Across California by road
The trip to California was a long planned one. I had wanted to attend my elder son's graduation from University of California San Diego and was looking forward to it with real eagerness and excitement for a long time. It was a double whammy when my husband jayachandran decided on a road trip from San diego to Sanfrancisco and back covering places and people over a period of 10 days. The distance from SD to SFO is around 500 miles (805 Kms).
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| At JFK waiting to board the flight to SD |
We started from NYC to SD on June 12th evening. It was an overnight delta airlines flight from JFK airport to SD international airport. The flight was around 6 hours long. Jayachandran, Abiram and me had a pleasant flight to SD. At the SD airport we went for rent a cab - a toyota corolla cross from the AVIS company. Really grateful and glad that the vehicle didn't give us any trouble and the whole road trip of 7 days went without any untoward incident.
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| Our vaahan for the trip |
From the airport Jayachandran drove us to our friend Hari's house where we stayed for the next 3-4 days. Abijit's graduation was spread out over 3 days.
First day of graduation
We started our California hip-hopping from the the morning of 13th June , by meeting our dear Jerome sir at the outdoor shopping center west field UTC. Jerome sir was Jayachandran's Official boss at Malawi and he has been one of Abiji's main stay guardian at SD.
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| With Jerome Sir at UTC |
From the UTC we went to Abiji's apartment where he shared home space with 3 of his friends. Ethan his good Chinese friend and room mate was there at the entrance of their apartment building with a warm smile and greeting to usher us in. Abiji when in his first first year of college had shared the college housing suite with Ethan and they stayed together for the rest of the 3 years too outside campus in a La Jolla Costa verde apartment.
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| With Ethan and Abiji in their apartment |
On June 13th evening was the ring ceremony. The ceremony of getting wedded to his computer engineering profession. The ring ceremony took place in the Lion tree arena of the UCSD campus. UCSD campus spans across 1200 acres of land with some buildings, lots of trees and green spaces. A drive through the campus gave a feeling of breezing through the woods. Oh it was so lovely to breathe in the air of a premier institution ! UCSD has 6 colleges in its campus.
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| Graduates taking their rings |
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| Abijit goes for the felicitation |
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| With Meena, Abiji's friend Girish's mom. Girish Krishnan was Abijis room mate in the first year of college. |
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| Abijis after the ring ceremony |
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| With Girish's family |
We got back to Hari's house after the ring ceremony by around 10:30 in the night.
Second day of graduation In the morning of the second day of graduation we strolled around the LaJolla cove. This area is a central hub of SD. It was a Saturday and may be that is why it drew such a big crowd . We had difficulty finding parking space and had to take the rounds of the cove close to twice before finding a parking lot on the side of the main road up the cove. The sight of the sandy beach nestled between sandstone cliffs was breathtaking as we walked towards the cove. The sea breeze was quite gusty and added to the delight as we walked swiftly along the cliff looking at the blue sea and the surf. This is a marine reserve and we spotted many seals, sea lions resting on the rocks , Sea gulls and pelicans.
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| We caught up with Jayachandran's unicef colleague and family and exchanged some pleasantries at the cove. |
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| At lunch in a road side restaurant at the cove |
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| A selfie at the walk way along the cove |
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| seals and pelicans |
June 14th evening was the day of All campus graduation in one of the fields of the campus. This was a long stretched one with Students from all the colleges dressed in their robes ready to receive their degrees from the VC - Prof. Pradeep Khosla.
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| Before Geisel library |
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| Warren field campus |
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| Drone show at the end of the days event |
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| Students from all campus walking towards the stage |
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| View of the graduation filed |
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| Abijit with his friends Girish, Pranav and Aarav |
3rd day of Graduation
On 15th morning, a sunday, Hari's family and we had lunch together at Tofu house in Mira mesa area. It was a korean restaurant.
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| With Chinnu and Chanthu |
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| with Hari, Bindu, Chinnu and Chanthu |
I also got a chance to go meet a school class mate D.Sujatha before we got to Tofu house for lunch.
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With Sujata who works in minneapolis but was coincidentally in SD when we were there.
