When Lisa and I got up and decided to go and get some breakfast, we were delighted to find a farmer’s market right outside our hotel!

Farmer’s market on our doorstep? How convenient!

Literally, right outside the door!

And it was 72, my favorite temperature. #LivingTheDream

We strolled through the market and browsed among the stalls of organic veggies and fresh flowers. There were lots of samples, and after sampling a variety of Oh! Juice, we decided to have a liquid breakfast!  I had the Maca Mylk and Lisa got the Strawberry Maca Mylk. (which I’d have chosen had I known about chia seeds!) We continued on and then found some actually tasty, gluten free, vegan coconut treats. I have no idea what they were but it really made my breakfast complete.

Making healthy choices. To make up for the #BestDonutsInTheWorld at the #DonutBar

We headed back to the hotel to pick up our bags before our ride arrived. Connie drove us out to Lisa’s house to care for the pets and then we went to Baja Betty’s to meet Uncle John, my BFF Jenni and Lisa’s BFF Sherry for brunch.

Baja Betty’s is a fantastic brunch spot in the Hillcrest area. They offer a bottomless brunch that includes a buffet of delicious Mexican food for $12.95. When we arrived we found Uncle John already there and he’d even secured a table!

Brunch at Baja Betty’s is always a good idea!

Shortly after we sat down I got a message that Jenni was nearby. Though Jenni actually lives in Phoenix, her family had been vacationing in San Diego and when she found out I was coming she extended her stay. Her husband Patrick and son Hudson were going on a multi day fishing trip to catch Jenni some tuna and she was going to hang out with Lisa and I. When Lisa’s bestie Sherry arrived our party was complete!

The food was delicious and the company was even better! I tried the sangria, because it has fruit and that’s a healthy choice, but eventually I was forced to switch to champagne. We had a great time and then Jenni, Lisa, and I decided to head downtown to get ready for the fireworks. Connie drove us again, which I appreciate SO much more now than I did as a teen!

A lovely day to stroll by the bay in Seaport Village

We checked into the Embassy Suites and walked across the street to Seaport Village. We all shopped for some souvenirs and cute hats to wear to the fireworks. I had some buyers remorse for not buying a flower crown at the fair so I was delighted when I found one in the hat shop!

I’d regretted not buying a new flower crown at the Fair, thankfully the hat shop had two left.

It’s important to stay hydrated and Lisa knew which restaurant made pineapple infused vodka so we put our name on the wait list at the Edgewater Grill for a table outside. We took a few selfies while we were waiting until a super helpful patriot wandered over and insisted on taking it for us.

This woman was very sweet and clearly loves America very, very much.

Our table had a fantastic view. We got a few appetizers to go with our pineapple infused vodka drinks and had a great time!

Sisters don’t shake, sisters gotta hug!

And practiced our bar tricks.

Ta dah!

We walked back to the hotel and found out that Debbie was on her way to join us for the fireworks. We celebrated that at the happy hour in the hotel lobby, and then went outside to meet Debbie.

While we were waiting, Jenni offered the pedi cab driver some helpful tips like “have you ever thought about having a theme?” and “maybe you should play some fun music?” and “If you didn’t have that cigarette hanging out of your mouth you’d get more business.” He kept responding “lady, I’ve done this for 18 years! I know what I’m doing!”

We sat on the benches just outside the door to wait for her and Lisa pointed out that would be the best vantage point for the fireworks. It was right on the corner of Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway.

Lisa was right! The front porch of the Embassy Suites is the perfect place to see the fireworks!

Thank God there wasn’t a repeat of the Great San Diego Fireworks Fail of 2012! And it was truly awesome to watch the fireworks exploding over the USS Midway.

Happy birthday, America!