San Diego: Day 9

Coronado Island is a little slice of paradise with glorious trees and flowers, stunning seaside houses, cafes and shops.

The beach was a little too windy to visit, but on a hot summer's day it would be spectacular. We visited the Hotel Del Coronado, an historic well appointed hotel overlooking the ocean from the 1800s.
This chandelier in the lobby is a perfect example of the opulence of this hotel.

We spent some time wandering through the shops on Orange Avenue, popping into Emerald City for some cool t's for Alex, followed by lunch at the Rhinoceros Cafe and Grill. Again I was confounded by the portion sizes. I ordered the tomato and basil spagettini and got a ginormous bowl full with a large bun on the side. Who needs a bun when you are getting enough carbs for 3 people?


With fresh garlic on my breath, I headed over to Salon Tonic for a cut and highlights. I was greeted with a glass of wine and treated to an amazing scalp and neck massage. My stylist, Berge, did a fantastic job - and I am not easy to please when it comes to my hair. We then loaded up the car, said goodbye to The Sophia and set out for a 2 hour road trip to L.A.

No one knows how to rip you off better than the airport hotels in L.A. We booked La Quinta Hotel by the LAX. For $160 plus parking, we were subjected to dingy, dusty decor and the whirring sound of elevators all night followed by the worst breakfast possible. We lined up for our Styrofoam plates and plastic cutlery to "enjoy" powdered eggs, dry tasteless waffles and watered down O.J. For $100 more, we could have stayed at the Marriott.

But, who am I to complain? Our trip was amazing and I had the chance to observe a few key differences between us and our American friends. I'll dish on that later. ;)