What’s my favorite part of RV life?  Getting to do the things that I love — I get to do seven things off my top ten list on a regular basis: reading, writing, traveling, conservation work, hanging out with Andy and the pets, exploring, and experiencing nature.

For those of you that know me or have read enough of my blog to get it, you know how much I love the ocean and how much it fascinates me.

Yesterday, we decided to take a whale watching trip out of San Diego through a tour group called “San Diego Whale Watch.” This is the same group we went through when my mom and sister were in town, when we didn’t see any whales.  But they have pretty good prices on certain weekdays so we thought it was worth it, even for just a boat ride ($24 a person).

It was definitely worth it!  Aside from the hundreds of common dolphins, many sea lions, and wide array of sea birds, we got to see a humpback whale (several different sightings but we are pretty sure it was the same one traveling with us).  This is a first for me!

We saw killer whales in Washington two years ago — a life-changing experience — but humpbacks have also been on my list of “must see” animals.

Though I didn’t get a picture of it, the humpback performed a pretty epic tail-lob.

While watching the dolphins play, thinking the whale had gone a different direction, it suddenly popped out of the water maybe 50 yards from the boat (at most).  Cool surprise!

Watching its ridged back appear out of the water, I was reminded of the Loch Ness Monster.  It made me think about just how large this animals truly was.

The dolphins were a blast to watch, especially with how playful they were.  There were a lot of babies, too.  They swam right next to their moms, just as agile as the adults.

I am excited for another whale adventure, hopefully to see blue whales since they are in season.  Why not take advantage of it while we are living here?

To avoid rush hour traffic, which is some kind of hell in California, we decided to grab a bite to eat.  We went out for pizza at one of the top-rated joints in this part of town.  It didn’t disappoint.

For two gigantic slices and a beer each, we only paid $11 per person (good prices for SoCal).  They brag that they have an awesome beer selection with a slogan of “no crap on tap.” The beer was great, I had “Berry the Hatchet” by Coronado Brewing Co., which was refreshing after a day in the sun.

We took a quick stroll on the beach, dipped our toes in some saltwater, and headed back up the hill.