Response Paper #2

Recently, over spring break, I visited the city of San Diego for the first time. While I was there, I experienced a dessert shop that's very simple but innovative and genius. It's called The Baked Bear, and you can customize and create a wide variety of ice cream sandwiches. It's located on Mission Blvd, the main street running along Pacific Beach. Surrounding the dessert shop are a number of surf and clothing shops along with an assortment of restaurants providing fast comfort food. The exterior of the shop is covered in a smooth gray stucco and bare except for the sign proclaiming "Baked Bear" with an image of a polar bear's head, wearing sun glasses and eating an ice cream sandwich. The inside of the store is a very laid back and social setting. The floor is smooth light gray concrete, and the walls are lined with rustic hardwood that looks to have been weathered by the beach. The borders and trim of the walls and menus are lined with an ocean blue color, and the counter is made of glossy metal. Right when you walk in, the ordering counter is stocked with cookies of every kind along with brownies and waffles. You can pick any two cookies you like and the ice cream you want to sandwich between them. I came here because it offered a delicious and cool snack after a long afternoon of walking along the beach in the sun. It attracts people of all demographics, from young to old. Most of the people who frequent the place are the college students who live in the fraternity houses near by, but it's also very successful at attracting tourists and local San Diego residents. I would love to go back! The sunshine and sugar are such a fun and happy combination.

 If I had a free ticket to anywhere in the world, it would be a year long travel pack to fly around the world. There's too many sites to see and cultures to experience for me to pick one place to be.