Caleb has been talking about adding to his collection and so I thought we’d have a look at some of the famous artists that would be at the San Diego Convention Center for the weekend, big TV names that we don’t know and other local celebrities that we’ll never meet. It was interesting for me to see so many different types of people in the same room for a shared theme; that’s how it works — ink for mom, religion, love, tradition, death, inspiration, prison, and occupation, etc.

fire cupping

I haven’t been in many tattoo parlors and I know now just how much they vary, so it was nice to be invited into the personal space of so many arms, legs, and asses getting their mark. The first walk through the event, we focus on the shirts, inks, jewelry and other booths that are set up as this profession does seem to be more of a late night situation and it’s the weekend, so people will come in later to spend the afternoon on someone’s table or bent over a chair.

We take this time to walk among the small market that has been barricaded in the street before getting two versions of the same coffee, the vanilla macadamia nut being better than the chocolate, from Chocolate Cremerie. Had we not been about to get lunch from The Blind Burro, I would have tried a few of their delicious looking gelato flavors too. Caleb will have the coffee-rubbed salmon tacos, and it’s crispy spiced cauliflower tacos for me with bacon-wrapped jalapeños to split.

cutting the tip and fitting through a tennis racket

pony up between barbed wire and the fish hook pick up

Our second walk through brings entertainment on stage with a woman who has a knack for making young men blush and the audience laugh and cringe. We will walk the booths again and no one is able to grab Caleb’s attention enough to get a tattoo here, though I appreciate the artwork of the Petunia twins who are based in Los Angeles I’m not paying for their time today. We enjoy the walk back to the car.