Shooting for Birdies at New Orleans’ Audubon Park Golf Course

The streetcar conductor will call out “Audubon Park!” and may mention the Zoo when you get to the stop. The St. Charles Streetcar will have taken you through the New Orleans neighborhoods of the Garden District and Uptown via the streetcar, which picks you up just off Canal Street conveniently right outside the French Quarter.  There’s a shuttle van that takes folks to the Audubon Zoo from that stop. If you’re lucky and look lost, the nice lady driving the van will take you directly to the Audubon Park Golf Course clubhouse if she’s got the time.  Otherwise, it would have been just a short walk from the stop, made especially easy since I had again opted to leave my golf clubs at home, knowing I would be renting (they have great clubs in all brands and flexes). I brought only my shoes, glove and a few balls in my backpack. 

If you’re curious, you can speak to the house pro Stan if you have any questions about Audubon’s New Orleans golf course as it has a neat history. As I understand it, over a hundred years of golf have been played on these grounds.  Audubon Park Golf Course originally opened in 1898, and yet Stan sells it as the course of the future, and here’s why. 

1. You’re a local and don’t want to plop down a hundred plus bucks at one of the more expensive golf courses in New Orleans for a Tuesday round just to sharpen your short game.


Or


2. You’re a visitor to these parts. You've got gator tours and plantations to see. You've got three martini lunches and oyster dishes to try and the undisputed best jazz on the planet to soak in. You don’t have six hours to play a round of golf.  Add in the commute and the shrimp remoulade in the café at the turn and you’re at seven and a half hours. You’ll get through this satisfying round of golf in about three hours or even quicker.  

At around 4,200 yards and par at 62, the Audubon golf course is no behemoth.  But don’t let that trick you.  You will be tested. As a much better, slightly older and wiser golf buddy once told me, “No matter the yardage, you still have to hit the shot. Take nothing for granted, a missed green is a missed green.”

The Audubon Park Golf Course is located, as you probably guessed, within Audubon Park.  Audubon Park is run by the Audubon Nature Institute, whose mission it is to provide recreation opportunities in natural settings and preserve native Louisiana habitats.  Audubon Park and Audubon Nature Institute are named after John James Audubon, the famous American ornithologist who lived in New Orleans and actually completed his book The Birds of America nearby in the French Quarter. It seems fitting to be shooting for birdies in a golf course bearing the Audubon name.

Visually, Audubon is a great looking park. There are beautiful century old oaks that line the fairways and huddle about the clubhouse. There are geese, ducks, and other waterfowl in the lagoons which border many greens and Bermuda fairways. Although the water doesn't come into play on every hole, it’s visible from almost everywhere which I find both soothing and disconcerting. The Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church peers over the top of the trees to the northwest.  There’s a walking/jogging path around the perimeter, but you don’t really notice it unless you’re looking for it.

The Audubon Park Golf Course has been designated as a Certified Silver Signature Sanctuary by the Audubon International Signature Program, which means it’s eco-friendly when it comes to water and wildlife habitats, amongst other criteria. Golf Digest rated the course four and a half stars and the number one course over one hundred years old. The golf course was redesigned by noted architect Denis Griffiths in 2001.   

Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times and maybe I should take the time to walk all the way around the hole and see that it actually breaks the opposite direction. The TifEagle greens here roll really well and true, but be sure to pay close attention to break. As I mentioned, this place fooled me three times because I was positive of a break direction that just wasn't there, but would have been able to figure out if I had just looked at it from the other side. My playing partners (a nice father and son pair who make it a point to play here whenever they’re in town) and I also noticed that the layout could lend itself to some tricky approach shots depending on where they decide to flag it. Hopefully they are merciful on your visit. I’ll say they were fair on mine.

The Audubon Park Golf Course putting green is close to the first tee box so you can practice right up to the moment of truth, and they start you off with a nice par four opener to loosen you up. I’m not too short off the tee and found I was able to hit the driver quite a few times, certainly more than you would on your run-of-the-mill executive track. You can also leave the driver in the bag should you choose, so there are options here and it would play completely different with a different tee shot. There are 12 par threes, but there is so much range in yardage from hole to hole that you will get through the majority of your clubs, which I believe makes for a much more interesting game. I think I hit every club at least once minus the six iron, but had to chip my wedge a few more times than I would have liked. I was able to hit both the par five 9th and 18th holes in two but was unable to hold either with a trickle off the back. They were my only two birdies for the day. 

