Neil Young sang, nasily,but well, of “24 and there’s so much more”.  I want all that for my son, who turned twenty-four last Saturday. It was still early for him, when I broke camp, so I headed down Hwy 79 to Santa Ysabel, a small village where there is a mission to the Kumeyaay people.

I spent a few minutes visiting the mission grounds, then had breakfast at Apple Country Restaurant.  The story here is that someone stole the bells from the mission in 1929.  The clappers were found later, but not the castings.  The mission is open 9-5.  I was there at 8.

Here is the front of Apple Country Restaurant.  I sat at the counter, as I often do in such places, and enjoyed top-quality corned beef hash w/ scramblers, toast and coffee.  There were several people in hunting garb, and military camo, and a lone woman, who struck me as an artist or poet of some sort.  At least she kept to herself in the corner, and seemed lost in deep thought.  I know that feeling well. I headed downhill after breakfast, and got into the city around 9:30.

Aram and I headed first to Cabrillo Point National Monument, which commemorates the defense of San Diego during WWII.  Californians who were around back then would know of the attempted Japanese landing near Santa Barbara.  The whole coast was soon well-defended, following that aborted attack.

The lighthouse and defenses lie well above the shoreline.

Joao Rodrigues Cabrillo, whose name’s spelling shows his west Iberian roots, stands guard over the point which bears his name.  He captained the first Spanish landing, near Point Loma.  After this, we had a sumptuous lunch at Sushiya, on the sea level side of Point Loma.  Aram patiently endured my search for a motel, after my usual haunt was besieged by a convention of golfers, headed to Torrey Pines.  I found my new haunt, Parkside Inn, which is actually more centrally located.

With that done, we headed to Mission Valley Mall, and took in “The Amazing Spider Man”.  This sort of film always challenges my own acrophobia.  I have made a solemn vow to NEVER be outside on a building higher than 10 stories tall.  The inside of places like Seoul Tower, the Willis, or the Space Needle, doesn’t faze me.  Neither do the overlooks at Grand Canyon or various tall mountains.  Skyscrapers- forgettaboutit!  The film, we both agree, is a cut above the previous series.  Andrew Garfield is a more believable “teen”, Sally Field is always easy on the eyes, and Denis Leary is a great father figure.  The Lizard Man is also more plausible than the Green Goblin, unfortunate as that would seem.

We would have more adventure, and misadventure, on Sunday.