Exploring San Diego (While Holding the SoCal Baton)

Ahh Instagram!  How I love thee.  

Since creating an account specifically for `a casarella back in March it has actually become my favorite form of social media.  (Perhaps even more than Pinterest, which is hard to believe...)

So needless to say I was extra excited when Julie from Girl on the Move contacted me to see if I would like to participate in SoCal Baton.  

Here is how she describes the project and its conception:

I recently came across two photo relay batons on Instagram and thought…something like this would be perfect for Southern California because Southern California is AWESOME and I think the world should see everything that we have to offer…and so the So Cal Baton was born!

A Baton is a collaborative Instagram community.  So in this case the collaborators all live in Southern California and the virtual Baton (aka the Instagram password) is handed off to one local Instagrammer per day to share the reasons they love the area through photographs.

As you might imagine, I said an enthusiastic yes when she approached me.  It was the perfect excuse to visit some of my favorite places in San Diego. 

The first stop on my day long tour was the Bernardo Winery, a hidden gem in residential Rancho Bermardo.  Not only is it a working winery with a small vineyard, but it is also full of cute shops, rustic details and a delicious restaurant.  

After the winery I headed west to the ocean.  Specifically I went to the beach at Torrey Pines where I took a moment to admire the water.  

(Or maybe the lifeguards.)

Okay fine, I was admiring the lifeguards.  

But just a few minutes north at another Del Mar Beach I really did admire the ocean.  Isn't it pretty?

Kinda makes you want to be there, which is part of the appeal of the SoCal baton.  

I was going to end my tour at the beach but it just so happened that I had to run an errand in Poway, a small city due east of San Diego.  Much like the winery, Poway is also full of charm so I was thrilled to make a quick stop at Old Poway Park, home of this steam locomotive from 1907.  

Needless to say, I really enjoyed my turn holding the baton.  I enjoyed it so much that I wish I'd had it longer.  If I had, then I would have posted these shots from picturesque La Jolla...

... or maybe these fun images from the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar:

But alas, I only had the one day, so these pictures needed to go on my blog's instagram feed instead.

If you like what you see, please take a moment to follow the SoCal Baton feed HERE or the `a casarella feed HERE.

And if you are a blogger or Instagrammer from Southern California who would like to hold the baton please contact Julie via THIS LINK.   

Thank for stopping by!