Besides
the San Diego Zoo, the other attraction that I think of when someone mentions
San Diego is Sea World. Jenn has always wanted to share the experience with the
kids, being a lover of dolphins. In fact, the last time that she visited it was
with her parents when she was pregnant with Jacob. So we headed off to the park
and took note of the show times (Sea World is one of the few parks where you
want to make it to the shows) and went straight to Dolphin Point for the
Dolphin Encounter. Jacob was fascinated with the dolphins, and you were able to
get up so close to them that you often got splashed. The kids looked like they
could have spent the entire day watching the dolphins work with their trainers,
but we had a park to see so we went off to see Shamu.
I've
seen dolphin shows in the past, and they are spectacular, but they can't
compare with the leaping capabilities of the killer whales. I loved watching
them take off, always with a splash on re-entry for the delight of the crowd.
We were in the splash zone, but high up, so that there was a chance that the
whales would get us wet. That show is what people pay to see, and Sea World
didn't disappoint. One gentleman was down with his kids, and stood up to defy
the orca trainers. Bad move, since Shamu
put up his tail fin and continuously drenched the man and his kids. The family (and the crowd) loved it!
Jenn
got to see sea turtles, and Jess got to pet manta rays. We also got some snacks (churros for the kids
and a pickle on a stick for me) and camped out for a bit at the Penguin
Encounter which had a moving sidewalk so that you slowly drift by. We stayed
for the whole day, being the last patrons watching the dolphins, and beating a
quick rain shower back to the car. Now we were hungry, having skipped lunch, so
we headed over to our second Man vs. Food destination, Phil's BBQ (http://www.philsbbq.net/).
Phil's
BBQ is known for its tri-tip sandwich, a cut of beef smothered in their
homemade sauce (sweet with a touch of vinegar). I had no idea what tri-tip
actually is, but it was delicious. Jenn and I split an order of onion rings,
and the kids got chicken sandwiches (no sauce though, we'll have to work on
that). The service was similar to PJ's in Saratoga; order your food, get your
drinks, find a seat. They even gave us each stickers denoting us as rookies. I
hate to see what they would do if you made a mistake without a sticker. Our
trip was coming to an end, and we hadn’t seen a sunset yet, so we booked over
to Mission Beach to watch the show. It
was spectacular. However, I still had
some beer stops to make, so we headed off to a couple of locations to fulfill
my quest. I set the Garmin for the University Heights neighborhood (you can
tell you are there since there is a large illuminated sign over the street) to
check out the Small Bar (http://smallbarsd.com/).
The
Small Bar was new to the Draft magazine top 100 beer bar list, a small place
with a keg hanging from the ceiling, and as advertised the place was
packed. We drove past the bar looking
for a parking space, but we weren’t finding any. After two laps around the block, we pulled a
Chinese fire drill, and I went into the bar while Jenn kept looking. I got a taste of an Aztec Chipotle IPA on
draft, a local beer with a bit of spicy kick that was tasty. I next got the Knee Deep Brewing Hoptologist
DIPA (double IPA) on cask that was awesome in bitterness, but served ice cold
(cask beer shouldn’t be served that way).
I drank my pint standing outside, ready to down it when she drove
by. But she never came. I checked my texts and discovered that found
a spot. So I sipped my cold cask,
enjoying some beer talk with the locals, and then headed back to the car. Imagine my surprise when Jenn asked, “Where
to next?” You didn’t have to ask me
twice, so I programmed in the Blind Lady Ale House (http://www.blindladyalehouse.com/)
and we headed on our way.
The
Blind Lady Ale House (is it really called BLAH by the locals) is a long time
San Diego favorite located in the Normal Heights neighborhood (you can tell you
are there since there is a large illuminated sign over the street). This place was fantastic; serving good food,
plenty of space, family friendly and an awesome selection of beer. I started with the Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme
wild ale, the creation of Tomme Arthur that is aged in oak barrels with a
generous supply of cherries and weighing in at a whopping 11% ABV (did I saw
that Jenn was driving?). I’d been
searching for this beer for a while, and finding it on draft here at BLAH was a
real treat (it hadn’t been at Pizza Port or the Lost Abbey tasting room). I followed it up with a Societe The Pupil, an
IPA on draft brewed with both tropical Nelson and Citra hops and having a 7.8%
ABV. Some locals were raving about the
beer when I was standing in line at Alpine Brewery, and I look forward to see
what else they’ll have to offer in the future.
It was a lot of fun, but it was time to head back to the hotel and enjoy
one last day of pool time for Jess and I.
I’d
have to say it was my best day in San Diego yet. Between discovering Sea World through my
children’s eyes, having some great food, and having Jenn actively supporting my
quest for great beer - 6311/13602
“A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her.” - W.C. Fields (Note that I said thanks to Jenn many times this evening)
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