San Diego

We drove down I 215 going through a part called the Avocado Highway, full of huge boulders with that pretty blue California lilac and yellow poppies on the hillside.

We went sightseeing and drove through Presidio Park, where this Mexican areas (not yet California) first missions and presidio (military fort) were founded here in 1769, overlooking the current city. A local philanthropist built this beautiful Mission style building and landscaped the grounds in 1929 and deeded it to the city to honor the heritage of San Diego.


Next was Old Town, the location of the first European settlement in what in now California. This Historic Park preserves aspects of the American and Mexican heritage from 1821 -1872. There is the original town plaza, old buildings and homes including this La Casa De Estudillo. The adobe structure is completely restored with period furnishings. The bee shaped horno (oven) is in the back yard of the L shaped buildings with the fountain and gardens in the middle. The clay tiles on top of the perimeter fence are green with moss.

We drove through Heritage Park, where the city has restored 6 Victorian houses. The huge tree at the top has amazing red flowers. We also saw the Mormon Battalion Memorial. Apparently Brigham Young enlisted 500 men in the U.S. Army during the war with Mexico in 1846, in order to finance the Church's exodus west. Many of them settled in San Diego and built the first brick kiln west of the Mississippi River. They built the first fired brick building, the Old Courthouse and many brick lined wells in the early settlement.


We finished our drive by going down to Point Loma. Much of the area is a Naval Base, and goofy Gabby, our Garmin, had us turn left into the secured area, where we had to give them photo ID, which they kept until we got back out. The road goes right through the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, where rows upon rows of white crosses overlook the Airport and beaches. That was very profound and sad.