Looking across Ventura Place at the Giant Dipper roller coaster.
Mission Beach is one of the most popular attractions in Southern California. One big reason: Belmont Park and the wonderful Giant Dipper roller coaster!
In my last blog post I walked south down the busy beach boardwalk to Hamel’s. Belmont Park stands just across the street. The historic amusement park was built in 1925 by wealthy sugar magnate John D. Spreckels, and was called the Mission Beach Amusement Center. The 2,600 foot Giant Dipper roller coaster, made entirely of wood, was built in less than two months. Over the ensuing years, the coaster fell into disrepair; it was then carefully restored in 1990 and became a huge success.
Entering Belmont Park beneath the wooden roller coaster.Looking up at red tracks of the picturesque coaster.Kid-friendly Belmont Park has thrilling rides and lots of fun stuff.People wait to board the historic roller coaster.The winding coaster tracks make for interesting photos.Palm fronds, painted wood and clear blue sky.A large indoor arcade at Belmont Park features many classic games.This small merry-go-round is a treat for kids of every age.A carnival midway area has tests of skill and a food court.Riders whiz by as the cars rattle on wooden rails.This yellow submarine requires no water!Wild and crazy Tilt-A-Whirl provides a big adrenaline rush.The Giant Dipper roller coaster swooshes by!Peeking into the innards of a wooden roller coaster.
It’s interesting to walk around the perimeter of the Giant Dipper. You can peer beneath the rails and see the materials used to build and maintain the huge wooden construction.
The Plunge giant swimming pool is undergoing restoration.
Right next to Belmont Park’s amusement rides you’ll find The Plunge, originally called The Natatorium. The huge 12,000 square foot swimming pool originally contained salt water. It was the largest such pool in the world with 400,000 gallons of water!
The Plunge has also become famous for its Orcas off Point Loma whaling wall, painted in 1989 by famous marine artist, Wyland.
Today the pool and surrounding structure are being repaired. It’s scheduled to reopen by the end of this summer.
I hoped to get pictures of Belmont Park’s relatively new FlowRider wave machine, which allows thrill-seekers continuous surfing without entering the ocean! Unfortunately, it was down for maintenance.
Photo mosaic on a nearby beach restroom shows bits of Belmont Park.Playing football on the sand at Mission Beach.
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Many distinguished speakers at the Tony Gwynn Memorial Tribute remembered and honored one of the greatest baseball hitters of all time. The public ceremony was held at Petco Park on June 26, 2014. Here are some quotes…
Ted Leitner, Padres radio broadcaster:
So we will cry together, we will laugh together, we will have joy together today, but one thing we will never never do is to forget the greatest hitter of his generation and one of the greatest people in the history of major league sport.
I would like one more time one final standing ovation before the anthem for that magnificent Padre, number 19, Tony Gwynn.
They lied to us, you know. They lied to us in the movie A League of Their Own, when the manager and the Tom Hanks character said “There’s no crying in baseball!” Wrong, huh? Since June 16, there’s been almost nothing but crying in baseball.
People identified with him more than big muscled sculpted athletes because they thought he was the guy next door. Tony was chunky…He was 4 for 5 today, he doesn’t need to lose weight, okay?
Many of you were there in 2007 when he was inducted with the immortals, literally, in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. It was the biggest crowd in Cooperstown history, beyond Ruth, beyond Mantle, beyond Aaron, beyond anybody when he and Cal Ripken were inducted that hot summer day.
See, nobody’s talking about at-bats and number of hits. We know those numbers. 3141 hits, and 15 All Star Games, and 8 batting titles and 5 Gold Gloves, and all that stuff, but it’s, and that is greatness unto itself, but it’s so beyond that, it’s so beyond that, but the man and the compassion…
But he stayed here. It was never about the money. It was about you folks…it was about this Padre organization that he loved..he was never about the money.
The greatest laugh of all time…it was the best…it was better than the game. I could’ve broadcast that instead of the game.
Ron Fowler, Executive Chairman of the San Diego Padres:
Tony was important to all of us. The number of wonderful stories since his passing from around the country reinforces the many reasons why he was loved by so many.
We all know of Tony’s iconic status as one of the greatest baseball players ever, but even more importantly, many of us experienced the special qualities of the warm, giving and compassionate member of our community. What stood out most for me was Tony’s ability to relate to people from all demos and economic strata. His special ability to relate to children…
Tony considered himself an Everyman and remained an Everyman throughout his entire life, so approachable and so easy for San Diegans to embrace as our city’s favorite son.
