SAN DIEGO — Simply arriving is the first adventure for visitors in California’s “other” city by the bay.
Though San Diego is California’s second-largest city, and the nation’s eighth largest, its lone airport, San Diego International, has just one runway. It is the busiest single-runway airport in the world. Because the skyline is in the main approach path, the Federal Aviation Administration limits the height of buildings to 500 feet.
You come in so close to the buildings that you swear you can smell the coffee in the break rooms and see the bubbles in the water coolers. Leaving the terminal, you are enveloped in a delightful Mediterranean climate that averages 11 inches of rainfall annually, with an average temperature in October of 73 degrees.
With sufficient water, you can grow anything here, as evidenced by the pomegranate, lime and orange trees gracing the courtyard of the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant (oldtowncosmopolitan.com). The gardener permitted my wife, Laura, to pluck a few of the succulent fruits to augment the Cosmopolitan’s complimentary breakfast of fresh scones, real butter, coffee or hot tea, and fresh squeezed orange juice. It’s served daily on the veranda at a time of your choosing.
Under construction from 1827 to 1829, the Cosmopolitan is a central fixture of San Diego’s Old Town Historic Park. Its 10 rooms retain pioneer-era decor, with plush wallpaper and wooden four-poster beds. A separate bedroom provides access to the veranda overlooking the courtyard.The spacious bathrooms feature huge copper bathtubs and retro style commodes with pull-chain handles and elevated wooden reservoirs. The rooms do not have televisions - a welcome omission - or telephones.
It was ideal headquarters for the first few days of our visit, which centered on our son’s graduation from U.S. Marine Corps basic training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD). The trip also coincided with our 25th wedding anniversary, for which San Diego proved romantic and fun.
Arkansas sends many young men and women to the Marines, but the men all undergo basic training at the MCRD. It is adjacent to the airport, and just 10 minutes from Old Town. A new company of Marines graduates every Friday. The graduation ceremony is resplendent with pomp and pageantry, and the scene is intense and emotional. It is worth seeing even if you don’t have a personal connection.
HISTORIC OLD TOWN
Devote a full day to experiencing Old Town. A wide selection of restaurants and cafes caters to diverse tastes, but authentic Mexican food reigns. We were especially impressed with Casa Guadalajara (Casa-Guadalajara.com). The food was fresh, presentations were attractive, and portions were generous. And the margaritas were superb.
Old Town also supports a thriving community of stores and sidewalk vendors selling a variety of crafts. We also enjoyed the Old Town Art Festival, a 2013 date for which has yet to be set.
The best way to see San Diego Bay is from a boat, preferably a fast one. For this, we enlisted the services of San Diego Speed Boat Adventures (SpeedBoatAdventures.com).To our delight, we and four other couples piloted our own boats, small two-seaters powered by outboard motors. Our tour guide led the procession, which began slowly until we passed the “No Wake” buoys, and then it was full speed ahead.
Our guide pointed out all the landmarks and conveyed instructions by radio. Our first stop was the bait barge, where fishing charters get bait fish before heading out to sea. Sea lions dozed on the dock, and we got surprisingly close to them. Across the strait is Point Loma Submarine Base, where two nuclear attack subs were in port. We then passed Carrier Row, where the USS Carl Vinson was being overhauled. Seal Team Six conducted its lethal mission against Osama bin Laden from the Carl Vinson, and his body was interred from her deck.
Across the bay was the Maritime Museum of San Diego, the centerpiece of which is the retired aircraft carrier USS Midway (midway.org). Nearby is the clipper ship Star of India, as well as the HMS Surprise, a 24-gun, wind powered frigate best known for her role in the Academy Award-winning film, Master and Commander, The Far Side of the World. The submarine USS Dolphin and the rusting hulk of an old Soviet “Foxtrot” class sub are also on display, along with several other ships.
The USS Midway merited a separate tour. Stroll through the ship’s interior, flight deck, bridge and hangar deck. A sobering stop is the hatchway leading to the special hold where the ship’s nuclear weapons were stored.
FROM 1945-92
The flight deck contains all the aircraft that operated from the Midway during its service, 1945-92. Docents explain how aircraft launched and landed.
A two-hour ride with Old Town Trolley Tours is a great crash course on San Diego. It includes stops in the historic Gaslamp District, where you’ll see a gambling house once owned by renowned gunslinger Wyatt Earp. It is now, ironically, a pawn shop. You’ll also learn that a city block in San Diego is smaller than those in other cities. That’s because Alonzo Horton, founder of downtown San Diego, platted shorter blocks so he could sell more corner lots.
You’ll also visit Coronado Island, home of the famous Hotel del Coronado. It was built from redwood trees that were floated down the coast from the great forests of the Pacific Northwest. Coronado is an exclusive enclave accessed by the San Diego/Coronado Bay Bridge, which rises 200 feet above the water. You can’t see the guardrails from the trolley, so it’s a white-knuckle ride for acrophobes.
Trolley stops also include Balboa Park, the nation’s second-largest municipal park. It’s home to several museums, including one featuring instruments of torture, as well as the San Diego Zoo. You’ll also go through the city’s Little Italy district.
We spent our last two nights on Shelter Island at Humphreys Half-Moon Inn. Our room was spacious and comfortable, with a distinctive 1960s feel. We appreciated its accessibility to a fine selection of shops and restaurants.
HONORING TUNA FISHERMEN
A concrete walkway follows the bay to the end of the island, where sea lions bellow in the darkness. There are also a number of monuments, including one honoring tuna fishermen who died at sea.
Of course, a visit to San Diego requires an obligatory nod to Sea World. Yes, the atmosphere is geared to children, but the wildlife “encounters” are thrilling. The shark “encounter,” for example, traverses their enclosure underwater through a Plexiglas tube. It’s the next best thing to being in the water with them. Better, actually.
The arctic exhibit is also superb. It features polar bears, several species of penguins - including majestic emperor penguins - and beluga whales that swim with king salmon. Their glassed in biosphere really is on ice, so the arctic animals appear comfortable.
After three months in boot camp, our son had had his fill of San Diego. He caught the first available flight back to Little Rock. It was his loss. We couldn’t have picked a finer place to enjoy our silver anniversary.
San Diego has an excellent public transportation system, but renting a car ensures more freedom and flexibility.
For families visiting the MCRD to watch a loved one graduate from boot camp, on-base billeting is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The accommodations are spare, but the prices are reasonable. Reservations are taken no earlier than 30 days in advance, and vacancies are usually filled within 48 hours. All information regarding activities at the MCRD, including on-base billeting, is available online at mcrdsd.marines.mil.
For comprehensive San Diego travel information and other resources, visit online at sandiego.org.
Travel, Pages 52 on 11/25/2012