A panoramic view of the San Diego Harbor from Seaport Village

San Diego

Of course, we picked the week that atmospheric rivers were dumping rain on California, so the mountain pass we drove through to get there was shrouded in fog and usually-sunny San Diego was weeping tears of joy at our return. Since our harbor-side hotel was still making up our room, we went across the street for a couple of wine/beers and appetisers to kill some time, watch the rain, and toast our return to our favorite city in America.

We had dinner with Sal and his friend Stephanie at the Ketch Grill and Taps, formerly the Red Sails Inn*, which in good weather offers outdoor harbor-side dining. The night was cool and wet, though, so we opted for a table indoors to nosh on seafood and catch up (no, not Ketch up, that would have been messy) with Sal's life, and to meet his sweetheart.

When I first met Sal, he had short hair and was the epitome of the buttoned-down office worker. Now that he's a professor with the Defense Acquistion College, he's let his hair grow out and gives off a groovy kind of vibe. Oh, how the years have changed us.

*We missed the somewhat shabby atmosphere of the old Red Sails, where the toilets were about as dicey as ships' heads and were named "Buoys" and "Gulls"

The next day was mostly sunny, so we went to Cherie's favorite place in our favorite city, Seaport Village, to do some souvenir shopping and have a leisurely outdoor brunch at the harbor-side Edgewater Grill.

Cherie's bloody Mary was one of her best evers. But the coup de grâce was the Crab Benedict, which was even better than the former all-time favorite she'd had in Alaska. This place comes highly recommended for brunch! (Bring a big appetite and a bigger wallet.)

Blackbeard has found another way to steal treasure ... sell tourists their "fortune." Fortunately, (ahem) I already knew that I'd found mine in my darling wife, so my only concern was that Blackbeard would try to steal her away. (That would be a comic scene: a peg-legged pirate trying to chase down a woman with a walker. For the record, my money would be on Cherie.)

We were a couple of "Birds in Paradise"

Nature's display rivals anything found in the art galleries of Seaport Village.

Ahoy, Matey.

Oceanside

The Oceanside harbor is lined with tourist shops, restaurants, and a decorative lighthouse

Next stop was Oceanside, California, with its neighboring Marine Corp Base Camp Pendleton, where Molly's sister Emily lives with her Gunnery Sergeant husband Ryan in base housing.

Seeing as we couldn't snag a rental cabin or cottage on base, we stayed at a Holiday Inn in Oceanside, where our first afternoon found Cherie on the observation deck sipping a glass of wine while taking in the ocean and town views.

Ryan's unit, the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11, is known by its nickname, the "Devilfish"

The first of many meals together with Matt, Molly, and her family was on the balcony of the Lighthouse Oyster Bar and Grill overlooking the harbor at sunset. We met Molly's mom, Patty, for the first time in cool weather with hot food, cold drinks, and warm convivial conversation.

From left, Jamie, Cherie, Patty, Molly, Matt, and Ryan share a table and good times

Whale Watching

The next day Cherie suggested we go whale watching on the ocean with the family. We got an enthusiastic response, so off we went on a two-hour tour into the brisk January ocean breeze looking for whales along the coast off of Camp Pendleton and Oceanside.

From left: Patty, Molly, Matt and Cherie are on the lookout for tell-tale signs of a whale surfacing, namely the air and water spewing over a whale's blowhole. For those times between sightings, well, there was beer served on board.

Click on video above to watch a whale surface

At times Molly and Matt couldn't take their eyes off of each other, leaving their moms on lookout duty...for whales and PDAs.

After a cool day on the ocean, we needed something to warm us up and fill our bellies. Rockin' Baja Lobster Coastal Cantina had just the ticket — cosy seating, hot sauce, cold drinks, delicious seafood, and scenic views of the sunset over the harbor.

Service with a smile for outdoor diners

From left: Ryan, Patty, Emily, Matt, Molly, and Cherie

Cherie contemplates her cold beer and choice of hot sauces

Dark water mirrors a darkening sky at sunset

Top Gun

One of Oceanside's tourist attractions is Charlie's (played by Kelly McGillis) oceanside house, where Maverick (Tom Cruise) pulls up on his motorcycle one evening and they share a romantic interlude.

The original house (less its later additions), almost 140 years old, was moved 1½ blocks north and painstakingly restored. It continues to draw crowds looking to feel the magic of the original Top Gun movie.

Tom Cruise pulls up to the house on Pacific Street that fronts the ocean in this shot from the movie

The restored Top Gun House today, home of a pie shop

The original cottage in photo from 1888

Camp Pendleton

Photo from the internet

Ryan and Emily invited us to their home on Camp Pendleton

The beachscape near their home is pristine. We walked there to take in a late afternoon view of the beach and the ocean. The Marine Corps tries to be a good steward of the land and wildlife, and their protection shows ... I saw a snowy egret wading in a lonely pool of water, quietly searching out its evening meal.

Ryan took Matt out for a ride in his Cobra sports car a day or so before we visited. He got it up to about 120 mph, then discovered the brakes were going out.

Well, darn. Ryan was going to take me for a ride too, but we agreed that without brakes, it would be more exciting than either of us might be able to survive. He assures me though, next time we visit he'll rev up the engine and we'll fly down the highway.

(His father, now gone, built the kit car and equipped it with with a 427 hp engine. Hold on to your hat and plug your ears!)

What a Meal!

Family and friends sat down to an amazing meal put on by Molly's sister Emily — a real surf and turf extravaganza.

Clockwise from bottom: Elana (a friend of Emily's), Emily, Ryan, Cherie, Jamie, Molly, Matt, and Patty.

A meal fit for a king:
● salad
● bread
● steak
● roasted potatoes
● corn on the cob
● sausage
● crab legs
● shrimp
● scallops
● butter dip
● lemon wedges

Not to mention outstanding bottles of white and red wines bought especially for the occasion.

We were overwhelmed.

Los Angeles

We drove up to Los Angeles to visit my cousin Hugh and his son Bruce. Despite the constant rainfall that day (the tail end of the atmospheric river) everyone was all smiles as we ate at the Canoe House in South Pasadena.

Southeastern Arizona

Days later we could only dream of the wet, lush coast of California as we went for a walk in the desert east of Sierra Vista, where the landscape was dry, although the snow-capped mountains in the distance offered a promise of replenishment for the San Pedro River and its valley vegetation come spring.

Alex has a better eye than me when it comes to photographs. Here we see his vision of the stairway coming out of a wash toward the Murray Springs Clovis Site. His photo is ethereal and moody ... and almost looks like a stairway to heaven.

After an afternoon of hiking, we adjourned for lunch at Urbano Bar and Bistro (yep, it's as new age as it sounds), where Mike and Anna met us for a late lunch/early dinner.

Around the Table

During the darker winter months it's comforting to share a meal with friends and family.

Of course, when it's our family that gathers around the table we sometimes open a bottle of wine and get a little "tipsy."

From left: Zach, Molly, Matt, Mike, Alex, and Cherie

Pizzeria Mimosa

One of our favorite eateries in Sierra Vista is the Pizzeria Mimosa, nestled in the foothills of the Huachuca Mountains.

An old style truck parks in front of the Italian-style restaurant

The snowy Huachuca Mountains loom in the background

Linda is her usual bubbly self

Jeanne celebrated her birthday with us

Earlier in the month we met Chris and Jack at a Greek restaurant in Tucson to catch up on the lives of these Pennsylvania natives.

Unfortunately, they left before Arizona before it could put on its winter jacket and blow some snow around, as seen from our backyard.