topic Re: Back from a awesome vacation !! in Community Chat

Back from a awesome vacation !!

Goodie2shoes — Thu, 28 May 2026 21:42:27 GMT

Hello everyone ! I had a very nice vacation ! Flew to San Diego last Friday with my daughter and her family, stayed at the 5 star resort Park Hyatt Aviara Resort Golf club and Spa, flew back home yesterday arriving in St. Louis around 1 am this morning. Beautiful Hotel, great service and good food YUM !! We also drove to Hollywood where I got to see the Hollywood walk of fame and much more. Driving around the highways was the only downside but it's a busy area of the country. My son in law was the designated driver and did a great job! Very nice time had by all (including my 9 mo old grandaughter who smiled alot and talked baby talk on the plane) My only other visit to California was back in the mid seventies to LA and we drove which took 3 days to and from.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

FancyPhillyshopper — Thu, 28 May 2026 22:24:41 GMT

Welcome back!

I think it is great to explore other parts of our country and our world. I like visiting California, as there is a lot to see and do. However, it is really a car-mandatory state, with highways everywhere.

The last time I was in the LA area I made sure to visit La Brea Tar Pits, which was always on my bucket list. Yes, Hollywood with all its stars and goofiness is always a lot of fun. You can take a tour to see the homes of all the famous movie stars.

Glad you enjoyed your visit, and connected with your family. Time to plan a new getaway!

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

JudyL — Thu, 28 May 2026 23:32:58 GMT

Welcome home! Glad you had a good time in my state! San Diego is a beautiful area. Have lived in CA all my life and have never made it to Hollywood - good for you! Yes, driving in my state can be a pain in the backside but glad your SIL was able to successfully maneuver his way through our maze of freeways. Sometimes I can't! LOL.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

on the bay — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:37:17 GMT

@Goodie2shoes,

I got to see San Diego years ago while visiting my aunt. I fell in love with that beautiful city.

I also remember Fisherman's wharf in San Francisco and looking at dolphins at Sea World. It sounds like you had a wonderful vacation @Goodie2shoes, including being serenaded by your 9 month old granddaughter!

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

sabatini — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:33:04 GMT

@on the bay wrote:
I got to see San Diego years ago while visiting my aunt. I fell in love with that beuatiful city.
I also remember Fisherman's wharf in San Francisco and looking at dolphins at Sea World. It sounds like you had a wonderful vacation @Goodie2shoes, including being serenaded by your 9 month old granddaughter!

@on the bay, I lived in SF in the '70s, & Fisherman's Wharf was such a great place to go! So many shops, galleries, food places & even the big, boiling crab pots over by Alioto's, a landmark restaurant.

All of it is gone now, & most of the shops, if not all, are closed, boarded up, & covered in graffiti. It's a ghost town.

About the only thing that's remained are the sidewalk souvenir places w/ all their made in China junk. Unbelievable.

I doubt it will ever return, at least not in our lifetime.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

on the bay — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:39:44 GMT

@sabatini,

That is so sad to hear. It was so beautiful long ago! I thought it was one of my favorite places and I could see myself being very happy living there.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

shoekitty — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:42:14 GMT

@Goodie2shoes So glad you had good time. If you are like me the grandkids mke it even better,,, . Thanks for the report! Weather hasn't been the best, but San Diego is its own little place and most always has wonderful weather. I have been to that Resort, glad you enjoyed. Downtown Hollywood tourist area isn't always the cleanest, lol! But, It's wild, noisy and interesting lol. Did you see where they hold the Oscars tucked away in that small shopping center? Right across from Jimmy Kimmel studio. Now that is interesting to see how small and different it really is from the telecast event! Again, glad you had a good trip!!

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

cjm61 — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:51:54 GMT

@Goodie2shoes Ahh, you were only a couple miles from my home near Aviara. Glad you had a nice time.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

qvcfreak — Fri, 29 May 2026 01:15:37 GMT

Glad you enjoyed your vacation. I've never been to California, maybe one day.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

Seminole2 — Fri, 29 May 2026 01:17:13 GMT

@sabatini Alioto's restaurant was a favorite of mine. Also, Bourdin sourdough restaurant. Has been about 16 years or so since we moved from Northern California back to Florida. San Francisco wasn't the best shae when we saw it back then. Very sad.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

sabatini — Fri, 29 May 2026 01:18:24 GMT

@on the bay wrote:
@sabatini,
That is so sad to hear. It was so beautiful long ago! I thought it was one of my favorite places and I could see myself being very happy living there.

