See Do Think and Feel

  I've posted about my scooter rides. I got my Xootr kick-scooter for Christmas and have been riding it as often as I can. It provides a legit workout and gives me a chance to experience the joy of outdoor motion and exploration that I so often crave. I wanted something that I could put in the trunk of my Miata, drive places and go! Generally, there are 4 choices of common “locomotion” that I could transport via my car: bikes, skates, skateboards and scooters. These allow you to cover the “last mile”. Drive your car to a location, park, explore an area, get back to where you parked. I’ll go over what I think the benefits and drawbacks are of each of these alternatives. Bikes : Although I LOVE riding bikes, a bike takes too much time to load and prep and I can’t carry one on my Miata. On our other car, I’d need to install a bike rack each time. Tires can go flat. Brakes and gear shifters need maintenance, lots of moving parts. I love to ride bikes and they certainly deserve consider...

Sandy and I met and went on our first date on Martin Luther King Jr. Day many years ago. I have great memories of that day. It's always fun to go out and find few Geocaches to celebrate the day. One of the largest Geocaches we have ever found. This one had a clever "trick" to it, but I won't give anything away ... Lunch and tossing a frisbee at a local park. I always carry, in my backpack, an  aerobie squidgie flying disc ( here's a 3 pack ) just in case for these opportunities. Old Town Temecula has rustic charm but was VERY crowded. I was surprised to see so many people, maskless, at packed restaurants during the pandemic. Found this odd monument as part of an "Adventure Lab" Geocache hunt Got home later that day and gave Sean a much needed haircut

It was January 16, 2021 at Mission Bay, California. 73 degrees, clear skies and the subtle scent of a gentle ocean breeze. Sandy, Sean, Selah and I had set a goal to circumnavigate the Mission Bay on scooters, a journey of over 12 miles.  Mission Bay is a human-made saltwater bay located south of the Pacific Beach community of San Diego, California created from approximately 2,000 acres of historical wetland, marsh, and saltwater bay habitat. The bay is part of the recreational Mission Bay Park, the largest man-made aquatic park in the country, consisting of 4,235 acres, approximately 46% land and 54% water.  Our adventure began at Santa Barbara Cove in Mission Bay (near the wooden rollercoaster at Belmont Park). We found a few Geocaches along the way. Listen to more of our Geocaching adventures at PodCacher .  Our dog Selah enjoys riding in her doggie backpack Stopped by the ORIGINAL Rubio's location for lunch Found a nice shady spot near the Bay to enjoy our feast ...

January 3rd. I rode my Xootr scooter from Carlsbad to Oceanside and back. About 13 miles. Staying near the coast virtually the entire way, I had some spectacular views on a day with almost perfect weather.  There are several "rail trails" in San Diego that parallel existing train tracks Oceanside Pier Oceanside Harbor Marshy wetlands This was my first time attempting this route via scooter. I had done part of it before, but wasn't sure how feasible it would be to scoot from my starting point all the way to Oceanside Harbor. I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration and the challenge. I'll have to come back and do this route again. 

Things that I missed in 2020. As I look back at 2020, I can't help but muse (I strive not to dwell) on those things that I have done in the past that, because of COVID, we were not able to do. One of the disappointments of 2020 was not being able to attend "Outside Comic Con". Each year San Diego is the host to maybe THE largest convention for comic books, movies, video games, science fiction, fantasy and more called Comic Con . Attending Comic Con can be time consuming, VERY crowded and expensive. Instead our family chooses to visit "Outside Comic Con". This free event is what it sounds like: a mostly outdoor event that allows you to experience some of the unique sights and sounds of Comic Con on a smaller, budget scale. Below are a few photos from our Outside Comic Con experience from a few years ago. I look at the photos of the maskless crowds (well except the superhero masks of course) of strangers and miss it. How long before we are back to "normal...