San Diego harbor offers great attractions and views
History, culture and shopping await visitors along San Diego’s harbor walk. A few years ago, we were in San Diego for a day, so we had to make the best use of our time. We thought the harbor would be perfect.
Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Star of India can take visitors back to the mid-1800s. The 152-year-old boat was built in 1863. It served as a fishing vessel beginning in the early 1900s. It hauled crews to the Bering Sea annually. It returned each year with a haul of canned salmon.
The Star of India was originally known as the Euterpe. It was used for the India trade route in its infancy. It was sold to the Alaska Packers Association, who changed it into a fishing vessel.
It sits as the anchor to the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Nearby are additional boats and submarines for people to explore.
The B-39 submarine was once a member of the Soviet naval fleet. It was commissioned in the 1970s and served for about two decades. Part of “Project 641” vessels, the B-39 was considered low tech, carrying about 24 torpedoes.
The harbor walk is home to one of the best memorials I’ve ever seen. A Bob Hope memorial shows the entertainer in front of statues representing people from the various military services. Hope traveled internationally and entertained American servicemen and women during the Vietnam Conflict.
USS Midway
Speaking of the military, the USS Midway floating museum is a must-see. The aircraft carrier served the US Navy beginning in 1945. It was retired in 1992. After 47 years of active duty, it eventually became a floating museum and one of the most popular attractions in the United States. The museum opened in 2004 and has annually attracted more than a million visitors.
Visitors can take self-guided tours of the ship. It was interesting seeing operations below deck, such as the mess halls, sleeping quarters, operations rooms and the captain’s quarters. The carrier was a city on the water, as it housed all services needed by sailors – barber shop, PX, doctor’s office, dentist’s office, laundry, etc.
The deck was impressive. College basketball teams have played outdoor games on the deck as part of special events.
The aircraft on display are amazing. From helicopters to fighters, you can see a lot of the Navy’s old inventory.
Seaport Village
Seaport Village offers visitors an opportunity to shop (even window shopping), people watch or dine.
We enjoyed the bayside park during our visit. People relaxing, flying kites, reading, listening to music. Just kicking back and enjoying a beautiful day.
Coronado Island
The harbor offers a great view of the bay area. Coronado Island is a short drive or boat ride away. We chose the latter. The trip to the island was worth it. We enjoyed strolling around an outdoor shopping center.
We took in some of the water sites, such as a person parasailing and others sailing.
Watching Navy ships move in and out the bay area was fun…at least to me. I always enjoy checking out the military vehicles we have. Plus, being an Air Force veteran and living in Nebraska, we don’t see Navy ships on a regular basis.
We walked several blocks across the island to a beach, where we saw families playing together, while others took in the weather. Birds flew overhead, landing to look for a meal.
The beach was interesting. It was rocky on one side and then perfect on the other. People were enjoying themselves on an overcast day. The sun broke through a few times on this side of the island.
We had a fun time in San Diego. We plan to return for a longer stay. We recommend visiting San Diego.
For more information on San Diego and its attractions, please visit www.sandiego.org.
