Why is it called “Journey to the West?” Simply because this is a travelogue written by someone who lives in Wisconsin and traveled west to California. lol
I just got back from a trip to San Diego. This year, the NeurIPS conference was held there, and Sam’s paper was accepted as a Poster. Thanks to that, I had the chance to tag along and travel there as well.
The conference started on December 2, and we arrived a few days early. We left on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, to visit a friend first. It turned out that we accidentally dodged Wisconsin’s first snowstorm of the year and traveled to a place where we could wear T-shirts only.
The moment we got off the bus, everyone around us was taking photos. It’s really beautiful!
Balboa Park: The Botanical Building
On our second day after arriving, we took a walk around Balboa Park. Being Thanksgiving weekend, it felt like half of San Diego had shown up here. Parking was difficult, so we parked farther away and walked in.
Balboa Park is huge, with tons of attractions and museums scattered throughout. There is no way to see everything in a single day, so we picked a few spots that interested us. One of them was the Botanical Building. Its lattice roof allows rainwater to pass through. On rainy days, plants can therefore be watered. The plants were cute, and there was even a small fountain. It is a great place for photos.
Balboa Park: San Diego Museum of Art
Our next stop was the San Diego Museum of Art. Many of the buildings in Balboa Park, like this one, share a similar style, with carvings decorating their exteriors. Inside the museum, we saw works from surrealism, Dutch paintings, and pieces by an artist named Alfredo Castañeda. What follows are some of my silly reflections. Please don’t take them seriously.
Is this meant to suggest that the tree is actually the raw material for the pipe?
Some visitors pointed out that there’s a ship in the upper-right corner. Pretty cool.
Calves with Varicose Veins after sitting too long.
"Big sister isn’t home today. Go grab that portrait so we can paint a family picture!”
Castañeda clearly loved painting himself. A lot of his works feature his own face, and most of the time I find them funny while he was probably exploring the idea that people carry multiple identities.
This kind of expressionless, multi-faced figure shows up in most of his paintings. There were quite a few similar works scattered throughout the exhibition.
"Look! Here are holes!"Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Maritime Museum of San Diego ended up being the best value of the entire trip. Admission was $28 per person, and that gave us access to 9 ships. There were also optional add-ons such as harbor cruises and pirate ship experiences, but we skipped those. The standard ticket alone kept us busy for more than three hours. All the ships are docked along San Diego Bay, and in some cases, you can even walk directly from one ship to another.
This is the entrance to the USS Dolphin submarine. You can actually walk down inside!
The stairs are steep, so you have to face outward as you climb down.
You can see the sonar room.
You can even operate the periscope and look out over the water.
The view through the periscope. Very cool. (This shot was the result of a lot of effort on focusing.)
On the PCF 816 Swift Boat, they hand out helmets and vests so you can get a taste of what it might feel like to be in the Navy. There was also an older gentleman who looked like the captain himself, chatting away with visitors.
There was also a boat that looked like something only aristocrats would have traveled on.
Inside, it was filled with fancy-looking tableware. Perfect for pretending you are having afternoon tea.
While we were exploring other ships, we happened to catch a pirate ship setting sail.
And then the battle began. They started firing cannons at each other. (Into the water, of course.) Ten out of ten!
The captain’s cabin on the Star of India even had a proper bed. This ship once carried many immigrants. One particularly striking record dates back to 1879, when the ship sailed from London to New Zealand with hopeful migrants onboard. A passenger named Stead Ellis wrote that: at the end of the journey, food ran dangerously low. Many passengers survived on rat pie while I stole potatoes because the hunger was unbearable.
Overall, the experience was excellent. Each ship had plenty of informational displays, and I think it is perfectly enjoyable to explore the museum at your own pace. If you are visiting San Diego, I would highly recommend stopping by.
Tuna Harbor Park and Seaport Village
We went to Tuna Harbor Park mainly to see the statue Unconditional Surrender, often referred to as the Kissing statue. The area was crowded, with not only young couples but also older couples and families lining up to take photos. There is quite a bit of gossip surrounding the statue, but I will just skip the story.
Seaport Village, nearby, is filled with souvenir shops. Some of them sell very trendy clothing and accessories. My friend picked up T-shirts that looked great. I was tempted by a baseball cap, but then I realized it only suited my summer self, so I decided to pass.
Sunset Cliffs
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park was another highlight of the trip. The sun set at around 4:30 that day, and we rushed to catch it. There were clouds along the horizon, and as we approached, we could see the sun sinking beneath the clouds from the car. It was absolutely stunning.
Final Thoughts
Thank you for making it to the end of this very photo-heavy post. “Journey to the West” will continue with more chapters, including food and some unexpected spots. Stay tuned. :)
NB: This article was first published in Chinese on 12/10/25. It was later translated with assistance from ChatGPT, edited by me, and published in English on 12/23/25.