Reggie Jackson, member of baseball’s Hall of Fame:
He was a genuine man, he was a quality man, one hundred percent family man, he was a great son, a great husband, a great father, and a great brother. A great friend and a great teammate. He was the example of what we all want to live and emulate as a person. He cared about his fellow Man, and we understand and know that he cared about his community.
During the dash of his 54 years, he showed us the template of how to live with dignity.
I’ll leave you with something to think about as I refer about baseball. I saw some great hitters. I saw Mike Schmidt and Jim Rice. Kaline, Dick Allen, Molitor, Yount and Brett. Cooper and Bench. I saw Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Billy Williams, Stargell and Stretch McCovey. I saw Banks at the end. Number 19, Tony Gwynn, belongs on that page.
John Boggs, Tony Gwynn’s agent:
Tony was a very humble man, and he wasn’t big on ceremonies, especially ceremonies that were about him, but I know he’s looking down this evening on all of us here at Petco and I’m sure he’s very grateful for this outpouring of love.
He was an incredible friend. He was the definition of friend. In life there are a lot of acquaintances but very few true friends…He touched so many people, and I was just lucky to be one of them.
He was so much better than the statistics he accumulated.
There was also the memory of Tony and Ted Williams together in the first interview they did together and I’ve never seen Tony so energized and excited as two of the greatest hitters exchanged baseball knowledge…I was lucky to be just a fly on the wall.
And Tony’s humility. Waiting for the Hall of Fame call, I could not believe how nervous he was. With all of his accomplishments, I said, “Tony, this is a slam dunk.” And he just smiled and looked at me and said. “Hey, you never know.” That was Tony. He never took anything for granted.
To the fans, he loved you and appreciated you more than I convey into words. He loved the city of San Diego, he loved being an Aztec, and he most definitely loved being a Padre. He was and always will be Mr. Padre.
Kevin Faulconer, Mayor of San Diego:
Tony Gwynn represented the best of San Diego. His infectious personality did more than spark the Padres to two World Series appearances, he lit up our entire community with pride, and it’s almost impossible to sum up how much Tony Gwynn meant to our city.
Damian Jackson, former San Diego Padres player:
He was a baseball giant to me…who he was as a man so overshadows what he was as a baseball player, and that’s amazing to me.
He not only showed us how to play the game the right way, but he also showed us how to be the right person, and be a great, respected man in the community.
And boy did he love his family. He talked about them daily. When he talked about his children, he just lit up, like the sun.
He wouldn’ve been a great dad to have.
So Tony taught and inspired us on a daily basis…he was a Hall of Fame man, in my eyes.
You inspire me to be a better father, you inspire me to be a better man, and your legacy lives on in this city and in my heart. And thank you Tony. May you rest in peace.
Rob Manfred, COO of Major League Baseball:
In my 25 years in the game, I’ve known scores of players. Even among this elite group, Tony Gwynn was special. He was special because of his Hall of Fame talent, his devotion to the game, and the values he came to represent.
Tony Gwynn may have been the perfect member of the baseball family.
While he was playing, baseball could always count on Tony to do the right thing…he was a great role model to young players.
Mark Martinez, SDSU Aztecs baseball head coach:
He was my colleague, my mentor, but more importantly, my friend. My family. He was part of the Aztec family.
Coach Gwynn’s a teacher. And he was best at teaching all kinds of things. Obviously baseball, but teaching life lessons…All of his teachings were centered around his core value: Do things right.
And then he would say: “Let’s go to work.” Let’s go to work. Does that not embody what he was about? For 20 years in the big leagues and 12 years on the mesa…
Finally, Coach Gwynn is a gift. He’s a gift to all of us. His laugh, his mentorship, the way he made you feel important, even if he just met you for the first time. He gave these gifts every single day.
Trevor Hoffman, former San Diego Padres player:
Whenever… he had the opportunity to speak to you the fans, it felt like he was talking to us one on one.
What a gift he gave us all. That joy that everybody’s talked about, his smile, and his laugh, will be etched in our memories forever, another great gift…He always said, you give a little bit, you get a lot. How appropriate that was about T. Gwynn…What a great man, T. Gwynn.
