THIS MORNING I'm the one to bring continental breakfast back to the room. We leave the motel around 9:00 and drive south, giving Lizzy her first view of the Pacific ocean as we reach Dana Point. Driving straight to Carlsbad, we take a little side excursion past the old Bird of Paradise apartments before arriving at Mom's apartment in Carlsbad Village. Mary, Lou, and Lizzy drive through Oceanside, giving Mary and opportunity to reminisce a bit, and they arrive very shortly after we do. Mom looks great. It is so good to see her, and she appears excited about our arrival. Her apartment is not as good to see, but we expected that.

Soon after Mary, Lou, and Lizzy arrive, we all drive out to San Luis Rey for lunch at Coco's and a tour of the San Luis Rey Mission, home of the world's loneliest tour guide. As we purchase our tour passes, he explains that this is a self-guided tour. He then proceeds to tell us the whole (long) story of the mission, it's history, construction, and people. He tells us about each location in the tour guide booklet, along with anecdotes and speculative side comments. He practically follows us along and when we go to leave, he follows us part of the way out to the cars suggesting we don't leave until we've seen this arch or that ruin.

He may be still talking as we drive away.Linda's back, despite the cushion, is causing her sheer agony. By now she's convinced that it's inflamed, and the ibuprofen is not helping much. When we get back to Mom's, she borrows a bottle of aspirin tablets and we leave Mom to go check in at the Sun Coast Inn, where we will be staying for the next three nights. Mary and Lou are doing the same. We feel Mom has probably had enough excitement as well (she seldom does anything this active on her own), and she will call us later when she'd like us to come visit some more. She is also going to try and get hold of her friend Hulda to go out to dinner with us tonight.

By the time we head over to Mom's for dinner, Linda is feeling much better. Apparently she's right about the inflammation, and the aspirin is working. Mary, in the meantime, had found a bakery and brought a birthday cake for Mom and I. We will cut it after we get back from dinner. Hulda is going with us, and Mom has suggested we try a place they like to go, right here in Carlsbad, called Fish House Vera Cruz. After returning from dinner and dropping Hulda off at her apartment, we go back to Mom's for birthday cake and a poker game.

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Story and original photography copyright ©1996-1997 by John Lipman. All rights reserved.
Descriptions, observations, and characterizations expressed are solely those of the author.
Background music is copyright © 1996 by Tom Wagner . All rights reserved.

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