San Diego
March 4-6, 2015
The view from Jeff’s San Diego office.
Another view from Jeff’s San Diego office.
The Pacific Ocean from Point Loma
Sign for Cabrillo National Monument
Cabrillo National Monument
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo set sail with three ships (San Salvador, La Victoria, San Miguel) from Mexico 50 years after Columbus landed in America and headed up the west coast to claim land for Spain, find a route to Asia & the Spice Islands, chart the coast, and search for gold. He wasn't terribly successful in all those endeavors, but he did land in San Diego 428 years and 1 day before Maureen was born!
Coronado Islands
One of the four Coronado Islands off the northwest coast of the Mexican state of Baja California. These islands belong to Mexico and are located about 8 miles off its shore (15-19 miles from San Diego Bay). Constantly battered by wind and surf, they are infertile and uninhabited except for a small military detachment and a few lighthouse keepers.
Looking over the bay at San Diego from Point Loma.
Former Point Loma Lighthouse
The old Point Loma Lighthouse is on a crest about 422 feet above sea level. It seemed like the perfect place for a lighthouse until they realized fog and low clouds tended to hide the light. It was lit for the last time on March 23, 1891 and the keeper, Robert Israel, and his wife Maria, moved their family down to the new Point Loma Lighthouse at the bottom of the hill.
An Allen’s Hummingbird enjoys the nectar of a Shaw’s agave.
Point Loma
Enjoying our time at Point Loma
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
The California Tower of the San Diego Museum of Man in Balboa Park
While we were there, the bells chimed the melody to “What The World Needs Now Is Love” (written and released by Jackie DeShannon in 1965 and sung by Dionne Warwick in 1967) – kinds of appropriate, given these turbulent times.
Botanical Building and Lily Pond in Balboa Park
San Diego Museum of Art
Sea Lions sun bathing in La Jolla
Brown Pelicans and Cormorants in La Jolla
Sea Lions at La Jolla
Mom and pup sea lion napping in La Jolla. What’s the difference between seals and sea lions? Sea lions have larger flippers, which help them “walk” on land, and visible ear flaps. Seals have smaller flippers, wriggle on their bellies on land, and lack visible ear flaps.
Maureen playing around in some of the caverns. This was man made, but certain the waves have helped erode it.
Hey, can you guys keep it down over there?!
Surf hitting the rocky shore at La Jolla
Bird-of-Paradise plants are everywhere in San Diego!
Torrey Pines State Park
A real Torrey Pine!
Mountain Lion (stuffed, of course!)
View from the Beach Trail at Torrey Pines
Cliffs at Torrey Pines
A splash of yellow!
Flowers and cliff along the Beach Trail at Torrey Pines
Beach Trail at Torrey Pines
At the bottom of the Beach Trail at Torrey Pines
Exploring the tide pools at Point Loma
Sea anemone in one of the tide pools at Point Loma
Goose-Necked Barnacles
The surf at Point Loma
The new Point Loma lighthouse
Western Fence Lizard
A splash of orange!
Portside bow of the USS Midway
Portside stern of the USS Midway
Stern of the USS Midway
USS Midway
The USS Midway was an aircraft carrier for the U.S. Navy and was commissioned just after the end of WWII. It was in operation for 47 years, seeing action in Vietnam and serving as the Persian Gulf flagship in Desert Storm. It was the largest ship in the world until 1955 and was the first U.S. aircraft carrier to be too big to go through the Panama Canal. It was decommissioned in 1992.
A stature of the famous V-J Day kiss in Times Square
Skyline of San Diego
Dinner at Coasterra, looking over the bay at the city lights.
