Day 2: Bye, Bye San Diego

Discovering a New Tribe

Motel 6 only costs $55 a night, and the added taxes seem miniscule in Southern California compared to other states. The total cost was $64 and change in San Diego and less than $63 for Raeray’s second night near the beach in Carlsbad. That was less than $120 for the first two nights of The Second Great Adventure. Five years earlier, Raeray paid more than that almost every night on the road. The plan is to stay with friends in Los Angeles next, but that will be a new day. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Morning of Day 2 started when Ray awakened at 4:45 a.m. thinking back over the previous 18 hours. It’s hard to believe so many memories could occur between a 10:30 a.m. plane arrival and a 9 p.m. bedtime. They all came back in the early hours of the morning, and looking over pictures filled in the blanks. Our report on Day 1 was completed before 9 a.m., and we cleaned out the Motel 6 and headed for the beach.

Morgan Rae wanted Penny Lane to have a few more hours to enjoy Dog Beach next to Point Loma before we headed north. She also hoped to show off her surfing if the waves cooperated. Her surfing mentor over the last month had been Scott Dejesus, and she was hoping he could join us. Penny Lane found plenty of friends and rivals during our two-hour stroll along the ocean front and rocky inlet that make up the canine wonderland. There were dogs everywhere – of every shape and size. Of course all of them on the beach were barefooted, unlike a pup named Dude that we met later in the day outside of the Balboa Park dog area. Dude was decked out in a sports jacket, sunglasses and a four-pair of shoes designed like Chuck Taylor’s. His owner said Dude had foot allergies and wasn’t able to run in the dusty carpet of dog parks. Dogs do get special treatment in and around San Diego. Everywhere you look, they are dragging humans up and down the streets and beaches, and they have massive parks scattered through the communities. But they do share Dog Beach with human surfers, and that’s where Morgan Rae learned to ride – or almost ride – the waves.

She and Scott left Michael Ray on the beach to burn with an apple and a banana while they picked up wet suits and surf boards. They returned looking much like Flipper the Dolphin and paddled out into the surf. All that was visible to the eye was water churning the boards every once in a while and dark images bobbing up and down. The two popped to their feet on one or two breaking waves, but they never caught the ones the more experienced surfers farther off the coast were catching. They weren’t bad for two transplanted Huntsvillians. Rae would’ve stayed out longer, but her protégé had enough after about a half hour. Afterall, the day was dragging on, and Raeray planned to treat Scott to lunch before leaving town. We had another wonderful meal, this time at Voltaire Beach House, and then ran to Paola’s house to load up Rae’s bicycle for our final departure. But, alas, Morgan Rae insisted Ray had to see Balboa Park before leaving.

Scott joined us there with his dog friends – Spot and Chili – so Penny Lane had company on our two hour-plus trek around the massive community attraction. It consists of hundreds of acres that encompass The Museum of Man with an assortment of exhibitions that include a Cannibal exhibit, the Botanical Gardens, the San Diego Zoo, a Science museum, an artist association, adult and children’s theaters and a Japanese garden, just to name a few. But Raeray mostly just walked and walked and walked. Penny Lane became the star of the day at one point, when a crowd of Chinese youngsters surrounded her insisting on pictures. She loved the attention. The park is also where we met Dude the dog. The time was getting late, and Raeray planned to begin their northward trek. We bade Scott and Spot and Chili goodbye and caught The 5 toward Vista, where a restaurant called The Yellow Deli beckoned.

Sunset comes about 5:30 p.m. these days along the West Coast, so it was time for Raeray to find a beach. Along the way, Torrey Pines State Reserve looked to be our best choice. In addition, The 5 (California talk for interstate numbering systems) was beginning to bottle up. We headed for the coast and found a parking slot along Torrey Pines Road. Penny Lane stayed in the car while we tossed a blanket on the beach and waited. Rae made wonderful silhouettes as the red ball descended. We had decided to find a Motel 6 near Carlsbad to unpack before finding The Yellow Deli. Carlsbad beach sounded appropriate, so we checked in and then headed for the town of Vista with Penny Lane. The Yellow Deli is dog-friendly.

The Yellow Deli is a restaurant like no other we had visited. It’s surprising that we had not heard of it before, since its roots trace back to Tennessee -- Chattanooga, Pulaski and even Mentone, Alabama. In essence, the restaurants are communes. Each one is operated by a group of members of The Twelve Tribes, a religious family with communities and restaurants in 15 states and 8 foreign nations. Each one lives together, grows food for the community and the deli and operates 24 hours a day, five days a week. Delis close at 3 p.m. every Friday and reopen at noon Sunday. And the eateries apparently stay plenty busy.

Morgan Rae speaks to everyone, so it was no coincidence that she had met some members of the tribe at San Diego’s farmers market, where they invited her to try the deli. She had waited for Dad to arrive, knowing his penchant for unique dining. And The Yellow Deli does not disappoint. Ray tried the Reuben, and it was equal to the best anywhere. Rae had a specialty sandwich that she gobbled down before half of the Reuben was gone. Both tried the tomato bisque soup, which was thick and delightfully flavored. A crème pie with strawberries was much like Mom’s Lemon Pie, only without the citrus flavor. Hot apple cider was a great accompaniment. And never did anyone approach us with a religious message.

We picked up a brochure about The Twelve Tribes, and as we were looking at it, the waitress began to explain the concept. Her father was a Brazilian native who went to college in Tennessee and became one of the early followers. He was involved in the original Chattanooga and Pulaski delis and one later in Mentone, all of which closed under pressure from traditional Christians, according to the waitress. The Chattanooga and Pulaski delis have since reopened, she said, along with one in Asheville and Hiddenite, N.C. The host gave us some additional details including invitations to their Community in Vista and their Ranch nearby. He said on weekends they feed guests in both places and have folk music and Israeli dancing. I don’t think Morgan Rae will let those invitations go to waste.