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Mt. Soledad’s Memorial Walls

January 17, 2006 @ 2:11 pm · Filed under General, Outdoors, Relax, Give, Learn

There’s been a lot of news in the past year about the cross on Mt. Soledad in La Jolla. But no matter what you feel about keeping the cross there or having it removed, it’s still worth a visit to that beautiful spot to see the Veterans Memorial Walls.

Six walls have been erected below the cross, which hold plaques honoring men and women in the military who served during wartime or peace keeping times, and whose service has been verified. These black granite plaques are family tributes, and usually have an etched photograph of the honoree as well as information about his or her service.

You’ll see many people taking a drive up to the top of the mountain for the magnificent view of the coastline and also looking east to the Cuyamaca mountains. Then they discover the walls with the plaques. It’s quite moving to walk along and read about the veterans and think about their service. Sometimes a visitor even finds a plaque honoring someone they knew, or encounters a veteran who perhaps served on the same ship. It’s a great experience!

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Temecula Wine Country

January 5, 2006 @ 1:30 am · Filed under General, Relax, Do, Learn

With family coming to visit, the search for time
consuming activities began. A solid recommendation
pointed us towards Temecula wine country, and one
bright autumn day that’s exactly where we went.
Some less-than-thorough web research had uncovered
little more than promotional literature on the bounty
offered in Temecula, so our destiny was left to
signage and the pull of a hunch. This didn’t work out
too well the first two stops (but a bachelor would
have been happy to stumble across the bride’s maids
day out), but after some forgettable lunch we
regrouped and found our way to Thornton Winery.
Situated on a picturesque, rambling estate, Thornton
sure looks the part. By now the late afternoon sun was
casting a rich, golden light across the valley and we
found ourselves amongst some fellow wine tasters.
While a friendly host talked us through our tasting,
which featured more winners than losers, as well as
plenty of laughs, we had a chance to learn more about
the winery.
As is too common, the looks of Thornton Winery were
deceiving. The ample, rolling hills and perfectly
spaced grape vines are nothing but show; the winery
buys its grapes from growers all over California. This
fact did little to interfere with the colorful flavors
of their wines, but did subtract from the overall
appreciation factor.
Having returned from Temecula’s wine country, I was
blessed with fond memories of exploring San Diego with
family, a few bottles of local wine, and a full set of
cheesy wine glasses. What more can you expect from an
afternoon?

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