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Cabrillo N.M and Point Loma

Cabrillo National Monument is located on a piece of land called Point Loma, which protects the harbor of San Diego. The monument is named for Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the US. He was an obscure explorer who set out with 3 ships to discover gold and find the passage to the Atlantic Ocean, along with the route to the Orient. A tall order which succeeded in finding and exploring the West Coast. It was a 2-year expedition which ended 8 months later with Cabrillo's death from gangrene. The remaining crew returned south that same year under the direction of the expedition navigator. The Visitor's Center at Cabrillo overlooks San Diego Bay and Coronado Peninsula.

Also located here is the Point Loma Lighthouse which guided ships around the rocky shores at the beginning of the century. It was later located to a lower elevation when it was found often to be shrouded in fog and unusable. From the front steps of the Lighthouse, 400 feet above the bay, is one of the most breathtaking sights of a harbor we have ever seen. We were there on a day that was crystal clear and we could see forever. Below lies the San Diego Naval Air Station, the Bay of San Diego and Coronado Peninsula. Not to mention the marinas with several hundred sailboats moored there. The 400' elevation seems much higher than it actually is.

Point Loma was also home to Ft. Rosecrans in WWII. The bunkers for the large 16" guns stationed there still exist even though the openings are now boarded up. There is also a military exhibit which explains how the guns were sighted and fired. Our last stop on Point Loma was the Rosecrans National Cemetery with its headstones perfectly straight.

San Diego, CA

Our visit to San Diego has been thoroughly enjoyable. Our campground was a comfortable 50 miles from downtown and the traffic very manageable. We had no trouble driving in whenever we wanted to. We visited the Pagano West factory in Chula Vista where my suitcoats are made. We drove back across Coronado toward home and saw the upscale stores that we won't be shopping at. And found the marinas where the sailboats are also out of our financial reach. We even found a couple of good restaurants which we never tire of.

Another Camp

The Poston Monument is located about 17 miles north of Ehrenberg, AZ right on the AZ/CA border.

The Monument marks the site of another Japanese internment camp from World War II. There are 10 sites in all, and this is the second one that we have visited. Poston is an obscure little town out in the middle of nowhere, perfectly located for a "prison".

There are no buildings remaining of the 3 camps that housed 17,000+ internees, except for the gymnasium, which we did not see. We didn't realize that the camps were constructed across the highway from where the monument is located. Consequently we never looked across the road from where we were.

There is a monument and a kiosk located on the manicured grounds. The monument is a chimney-shaped tower situated on top of a Japanese lantern bottom. The kiosk is also lantern shaped and explains the factual data in relation to the camps themselves. It also relates who built the monument, and the donation by the Colorado River Indian Reservation of the land for the site. It was very tasteful.

Balboa Park

Not knowing what to expect, or how to get around, we were pleasantly surprised by our visit to the park. Our parking place in an empty lot put us adjacent to the free tram which traverses the park.

The architecture in the buildings is just magnificent. It is well worth the trip just to admire the intricate carvings which adorn every building. You wander the grounds with your head up in the air just looking.

The park is home to at least 10 different museums. Most of them were Art museums of which we have no burning interest. We did however, go into the Timken Art Museum. We thought we should absorb a little culture with so much of it around us.

We also went into the San Diego Railroad Museum which was mostly under construction, and the Automotive and Motorcycle Museum. A 1948 Tucker #19 was the main attraction on display there. A walk through the Rose and Cactus Gardens was also very enjoyable. The Park, of course, is the home of the famous San Diego Zoo. I am not a "zoo person" even though we've been to several, and I guess Sharon just "puts up with it."