La Jolla Coastline
This morning I drove down from my home in Pasadena, CA (right outside the City of Los Angeles), to my son Keith’s home in San Diego, CA, a distance of about 120 miles. Today, the drive took 2 1/2 hours. I traded driving my Explorer to being a passenger in Keith’s sportscar and was driven around the San Diego area in style. First stop, for lunch, La Jolla (pronounced “La Hoya”), a northern on–the–coast suburb of San Diego. La Jolla is a very upscale city––very expensive homes, good restaurants, expensive shops, and good hotels and very beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. After eating at a table overlooking the Pacific, we drove a few blocks to the water’s edge to view the La Jolla seals. Photo: view of the coastline at La Jolla.
La Jolla Coastline
La Jolla Coastline
Another view of the coastline. La Jolla is known for its coastal rocks and caves. The shopping village is a short walk up the hill from here.
La Jolla Coastline
La Jolla Seals
The jetty that you can walk on to view the seals.
La Jolla Seals
La Jolla Seals
Swimming with the seals. I don’t think that this is allowed, but no official person was here to stop him.
La Jolla Seals
La Jolla Seals
I believe these signs were made up by the La Jolla Friends of the Seals. It is against federal law to bother the seals and there are official signs in the area stating this, so I’m not really convinced that these other signs are necessary as I don’t think that the seals are going to go anywhere even if people sit on the seals’ beach or even swim with them. The seals originally used another beach to rest on, one on which people were allowed, but the city fathers decided to ban the people’s use of this beach. When the people left, the seals got lonely and moved themselves to their present location, which was originally the Children’s Beach, where there were many people. When I first saw the Children’s Beach, about 10 years ago, the left side of the beach was reserved for the seals and the right side was reserved for people. Due to the pollution of the water from the seals, again, people were banned from swimming here. But so many people come to see the seals that the seals have remained. However, every once in awhile, the city fathers consider whether to turn the beach back into a children’s beach and to persuade the seals to go elsewhere. Because the seals have remained at this beach at least for 10 years, I wonder if the signs in this photo are really necessary to save the seals.
La Jolla Seals
La Jolla Seals
One of the Friends of the Seals docents raking a line in the sand where one should stand behind to view the seals. There was a rope here the last time I was here to tell you how far you could walk toward the water and the seals.
La Jolla Seals
La Jolla Seals
Anyway, the seals are great fun to watch. There were only a few seals swimming near the beach. I was here once at 8:30 a.m., at which time a great number of seals were on the beach and only a few in the water.
La Jolla Seals
La Jolla Seals
Close–up of one of the seals.
La Jolla Seals
La Jolla Coastline
The coastline in the other direction.
La Jolla Coastline
La Jolla Seals
Man fishing on the rocks. I wonder if he caught anything as I am sure that he had competition from the seals for the fish.
La Jolla Seals
Museum of Contemporary Art
Surfboard sculpture on top of the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla. We are back in the sportscar.
Museum of Contemporary Art
Mt. Soledad
Next stop, Mt. Soledad, San Diego, and the War Memorial, another site of controversy because of the 43–foot cross on it. A cross has been atop Mt. Soledad since 1913, the first one made of redwood and erected by Pacific Beach residents. It was stolen in 1923 and replaced in 1934. However, in 1952, it was felled by high winds. Soon after this, the 29–foot cross in the photo was erected to commemorate Korean and World Wars I and II soldiers. In the late 1990s, a controversy about the cross arose because it was felt that the use of the cross at the memorial shows preference for Christian veterans over veterans of other faiths. So, the City of San Diego sold the cross and the land on top of Mt. Soledad to the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association and considered that the problem was solved. It has again arose and 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered the cross removed by August 2 of this year or the city will face daily fines of $5,000. San Diego is appealing this decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mt. Soledad
Mt. Soledad
In 2002, mini–walls were installed to honor veterans underneath the cross (what has fueled the latest controversy). Veterans of all wars are now honored and any living veteran or the family of a deceased veteran can order a plaque to be put on these walls.