It was on one of those videos we heard Tony say thank you, thank you, thank you–always being humble, always thanking us. Well it’s us that needs to be saying thank you to T. Gwynn. Thank you for your Hall of Fame career over twenty years, sharing it with us. Thank you for representing San Diego with such class. And thank you for letting us all in your house tonight. Amen.
Anisha Gwynn Jones, daughter of Tony Gwynn:
On behalf of all of the Gwynn family, I would just like to take the time to thank each and every one of you for all of the support and all the love. Thank you. You guys are why my dad loved San Diego so much.
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El Camino Real bell in front of California’s first Spanish mission.
Here are just a few random pics of El Camino Real bells around San Diego. During my walks, I’m often surprised to discover a new bell.
Many of these guidepost bells were placed in 1906 by the California Federation of Women’s Clubs. They marked the primitive roads that connected the old Spanish missions in California. El Camino Real, which means the Royal Road or King’s Highway in Spanish, led to 21 missions in Alta California, plus a variety of sub-missions, presidios and pueblos. The bells stand on tall posts in the shape of a shepherd’s crook. In subsequent years, bells have been removed or added to the California landscape.
Bell in front of Old Town’s historic El Campo Santo cemetery.Plaque explains history of the guidepost bells.El Camino Real bell spotted on Harbor Island.El Camino Real bell by the downtown County Administration Building.Historic bell and palm trees in Imperial Beach.I found an El Camino Real bell near the Hotel del Coronado!El Camino Real bell in Cesar Chavez Park in Barrio Logan.Plaque on Harbor Drive reveals that a nearby bell was donated by San Diego Woman’s Club.
El Camino Real bell on Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade by Children’s Park.
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Facade of old Mission San Diego seen from parking lot below.
A month or so ago I finally visited the famous Mission San Diego de Alcala. I’ve lived in San Diego for many years, and have driven past this important historical landmark many times, but I’d never stepped inside. Writing this blog compels me to check out new sights!
Built in 1774 by the Franciscan priest Junipero Serra, Mission San Diego de Alcala was first of 21 Spanish missions in California. It was constructed several miles inland of the Pacific Ocean near the San Diego River. (The very first mission was actually built in 1769 at the old Presidio, but later relocated to this more fertile location, where presidio soldiers were less likely to come. The soldiers often abused the native people who lived near the presidio.)
In 1775, just one year after it was built, the mission was burned to the ground by the native Kumeyaay people. Father Junipero Serra returned the next year to rebuild the church and mission buildings.
Over the years the San Diego Mission became very prosperous, with vineyards, orchards and thousands of cattle in its possession. Hundreds of baptized Native American Kumeyaay, whom the friars named Dieguenos, performed almost all of the labor.
History is rich here. The mission was claimed by Mexico in 1821, then used by the United States Cavalry after the US-Mexican War. As the original mission buildings have aged and decayed, they have been rebuilt and restored. Today the unique facade is one of the most iconic sights in San Diego. Unfortunately, the mission is located in a slightly out-of-the-way place that relatively few tourists visit.
In case you can’t stop by, I took a few photos!
El Camino Real bell just outside California’s first mission.
These bells on posts mark the primitive road, the King’s Highway, that connected the Spanish missions in California.
La Playa Trail ran along parts of San Diego Bay and the San Diego River.
Without realizing it, you might have read about the La Playa Trail in Two Years Before the Mast. Richard Henry Dana, Jr. would ride horseback down the trail to Old Town. With his friend, he also rode farther east to the old mission to enjoy a meal. The west end, La Playa, located just inside San Diego Bay, is the place where Dana worked for several months in 1835 drying cattle hides.
Sculpture of Padre Serra with cross in front of the campanario, containing the mission bells.Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala holds regular Catholic Mass.
The historic church has remained active for many centuries.
Corridor in front of mission has plaques and statues of saints.
Small statues of saints in the small nooks along the wall represent the nine missions that Father Junipero Serra founded.
Petra de Mallorca, Spain linked to Father Junipero Serra.Padres’ living quarters with adobe walls and wooden beams.
Now we’re inside one of the various mission buildings. The self-guided tour proceeds clockwise around the central square.
Beautiful radiant altar inside the quiet church sanctuary.
The church inside is beautiful and invites reflection.
Garden courtyard by sanctuary contains sunlit statues.Flowers and peaceful walkways lead to holy figures.
Many birds were about and almost no weekend visitors.
Rear view of the Mission San Diego bell tower, or campanario.Small tile-roofed shine with Christ on the cross.Modern abstract mural lines wall above wood bench.