Bottom line is that this is a fun golf course.  Audubon Park Golf Course is a great course for beginners or weekend warriors or scratch players looking to hone their craft. The course was in great shape when I played it and I am told this is the norm. Cart path only golf means the fairways look healthy and clean with soft edges. You would be hard pressed to find a track this nice for the price. I’m a believer. Had I made an earlier tee time, I could have had a longer visit at the Audubon Zoo just a short walk away next door, which I highly recommend.  You’ll have the time to spare since you didn't play a six-hour round.

To make a tee time, visit the Audubon Park Golf Course website.  Thank you to the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and the New Orleans Hotel Collection for hosting our trip to New Orleans and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are my own.  For updates on what is going on in New Orleans, follow the New Orleans CVB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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A Weekend Exploring Yuma’s Historic Districts

The Colorado River, the old gateway to California.

Yuma is often viewed as nothing more than a way-point to bigger cities like Phoenix, Tucson, or San Diego (depending on your direction).  However, Yuma has a lot of history for travelers looking for a small town weekend getaway.  Yuma’s part in United States history began during the California Gold Rush when the Yuma Crossing over the Colorado River was used as the gateway to California.  Today Yuma is an important agricultural town, but it still has vestiges of its past preserved in its historic districts. 

Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park

The Yuma Territorial Prison was in operation from 1876 to 1909.  The first seven inmates arrived July 1, 1876, and actually had to build the cells they were locked in.  The prison was always under construction, which, as our guide pointed out, was probably a good thing as the skills learned may have helped rehabilitate some of the prisoners, providing them with skills that could be used when released back into society.  Prisoners forged steel to make the cages and doors, grew produce, raised and butchered stock, and cooked meals.

Cells built by prisoners.

The first cells were built with stone, which might have helped insulate the cells from the intense summer heat.  It’s hard to imagine spending any time in these small cells, each furnished with two three-level bunks and barely more than enough room in between to walk through.  The later cells were dug into a huge hill of Caliche, incredibly hard clay consisting of soil that has been cemented together by lime.  In this hill is the dark cell where incorrigible prisoners were punished.  While there are no records of guards tossing snakes through the tiny hole of the roof into the pitch black cell below, there are hospital records of men being treated for snake bite wounds after being released from the dark cell.

Imagine six people living in this cell.

It is said some of the cells are haunted, but I’ll leave those stories as well as the story of the prison’s most famous inmate, Pearl Hart, for when you visit the museum or, better yet, join one of the guided tours.  Visitors can watch a film and tour the prison on their own or join one of the guided tours (call ahead for the day's tour schedule).  If you can, join one of Dave Yunker’s tours on Monday.  Dave is a retired school teacher, and it shows in his presentation as he makes sure to share all the facts and has even done research of his own to find out things like who are the people buried in the prison cemetery not listed in the records and why there would be extras.

Yuma Crossing

The Ocean-to-Ocean Highway Bridge crossing the Colorado River.

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Yuma Pivot Point which put us in the perfect location to explore the historic downtown riverfront.  This is the location of the Yuma Crossing, first used by the Native Americans to cross the Colorado River and later used by the Forty-Niners heading to California during the California Gold Rush.  

Southern Pacific Engine No. 2521.

Here are two riverfront parks along the Colorado River.  Just outside of the hotel are speakers playing banjo music at all times of the day, plaques explaining the history of the area including stories of the steamboats, Gold Rush, Native Americans, and irrigation, and Southern Pacific Engine No. 2521, a train engine that traveled 2.5 million miles from 1907 to 1957. 

Native waterfowl in the East Wetlands.

Within this area along the Colorado River are seven miles of waterside bike trails and three miles of hiking trails.  We walked part of the trails, crossing under the Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge and exploring the East Wetlands.  Previously the banks along the Colorado River were overrun with invasive, non-native plants.  In the past 20 years much work and money have been put into this area to restore the wetlands as they originally were, and now the area is again home to native flora and fauna, including many species of waterfowl like egrets and pelicans.

Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park

Fresh local produce at the Sunrise Farmers' Market.

