Day 3 - In San Diego

Hotel Del Coronado, beautiful hotel used in the film comedy Some Like It Hot
see all photos »

Slight lay in this morning.  Our 1/2 day tour began at 9am with a trip to San Diego Old Town.  Awful recreation of historical site as a shopping possibility.  It seems the Americans felt it was "very cute".  However things began to look up when we went to Coronado.  A beautiful, wealthy area of San Diego topped with the Hotel Del Coronado, a backdrop to the film Some Like It Hot with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Rooms start at $350 and go up to $5000 a night!!  But a beautiful place well worth visiting and taking time to walk down to the beach.  returning to the main part of SD went to Balboa Park. Again a beautiful place, home of the San Diego zoo, and wonderful to walk and relax. Excellent coffee shops. The afternoon was free to explore so we decided to visit the Marine Museum and USS Midway aircraft carrier.  The historical significance of the ship was that she was the flag ship for the US forces during Gulf War 1.  She now is a vast museum staffed with a large number of ex sailors who serve on her during her life.  Loads of explanatory talks and visits to almost all parts of the ship.  Lots of ladders to climb and some exposed walkways at height.  The coffee shop at the stern rounds off a superb 4 hour trip. Well worth the money.  To one side of the ship is the statue depicting the sailors return after World War II.  In addition is a lovely group of statues depicting all the servicemen and women from the war dedicated by Bob Hope, a lovely spot beside the water.

Balboa Parks architecture is very grand almost Indian Maharajah
see all photos »

A cab back to the hotel and off to the lively Gaslamp district ( because of the shape of the street lights) for dinner. Beautiful dinner at Georges on Fifth Avenue which was part of one of four saloons Wyatt Earp's owned in San Diego during the his stay between 1887 and 1890. $240 for dinner for 4.