San Diego CA
October 25, 2018
After our Cruise ship took a trip North then returned South our new port (rather then Mexico due to the Hurricane) we docked in San Diego CA.
This was another California city we were unfamiliar with, but excited to explore.
Just a few steps away we came upon the VD Kiss "The Kissing Sailor.". I was unaware that the statue of the Life magazine picture was placed in the San Diego harbor, but enjoyed the opportunity to relish in taking in a picture. The kiss was "stolen" from a stranger in NY City after a victory over Japan in 1945 during WWII.
Everyone was so happy over the Japanese surrender, people were kissing anyone and everyone. I guess this picture started an iconic and memorable image. Mark and I attempted at our our memorable kiss. (Not even close.)
San Diego has a strong presence with the military and we were docked right next to this monster of a ship. The USS Midway. Although we did not visit this vessel there are tours that one can take. $21- for non military adults. It is truly a site to see.
Instead we walked the pier enjoying the sights. The stretch of walkway leading to the shipping village and Gas Light District is full of military references. Statues, plaques and memory walls line the pretty landscaped path. (I had taken more pictures, but my computer or this site is refusing to upload.)
San Diego is the second largest California city and known as the birthplace of the state. Founded by Europeans in 1542 by Spain. It is the closest major city to the Mexican border and became American territory in 1950 after the Mexican -American war.
Some of the areas alluring attractions is the San Diego Zoo, the amazing beaches and the Botanical Garden referred to as the Smithsonian of the West. Had Mark and I planned better (known we were going to be in San Diego port) we may have ventured off to one of these locations. All the more reason to come back and visit.
Adjacent to the VD Kiss is a a tribute to actor/comedian Bob Hope.
Bob Hope, for those who are unaware was an actor during the 40's+. He did several movies with Bing Cosby, as well as other big stars of the day like Micky Rooney and Lucille Ball. Many I remember as being comedic.
In addition to multiple movies Bob was also a big supporter of the war effort and often toured to locations where the soldiers were. The area of this dedication also pipes in music and sayings of the time. Pretty neat.
Further down there were many statues of art. Here is one of them.
We also got to see a Hummingbird.
We made it to Sea Port Village which is a charming area offering restaurants and shopping. We also got to see fishermen taking the fish (tuna) right off the boats. I had a great picture of these large fish being pulled up for an amazing catch.
After enjoying Sea Port village Mark and I made our way to the Gas Lamp Quarters. This area had several dining opportunities as well as clubs and shopping. It was not all that exciting, but I bet it is fun at night.
After some more exploring of the area we headed back noting that there were scooter rentals on nearly every block and often laying in the street. We also observed several policemen after people riding those scooters. Apparently there is some guidelines and one of them is NOT ride at a fast rate. On the far end of the port adjacent to our ship was an area being developed into a port experience. There were several blocks of walls along the pier preventing us from getting a view, but it looks like an exciting. Look for this in the future. Beyond this area was the Maritime museum with several boats you can board and look at. One of the ships docked was the Santa Maria (Which I saw and boarded in Oswego NY some time last summer).
Again I took many more pictures, which generally help me with my story line, but unfortunately I could not upload everything.
Having had our fill of San Diego we returned to the ship for a calm afternoon. TTFN
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