Also in the Historic Riverfront District is the Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park.  Beginning in 1864 six months’ worth of supplies for military posts which came by ship from San Francisco were offloaded from steamboats and stored in the storehouse.  The storehouse is still there and now houses an exhibit on dams of the Colorado River.  The park also contains Yuma’s oldest home, the quartermaster’s house and kitchen.  The adobe structure was built in 1859 and was used as the quartermaster’s personal residence.  Sundays October through April the park also holds the Sunrise Farmers’ Market, which sells local produce.

Historic Downtown Yuma

Main Street.

Yuma’s Main Street was historically the center of activity, but over the decades, as has happened to many downtowns, Yuma’s Historic Downtown’s hustle and bustle subsided as businesses moved away from the town center.  Main Street still is a bit of a ghost town, with some of the 1920s buildings remaining empty, but Main Street is making a comeback with the revitalization of downtown.  After spending long days touring around Yuma, it was nice to come back to our hotel, take a disco nap, and then make the short walk, serenaded with banjo music, to the historic downtown district for good eats and craft beer and wine.

Related: A Small Town Wild West Weekend in Yuma

Lutes Casino dining room.

While many of the businesses in Yuma’s historic downtown are fairly young, Lutes Casino is one of the old timers.  The building was erected in 1901 and Lutes Casino, which isn’t a casino at all but rather a pool hall and restaurant, is the oldest continually operating pool hall in the state of Arizona.  R.H. Lutes, a businessman and Justice of the Peace, acquired the pool hall in the middle of the century and it has been a family-run operation ever since.  R.H. Lutes also ran Lutes’ Gretna Green Wedding Chapel where he officiated the weddings of many Hollywood celebrities who traveled to Yuma to get away from reporters and have low key nuptials.  He performed three of Clark Gable’s marriages and one for Charlie Chaplin.

The famous Lutes Especial.

Lutes Casino’s décor is described as “early eclectic,” which means there is a whole lot of stuff all over the place.  There’s a bicycle hanging from the ceiling, random artworks, photos of celebrities, and everything else you could possibly imagine.  The food is casual fare, with burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and tacos populating the menu.  The most shocking thing on the menu is Lutes Special or Especial.  In case you can’t make up your mind, the Especial puts both a cheeseburger and a hot dog on a hamburger bun along with lettuce and tomato, and Lutes’ homemade salsa is served on the side.  It sounds like a heart attack on a plate, and probably is, but it’s actually surprisingly good.  Another popular menu item is the potato tacos, which are rolled tacos filled with mashed potato and topped with cabbage, tomato, mayo, and Cotija cheese.  They feel much healthier than the Especial.

The Garden Café's Swedish oatmeal pancakes.

A lovely spot for breakfast or lunch in the middle of downtown is The Garden Café & Spice Co.  The Garden Café is hidden in the middle of the block and is an outdoor family-owned restaurant on the grounds of the owners’ ancestor E.F. Sanguinetti, one of Yuma’s early settlers.  The Sanguinette House Museum, an 1870s adobe building, is just next door and features the history of the lower Colorado River.  The Garden Café serves family recipes made fresh daily.  Even the breads and muffins are homemade.  Breakfast includes scrambles, homemade quiche, Swedish oatmeal pancakes, and Yuma’s famous Walt Kammann sausages.  The lunch menu includes sandwiches, salads, and fresh off the grill tri-tip entrees.

Prison Hill Brewing Company's Chipotle Shredder.

Prison Hill Brewing Company is Yuma’s first and only craft brewery.  They also serve incredible food.  Prison Hill has been open less than six months and yet already has a reputation for serving some of the best food in town, which, in keeping with the prison theme, is served on divided tin plates.  All of the food is made in-house and the ingredients are prepped every morning. 

Wine and live music at Yuma's Main Squeeze.

Yuma’s Main Squeeze is Yuma’s only winery and wine is made onsite using grapes sourced from all over the world.  Pop in for wine tasting, a glass of wine or beer, or even a meal.  Yuma’s Main Squeeze also offers live music some Friday and Saturday nights.  During our visit a great local band, AVP Acoustics, was playing.

Old Town Wine Cellar wine shop and tasting room.

