Tag: point loma

Why Roseville, Rose Creek and Rose Canyon?

Have you ever wondered why there’s a Roseville in Point Loma, and a Rose Creek and Rose Canyon?

Well, during a recent walk I discovered an old plaque that provides an explanation. It stands at Liberty Station beside the boat channel. That’s it in the above photograph. In the distance is Nimitz Bridge and the North Harbor Drive bridge.

Several San Diego places were named after Louis Rose.

LOUIS ROSE POINT

Louis Rose (1807-1888)

San Diego’s first Jewish settler, arrived in 1850.

He was a civic-minded businessman who developed Roseville, the oldest planned development on the Point Loma Peninsula.

Rose served as County Supervisor, City Trustee, Postmaster and School Board Member.

He was a member of San Diego’s first Grand Jury.

Rose Canyon is named in his honor.

Placed by the Louis Rose Society for the Preservation of Jewish History

Here’s a photo I once posted of an exhibit inside the Robinson-Rose Visitor Center at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park:

Louis Rose was a prominent citizen of Old Town San Diego. He was born near Hanover, Germany in 1807 and became a citizen of the United States in 1846. He moved to San Diego in 1850, becoming the first Jewish person to settle in the city. Rose was an active member of the Jewish community in San Diego. He helped to organize the first Jewish congregation, which became Congregation Beth Israel. He also hosted High Holy Day services in his house and gave 5 acres of land for a sacred burial ground in what is now Point Loma.

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Dreamy ocean photos beyond Point Loma.

Today was an almost perfect day to head out into the Pacific Ocean beyond Point Loma.

For a mid-February day, the water was amazingly smooth and the cloud cover thin. The chilly wind was not unexpected.

I and many others, wrapped in jackets, enjoyed a four hour trip aboard Flagship’s whale watching ship Marietta.

We saw a mother gray whale with her young calf and followed the two from a respectful distance. In two of the upcoming photos you can see a spout. In my previous blog post, I gazed down upon some of the hundreds of dolphins we encountered very close up.

Enjoy a few hazy, dreamy photos I took from the deck of Marietta. There are sailboats, a line of pelicans flying, downtown San Diego, Point Loma, and the Coronado Islands of Mexico off in the distance.

I haven’t edited these photographs at all, except to crop the one photo where the whale spout is most evident.

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Unusual history of the original Cabrillo statue.

One of San Diego’s iconic landmarks is the statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo near the end of Point Loma, at Cabrillo National Monument.

Over the years there has been a controversy concerning Cabrillo’s place of birth: Portugal or Spain? I covered that in my previous blog post.

The original statue of Cabrillo in the park, by Portuguese sculptor Alvaro DeBree, was commissioned by the Portuguese government. After years of exposure to the weather, that first statue was relocated to Ensenada.

Portuguese sculptor Joas Chartes Almeida carved an exact replica of the original statue out of a more resistant stone, and it was installed in at Cabrillo National Monument in 1988.

During my last trip to Cabrillo National Monument, a ranger inside the Visitor Center showed me a National Park Service document that provides a Brief History of the Original Cabrillo Statue:

In 1949, some 36 years after its establishment as a memorial to Juan Cabrillo, a statue of Cabrillo was finally installed at the monument. The statue had been commissioned by the Portuguese government in 1935 as a gift to the state of California and was to be exhibited in the Portuguese exhibit at the San Francisco Exposition of 1940. The work of Alvaro De Bree, a young Portuguese sculptor, the 14-foot-high, seven-ton statue was not exhibited at the fair as intended, but was instead stored in a private garage in San Francisco. Following a considerable amount of effort, the city of San Diego secured the statue, and it was installed at the Naval Training Center facing Ballast Point. The official dedication of the site took place on September 28, 1942, the 400th anniversary of Cabrillo’s landing.

In 1947, the San Diego Historical Society proposed that the statue be moved to the Cabrillo National Monument. The Chief of the Museum Bureau in Washington, after examining photographs judged the work to be “a satisfactory piece of memorial sculpture” and declared that it appeared suitable “from an artistic standpoint.” The Park Service accepted the statue with the stipulation that the city fund the costs for a base for the statue and for moving it to the monument.