This and the following photo were taken in a space between the garden and a small one-room museum.
Sculpted Pieta with Virgin Mary and Jesus.Inside the small mission chapel.
This small chapel can be found at one corner of the central square.
Fountain at center of San Diego mission’s central square.Moving sculpture of Christ after the crucifixion.Native American Kumeyaay hut built of willow branches.
The local Kumeyaay provided the labor that enriched the mission. This hut near an excavation site is an example of where they lived while the friars enjoyed greater comforts.
Mission’s old foundation investigated by archaeologists.The distinctive facade of California’s first Spanish mission.
In San Diego, those who hunger for colorful sights and local history should remember to swing by California’s very first Spanish mission in–you guessed it–Mission Valley!
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Faded castle on side of San Diego’s old Hotel Churchill.
My walks through downtown often take me past a large, dilapidated building with a giant faded castle painted on its side. This now sad sight was once the splendid Hotel Churchill, the destination of tourists visiting San Diego a hundred years ago.
The Hotel Churchill was built to accommodate visitors to the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in nearby Balboa Park. The Arthurian theme made visitors feel like they’d entered Camelot, much like the Excalibur Hotel does in Las Vegas today. The building has been abandoned for many years. I remember watching the San Diego Fire Department using the tall edifice for practice, breaking through one window from the top of a firetruck’s ladder.
In 2003 the city designated the Hotel Churchill a local historical landmark. There are plans afoot to restore the old building and convert it into affordable housing.
Touristy hotel was built for 1915 Panama California Exposition.Old door with fanciful drawbridge and portcullis is locked shut.Looking up a rusty old fire escape.Hotel Churchill, a local historical landmark, awaits restoration.
Here’s a pic I took in February 2015. The old hotel has been fenced off, awaiting restoration…
Hotel Churchill seen in early morning from across C Street.
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Balloons honor 19, Baseball Hall of Fame player Tony Gwynn’s number.
This morning Tony Gwynn passed away. Nearly everyone in San Diego loved Mr. Padre. Count me among them.
I drove past Petco Park’s beautiful Park at the Park just before noon and wandered in over the green grass just to see his statue. A crowd of Padres fans had gathered. Flowers and other tributes formed a growing shrine at the base of his sculpture. The big screen was showing interviews and memorable plays from the amazing baseball career of Tony Gwynn. I noted several people were wiping their eyes. I had to do a bit of blinking, myself.
Tony Gwynn worked hard and good things happened.Flowers decorate the base of Tony Gwynn statue.Padres fans watch the big smiling face of Tony Gwynn.Father with child wipes tears from his eyes.
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USS San Diego Memorial on the Greatest Generation Walk.
I remember walking along the Embarcadero eleven years ago (how time flies!) and just stumbling upon an amazing ceremony. The USS San Diego Memorial was being dedicated. I stood quietly in back of the gathering and watched as notable Navy and local political leaders gave speeches to honor those who served on the USS San Diego, the second most decorated military ship of World War II. One of the speakers was none other than Jerry Coleman, a hero of that war and much beloved sports broadcaster. The large memorial today is a fixture on San Diego’s waterfront, located just south of the USS Midway Museum on the Greatest Generation Walk.
The USS San Diego was a light cruiser that received 18 battle stars during World War II, more than any other ship except the famous aircraft carrier Enterprise. The ship engaged with the enemy on 34 different occasions, in battles throughout the Pacific, and never lost a single sailor during combat. It the first U.S. warship to enter Tokyo Bay at the close of the war.
Monumental art remembers a famous World War II ship.The names of those who served on USS San Diego.Terrazzo map shows movements of the ship during the war.The light cruiser is depicted in action beneath an aerial fight.
The fantastic artwork was created by Eugene Daub and Louis Quaintance.
Sculpture of a crew member of the USS San Diego.
The inscription behind the sailor sculpture reads:
Hundreds of thousands of sailors went to sea and fought in World War II, perhaps the most singular unifying event in the history of the United States. These young Americans set aside their individual hopes and aspirations, left families, home and jobs in a collective sacrifice to defend their country and their common ideals. The men of the USS San Diego (CL-53) remembered here are emblematic of all who fought for victory in this epic struggle.
Golden light before sunset highlights written remembrance.
Here are two more bonus pics I took on a later date!
