Downtown Eats - Panera, The Hub Market and Starbucks

Once again, while TC was doing dress rehearsals, we grabbed a quick bite nearby...

Believe it or not, I've never been to a Panera...

Skybound Coffee & Dessert Lounge

Although we just had dessert earlier at Le Parfait, I wanted to check out a fairly new dessert place downtown...

It was just a few blocks west and gave Bert and I a chance to walk off our calories from that awesome almond and chocolate croissant...

Le Parfait Paris, Gaslamp Quarter

I read online that the downtown location of Le Parfait Paris had finally opened...

which meant a convenient visit, since Bert and I had free time that morning since TC was at dance practice.  If you plan to brave downtown, it's not that bad in the early morning and you can park in the Horton Plaza parking garage...

Balboa Park - The Botanical Garden and Palm Canyon

After our quick coffee break at Industrial Grind, we headed over to Balboa Park to enjoy the morning...

where it was still nice and early and we scored a great spot behind the beautiful Spreckles Organ Pavilion...

PASACAT Extravaganza - E14

Tonight is opening night for the PASACAT Extravaganza...


We watched that rather than "Honky"....

Another two-fer: Fuddrucker's and Nuyo with the girls plus Dolphins at night...

Sometime during the break, I took out TC and KDD once more...

Dessert would be decided by the girls, lunch by me (and agreed upon by the teens)....

Eccentric International Chefs Bakery & Deli

Our last stop in Santee was also down the road...
where you will see this sign. Look for GTM.

It just says 'bakery' on the sign since the full name would take up too much space...

The Cupcake Store and The Friendly Used Book Store

Before heading out, we walked the short distance from Kaffee Meiste over to the other side of the strip mall where these two businesses reside...

I was actually planning on just going to the cupcake place...

but was tempted by the rolling carts filled with used books and movies (yes, on VHS and yes we still have a VHS player, ha ha!)....

Return to Mystic Mocha & Industrial Grind Coffee

[Update - Industrial Grind is now CLOSED as of 2017]

Bert and I have been enjoying our Saturday morning breakfasts these past few months during TC's marathon dance practice. It's like "dating" all over again, but with breakfast instead of dinner...

The big shows are coming up quite soon and we probably won't be doing this morning thing that much longer...

Katy's Cafe & West Coast Cafe 3x plus return to Seaside Candy, Star Dust and Niederfrank's...

During the last week of vacation, KDD spent a few days with us...

She and TC have been friends since they were born and KDD's mom and I are both thrilled that they are still friends...

Return to Kaffee Meister

Earlier this morning, Bert and I met up with Cathy and her Mister for coffee...

once again, in their 'hood, Santee...

We had the coffee last time and now we wanted to give breakfast a try during one of our last "breakfast while TC is at practice" outings...