The dedication ceremony took place on September 28, 1949. The Mayor of San Diego, Harley E. Knox, formally presented the statue to the National Park Service and Dr. Manuel Rocheta, chancellor of the Portuguese Embassy in Washington, D.C., delivered an address.

The 1988 replica of the original statue at Cabrillo National Monument.

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Why Portuguese and Spanish plaques at Cabrillo?

Visitors to Cabrillo National Monument might perceive an apparent contradiction.

There are three plaques along the walkway that approaches the statue of Cabrillo. They seem to recognize the explorer as being both Portuguese and Spanish!

In 1615, historian Antonio de Herrera listed Cabrillo’s name as Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo Portuguese, giving him a third last name or apellido. This led many people to believe Cabrillo was Portuguese. In 2015 a researcher discovered evidence that Cabrillo said he was a native of Spain…

…(the) historian stumbled across Cabrillo’s name in this legal document dated February 12, 1532. In it, Cabrillo identifies himself as “a native of Palma de Micer Gilio,” now Palma del Rio in Cordoba, Spain.

A Viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza, selected Cabrillo to lead an exploration of the Pacific coast. Cabrillo sailed into San Diego harbor under the Spanish flag aboard the San Salvador.

San Diego held the first Cabrillo Festival in 1892. Members of the Portuguese community in San Diego have been supporting Cabrillo National Monument since the 1930s…

TO THE PORTUGUESE NAVIGATOR JOAO RODRIGUES CABRILHO – A TRIBUTE FROM THE PORTUGUESE NAVY – APRIL 1957

A TRIBUTE FROM THE PORTUGUESE NAVY TO THE PORTUGUESE NAVIGATOR – JOAO RODRIGUES CABRILHO – ON THE OCCASION OF THE REDEDICATION OF THE STATUE IN HIS HONOUR – FEBRUARY 1988

In homage to the Spanish expedition composed of the ships SAN SAVADOR, VICTORIA AND SAN MIGUEL that arrived at San Diego on 28th September 1542 under the command of JUAN RODRIGUEZ CABRILLO who took possession of these lands on behalf of His Catholic Majesty CHARLES I King of SPAIN opening the maritime route that led to the subsequent development of California – The Spanish Navy – September 28, 2003

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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Nautical History Gallery & Museum opens!

An amazing new museum had its Grand Opening at Liberty Station today! The Nautical History Gallery & Museum is jam-packed with carefully constructed displays, providing visitors with the U.S. Navy History Experience, 1775-1945.

Museum artist and curator Joe Frangiosa, Jr. has served in both the Navy and Marines. By carefully studying historical photographs, he has been able to craft very realistic miniature ship models. Many of his detailed models can be viewed in the museum’s exhibits, which cover different periods of U.S. Navy history.

The Nautical History Gallery & Museum is located in Room 108 of Liberty Station’s old Command Center. Joe has created and amassed so many artifacts concerning naval history that only a portion of his collection is on display. There’s so much to absorb, a curious visitor could spend a good long time looking at it all!

Visitors to the one-room museum can also view a historical video and Joe’s workshop area, where you might see him concentrating on another model!

If you are interested in military history, model making or the U.S. Navy, this remarkable museum is a must see. If, like me, you are fascinated by ships, the evolution of technology and human history, you’ll probably enjoy it, too!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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Ron Burgundy surfaces in San Diego!

Famous anchorman Ron Burgundy has surfaced in San Diego! His perfectly coiffed hair has risen from the deep . . . among dolphins!

Why did he jump into the water? Perhaps diving into the ocean seemed more heroic than leaping into a bear pen at the zoo. Fortunately his hair remains intact.

This fun mural can be found in Point Loma. Perhaps you’ve seen it on Midway Drive, south of Rosecrans Street, on the side of Hi Auto Repair. It was painted last September by AQUA ONE ART!

Those who say Ron Burgundy is all wet are proven correct.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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Help build a trail to the Cabrillo tide pools!

Do you love Cabrillo National Monument? Would you like to help build a spectacular hiking trail that will connect the whale watching overlook to the tide pools 400 feet below?

