This morning the air outside was crystal clear and a little crisp but it quickly warmed up as Hans and I found our way to Little Italy's Saturday Farmer's Market. K was going to meet us there so we checked out some of the stands while we waited. I ate some local oysters, both raw and grilled (with garlic and chipotle butter). All were delicious. After K joined us I was still hungry so I bought a samosa filled with chicken-tikka (more yum). We tried a selection of hot sauces at one stand and sampled fancy salt at another.
After, K took me to one of her favorite stores in the area. My 16-year-old self would have dreamed of being able to shop at this place! They had cool and macabre home wares but also very naughty ones. We played around with their collection of boy/girl scents.
Our next stop was Balboa Park and we had a really good time of just walking around and talking. The old buildings from the 1915 World's Fair really fascinated me.
K dropped us off at Ballast Point Brewing so that Hans and I could make the pilgrimage. Despite having a cavernous tap room with both indoor and outdoor space, all seating was occupied. It made carrying my sampler flight a little difficult but after having to stand for a little bit the crowds started to disperse. This is when my longing for west coast beer really hit me. We've got a decent brewing scene in Maryland (and it's still growing) but the west is ground zero for the US microbrew explosion, and it shows. My favorite sampling was their peach kolsch. Hans enjoyed their Mocha Marlin Porter.
One of my favorite things was all of the art by Paul Elder on display.
Paul does most of Ballast Point's label art.
We would have liked to check out Cabrillo National Monument at the end of the day but the wonderful shutdown meant that it was closed. Instead, we drove through Fort Rosencrans and stopped along the main road to take in the view from the cemetery, which sits across Point Loma's peninsula. On the eastern side we could see San Diego. The western side overlooks the Pacific Ocean. I can't think of a more peaceful resting place.
Along the way back to downtown is Sunset Cliffs park. We weren't going to be totally denied some beach access! The sun was rapidly setting and the tide was starting to come in but there was enough time to scurry down the metal staircase and play around in the tide pools with our camera. We watched the sunset from back on top of the cliffs and then departed for some ramen.
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