Old Town Wine Cellar has been open since 2003 and is located in part of the old Sears building.  Owner Mike Shelhamer pours wine tastings Tuesday through Friday and also has beer tastings one Saturday a month.  Old Town Wine Cellar is a wine and beer shop, so after your tasting you can purchase a bottle of wine or beer to take back to the hotel or home.

Craft beer at The Pint House Bar & Grill.

The Pint House Bar & Grill is owned by two of the three owners of Prison Hill Brewing Company.  They serve craft beer and have 45 taps.  In addition to beer, they also serve good food. 

Related: The Watering Holes of Historic Downtown Yuma

Yuma's Historic Downtown.

Yuma’s historic downtown resurgence has also been assisted by the Yuma Art Center and Historic Yuma Theatre.  The art center has four art galleries and hosts theatrical productions and concerts.

Yuma’s historic districts are a great mix of fun and education, providing a glimpse into Yuma’s historic past along with a celebration of Yuma’s present in the restoration of its riverfront and revitalization of its historic downtown.

Thank you to the Yuma Convention & Visitors Bureau for hosting our trip to Yuma and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are my own.

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A California Coastal Drive Through Big Sur

Bixby Bridge and the California coast.

I had heard people wax nostalgic about driving the California coast many times, saying it was the most beautiful road trip they had ever taken.  I always wondered what part they meant because my California coastal drive experiences hadn’t blown me away.  Many of the routes along the California coast are shielded from the ocean by land masses, trees, or towns, and the parts that do have ocean views are very pretty, but didn’t evoke the strong feelings stirred in these other travelers.  I had driven the coast from San Diego to Paso Robles and from Oregon to San Francisco.  But what I hadn’t done was drive the California coast highway through Big Sur, the 90-mile stretch between Carmel and San Simeon, at least not until we recently took a road trip along this stunning portion of the California coast.  It was during this drive that I saw the light and realized that yes, California does in fact have one of the best coastal drives in the world.

It is amazing how long a 90-mile drive can take when surrounded by so much natural beauty.  We traveled from San Diego to Carmel by car and stopped for the night in the truck stop town of Bakersfield just so we could have as much time as possible the next day to enjoy California Highway 1 on our way to Carmel.  Six hours later we hadn’t seen everything we wanted along this rugged, picturesque coast.  Luckily we had the return trip home to visit some of the places we missed.  A California coast road trip not only provides gorgeous views of the coast, so fantastic California State Route 1 is a designated American National Scenic Byway and California Scenic Highway, but also offers a number of stops along the way at which to enjoy the surrounding natural beauty.  Here are just a few of the numerous stops and pullouts along this California coast drive.

Related: A Weekend Getaway to California’s Carmel-by-the-Sea

McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

McWay Falls, a waterfall that falls directly onto the beach.

One of the most stunning sights of nature along the California coast is McWay Falls, a waterfall that falls from a tree-covered rock crevice onto the sand below.  McWay Falls is located within Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.  Nearby, with a view of the waterfall, used to be the home of Lathrop and Helen Hooper Brown, built in 1940 and called Saddle Rock Ranch.  Guests reached the home in a mining car funicular which the Browns dubbed “The Big Sur and Pacific Railway.”  The couple moved to Florida in 1956 and never returned.  Helen Hooper Brown, an heiress, gave the land and home to California to be used as a state park in 1961.  She requested the park be named after her friend Julia Pfeiffer Burns, “a true pioneer.”  The home was unusable for a public purpose so was demolished in 1966, though some of the walls and terraces remain.

Misty Sea Stacks

Misty Sea Stacks and Rocky Creek Bridge.

Another breathtaking view found just off the road is that of the Misty Sea Stacks with the Rocky Creek Bridge in the background.  This unusual area has large rocks jutting up from the ocean floor.  An arch has been created where the land protrudes sharply into the sea.  What is most unusual about this spot is to see cows grazing along the verdant land so close to the ocean.  The combination of the bright green and the jagged rocks feels more like Ireland than California.

Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery

Elephant seals jousting at Piedras Blancas.

Elephant seals began frequenting the beaches at Piedras Blancas in 1990, so the non-profit organization Friends of the Elephant Seal formed in 1997 to educate visitors about elephant seals and provide a safe place for them to come where people could watch and learn more about them.  The population of elephant seals that visits the rookery is 20,000, though the number of seals present at any one time varies based on the time of year.  January through May is when you’ll see the most, as this is when the seals breed, give birth, and raise their pups.  Numbers drop in June through September, but this is when the larger males can be seen as they come here to molt, and you may even witness two males involved in a jousting battle.  The male elephant seals can grow up to 16 feet long and weigh up to 5,000 pounds.