Close look at artwork of naval engagement on USS San Diego Memorial.People stand on detailed map of where USS San Diego fought during World War II.
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The historic Marston House is nestled among some trees in the seldom-visited northwest corner of Balboa Park. The house museum and its beautiful gardens are truly one of San Diego’s hidden gems.
I strolled about the grounds recently and took a few photos. Roaming about the gardens is free; to take a guided tour of the house’s interior one must pay a small entrance fee.
The house, in the Arts and Crafts architectural style, was built in 1905 by George W. Marston, a wealthy philanthropist who owned a prominent department store. He was also founder of the San Diego Historical Society, and was instrumental in preserving the site of the original San Diego Presidio.
The Marston House was designed by the internationally famous architects William Sterling Hebbard and Irving Gill. Its five acres of lawns and formal gardens have become a very popular wedding location.
Marston House Museum and Gardens in a corner of Balboa Park.Arts and Crafts style house was built in 1905.This beautiful garden is a popular wedding location.Looking from hedge pathway toward Marston House.Small fountain at end of garden.Outdoor archway and oven are part of the delightful scenery.A pic of the lath greenhouse interior.The Marston House is a San Diego hidden gem.
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I thought of heading up to Mt. Soledad for the Memorial Day ceremony this afternoon, but the thought of crowds and a parking hassle was just too much. Instead, I went for a long walk!
My brilliant plan was to head up Park Boulevard to check out the Veterans War Memorial Building in Balboa Park, just north of the San Diego Zoo. The War Memorial Building was built in 1950 to honor Americans who’d served in the military overseas. Certainly something had to be going on there for Memorial Day!
Boy was I wrong.
The place was dead. Closed. No people. Nothing. Not even a flag on the flagpole. They couldn’t even raise a flag for Memorial Day?
No flag flies for Memorial Day.San Diego Veterans War Memorial Building plaque.
The plaque reads:
SAN DIEGO VETERANS WAR MEMORIAL BUILDING
DEDICATED BY THE CITIZENS OF SAN DIEGO AS A LIVING MEMORIAL TO OUR HONORED DEAD OF ALL WARS AND TO THOSE AMERICANS WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR THE FOUR FREEDOMS
I
FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION
II
FREEDOM OF EVERY PERSON TO WORSHIP GOD IN HIS OWN WAY
III
FREEDOM FROM WANT
IV
FREEDOM FROM FEAR
Veterans War Memorial is closed on Memorial Day.
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The historical Villa Montezuma is a Queen Anne Victorian mansion.
Here is a cool sight that I walked past yesterday! Check out the absolutely fantastic Villa Montezuma mansion! You can find it nestled in Sherman Heights, an old, semi-decayed neighborhood just east of downtown San Diego.
Also called the Jesse Shepard house, this architectural marvel was built in 1887. It’s considered by some to be the finest example of Queen Anne architecture on the West Coast, plus it’s rumored to be haunted by two ghosts! In the more recent past it was a museum, but eventually fell into disrepair. It’s currently being renovated. Hopefully it should reopen next year!
Jesse Shepard, born in London in 1848, was a famous, flamboyant European musician. While performing for Alexander II of Russia, Jesse was introduced to the Czar’s medium who taught him how to conduct seances. Shepard became obsessed with spiritualism, and after moving to San Diego at the suggestion of a local spiritualist society, built the Villa Montezuma to his own exact specifications.
Included in the amazing house are highly ornate towers and stained glass windows. It’s interior is just as imaginative, and is said to contain secret passages. Several gargoyles can be spotted should you walk down the sidewalk. Just the sort of place to hold seances! And Shepard held many! He claimed to have spoken with the spirits of Mozart, Beethoven and Shakespeare, just to name a few.
Today it’s rumored that the Villa Montezuma is haunted by a man who hung himself in the observatory tower. And by Jesse Shepard himself! Unexplained piano music is said to be heard coming from the historical mansion late at night!
Fantastic house in Sherman Heights is supposedly haunted.Musician and writer Jesse Shepard worked in the high tower.A closer look at detail on Villa Montezuma’s east side.Gargoyle head on a famous San Diego mansion.Another gargoyle is perched on the roof!
Here are two sunnier photos I took on a later date…
An excellent example of Queen Anne style architecture in Southern California.Photo of Jesse Shepard’s Villa Montezuma in San Diego’s Sherman Heights neighborhood.
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Cool San Diego Sights! 