C4P Meet-Up San Diego Survival Guide

The Conservatives 4 Palin Meet-Up event in San Diego is this weekend and beforehand, I wanted to post a "survival guide" of sorts to help those of you who plan to attend with some local tips.

Weather:
The weather may not be what you had in mind when you think of "sunny Southern California." It's early July after all, and that means "June Gloom" is still hanging around. It doesn't happen every year, but this year has been exceptionally cloudy and cool (insert global warming joke here). Sometimes the clouds 'burn off' for part of the day, only to return in the early part of the evening or late afternoon. Sometimes, it's cloudy all day. Summer really starts to kick in here the later parts of July and in August, then lasts through September. For now, we are averaging around 67° during the day and about 59° at night. It's nice, yet cooler than what most of you are experiencing this time of year in other parts of the country. So be sure to bring long sleeves and maybe a sweatshirt or two.


Earthquakes:
The answer to the question of whether or not there will be an earthquake during your visit, is a resounding yes. We have earthquakes everyday, all day long. The thing is that you probably won't feel an earthquake when it happens. The majority of the quakes we have are in the 2 to 3 magnitude range. You won't feel it unless it's over a 4.0. Lately we have been getting bigger quakes more often than we ever have in the past. We had one Wednesday that was a 5.7 and one a couple of weeks ago that was a 5.3. If we get one of these during your visit, do not panic. Most of our buildings in San Diego are retrofit to withstand a large earthquake. The building will move with the earth but it won't crumble. Like I have pointed out in the comment section before, the majority of the damage will be done to your nerves. I think the worst thing about them is that there is no warning. They don't last long however, so we just go about our day when the rumbling stops.


Mexico:
DON'T GO! Stay out of Mexico all together. I know it’s close and maybe some of you have gone there in the past but trust me, it is not the same as it used to be. I haven't gone since 2001. The last time I was there I went to a beach party in Rosarito. Something I did often in the days prior to the attacks on 9/11. After those attacks, the Federalis (Mexican Police) put roadblocks all over the highways and basically started to shake down every motorist going through there for different sums of money, at each stop. Not to mention their menacing automatic rifles and lack of official uniforms. Since 2001, the drug war has exploded. The cartels are extremely violent and will not think twice about taking Americans hostage for money. Decapitations are also a common occurrence down there, just over the border. Stay out of Mexico!!!


Beaches:
I'm sure many of you will want to visit the beach during your trip. Hopefully we will see some sunshine but if that's not the case, the ocean is always a nice place to visit anyway. First thing to know is that drinking alcohol on the beach is illegal. If you simply must have a cocktail on the sand and a police officer or lifeguard confronts you, just tell them you're a tourist and didn't know. They will just make you throw it out.

Different beach locations:

Coronado Island: Nice, upper scale, near the naval base, patriotic, beautiful beach. You can also visit the famous Hotel Del Coronado if you go. Lot's of restaurants. Great place. You can catch a ferry to the island from the Downtown Harbor during the day.

Mission Beach: Animal house... Lot's of rowdy kids, or what I call "drunken pop-tarts." I actually lived there for a few years in my more youthful days. Now, I avoid the place like the plague. It does have a roller coaster though.

Pacific Beach: Just north of Mission, it's kind of the same but a bit toned down. I do visit often because Crystal Pier is located there. I recommend walking to the end and checking out the city from that vantage point.

Ocean Beach: South of Mission Beach, it's left-winger central. Lot's of dirty hippies, drug addicts, etc... They kicked out Starbucks for being too "corporate." Our own little piece of Northern California, right here in San Diego.

La Jolla: This is Mitt Romney's neighborhood. As you can imagine, it's a bit snobbish. It's very nice. A beautiful place to visit. A bit too rich for my blood however.

Torrey Pines: My personal favorite because I drive by it every day on the way to work. Gorgeous and family friendly. It's farther north than the other beaches but it's breathtakingly beautiful. Parking is a bit of a chore but that's actually a problem all over San Diego.

Everything north of Torrey is nice and quiet compared to Mission or Pacific Beach. Have fun, and if you feel like going for a swim, watch out for jelly fish. Actually you can't see them, but you will know if one is too close. We don't have a lot of sharks, so I wouldn't worry about that. We do have a lot of dolphins and seals. The seals stay to themselves and actually have taken over a certain section of Mitt Romney's beach (heh!). The dolphins won't hurt you and are fun to watch swim with their groups, the way that they do. If you want to see what the waves are like before you come, check out this "surf cam" from one of the local news stations.

San Diego really is a great place to visit. Many of you will probably be spending the majority of your time downtown. There is a lot to do there and as far as downtown's go, it's one of the better ones. These are just some helpful tips to keep you all safe, warm, calm, and intact while you visit "America's Finest City." I hope you all enjoy yourselves and I can't wait to meet everyone in person. Have safe travels, and I will see you all soon.