Sunday Exploring

[patgund]

Well, since I had a day to myself, I went exploring.

I decided to go to the "World of Coke" exhibit they had at Harrah's Rincon Indian Casino. Since Rincon is near Escondido, I decided to drive though Escondido rather than around.

I miss living in Escondido, but I was saddened to note that the "Mall of Broken Dreams" aka the Vinyard Shopping Center, is no longer. Gone is the funky 70's wood sides and 2 story fountains. Gone is ever-changing storefronts. Gone is the 99-cent theatre. The only trace of the old centre is the "Acapolco's" restaurant, with the vinyard's funky angles and wood sides on three sides of the restaurant - and a blank stucco wall where that restaurant connected with the rest of the centre. Now there's a strip mall with a home depot and an albertson's. The indoor mall that used to be next to it was converted long ago to a conventional stores-facing-out strip mall years ago.

Down the street is the brand new Escondido Charter High School, set to have it's grand opening in a few weeks.

On the other paw, "Truly Yours" is still there, still the same 70's decor and menu as when ckgriffin, ophy, and presenze would eat there. The grabbit machine has the same type of lame and weird stuffed animals too. The Vista Truly Yours is now lost to the mists of time.

On the road to Rincon, though Valley Center, which is rapidlly getting as over-developed as the rest of Southern California, and then to Rincon and Harrahs. Enter into the smoky casino, (past the older woman smoking a cigarette while wheeling her oxygen in behind her), and to the coke exhibit.

Which was tiny and semi-lame. A few interesting things, (like a japanese mega-vending machine displaying various sizes and types of coke cans from around the world, and a coke dispenser for the Space Shuttle), and an assortment of ads from around the world. And a mini-fountain, with coke, diet coke, and four interesting ones from around the world.

One was a Watermelon Sprite from Asia, which was moderately nasty.
The second was a Tutti-Frutti Fanta from Latin America, which was way too sweet.
The third was a ginger ale from Germany and the UK, which tasted like a really good ginger beer.
And the fourth was "Beverly" from Italy, which is a qunine drink. Bitter, nasty, and utterly vile.

They didn't have Sour Cherry "Cappy", which I've always wanted to try.

Back on the road, and back home.

Comments

[angelique69.livejournal.com]

I would have liked to have tried all of them. I like quinine though. I know. I know. Blessed Be, Angelique

[thats-ms-dragon.livejournal.com]

Astonishing. I grew up in Escondido. I practically lived in the Vineyard during my preteen and teen years. Sadness prevails. I hadn't thought about the (stage) theater there in a number of years, but the though of it being gone is heartbreaking. I worked on over 20 plays there, a home away from home, another memory of my past gone forever. Incredible.