Observations from our 2015 San Diego trip

So, now that the California government has responded to the severe drought they're enduring, laws have been passed to restrict wasting water. That changed the look of San Diego quite a bit. Dry and quiet (mostly) are the many decorative water fountains in malls and public spaces. Most of the grass is no longer green (see pic - that's supposed to be green grass), unless it's been painted that way. In fact, most grass has died and is slowly being blown away by the winds. The lack of watering also seems to be having an effect on the palm trees, as some leaves are getting brown tips.

Where there is money however, there will be residents who feel it is their right to break the rules. Some well-to-do homeowners feel it's their right to continue watering their lawns to maintain that rich look. They are being shamed by those who choose to follow the new rules.

The weather was once again spectacular, even though it only got to 21C most days. It always feels warmer than it is there, probably due to the increased humidity. It did threaten rain a few times, but we always seemed to avoid it.

As is true of every visit, I was able to score some great clothing deals. I didn't just visit department stores either, having found some great stuff at consignment stores and even Goodwill of all places. The best places to shop are (in no particular order): Carlsbad Premium Outlets; Westfield Carlsbad (for the biggest Macy's Mens store anywhere); Fashion Valley; Westfield University Town Center.

The only new place we explored was the valley from Solana Beach into Rancho Santa Fe and on into Escondido, past Lake Hodges. Beautiful countryside with plenty of 3 acre ranch properties.