Little Miss Sunshine in CA, Pt. 1

It was a case of perfect timing - just when I needed my bestie of 30+ years most, Christy (aka Little Miss Sunshine) came to visit me in California. It had been seven years since we’d last hung out in person, but it was as if no time had passed at all. Some say she’s the Grace to my Will, but since I never really cared for the Grace Adler character (self-centered, whiny, and obnoxious), I will skip that comparison and just say I am grateful to still have her in my life! Faithful readers of my blog will not be surprised to find out that the first stop for us when she arrived was Station Tavern for a “light snack” of their legendary tater tots. For Christy, it was love at first bite. 



And because it’s all about the food, our next event was dinner at Sonny’s in University Heights, one of my new faves.



This is the go-to place when my friend Kevin and I grab dinner, so he tagged along for the ride and got to meet Christy. With Kevin, it’s typically a text at 6pm-ish: “Sonny's?” Nothing else needs to be said other than “yes” or “no.” Back to Sunshine…of course she enjoyed the Pepp Rolls.



I really love the vibe of this place, and so do Kevin & Christy!



The dessert options at Sonny’s are meh, so we headed over to Jeni’s afterwards.





The next morning, Christy had her first addictive taste of the vanilla bean lattés at Communal Coffee in South Park:



Making ourselves more presentable, we drove over the bridge to Coronado Island into Nirvana, aka Little Frenchie’s:



In the early years of our friendship, this is what we did:



Now we sample French pastries. A much better choice!



We kind of walked off the calories with a stroll along the beach in front of the Hotel del Coronado:



…just like Marilyn Monroe did in 1959 for “Some Like it Hot.”



A cute tiki sand sculpture:



Inside the Hotel del was this display with pieces related to Frank Baum and his Oz books:



Christy had never seen the Crown Room before. That wooden ceiling is GOR-GEOUS!



The prices of gas in Indiana looked much better after Christy saw what they were in San Diego!



We attempted to catch a movie at Coronado’s Village Theatre, but unbeknownst to me it had shut down and was undergoing a change in ownership. Nothing like a dinner at San Diego’s best Italian restaurant, Il Posto, to make things better!







Until the next meal…this concludes Pt. 1 of Little Miss Sunshine’s California visit!
 
See more of my photos at my main website.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2024 in Review

The new year brings opportunity to reflect on the previous twelve months, which can provide a future forum for growth and positive change. 2024 was a good year that I would say was fairly consistent, without too many peaks and valleys (yes, Melissa - I used the proper form of “peak”). I have still focused on keeping things local, as I recover from the whirlwind life of travel I lived pre-pandemic. Once the shut-downs hit, I realized I didn’t have much of a life here locally. I am happy to say that those roots have begun to flourish (albeit with a bit of healthy pruning along the way).

Anybody who wanted to find me this year would have a fairly high success rate if they checked Il Posto Ristorante in South Park. My definite go-to Italian place in San Diego, it earns high marks on food, service, and atmosphere.



My brain is cluttered with projects; some stay stuck in the gray matter while others are perpetually in the wings, waiting for completion. This year, I finally got around to shooting some local landmarks that I admired as I either ran or drove by multiple times, but never had camera in-hand. A number of buildings in City Heights and North Park provided a theme of 1920s Egyptian Revival Architecture, perfect for a blog post.



On the to-do list still: go back when the neon is LIT!



My niece and her fiancé paid a visit to San Diego in the Spring, with a whirlwind tour that included a trip to Lemon Grove (where my family began their Southern California journey)…



and of course Jeni’s, which remains a Daveland favorite since my first visit to one in Atlanta in October 2023.



Photo shoots continued to keep me busy, including a wedding shoot at the US Grant Hotel downtown:



Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) made her annual trip to California in May to coincide with my (ahem) 60th birthday. More Egyptian fun, as we toured the Museum of Man Us in Balboa Park before heading up to the Chateau for my momentous celebration.



Once at the Chateau, Willis found the sun and caught a few winks. He is the best little buddy a guy could wish for. To say dogs are man’s best friend would be an understatement in this case.



Waiting outside the Chateau for our Lyft before the birthday dinner. No, that’s not a cane…it’s Willis pulling on his leash!



The birthday dinner was at Dan Tana’s, my go-to Italian place when in Hollywood. Mona and I skipped the duck lips on this particular shot.



Willis sampled some pasta, but no spumoni ice cream for him.



This year also marked my first trip to the Hollywood Heritage Museum (a great experience)…



which I reached via Amtrak and Los Angeles Union Station (not such a great experience).



One of many early morning trips with Marlene to the Beginner's Diner at the Lafayette Hotel in North Park (if I’m not at Il Posto, I’m probably here):

I don’t know about the worm, but the early bird definitely got some great photos of Lou Lou’s at the Lafayette sans patrons, thanks to our crack of dawn visit.



Willis and I journeyed back to the Chateau for some R&R…



and bacon (you can see the hunger in his eyes):



A sunset hike up Runyon Canyon was just what was needed:



Always looking to check off bucket-list photo items, I stopped by the site of the former Ambassador Hotel on the way back to SD to capture some of this LA Landmark’s remnants.



The San Diego Pride 5K run gave me my best time ever: 26:08.



Thanks to Ken of Stack’s Liberty Ranch, I learned about the remnants of the trail to Gold Gulch in Balboa Park:



The former Gold Gulch from the 1935 Exposition, which is now a parking lot. Cue Joni Mitchell, please.



October brought a photo shoot for the high school homecoming dance of Marlene’s son. Look at those proud moms!



The bucket list shrunk again when I got to visit Walt Disney’s former home in Los Feliz:



Rudford’s Restaurant in North Park joined the rotation list of Daveland favorite places to eat in San Diego.



My time for the Turkey Trot 5K was not so good. Still, it was a great way to start off Thanksgiving morning before getting the meal prepared for my friends.



The Christmas season started off with a blast, as I attended my friend Jeff’s Deep Fried Christmas Party in LA.



Glad I had on the appropriate colored socks for the occasion!



For Christmas, Willis and I treated ourselves to more R&R at our very favorite spot, the Chateau Marmont. Yes, he is ready for breakfast. Something about this place just really helps reset me from the stresses of daily life. If only I could afford to live there!



Top blog posts of the year were:

1. Temple Tuesday: The Brady Bunch Connection

2. Marmont Monday: Dominick Dunne and Room 38

3. Christmas at the Lafayette

4. Tomorrowland On The Move

For 2023, my resolution buzz word was “balance.” For 2024, it was “boundaries.” While running the other day, I struggled to find another “b” word to keep the tradition going: “benefit” was the final choice. I like it because the focus needs to be on the benefit going both ways - both parties need to gain a benefit. One-sidedness rarely yields a healthy or sustainable relationship. I still need more upkeep on the other “b’s,” but just like my bucket list, they will always be works of progress.

Here’s to a fantastic 2025 - it will be what you choose to make of it. If things seem dark, do your best to find a way to shift your perspective/viewpoint. Sometimes that little shift is all it takes.

A thousand thanks to all who stop by, read my posts, and especially to those who take the time to comment. See more Daveland photos at my main website.