san diego.

wednesday was supposed to be full of fireworks, big bridges and ocean air. instead, we got a july 4th with lots of driving, laughter, a HUGE explosion and quite a few stories to tell. i think it was a pretty good trade. you can read about our nationally televised fireworks fizzle here, and you can laugh just as much as my father did. (yes, he thought it was hilarious that the best friend and i drove three hours to see...a fifteen-second show)

we acted like tourists for the day and walked through seaport village, balboa park and the gaslamp quarter. starbucks got to enjoy our consistent visits, as did the darling upstart crow bookstore. it was so cute. we had a "chai break" and listened to a brother duo play the piano to patriotic music. i've never heard 'god bless america' done with a jazz emphasis, but now i suppose i have.

since the day was overcast, we got to enjoy an empty city from noon until the night crowd bustled out and filled the streets. it's always fun to have something special to yourself, and san diego felt perfectly 'ours' that day. no pushy crowds, no crazy people trying to run us over. just a couple of train whistles that made us jump out of our shoes and a bridge i was much too scared to drive over. (i will, one day...just not now! :)

by the time we watched the firework explosion and fought the crowds to I-5, we were more than ready to go home to la. san diego truly was beautiful. it was a nice road trip, a perfect random adventure. i've found that the most beautiful adventures are found right in your backyard. adventures aren't necessarily created by thousands of miles. they can be, that's true. but if you can find a beautiful story down the street, or on the drive home? then you truly are blessed.

 (downtown from balboa park)

(our walk through balboa)

(colors)

(our restaurant on the bay)

(taking too many pictures makes best friends annoyed)

(playing games in the gaslight quarter)

(best friend's 'america'  impersonation)

(waiting for the show)

(lights)