| DIARY OF AN URBAN MILKMAID |
| PROFILE | GUESTBOOK | OLD | OLDER | OLDEST |
| So, I decided to forego my usual obsessive traveler persona, and adopt one of casual tourist... This is HUGE for me! I'm the kind of uptight individual, who packs too many items - makes numerous phone calls to confirm all arrangements - prints out maps with directions that indicate how many feet one will be driving down an off-ramp. This time, I threw together a couple of changes of underwear, some jeans and t-shirts, basic toiletries and my kidlet. We set out extra chow and water for the cats and left. I didn't even bother with directions! Go me! We found everything fairly easily. Oh, there were the expected missed-turns and passed up on-ramps, but service station attendants and park rangers were very helpful in pointing us in the right direction overall. The first day, we stopped at Balboa Park before we checked into the haunted Holiday Inn. Most of the museums were already closed for the day by the time we got there. We were fortunate enough to get into the San Diego Museum of Art, where there was a Renoir exhibit going on. I'd never seen any of his work live, so to speak. Nice use of color! Almost psychedelic... We spent a good amount of time at the museum, and around the grounds before heading off to our hotel. That night, at dinner in the hotel restaurant, we mentioned to our waitress about the haunting business... She said she had worked there for a number of years, and hadn't heard of anything - but, back in 1989 or 1990, a guest had jumped from one of the floors to their death... The very next night, as soon as she saw us, she ran over and excitedly told us that just the night before a guest had jumped from one of the floors at their sister hotel, the Radisson! coincidence???? maybe... We spent some time investigating the different areas of the hotel, checking for weird spirits. Only the 5th floor gave us the willies. Willies enough so that we spent the night with the television on... Next day was the San Diego Zoo. Listen, I'm a middle-aged woman who takes heart medication that makes my heart barely beat.. How I made it up and down those hills at that freakin' zoo is beyond my comprehension! I did though. I walked up and down and up and down and up and down for five and one half hours without sitting down once! I discovered new levels of pain, that only childbirth could rival! Animals. Yeah. Cool. That night, we were both so tired, we decided against painting the town red. We hit our hotel, stopping by the restaurant just long enough to partake in a fine Prime Rib buffet and more ghostly gossip with the staff. Apparently, as one of the security guards was patrolling - actually, twice - at some ungodly hour of the morning, he spotted the "ghost" of a young boy, running through the halls of the hotel. Only to have the boy disappear as he rounded a corner... Yesterday, we checked out of the hotel and headed back to Balboa Park. We saw a banner advertising an exhibition of Spanish Inquisition torture devices. "Right up our alley", we thought! Well, for some reason, I had expected that the exhibit would have been more light-hearted than it was. After seeing close up, the horrific devices which human beings have utilized to mangle and kill each other throughout the centuries - mostly in the name of "morality" and "God" - I'm pretty fucking ashamed to be one of 'em! I also have to believe that as terrible as things are today, we, as a group, have come a long way... The museum was sobering enough to make us decide to leave the park - and head for the highlight of our trip - The Whaley House!!! |
Buh Bye! October 05, 2008 Be Afraid, People.... Really Afraid One Last Bitchfest for the Road Get the Popcorn Ready I'm a Rich Ho-Bag |
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| Marriage is love. | |||||