Totally! Me too.

I remember calling my mom once (back then, we usually wrote letters) because I wanted to tell her about an overwhelming feeling I'd had. By then I'd been in 'the city' for a few years.

Anyway, I'd visited someone over in Marin County & was riding the bus back into town. As we approached the Golden Gate Bridge, the city was in the background, silhouetted against the sky.

I suddenly got this deep feeling of belonging, & decided that if I ever did move away, I'd surely return to live out the rest of my life.

Sadly, not anymore.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

sabatini — Fri, 29 May 2026 01:24:43 GMT

@Seminole2 wrote:
@sabatini Alioto's restaurant was a favorite of mine. Also, Bourdin sourdough restaurant. Has been about 16 years or so since we moved from Northern California back to Florida. San Francisco wasn't the best shae when we saw it back then. Very sad.

Yes, it's sad. All of the landmark restaurants are gone, like Castagnola's, Tarantino's & even the Cliff House, though it wasn't on the wharf, it too was iconic.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

sabatini — Fri, 29 May 2026 01:27:12 GMT

@Goodie2shoes, so sorry to have briefly hijacked your thread.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

on the bay — Fri, 29 May 2026 01:33:46 GMT

@sabatini wrote:
@Goodie2shoes, so sorry to have briefly hijacked your thread.

@sabatini,

It's ok. It's good to know these perspectives and how things are.

Makes me think too that you can have a good experience in a place that is not the same for others.

Take NYC! Some feel it is the only city on earth and others feel they would never want to visit again. Many places like this.

@Goodie2shoes, I'm glad you had a wonderful vacation and it shouldn't be negated by others feelings which are just as real. It may all be just the time and place and experience and luck of the draw.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

beach-mom — Fri, 29 May 2026 02:04:08 GMT

@Goodie2shoes - How wonderful you had such a nice family vacation! And I'll bet your baby granddaughter charmed everyone on your plane!

I've never been to California. DH had a veterinary conference out there once. He had a great time. The high point of his week was the visit to the San Diego zoo!

DD's best friend from high school lives there. She took a job after college, met a California guy, and it's home for her now. DD has been out. One of DS' close friends took a job in San Francisco. DS has been there a few times to see her. I'm the only one who hasn't been there. Maybe someday!

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

Goodie2shoes — Fri, 29 May 2026 04:53:15 GMT

@shoekitty We saw the Jimmy Kimmel Studio, just rode around the area, so much traffic and people walking around, especially on the walk of Fame sidewalk area. We started to park on a pay lot but it started at $40 per hr so we chose to just drive the area. We saw the Capitol Records building and many very tall buildings which I would have no desire to go to the top !!

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

shoekitty — Fri, 29 May 2026 04:39:44 GMT

@Goodie2shoes I know can you believe that for parking? Everywhere in Los,Angeles, and SF as well parking is,charged. We just paid for parking at a hotel! It's 40-50@ day!!! Everywhere you go. My granddaughter lives on the other side of freeway from Hollywood in Studio City. She has to pay to park when she worked downtown as well!

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

JeanLouiseFinch — Fri, 29 May 2026 10:44:13 GMT

There's nothing better than time with family and making those memories, @Goodie2shoes. Good for you!

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

Puzzle Piece — Fri, 29 May 2026 14:42:54 GMT

I've lived here in CA all my life. It has sure changed and not for the better. So many places ruined by business closures and unruly people. Crime is everwhere.

I have good memories from my past where this state was the only place I ever wanted to live in. I have hope that things can be turned around for the better. Believing that the state gets cleaned up, the unruly moved out and those who truly know how to appreciate beauty and efforts overcome the ugly nonsense.

Nice to read that you enjoyed your vacation.

Re: Back from a awesome vacation !!

cindyNC — Fri, 29 May 2026 14:57:04 GMT

@Goodie2shoes What a wonderful trip! Sounds like a lot of fun with your family members.