June Gloom. The nickname exists for a reason. Like clockwork, each day in California started off quite chilly, with a thick layer of clouds overhead. I called it “Eeyore Gray” (after the sad, mopey donkey in Winnie the Pooh) because each morning on the coast was a bit of a downer. “Gloomy” really was an apt description for the morning state of affairs. While I was told to anticipate June Gloom, I didn’t expect my outlook to be influenced by a ceiling of gray clouds. You don’t fully realize what’s going on until you are jubilant when the sun finally makes an appearance. A typical timeline for one of our days in Southern California went something like this:

10 AM: Post breakfast at the Cottage, we check out the shoreline of La Jolla

Pretty, but everything felt gray, flat, chilly and a bit unwelcoming.

11:30 AM Next stop: Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. The sun is trying to break through, but there are just fleeting pockets of blue sky.

1:30 PM Finally. The sun breaks through when we reach the shores of Del Mar. Is it any wonder this is one of my favorites places from our trip?

Warm sunshine (just like bacon) makes everything better.