San Diego Air and Space Museum & Mission San Diego

The next day we toured the San Diego Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park and the Mission San Diego.
The original San Diego Aerospace Museum opened in 1963.  The museum's collection grew and additional space was needed.  In 1965 the Museum moved to the larger Electric Building.  On February 22, 1978 a fire destroyed the museum's extensive artifact and archival collection and more than fifty aircraft in a matter of minutes.  The new museum opened in the Ford Building on February 22, 1980.  A very nice aircraft museum.  There was a special exhibition in the Museum when we went..Ripley's Believe It or Not.  There were many interesting exhibits.

 The Apollo 9 Command Module

A Ford Tri-Motor 

 The NYP-3 Spirit of St Louis is the only flying replica of the original Spirit of St Louis in th world. It was built in 1979 by volunteers of the Museum including three of the builders of the original.

Examples of just a couple of the displays in the Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Amelia Earhart most unusual "painting." This portrait was was "drawn" entirely from smoke.

  Rosie the Riviter poster made entirely from jelly beans.

Space Shuttle Endeavour contains 5,981 computer keyboard keys.

In front of the Museum..notice the SW Airliner.

On July 16, 1769, Father Serra established Mission San Diego and the California mission system was begun on a site overlooking the bay. The mission remained at this site for only five years. The decision to move the mission six miles east was made by the pastor, Father Luis Jayme (a young Majorcan) and approved by Father President Serra. The new site was close to the San Diego River and the American Indian villages. Father Jayme had great rapport with the American Indians but two of the mission Indians became discontented with the rules and regulations necessary for an orderly unit and they incited hundreds of Indians in remote villages to riot. Eight hundred American Indians stormed onto the grounds in the middle of the night on November 4th, 1775. They pillaged the mission, burned it to the ground and massacred Father Jayme who became California's first Christian Martyr and who is buried under the altar in the present church.

Father Serra returned to Mission San Diego de Alcala to oversee the rebuilding of the mission. This is the fifth church on this site.  The church was enlarged over the years. 

In 1976, Mission San Diego de Alcala was named a basilica. A basilica is a church of very important historical significance. It is an honor bestowed upon a church by the Pope.

San Diego 59-mile Drive

We left Port Hueneme on the 26 February and drove through Los Angeles for our next stop in San Diego.  We spent 4 nights at Admiral Baker RV Park.  It is managed by San Diego Naval Station.  It is a small park and spaces are a little tight but it is a great location.  Weather was beautiful and we were able to play tourist.  We decided to take San Diego's 59-mile scenic drive and see some of the city's most outstanding attractions. It says you can do it in about 3 hours, but that is if you don't make any stops.  I guess we made too many stops...we didn't finish the drive.  The 59-mile drive started at the Embarcadero, the area along the San Diego harbor. The Embarcadero is home to the San Diego cruise ship terminal, the USS Midway, the Star of India and other historic vessels belonging to the San Diego Maritime Museum.

 The Star of India, built in 1863 is an iron hulled square rigged sailing vessel that has circled the globe 27 times.  It is sea worthy.

B-59 diesel-electric submarine of the Soviet Navy 

The ferryboat Berkeley, built in 1898, was used for 60 years in San Francisco Bay

We drove along the harbor to Harbor Island, a man made island.  There are several hotels and restaurants on the island and beautiful views of the city.

We left Harbor Island and continued to Shelter Island.  This island, also man made, was once a submerged shoal. Most of San Diego's sportfishing fleet is docked here. On the tip of the island you will find the "YOKOHAMA FRIENDSHIP BELL".  Yokohama is San Diego's sister city in Japan. THE TUNA MAN'S MEMORIAL was dedicated in 1986 to honor the tuna fishermen who helped build San Diego's large tuna industry.

We continued driving to the CABRILLO NATIONAL MONUMENT. Sailing under the flag of Imperial Spain, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo set out to search for the Strait of Anian, believed to be the passage linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. On September 28, 1542, with two ships, the San Salvador and the La Victoria, he sailed into San Diego bay naming it San Miguel after the Archangel Saint Michael. Sixty years later, on the feast day of the Franciscan Saint Didacus, or Saint de Alcala de Henares, Sebastian Vizcaino renamed the port San Diego de Alcala.

 

The Old Point Loma Light House began operating in 1855. Standing 462 feet above sea level, the light house was built with lights but, without a foghorn. It has been restored to its former residential style and is open to the public on special occasions. Because the original lighthouse was often obscured by fog and therefore unable to guide ships into the bay, another lighthouse was built at sea level in 1891, and is still in use today.

We left the monument and drove down to Sunset Cliff a popular surfing spot.  Not many surfers out, but a nice place to stop.

We next headed up to Soledad Mountain and a stop at Mt Soledad Park.  At this lookout point you can see San Diego County for miles in every direction.  The Mt Soledad cross, 43 feet high, was dedicated in 1954 to honor the nation's war dead.

Our last drive was to Coronado Island and a drive past Hotel Del Coronado. The Hotel was completed in February 1888. It was one of the world's largest wooden buildings and is an example of elegant Victorian architecture. In the late 1800's Thomas A. Edison supervised the installation of electricity. Guest rooms displayed small signs stating: "This room is equipped with the Edison Electric Light. Do not attempt to light with a match. Simply turn key on the wall by the door. The use of electricity for lighting is in no way harmful to health, nor does it affect soundness of sleep". 

On the 17th February we left Bow, WA for our late winter get away.  Our first stop was in Southern California to spend a few days visiting family in the Oxnard/Ventura area.  We spent 5 nights at the Fairways RV Resort on the Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme.  Ray and I joined my aunt and uncle, Paul and Darleen on Friday 22 February for dinner in Santa Barbara.  It was to celebrate Darleen's Birthday.  It was a beautiful afternoon and evening so we made a couple stops before dinner.

Shoreline Park, Santa Barbara

Overlooking the Santa Barbara Channel. 

Wooden stairs leading down to the beach

Looking up the beach

Mission Santa Barbara, founded on December 4, 1786 

Mission Santa Barbara sits high on a hill overlooking
the city of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean

Paul and Darleen having dinner at
Anderson's Danish Bakery & Restaurant

La Arcada, a spanish courtyard, built in 1926.
 It is filled with flags, murals, shops, flowers,
lifelike statues, fountains and restaurants. 

Two of the lifelike statues...a window washer and
 Ben Franklin