Everybody Loves San Diego

Sandra and Bruce returned from their vacation to Costa Rica and after assuring them that Harley was alive and scratching, we thanked them for their hospitatlity and grabbed our bags. For insurance purposes, I took this picture of Harley just before we left as proof of his good health. I also caught a snap of Sandra and her guests on the porch as we bid farewell. Sandra and Bruce were awesome hosts and we really enjoyed spending time in their beautiful home. I guess we passed the test too, since we've been invited back next January. Awesome! We hopped in the car and turned on the GPS as we headed to our next stop, San Diego.

The weather was perfect, of course, after all, this is San Diego. We arrived at North Island Naval Station and immediately checked in with base lodging. After unloading and decompressing, we decided to drive to Balboa Park, the most beautiful public park in America. Much of the park's look and feel today is due to the development done for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. The Exposition was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, and to tout San Diego as the first U.S. port of call for vessels traveling north after passing through the canal. In 1868, civic leaders set aside a 1,400 acre parcel of land on a scrub-filled mesa overlooking the "New Town" (the current San Diego downtown area), which became known as "City Park".

The park remained undeveloped for some 20 years. Balboa Park is a 1,200 acre urban cultural park in San Diego, California, United States named after the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa. Placed in reserve in 1835, it is one of the oldest sites in the United States dedicated to public recreational usage. Besides open areas and natural vegetation, it contains a variety of cultural attractions including museums, theaters, gardens, shops and restaurants as well as the world-renowned San Diego Zoo. Balboa Park was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. The park is managed and maintained by the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department.



While walking through the park we discovered the Spanish Village Art Center a collection of quaint buildings and courtyards built in 1935 to depict a charming old village in Spain for the second California Pacific International Exposition. These cottages are home to numerous artists and here we met Susan Smith, a very talented photographer who uses computer imaging techniques to produce some very interesting and unusual pieces. We purchased a small piece entitled "Street Bike" that she took while visiting Prague. We left Susan with our best wishes, artists need lots of encouragement and we need artists. We were also treated to a group of street entertainers as we made our way out of the park. They were quite talented and fun to watch - we made a donation to the cause. The world needs more street entertainers.


Later that night we attended a performance of, John Guare’s "Six Degrees of Separation" , at the Old Globe Theatre in the park. The Globe was modeled after Shakespeare’s Old Globe in London, it was built in 1935 to present abridged versions of Shakespeare’s plays as part of the California Pacific International Exposition. We had an opportunity to attend another performance a couple of years ago and it is always a wonderful experience. Tonight's performance was no exception.

On Wednesday, we decided to spend the day on the island so we left the inn that morning and walked to the Del Coronado Hotel a distance of about two miles. It was an absolutely beautiful day as we walked down Orange Street passing the million dollar plus homes that line the street. To live on Coronado Island is indeed a privilege and I have the impression that the people who are so blessed fully realize their good fortune. Here on this idyllic bit of heaven a small two-bedroom cottage would fetch at least a million dollars. Coronado has not been as deeply affected by the housing crunch seen nationally and in particular here in California. I suspect part of the reason is that much of the population has been here for numerous years and reflect an older more stable demography. Interestingly, the island is home to the largest group of retired senior naval officers in the country.


As we walked by the Crown City Inn and Bistro we stopped for a moment to admire an especially well cared for cottage and we met Jack McGuane who had also stopped to consider the home's landscaping. Jack is a member of the "Greatest Generation" and served along with 458 of his fellow seamen during World War II on the U.S.S. Concord USS an Omaha-class light cruiser. On August 31st, 1945 the Concord stood out from Adak, covering the occupation landings at Ominato, Japan, between 8 September and 14 September, and sailed on to Pearl Harbor, the Canal Zone, Boston, and Philadelphia where she was decommissioned.

Jack revelled us with tales of his life during the war and after. After twenty-six years, he retired from active duty and settled down to his second career as an attorney. He was a self-taught lawyer and after passing the bar practiced his profession for another twenty-five years. Jack has led an interesting life and at eight-five or so, he was still a marvel of good health and mental quickness. His wife of many years had passed away last November so Jack was experiencing profound loneliness for the first time in many years. We enjoyed meeting Jack and I think he really enjoyed meeting Shirley since he took it upon himself to place a very strategic kiss on her lips as we were leaving. Best wishes, Jack.

We arrived at the crown jewel of the island, the Del Coronado Hotel and walked through the lavish lobby and wandered about the shops that cater to the hotel residents. The grounds of the hotel are magnificent and arguably the most prized beach in all of San Diego is but a few steps from the balcony of the hotel. The rates at the Del begin at four hundred dollars a night to upwards of two thousand dollars! Breakfast is not included. We walked on the beach for about an hour soaking up the sun and surf and enjoying every minute. The Del is a real treat.


We grabbed some lunch at Panera - great homemade soups and paninis and then headed back to the base. That afternoon, I grabbed my clubs and went to the Sea 'n Air Golf Course about a mile from our quarters. It was a spectacular day for golf and I enjoyed the afternoon on the links more than even the first day of the season back home.

We dined at Gordon Biersch's that evening in the Mission Center area. I'm a fan of both their caesar salad and meat loaf, servings large enough for dinner and lunch the next day. Shirley ordered the pasta marinara and she also enjoyed it for lunch the next day. There was a fairly large crowd at the restaurant noting the popularity of the place, but our wait was minimal. The service and food were outstanding - we enjoyed the evening.

The next day we prepared for our day at sea - whale watching. I took precautions before we left to ensure that I would avoid sea sickness. Dramamine is supposed to do the trick, right? We crossed the Coronado Bridge and drove to the pier where we boarded the whale watching ship. What a beautiful sight as we left the harbor and looked back at the skyline of San Diego. The harbor was filled with happy sailors and hungry fishermen and I took in all of the majesty of the sea.

Soon, perhaps a half hour after we hit open water, I started to feel a slight queasiness and within a matter of minutes all hell broke loose as I frantically reached for the plastic bag we had brought (just in case). The only thought running through my mind was how much longer we would be on that damned boat. After the initial bout of mal de mer, I felt well enough to join Shirley on the starboard side of the ship and hold on to the railing. However, I continued to grab for the bags that the crew provided and yes, fed the fish. I looked longingly at the distant sky line and hoped we would soon turn course toward solid ground. But first, we simply had to spot a grey whale and to my surprise and relief, there in front of us was a young whale. The whale catapulted his fluke in the air and released an avalanche of water through his spouts. The trip was a success especially with the added excitement of a megapod of common dolphins accompanying us as we churned through the water. All of the children on board were satisfied and of course, that's what is really important - now we could head to shore. I rested that evening and tried to recover from the effects of a day on the sea and so we fixed dinner in the suite (leftovers from Gordon Biersch's) and made an early evening of it.

Today is Friday, our last day in beautiful San Diego before we head back to Long Beach for our Mexican Riviera cruise. I have grown to love Coronado and, sadly, I'm not looking forward to the cruise - I'd much rather stay right here.