Big Sur Bridges

Big Creek Bridge.

There are a handful of bridges along the California coast crossing over rivers that empty into the Pacific Ocean.  These bridges include Big Creek Bridge, Rocky Creek Bridge, and the most famous, Bixby Bridge. 

Random Pullouts

Sunset along Big Sur's California coast.

The beauty of a California coastal drive through Big Sur is that beyond the state parks and signposted stops there are a number of random pullouts peppering the Cabrillo Highway that provide some of the most spectacular views.  If you see one you find appealing, just pull over.

Big Sur Restaurants

The view from Café Kevah.

As so many stops and pullouts in Big Sur will greatly lengthen your drive time, you’re probably going to get hungry.  There are a few restaurants along the California coast highway that allow you to continue your enjoyment of the views while filling your stomach.  On our way north we stopped at the Whale Watchers Café.  Fare is simple, but good, and the main reason to stop here is the straight shot of a view over the ocean.  If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see whales out in that ocean while enjoying lunch.  The favorite restaurant along the coast of Big Sur is Nepenthe, a family-owned restaurant that first opened in 1949.  Nepenthe and the café below, Café Kevah, which opened in 1992, provide elevated views of the coastal cliffs and ocean along with some really good food.

The new bridge along Pitkins Curve.

These are just a sampling of the many things to see along Big Sur’s California coast.  Other popular spots include Point Lobos State Natural Preserve and the Point Sur Lighthouse (neither of which we could visit on this trip since we were traveling with our dogs).  If you’ve ever wondered what all the hype is about, drive this ruggedly beautiful section of California’s coast and prepare to be blown away.

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Alligator Hunting on a New Orleans Swamp Tour

We got to hold a juvenile alligator during our swamp tour.

First let me set your mind at ease, we were only hunting alligators with our eyes and our cameras (though we did eat some alligator bisque while in New Orleans).  While most activities in New Orleans center on history, culture, and cuisine, the city provides a unique opportunity for travelers to experience nature as well on a New Orleans swamp tour.  The Louisiana swamps and bayous, just a short drive from New Orleans, give visitors the chance to take a boat ride and see swamp animals and plants in the great outdoors.

A canal through the Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve.

We took our swamp and bayou tour through the Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve.  The park is named for Jean Lafitte, a pirate in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1800s.  Jean Lafitte Swamp & Airboat Tours is the only company in Louisiana that can guide guests through the national park.  We joined one of their tours through Gray Line Tours New Orleans.

There are lots of gators on a New Orleans swamp tour.

Tours travel through the Louisiana swamp on special swamp boats, traveling through canals and bayous.  The canal, a straight waterway built for oil drilling and logging, joins the Bayou Aux Carpes.  Bayou means slow moving water, and the bayous are natural waterways that bend and turn through the swamp, bordered by bald cypress draped in cascading Spanish moss and the occasional mistletoe. 

Turtles hanging out in the Louisiana swamp.

The swamp is teaming with wildlife.  During a swamp tour, in addition to alligators, you might encounter white-tailed deer, armadillos, nutria, turtles (including snapping turtles which also appear on New Orleans menus), blue herons, black vultures, and perhaps even a bald eagle.  There are also 50 species of snakes in the swamps, seven of which are venomous. 

There are many animals in the Louisiana swamps, but let's face it, what you really want to see is alligators!

During our swamp tour we saw one armadillo, one great blue heron, one bald eagle, two black vultures, and a number of turtles and alligators, and that was in December.  While alligators are more active in the summer when the water is warm, you can expect to see them all year round.  As alligators are cold blooded, they are the temperature of the water.  Therefore, in the winter when the water is cold, it’s just a little harder to find them as they are buried in the banks, stationary amongst the foliage, but the expert guides know where and how to find them.  Around April the alligators move to the banks to sun and in the summer they are swimming around in the 85 degree water.

They're a little harder to spot in the winter, but you'll still find alligators.

