it's a cruel world out there. they are graceful in the water. we get dropped off at the airport only to have our flight delayed by five hours. i get my entire flight refunded thanks to ponying up for flight insurance when i first bought—talk about positive reinforcement. i arrive back home at 3am and collapse just as i did the night before.
the trip was fun. it was wonderful to see a and c for the first time in a while. they're livin' the life and i'm happy for them.