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For my 40th birthday, I decided to spend 7 days in sunny California starting in Los Angeles and finishing in San Diego.

Technically, I am not a baby boomer and I do not feel 40 either, but needless to say, I have a few gray hairs and noone can deny that I was born at the end of the Civil Rights Era.

The best places to go to San Diego are La Jolla Beach. This is a very ritzy part of San Diego. The beach is nice. It stays cloudy most of the time, I was told by the natives. In June, it is kinda cool which was surprising to me. But the sand was warm and there were a lot of people lying out on the beach or surfing.

Some kids were going into the water to find sea shells and sand dollars.

Let me tell you, the men and women of all ages, are absolutely beautiful! They were in great shape. I was impressed to see 60 year old men and women jogging along the beach, with flat tummies and nice tans.

Coronado Beach is another nice beach to visit. The sand is gold and black. It is really lovely. In June, the air was cool but when I got back to the Midwest, people said that they could tell I got some California sun.

When you go to San Diego, you have got to visit Tijuana. It makes no sense to be that close to the border and not go to Mexico for a unique shopping experience. Just make sure you bring your state ID like a driver's license and your birth certificate. Or better yet, bring your passport. But if you are an American, be prepared to be yelled at while passing every shop with vendors imploring you to come and check out their wares. And if you are waiting to cross the street at a light, you will get haggled for a taxi. Just ignore and you will be fine.

San Diego has a trolley that you can take to many parts of the city. We took the trolley all the way to San Ysidro. And then we went to Old Town, where you can visit the Whaley House. I am skeptical of ghosts, but we took pictures with a digital camera and saw orbs and other smokey like faces and figures in our photos. It was weird. Just make sure that you don't use a flash. The US Government has ranked the Whaley House as the Number One Haunted House in the country. So go figure.

The only drawback to me is the airport. The security is very, very tight. You must be at the airport at least 1 hour before your flight takes off or you will risk not being able to get on your plane. And the security check is very tedious. The lines are long and they make you take your shoes off and do a detail check of all of your carry on baggage. It will not be good if you are the lucky one to get taken out of line for the random, detailed search. Honestly, I would get to the airport about 2 hours before you leave San Diego.

So enjoy your trip, spend your money, have fun, enjoy the weather, and come home with a nice smooth California glow!

Learn more about this author, Chip Martin.
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