While traveling through the swamp waters you’ll learn interesting facts about the flora and fauna of the swamps and bayous.  For instance, great blue herons eat alligators when they’ve just hatched.  Also, the Florida and Texas records for longest alligators are both 14 feet three inches.  The Louisiana record is supposedly 19 feet, but it can’t be proven because the guy who caught it said it was too long to bring in so he measured it with his rifle and left it behind.

The Louisiana swamps are covered in green, even in the middle of winter.

Animals and plants aren’t the only things to be seen during a Louisiana swamp tour.  We passed a replica of a nutria trapper’s cabin and another shack built along the bayou that has been used as a filming set for movies and television shows.

The Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve has been featured in TV shows and films.

Near the end of the tour everyone on the boat got to hold a live alligator.  Alligators are protected so it is illegal to feed or handle the alligators in the swamp or have them as pets, but the tour company has an educational permit so they can keep small alligators for visitors to view and handle.  The alligator we held was a small three-year-old with cold smooth skin.  It’s quite an experience to hold something so small that you know will someday be huge, powerful, and kind of scary. 

Canals and bayous wind through the Louisiana swamps.

A trip to New Orleans just isn’t quite complete without a tour through the swamps of Louisiana.  Nothing says well-rounded vacation more than a historic city, phenomenal food, killer drinks, scintillating music, and a side of swampy alligator.

Come see me in the Louisiana swamp!

Thank you to the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and the New Orleans Hotel Collectionfor hosting our trip to New Orleans and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are my own.  For updates on what is going on in New Orleans, follow the New Orleans CVB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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3 Unique San Diego Outdoor Activities

Many travelers to San Diego are repeat visitors.  While San Diego has a number of very popular tourist attractions like the Zoo, Sea World, Balboa Park, the beach, etc., return travelers may want to experience something different than what they’ve done before.  We’ve scouted out three unique San Diego outdoor activities perfect for both first time and repeat visitors, as they take advantage of our sunny weather, visit some of the popular places in San Diego, and provide a unique way to experience them.

Rolling the Streets of San Diego by GoCar

We have seen GoCar Tours’ little three-wheeled yellow cars driving around downtown San Diego for eight years.  We’ve always wanted to try them out, but never got around to it until now.  Boy were we missing out! 

San Diego GoCar Tours’ cars provide a GPS guided tour of four popular areas of San Diego: (1) Downtown/Harbor/Seaport Village/Gaslamp, (2) Balboa Park/Hillcrest, (3) Old Town/Presidio Park, and (4) Point Loma.  GoCars can be rented from one hour to all day.  We took our GoCar for three hours and explored downtown, Balboa Park, and Old Town.  Each area covered by a tour includes 50 minutes of driving time and allows for 10 minutes to stop and explore along the way.

Driving a GoCar is similar to driving a motorcycle in that everything is controlled by hand.  You twist the grip to give it gas and use the hand brakes to stop.  It’s easier than a motorcycle, however, as there is no shifting.  The top speed is 30 miles per hour, so don’t plan on drag racing along the streets of San Diego.  The radio plays the GPS commentary.  Note that while the GPS knows where you are on the designated route, if you go off-route it can’t guide you back, so you will need to pay attention to the provided map if you take a detour.

All GoCar tours start at the GoCar office conveniently located in downtown San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood.  After going around the block to make sure everything is working, the tour begins first by heading down to Harbor Drive along the San Diego Bay.  You’ll drive by the tall ships, the U.S.S. Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum, Unconditional Surrender (also known as the San Diego kissing statue), and Seaport Village.  The route then turns into downtown, passing by Horton Plaza and Petco Park before passing through the Historic Gaslamp Quarter.  I’ve worked downtown for 20 years, but driving through the Historic Gaslamp Quarter in the tiny open GoCar made me see the architecture and color of the buildings in a completely different way.  In addition to providing directions, the GPS also gives fun facts about San Diego.  For instance, I didn’t realize Wyatt Earp had come to San Diego after the shootout at the OK Corral, purchased some buildings in what was then called the Stingaree District, and leased some saloons and gambling halls.

The next area covered during our tour was Balboa Park.  We drove through Kate Sessions Park and learned about how this parkland was created in San Diego.  We drove across the Cabrillo Bridge and passed many of Balboa Park’s museums including the San Diego Museum of Man with its famous tower and the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

After passing by the San Diego Zoo we drove through the Hillcrest neighborhood, past the oldest nursery in San Diego, opened by Kate Sessions in 1910, and down a back neighborhood road into Presidio Park and through Old Town.

