Day Eleven - Carl goes to Carlsbad

The desert sun woke us up early this morning, and we were packed and on the move well before 8am. Before heading back into the city, we decided to spend part of the morning doing a bit more exploring.



After passing through some more canyons and following some washes, we came upon a place called split rock. From the picture I’m sure you can tell where the name comes from. We stopped here because Jack’s map indicated that there were some petroglyphs. We got out and began scanning the cliff’s surfaces for any patterns or designs and soon found what we were looking for. Right on split rock there was a small red figure of a man. Around the rock we also found some rounded areas that the natives of the area once used for grinding and preparing food.

The heat was fast approaching, and the day was slipping away from us, so we soon turned back and returned to the highway. Saying goodbye to Jack in Ramona, CA. we headed back into the city to visit some museums in Balboa Park and Old Town.

Our first stop was the Museum of Man, San Diego’s Anthropology Museum. The Museum is housed in an old church, and it was surreal to see replicas of Mayan ruins looming out from what once was a pulpit. The museum houses a variety of displays, including modern African Art and a full Ancient Egyptian exhibit which boast a collection of mummies.


After visiting the Museum of Man, we also stopped by the San Diego Automotive Museum and then headed downtown to Old Town San Diego. This is the birthplace of California and is now a State Historic Park filled with shops and restaurants and costumed guides. Many of the shops contained merchandise brought in from Mexico, and I was very excited to find two Calaveras, toy skeletons used in the celebration of the Day of the Dead.




Finally, it was time to say goodbye to San Diego. We headed north and made camp for the night at South Carlsbad State Park. We were able to have a campsite right on the ocean, and it was a very relaxing experience. It was so nice to be able to walk along the beach, dip our toes into a whole new ocean, and roast marshmallows while listening to the roar of the waves.


Tomorrow we’re off to Los Angeles. Hurray for Hollywood!