San Diego, Part 2 --- Clang, Clang, Clang Goes the Trolley

A surprising rainbow in San Diego on a dry day

Roger here....  Since we had a few days in San Diego, and had never been here before, we decided to do something that would give us an overview of the city.  We noticed the Old Town Trolley (hop on, hop off) tours when we were in Old Town and decided that it would be a good option for us.  Good choice.

The Star of India

We boarded the trolley mid-morning.  Of the ten scheduled stops, we decided to only disembark on two of them.  On the way to our first stop, we drove along San Diego Bay taking in the world's oldest active sailing ship, the iron-hulled Star of  India....

USS Midway

.... as well as the aircraft carrier, USS Midway.  Tours of the Midway were offered, but would have taken up a big chunk of our day.  Another time.

Our first stop was in the restored Gas Light District.  It was an eclectic mix of original buildings that provided shops, restaurants,  coffee houses and taverns.  Our intention was to have an early lunch at a restaurant recommended by one of Dianne's high school friends.  However, we discovered that the restaurant would not open for hours.  Did I mention coffee houses?  We found a place to enjoy a mocha outside.  Then we discovered that the coffee house had ice cream.  I fully subscribe to the tenet that ice cream in the morning is acceptable while traveling.

On the way to our second stop on Coronado Island, we passed by the U.S. Navy facilities.  This picture was taken from the bridge to Coronado island.  The view of the bay near the entrance of the island was as nice as the weather.

The main reason that we decided not to get off the trolley at many of the stops was so that we could spend as much time as we wanted at the exquisite Hotel del Coronado.

When the Coronado was built in 1887, there were no other structures on the island.  There was really nothing much on the island other than rabbits and coyotes.

It is one of the largest wooden structures still standing in America, and an iconic classic.  









We wandered through the outdoor spaces, taking in the magnificent views of the gardens and pool.

We walked to the beach for this classic view.

The iconic feature of the Hotel del Coronado is the architecturally-intriguing central tower.  

Before heading back to the trolley stop, I wanted to check out the lobby.  It took us a while to find it.  It was dark, but beautiful.  The wood panels were eye catching.

Dianne loved the original brass door plates.  What a classy place.

Dianne has an eye for noticing unusual things.  As we were walking off the grounds, she spotted this tree.  It is a dragon tree.  

They originated in the Canary Islands and are considered one of the older species of tree on our planet.  

As our trolley recrossed the bridge back to San Diego, the tour guide (driver) pointed out the location of where our Navy Seals are trained.  Interesting tidbit, I actually taught one of them to swim when I was a teenager and a lifeguard in Indiana --- something I am quite proud of.

Our tour ended where it began, in Old Town.  Since we missed our early lunch, our tummies led us to Fiesta de Reyes --- a place we strolled by on our first evening in San Diego.

There is nothing better than Mexican food in a locale that is known for Mexican food.  Burritos and Margaritas! Yum.  (Also good for dinner the next night)

The next post will come to you courtesy of the world famous San Diego Zoo.  

Pet Picture of the Day...   We do not have any pet pictures for this post, but we do have a photo of a guy that we spent quite a bit of time watching at the zoo the following day.  This interesting guy is a Maned Wolf.  He is neither dog, nor wolf, nor fox, nor coyote.  This species precedes those other canines.