San Diego, California
by Donna Amis Davis / @DonnaAmisDavis
Come along today, and we’ll venture across the Pacific Ocean from Palawan, Philippines to visit my hometown. I was born and raised in San Diego, California. Well, I was actually born in La Jolla, the gorgeous upscale village on a jewel of coastline. That’s what my birth certificate says because Scripps Hospital, where I was born, was in the heart of La Jolla at the time. I try to flaunt it, but sadly, fail to impress anyone who really knows me. Serra Mesa where I actually grew up, a 50’s-built neighborhood, is 8 miles inland from the beach, perched on a mesa above Mission Valley, middle-class and unpretentious.
Like Puerto Princesa, Palawan, San Diego also relies on tourism as a top industry. Cities catering to tourists tend to have a great selection of restaurants and places to stay. My mom worked in the restaurant business while I was growing up, and her bosses were forever opening new eateries.
Lennon and McCartney aptly sing it for me,
“There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some are gone and some remain. . .”
My mom worked for Foodmaker, Inc., which owned Jack in the Box, a real success story, and several other restaurants, including the old Oscar’s Drive-In, where waitresses wore roller skates to take orders at your car window. Later my mom worked for the men who owned the old Tortilla Flats restaurant in Mission Valley, as well as The Jolly Ox, which was right next door. In fact, Jolly Ox was my first job. I was a cashier there.
Still later my mom worked for the owner of Bully’s restaurants, several of which are still open and functioning.
- Insider tip: if you are coming in on a late flight and need a meal after 10 pm, the Bully’s East restaurant in Mission Valley, at Texas Street and Camino del Rio South is one of the few nice restaurants in San Diego open late at night. Their steak salad with blue cheese is a terrific light meal.
How else do San Diego, California and Palawan, Philippines connect? Not surprisingly, my work-in-progress’s protagonist is also a San Diego girl. She desires to get into a grad program for Marine Biology, so she’ll be volunteering on an ocean-related project on Palawan to amp up her application. And she’ll be getting into a whole lot of interesting trouble while there. So stay tuned!
https://www.donnaamisdavis.com/san-diego/NovelSan DiegoCalifornia,Donna Amis Davis,La Jolla,marine biology,Mission Valley,ocean,Palawan,Philippines,San Diego,Serra Mesa,tourism,travel,Travel and Tourismby Donna Amis Davis / @DonnaAmisDavis Come along today, and we'll venture across the Pacific Ocean from Palawan, Philippines to visit my hometown. I was born and raised in San Diego, California. Well, I was actually born in La Jolla, the gorgeous upscale village on a jewel of coastline. That's...Donna Amis DavisDonna Amis Davis[email protected]AdministratorDonna Amis Davis
Now that’s a blast from the past! For a time I worked as a loan processor next door to Bully’s East–best prime rib in town!
No kidding, Michele! The crab is pretty good too.
Another Cali girl! I used to live just north of the area in San Marcos. Originally from the High Desert. Hopping over from the Campaign. Look forward to getting to know you. Love the blog and your pictures. Talk about living the adventure!
Melanie
Hi Melanie! Thanks for stopping by, and for your compliments on the blog and pictures. Glad to be on the Campaign with you. North County San Diego is such a nice area, and the High Desert has its beauty, too.
It has been an adventure here. Interesting doing the blog and looking at things around me with a fresh ‘tourist’s eye’.
A-ha! I actually LIVE here. (It may not be Palawan, but…) Melanie, I live in Vista, just next door to San Marcos. Hooray North County! 🙂
My uncle lives in San Diego. Just got back from a visit there. I’ve got several posts on my visit there. My older son wants to move there, after he visited last year.
I’ll have to check out your posts!
After spending all but about 5 years of my long life in San Diego, I am boarding a plane this week to head for Puerto Princesa, where I will be able to experience all you’ve written about.
Linda Vista Elementary
Horace Mann Junior High
Crawford High
California Western University
United States International University
Know what you say about the great prime rib at Bully’s, since I’ve spent lots of time in all three locations; knew the Jolly Ox, etc. (Mike Rogers?); and, was close friends with Robert “Oscar” Peterson, whom your mother surely knew well, too.
San Diego owns my heart, but Puerto is about to get its chance to complement it! Pretty substantial move, since I’ve never before needed a passport for my limited travels!
Now…..about that bus trip you mentioned…..not sure I’m ready for that, but will likely give it a try!
Wow. Amazing! My husband went to Mann and Crawford, class of ’72. Yep, one of those guys (they both used to be at Foodmaker Corp.) signed a pledge for me for a Walk for Development I did in about 1970 or so. I think it was Peterson. I think he signed up for $1 a mile, which was my biggest contributer. Local legends. Do you have a Filipina sweetheart? That seems to be what brings folks here a lot of the time.
I enjoyed the Fool on the Hill look forward to more San Diego location books. My sister graduated from Crawford in 1972 I was still at H. Mann & Elementary at Montezuma. Spent a lot of time at Fiesta Island & OB.
Hi Lynda! Nice to hear from you, and so happy that you enjoyed The Fool on the Hill book. The next book in the series, also set in the fictional San Diego community of Mission Cove (loosely based on Mission Beach and PB, as you can probably tell) is out now, called Good Day Sunshine with Morning Fog. My husband graduated from Crawford in 1972! Maybe he knows your sister. He also attended Horace Mann for junior high! Though his elementary was Foster and DeAnza. My husband’s name is Bill Davis. Did your sister know him? That would be a fun coincidence. Warmly, Donna
My sister was Nancy Gilmore she past away at age 54. She was on the gymnastics team at Crawford.
Did you or your husband drink Clicquot Club Soda? The bottling company was off the 91 near National City. My Uncle Joe was the owner.
Hi Lynda, thank you for answering my question, and I’m so sorry you lost your sister so young. I’ll pass this info on to my husband, and also ask him about Clicquot Club Soda. I feel like I remember it.