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The final day of the graduation was a 6 th college event again in one of the fields of UCSD campus. So many names of students were read out with us not really being able to catch sight of what was happening on stage. It went well and we dispersed with a full heart of having been able to attend the graduation finally in good light. Thank Heavens for it with a grateful being and heart.
June 16th - Start of the road trip from SD
We bid good bye to Bindu, Chinnu, Chanthu and Hari with a warm heart and started on our Road trip to SFO after picking up Abiji from his apartment at Costa verde.
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| On an inland highway leaving SD |
Our first stopover was at Tustin Ranch close to Irvine at a school friend Namrata's house. It made such a beautiful beginning with the brief but close enough hobnobbing with Namrata dear. Namratas and we lived in the same sector of the BHEL township quarters in Trichy. Revisiting Childhood friends is such a good heartwarming experience.
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Before Namrata's home
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From Irvine Jayachandran drove us to Hollywood hills where we stopped at the Hollywood sign and a reservoir on top after quite a narrow steep hill drive.
After having lunch from a North Indian restaurant at Los angeles we drove to Nojoqui
falls park, a native american park. Its in Santa Barbara county. It was a quaint little hike to the tall but trickling water fall. We were warned about snakes slithering around but we fortunately didn't spot any , may be because we stuck to the middle of the trail and didnt veer away.
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| at the park entrance |
After spending close to an hour at the falls park we travelled to Solvang. Solvang is a charming Danish village located in Santa Ynez valley. It offers a Danish cultural experience with its bakeries, wind mills, wineries and other danish architectures.
After not spending too much time at Solvang we pushed off to our place of stay overnight at Lompoc, Lompoc is known for its flower fields and the Space force center.
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| Dinner at a restaurant in Lompoc |
While we were at the restaurant which was close to our hotel of our stay, having dinner we heard an unusually loud rumbling sound similar to an aircraft on the runway. May be it was from the space force center.
June 17th
After spending the night at lompoc we travelled to Dublin. We took the coastal highway in some places and ocean side drive and scenery was too good. The inland highway also looked beautiful with many hillmounds and little mountains spread out for long distances. The mountain slopes looked golden brown in some places and was such a beautiful sight. The sights covered along the drive through expansive barren lands and farms was truly a sight to behold.
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| Highway side break to stretch |
Our First stop of the day was at monterey bay. We visited the aquarium and had a small stroll looking at the cannery buildings on the bay.
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| Lunch at a sea side hotel |
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| Highway side views |
From Monterey Bay we travelled through San Jose to Dublin. At Saratoga in San Jose we visited Prof.T.K Roy and family. Prof.Roy was Jayachandran's PhD guide and mentor. It felt good to touch base with Jayati Ma'am and their daughter Parna Roy also. We had our fill of refreshments and blessings from Roy sir and family.
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| With Prof.Roy and Jayati Roy Ma'm |
We reached my Trichy friend and former neighbour Mani's house in Dublin late in the evening. Mani and Lakshmi took us into their house so warmly and we were readied to stay at their place for the next 2 days. Mani's home seemed like so much home to me. Mani was my neighbour in Trichy and Mani's dad and my dad were good pals in their hey days. Abiji Abiram were also made comfortable and at home by Mani Lakshmi's smart daughter Ananya.
June 18th and June 19th
Mani has a lovely house garden which has many fruiting trees, vegetables and flowers. i had the pleasure of picking sweet little blue berries from their garden. It seemed like a soulful garden tended to with a lot of love and care.
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| Berry picking at Mani's garden |
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| Mani very carefully making french toast for breakfast |
We made a swift visit of Sanfrancisco City and glided past pier 31 33, Ghirardelli square, Golden gate park and Sanfrancisco Botanical garden. San francisco Botanical garden was awesome with Representation of different climatic regions and its eco system. We spent more time there. From Pier 31 we took a ferry ride to Alcatraz island which was good too. Alcatraz island is a symbol of the red freedom movement. - movement by the indigenous people. We had lunch at Spinnaker restaurant in Sausalito. It was a beautiful restaurant by the ocean and offered panoramic view of the bay and ocean side.