Mt. Soledad
Mt. Soledad
Close–up of one of the plaques. The plaques cost up to about $2000. However, you can purchase a brick with your name on it for about $600.
Mt. Soledad
Mt. Soledad
Another plaque.
Mt. Soledad
Mt. Soledad
Another reason to travel up the hill to Mt. Soledad is its 360–degree view of San Diego. Photo: City of San Diego with the white Mormon Temple in the photo.
Mt. Soledad
Mt. Soledad
View of the Pacific Ocean from Mt. Soledad.
Mt. Soledad
Mt. Soledad
Houses and high–rise buildings in another direction.
Mt. Soledad
Mt. Soledad
View of Mission Bay.
Mt. Soledad
Bird Shit Rock Peace Symbol
I didn’t make the name Bird Shit Rock up. If it isn’t its official name, it is the name it is known as. Bird Shit is the name of the reefs in this area, so the name of the rock. This is the Sunset Cliffs area of San Diego, just north of Ocean Beach and on the Scenic Highway (there is also a Garbage Beach in Sunset Cliffs, garbage referring to the kelp beds at the beach). This peace symbol just appeared one day a short time ago on the rock. No one knows who the artist is or how the artist got it on top of the rock. However, this not the first creation by this artist on top of Bird Shit Rock (if the artist isn’t known, I do not know how it is known that it is the same artist).
Bird Shit Rock Peace Symbol
Bird Shit Rock Peace Symbol
A closer–up view.
Bird Shit Rock Peace Symbol
Bird Shit Rock Peace Symbol
Closer–up view of the peace symbol. One Letter to the Editor to a San Diego paper suggested replacing the cross on Mt. Soledad with a giant peace symbol, hence ending the Mt. Soledad controversy.
Bird Shit Rock Peace Symbol
Bird Shit Rock Peace Symbol
The birds seem to be quite in awe of the peace symbol on their rock.
Bird Shit Rock Peace Symbol
Balboa Park
We ended the day’s sightseeing at the Bird Shit Rock Peace Symbol and drove back to Keith’s house. We picked up Keith’s wonderful girlfriend Brittany and went out for dinner at the Prado at Balboa Park. We parked outside the park and walked in. The building in the photo is the first building that was on our walk, which was built for the 1915–16 Panama–California Exposition, which commemorated the opening of the Panama Canal. Many buildings were built in the Spanish Renaissance style for the Exposition and today they house mainly museums. The building in the photo is the California Tower and dome and houses the San Diego Museum of Man, the Cabrillo Bridge (an historic 1,500–foot–long bridge), and the Spreckels Organ Pavillion (one of the world’s largest outdoor pipe organs).
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
Another view of the tower.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
A better view of the dome.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
Interesting relief on the tower. Its nameplate says “Charles 7.”
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
Statue in front of the Mingel International Museum. Keith and Brittany visited Barcelona, Spain, last year and told me that this is a very Gaudi–like sculpture.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
This dinosaur sculpture also reminded them of sculpture that they saw in Barcelona.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
The sculpture from the front.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
Statue of El Cid Campeador in front of the Prado building.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
El Cid statue.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
A better view of the Prado. The Prado houses a gourmet restaurant, where we ate dinner, and also the House of Hospitality.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
American Indian statue in the Prado patio. There was an Indian (from India) wedding reception here, hence the guests dressed in Indian garmets.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
Our table at the Prado was not yet ready for us, so we walked over to the Alcazar Garden, which is a replica of the garden in Granada, Spain.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
Another view of the Alcazar Garden.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
We had an excellent dinner at the Prado (if you enjoy watching planes coming in for landings, this is the place to be. At least one plane a minute flew over quite low on the way to Lindbergh Field). It was dark when we finished our meal and I took this photo of the statue of El Cid all lit up.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
The Prado at night.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park
The Tower at night. We left Balboa Park to drive into downtown San Diego to have desert at an upscale bakery. Downtown San Diego had much foot traffic at night and seemed like a safe place to walk around. A very interesting day.