While I was nervous at first about riding around in such a tiny vehicle, that went away in a few minutes and then it was just fun.  We’re both pretty sure we had goofy smiles on our faces the entire time because our drive was such a fun and different experience.  Everybody we passed along the way looked, smiled, and waved too.

Paddling Out to Sea with an Everyday California Kayak Tour

Going to the beach is a popular San Diego activity, but what about seeing the beach from a vantage point out in the Pacific Ocean?  To do so, we joined one of Everyday California’s La Jolla kayak tours.  Since we took a tour in winter, we joined the whale watching kayak tour which is only available November to March.  However, Everyday California offers Pacific Ocean tours year-round, including sea cave kayak tours, sunset kayak tours, combined kayak and snorkel tours, snorkeling tours, and paddle-boarding tours.

Our tour took us approximately two miles out into the waters of the Pacific Ocean.  We learned there is a large ocean canyon off of the shores of La Jolla, which is why whales can often be seen there so close to land.  The canyon provides areas deep enough for the whales to dive and feed, but also provides the shallows nearby.

Even though we didn’t see any whales or dolphins, we did get to see other sea life.  During a kayak trip through the La Jolla waters, you will most likely encounter sea lions, seals, and seabirds.  We had a few sea lions swimming alongside our kayaks, and we saw a number of seabirds, including cormorants, which we learned can dive deep into the ocean and stay underwater for a long time. 

In addition to the sea life and sea caves to be seen, La Jolla kayak tours provide gorgeous views of the San Diego coastline from an angle not seen by most visitors to San Diego.

Everyday California will give Travel the World readers 50% off of any full price tour.  Call them directly at (858) 454-6195 to book your tour and give them the coupon code Travel50.

Scooting Along the San Diego Sidewalks with San Diego Segway Tours

So I will admit Segways just look dorky.  When I first saw a Segway tour I thought “I will never take one of those tours.”  However, at the San Diego Travel & Adventure Show San Diego Segway Tours set up a practice course which I begrudgingly tried out.  In that short session I was converted.  It didn’t matter how dorky I looked rolling around on two wheels with a helmet on my head, riding a Segway was fun.

San Diego Segway Tours offers two tours, one through Balboa Park, and the other through downtown San Diego, the Historic Gaslamp Quarter, and Embarcadero Waterfront.  We chose the newer Balboa Park tour.  While both our GoCar and Segway tours traveled through Balboa Park, they passed different areas as the Segways stick to the sidewalks and can visit the pedestrian only areas.

After a short training session, the Segways are very easy to drive and control.  The real concern is getting too comfortable, as within a short time you become one with your Segway and start paying more attention to the scenery then where you’re going.  As long as you watch out for curbs and bumps, you’ll be zipping along just fine, covering a lot of ground, and having a great time.

During our Segway tour we encountered some gems of Balboa Park we had never seen before.  There is a statue of Kate Sessions, who is credited for many of the trees and plants in the park, causing her to be referred to as the “Mother of Balboa Park.”  There is also a grouping of statues of some of the city’s founders including Ephraim Morse, Alonzo Horton, and George White Marston.

In addition to passing by the many museums of Balboa Park, we also visited the Organ Pavilion, fountain, rose garden, and cactus garden, which has a cactus that was 150 years old when it was transplanted 80 years ago.  Again, visiting Balboa Park on a guided Segway tour allowed us to see things we had never seen before, even though we’ve lived in San Diego our entire lives and have visited the park numerous times.

San Diego Segway Tours will give Travel the World readers 40% off their total purchase by entering the online coupon code TRAVELEXPO at checkout.

If you’re looking for some unique things to do in San Diego, don your helmet, board your vehicle, and try out one or more of these fun outdoor activities to get a different view of America’s Finest City.

Thank you to GoCar Tours of San Diego, Everyday California, and San Diego Segway Tours for hosting our unique San Diego outdoor activities and making this post possible.  Also, thank you to my aunt Kathy, a repeat San Diego visitor looking for new things to do, for the inspiration.  As always, all opinions are my own.

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