Balboa Park and Cabrillo National Monument, CA

We began our last day at Balboa Park in the heart of San Diego. This 1,200-acre urban oasis is home to paths, gardens, golf courses, museums, theaters, restaurants, The San Diego Zoo and more. Opened in the 1870s, it is the second-oldest large, landscaped city park in the U.S.—New York City’s Central Park was established in 1858. Originally called City Park, it was renamed in 1910 after Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the first European to cross the Isthmus of Panama and reach the Pacific Ocean in 1513.

We spent our time strolling the beautiful grounds, exploring the rose and cactus gardens, then had lunch at one of the many restaurants and cafes.

Cabrillo National Monument lies at the southern tip of Point Loma Peninsula at the entrance to San Diego Bay. It was named for Juan Cabrillo, the first European to explore present-day California when he landed here in 1542. Interestingly, records of Cabrillo’s life are scarce and sometimes conflict, and his nationality—Spanish or Portuguese—is still debated by historians.

We had beautiful weather, and the view of the ocean, harbor and skyline was breathtaking. At the summit, there is a visitor’s center, monument and overlook and a path to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and keeper’s house. The light is no longer in use, as it was often shrouded in fog and low clouds. A new light was installed at a lower elevation in 1891 and the old light was abandoned and eventually restored as a museum.

On our drive along Point Loma we passed a large gathering of U.S. Navy personnel in dress uniforms entering Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, presumably to pay their respects to a fallen shipmate. 

Our last stop before heading to the airport was the Tide Pools along the Pacific Ocean, where the 8.5-foot tidal range covers and uncovers the rocky beaches in a continuously changing scene. The smell of the ocean made us really miss living near the water.

Bonus Question: What does the “QR” in “QR Code” stand for?

Map of Balboa Park

Map of Cabrillo National Monument

Bonus Question Answer: The Quick-Response (QR) Code was first used in Japan in 1994 to label automobile parts.

Joshua Tree National Park, Mt. San Jacinto State Park & Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, CA

On Monday we drove 150 miles northeast of San Diego to Joshua Tree National Park, an otherworldly wilderness bordering the Mojave Desert. The landscape is stunning, with bold, beautiful rock formations dotted with desert plants, including the park’s namesake trees. According to legend, the tree’s outstretched branches reminded 19th-century Mormon settlers of the biblical prophet Joshua guiding them westward. Fun facts: The Joshua Tree is a succulent, not a true tree, and is protected under California law. It can live for hundreds of years, and depends on a single species, the yucca moth, for pollination and survival.

We hiked the Hidden Valley Trail, a short loop through an area allegedly named by cattle rustlers who stashed their stolen cows here. Although it was a pleasant 65F, summertime temperatures regularly exceed 100F, and we were greeted by this ominous sign at the trailhead:

Our next stop was Keys View, a magnificent vista overlooking the beautiful Coachella Valley and Santa Rosa Mountains. The weather was clear, and we could easily see the San Andreas Fault, the city of Palm Springs and the 10,831-foot peak of Mt. San Jacinto. 

Lastly, we drove to Mt. San Jacinto State Park and boarded the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world’s largest rotating tram car. It takes ten minutes to cover the 2.5-mile trip up Chino Canyon to the upper viewing area at 8,516 feet. We had a quick lunch, then took another hike—one of the 50 miles of trails on the mountain—but had to be careful, since many parts of the trail were still snow-covered.

Bonus Question (multiple choice): How many countries are there in the world? (answer at end of post).   A. 84         B. 195        C. 248        D. 336

After driving back to the coast, we had a quick and tasty dinner at the Encinitas Fish Shop before returning to Mary & Tim’s after a long but thoroughly enjoyable day!

Map of Joshua Tree National Park: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xdHmKVgoZdtCVugp9?g_st=ic

Map of Palm Springs Aerial Tramway: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Y8Q9EkjC4L6epazF7?g_st=ic

Bonus Question Answer: B. There are 195 countries in the world.

Off to California

We are less than 40 days from departure on Phase 2 of our Great Loop adventure, which is approaching quickly. Thankfully, Dragonfly is mostly ready for cruising, and our to-do list isn’t nearly as long as last year’s was.

We’re visiting Kathleen’s sister Mary and her husband Tim in their beautiful home in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA. Named after the capital city of Wales, this lovely beachside community of less than 12,000 is also home to Minnesota-native Marion Ross, best-known by our generation as Marion Cunningham in Happy Days, and by our daughters’ as Lorelai’s grandmother in Gilmore Girls. 

We spent time enjoying the attractive beachside town, including San Elijo State Beach and Nature Preserve. We also spent two afternoons at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, an amazing in-water display of 500 years of seafaring history. We toured a deep-diving submarine, a ferry boat, luxury steam yacht, Vietnam-era swift boat (with two former crew giving tours) the USS Midway aircraft carrier, and several tall ships, including the world’s oldest active sail ship, a replica of a 16th-century Spanish galleon, and the 24-gun navy frigate used in the film Master and Commander. 

Touring and learning about sailing ships is a favorite activity. It’s pretty remarkable how large portions of the world’s population developed independently for more than 40,000 years, separated by massive bodies of water, and have only come in contact in the last five centuries. It was the sailing ship that spawned the worldwide migration of people, technology, plants, animals, agriculture, germs, language and belief systems in what became the greatest period of change in human history. We love stepping aboard a ship, learning how the crew lived and worked and imagining the small part that each played in world history. Fun fact: To rid their stored provisions of pests, sailors placed dead fish on top of food sacks to draw out maggots.

San Elijo State Beach

L to R: HMS Surprise, ferryboat Berkeley, steamship
Medea, submarine Dolphin, last operating Vietnam swift boat 

HMS Surprise from Master and Commander

Aboard The Star of India

USS Midway foc’s’le, capstans & anchor chains

Flowers are everywhere in Southern California 

Birds of paradise in a neighbor’s yard

Scenes from San Diego

Encinitas Community Park

Bonus Question: Which two planets in our solar system have no moons?

Post title reference—“Off to California” is the name of a popular, traditional Irish hornpipe.

Map link to Cardiff-by-the-Sea: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nN6XJFq5ZowTA3Jr5?g_st=ic

Bonus Question Answer: Mercury and Venus have no moons. Mercury is too small and too close to the sun to have the necessary gravitational pull to hold a moon in orbit. Why Venus is moonless is not fully understood. Fun fact: Venus rotates in the opposite direction from most other planets, including Earth. On Venus, the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.