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We left around 7 am in the hopes of missing the rush hour traffic in Vegas. We hopped on the freeway and had a near standstill…. So much for that plan. As it turned out, it wasn’t rush hour but rather an incident on the shoulder causing rubbernecking. After that it was smooth sailing until we were near San Bernardino where we encountered another slow moving spot. It appeared everyone was avoiding the right 2 lanes and there was black smoke so likely a car fire. We got closer and we were horrified to see a tanker on fire. We floored if off the shoulder to get by as fast as possible. It was a jarring thing to see. Okay, okay our hearts slowed a bit and we were back on the way. We hit San Diego just after the lunch rush and decided to stop at a tourist trap called the Corvette Diner in the Liberty Station area. The food was okay, descent portions and average prices. They did have an addition inflation fee of 5%. That was kind of a put off to see upon entering. The waitress was nice however. The place seems to be geared toward kids and we were literally the only table without kids in tow. That made for a noisier environment and the decor was what you’d expect of a diner geared toward kids. After we were no longer hangry, we headed to Presidio Park and took the scenic route to see the historic buildings and gorgeous houses. We swung by Old Town San Diego but my boyfriend wasn’t feeling the touristy vibe so we just decided to head to our hotel: Motel Mediteran Escondido. This place looks really sketchy from the outside but the rooms leave you pleasantly surprised. They are all modern with new furniture and floors. They had two mini fridges and I have no complaints. The staff was also very friendly and I would hands down stay here again.
The main purpose of this trip was to tour Stone Brewery and we pre-booked the tour but never got a confirmation. We also couldn’t remember with any certainty what day we booked it for and no one was answering when we called so we decided to drive over there. The person at the shop/tasting area was so awesome. She looked up our tour which was for tomorrow. She also gave us some samples of the beer and we purchased 2 growlers of our favorites and went on our merry way. My boyfriend hasn’t been to the Pacific ocean so we drove to Swarmi’s Beach and hiked down the stairs to hit the sand. It was a pretty area with a lot of surfers. The area sometimes has hermit crabs but not this day. We spent some time walking around the beach and enjoying the views. We headed to Black Plague Purgatory Lounge for a few beers and a burger. I loved the vibe of this place, it had a gothic vibe and that’s right up my alley. The burgers were good just super greasy and the beer was also pretty tasty. The staff was cool and it was a good way to spend some time. We headed back to the hotel and went to bed at a descent hour.
The next morning we got a late start for some stupid reasons. However, the first thing we did for the day was hit up Brigantine Seafood. The swordfish and Ahi Tuna were soooo good. It was excellent. We headed to Felicita Park to wander around. They have a parking machine and it costs a few dollars. They have a lot of parking but beware it appears they have weddings here so parking could be limited if one is taking place. The area has some well marked paths that take you through trees, cactus, a river, etc. In addition, they have a few markers with historical information and an area of picnic tables. It wasn’t busy for us mid afternoon on a weekday but I imagine it would be busier on weekends. It was a nice step away from the city. The hikes were all easy too. We headed to Stone Brewery for our scheduled tour. We were the only ones. It was $15 to be able to sample, $5 if you don’t. It was about an hour long and you get to learn about their massive scale production, bottling, water waste recycling program and yeast growing. You also receive samples of the product at various stages of production. Our guide was very passionate and insightful. Afterward, we had time to sample another beer before our dinner reservation. We walked over to the restaurant and were seated outside. They have ample heaters and they space is quite pretty. They use a unique ordering process of having a waiter put a card on file and you order either through a website or your server. You can also pay via the website (you get a text message link). We ordered some flights and they have a pretty large number of options. I stuck with the dark stouts/porters. They give a very healthy portion for the flights. I ordered the soft pretzel and poke nachos which was way too much food although both were appetizers. The pretzel wasn’t my favorite but the nachos were amazing. My boyfriend got the ribs and really enjoyed them. We spent a few hours enjoying the food and the beer. It was quite a lovely evening. The service was great, the drinks were excellent and the food was good. I have nothing to complain about at all. We headed back to the room and the key decided not to work, we went to the front desk and the staff member quickly and efficiently took care of the problem.
The next morning we woke up leisurely and headed to breakfast at Pegah’s Kitchen. It was good and it hit the spot after the beer the night before. From there I wanted to check out Queen Califia’s Magical Circle. I came here years ago and really enjoyed it so I was excited to see if it’s changed or how it held up. The circle is a beautiful and intricate sculpture garden located in Kit Carson Park in Escondido, California. Created by the renowned French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle, this magical circle is one of her last major works before her death in 2002. Queen Califia was a fictional character from a 16th-century Spanish romance novel. It was still as magical as I remember it. However, be sure to check the days and hours it’s open because it is rather limited. The location has a parking lot inside a park and you walk a short distance to the garden. After we wandered around, we went back to the hotel to check out. Then we started to drive back home and made a stop at Tom’s Farms Cheese and Wine Shoppe. It is located off the freeway in Corona. It has several buildings: a cheese/wine shop, home decor shop, candy shop, fudge shop, etc. It was a fun little stop and I was able to buy some cheese, caramels and sour worms as road snacks. After that we just decided to head straight home as we had plans for the weekend and figured we needed to get some household things done. All and all Stone Brewing was a pretty cool excuse for the trip and we got to enjoy some pretty awesome side stops.