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A square In San francisco bayside
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| At spinnaker for Lunch |
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| Muirwood forest |
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| At san francisco bay side fishermans ghetto |
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| Muir wood forest entrance |
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| Botanical garden lawns |
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| San Francisco Botanical Garden |
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| Botanical garden |
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| Lift every voice monument inside the garden |
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| Alcatraz Island |
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| Alcatraz island |
In the evening of 18th Mani, Lakshmi, Ananya and 4 of us met up with a School class mate Kalyan for dinner at an Indian Mumbai restaurant close to Dublin.
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| With Kalyan, Mani, Lakshmi and Ananya |
19th evening after our trip to Sanfrancisco pier 33, golden gateway park and alcatraz island we met up in the evening at my school friend Sudha sundaresan's home in Berkeley. It was all organised and coordinated by Mani. So kalyan, mani and family and 4 of us met up for dinner at Sudha's home. Sudha was such a great host and and had us all comfortable chatting away and taking care of the food supply. We had reached Sudha's home early in the evening and Sudha drove me and abiji to the local trader joe market . We picked up some vegetables and groceries for dinner. Kalyan was in the forefront at sudha's home and got Pizzas made for us from the base up. It was a big catch up indeed. School friends who got to meet after almost 3 decades !
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| With Lakshmi and Sudha |
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| At Sudha's home in Berkeley |
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| Sudha's home - the courtyard |
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| Mani and kalyan busy with Pizza making |
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| Kalyan making Pizzas |
20th June
In the morning of 20th June after breakfast we bid Mani. Lakshmi and Ananya good bye and proceeded to Malibu. On the way to Malibu we stopped over at St.Luis reservoir, a large man made reservoir. It was a breath takingly beautiful place. We literally got blown over because of the gushy winds.
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At st.Luis Reservoir standing the gushy winds We stayed at Holiday inn express at Malibu for the evening. Malibu is a town close to the santa monica mountains in Los angeles county. Before we retired for the night to the hotel we visited the hindu temple in Malibu. Had a solemn time at the temple which felt like being back in India.
 | | Before Malibu Hindu Temple |
 | Along malibu beach side walk way
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21st June |
We visited the getty museum in the morning of 21st. It was a wonderful experience. The central theme of the museum was on " Celebrating love " and Gender perspectives.
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| the square inside the museum |
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| At the getty museum entrance |
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| Getty museum |
From getty museum after lunch we went to the Solstice canyon park and hiked the trail of around 3 miles. It was a little tough on me but i felt so good at the end of the hike. The solstice canyon is in the Santa monica mountains.
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| At the waterfall on top |
After the little long hike we went to Point dume to watch the sun set. It was little tiring but the breath taking beauty of the ocean, the cliffs, the sea breeze and everything made it all worth the effort.
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| Sunset time |
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| The cliffs |
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| At Point Dume |
22nd June - Sunday
Sunday morning we checked out of the hotel in Malibu and drove to SD. After lunch in SD we went to Abijis apartment in Costa verde. We helped him move all his things he had accumulated over 4 years of living in SD to the graduate housing suite inside UCSD campus. Abiji would be living in the graduate housing for the next 2 years as he continues in UCSD to do his Masters. The shifting took a lot of time and it was late in the night by the time it was over. We had dinner at the BGs before retiring to our hotel in the suburbs of SD.
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| Bgs in SD suburbs |
23rd June
This final day of our californian trip also unfolded well by God's grace. We helped Abiji set his new space in UCSD. I made a good lunch of Lemon rice, Thayir saadam, Potato dill side dish, beet root side dish and we all sat together for lunch in Abijis graduate housing. All of us had a fill to our Heart's content. In the evening we drove to The SD airport and handed over the car at the airport. As i sat at the airport and wrote gratitude and thank you notes to friends in California who hosted and graced us, helped us to make our trip memorable and so positive. Thank heavens for this blessing. Hope an account of this trip would shed some light on possible places to explore in California for the reader and would remain as our digital footprint made to mark an important event in our family life. A journey made into the lands of US to enrich ourselves with sights and experiences of being with nature and people. Thanks for reading this recount and being open to taking in our travel experience 💞.
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