You can become a trailblazer!

The trail’s construction has begun, but there’s more to do. And additional donations are necessary. As you can see from an information sign inside the Visitor Center, quite a lot of money had been raised by the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation already.

I asked a park ranger about this project. Several phases are completed, including archaeological surveys and removal of vegetation that will be replanted elsewhere in the park.

The plan is to have the new trail open this year!

Can you help?

To help make this trail a reality, click here!

The next photo shows where the new trail will begin, just beyond the whale watching overlook. It will branch off from the short existing trail that leads down to a pair of World War II bunkers.

And my final photo shows the new trail’s destination: the Cabrillo National Monument tide pools!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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A fun harbor tour on both land and sea!

Two tours in one! That’s what it felt like today when I explored San Diego’s harbor on a SEAL Tours boat with wheels!

It was my very first time experiencing one of these unique tours.

Passengers boarded the amphibious SEAL vehicle at Seaport Village and started down Harbor Drive along San Diego’s beautiful Embarcadero. We passed the airport and Spanish Landing and entered Point Loma. All the while, our tour guide (the boat’s first mate), provided a fun and spirited narration. My love of San Diego was renewed once again.

At the Shelter Island boat ramp we seamlessly entered San Diego Bay and headed out across the sparkling water!

Of course there were amazing views of downtown San Diego across the gentle water. And, of course, we had to swing by the bait dock near the entrance to the bay where sea lions entertained kids with their antics.

We saw several Navy facilities and were surprised to learn how super high-tech robot ships are autonomously interdicting drug smugglers. We also saw where the Navy trains sea lions and dolphins to detect underwater objects. And we saw the R/P FLIP, a very long, very strange Scripps research vessel that plunges 90 degrees into the ocean to become a sort of floating tower! There was so much cool stuff to see, I couldn’t begin to describe it all.

The tour was a lot of fun. Our guide, Bret, was a ham and everyone was always smiling and laughing. Personally, I learned quite a lot about my city that I hadn’t known before.

Are you a San Diego resident? This month–January–Old Town Trolley Tours is offering locals free rides. That includes the SEAL Tours, which they operate!

If you do partake of this harbor experience, make sure to bring a jacket. The wind out on the bay can be quite chilly!

Here’s a tiny taste of the experience…

Both the captain and first mate were really nice. As we got started visual aids helped to explain the coming attractions.

Two huge cruise ships were docked on the Embarcadero today.

Passing the beautiful, historic Star of India, world’s oldest active sailing ship.

We’ve arrived at Shelter Island, where we saw many boats moored in America’s Cup Harbor.

About to enter San Diego Bay! How cool is this?

The transition to water is so smooth you hardly notice it.

Another perfect San Diego day.

Hello!

The bait dock had everyone taking a million photos. Those sea lions are digesting their breakfast.

How cute!

A bunch of cormorants were hanging out on this section.

A view of downtown San Diego skyscrapers over the large naval air base on Coronado’s North Island.

That narrow ship on the right operates autonomously. If it detects a drug runner out on the Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard is notified.

Here’s where sea lions are trained by the U.S. Navy. We learned they are actually a bit more intelligent than dolphins.

Here comes another SEAL Tour! That’s Harbor Island behind it.

Back to land! Before heading again down city streets, our captain checked for seaweed caught in the wheels!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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Amazing views from the top of Grant Hill!

Amazing views of San Diego can be enjoyed from the top of Grant Hill.

To the west lies downtown San Diego and its skyscrapers; to the northwest one can spy distant Point Loma; to the southwest the Coronado Bridge spans San Diego Bay, and boats can be seen as tiny dots in Glorietta Bay; to the south one can view Navy ships and much of South Bay; to the southeast rises distant San Miguel Mountain.

Today, after a long walk through Logan Heights and Sherman Heights, I turned east and moved into the Grant Hill neighborhood. There was a short steep climb up J Street to reach Grant Hill Neighborhood Park. It was a beautiful day with little haze, perfect for seeing almost to horizon–even over the Pacific Ocean. These photos resulted.

When I finally completed my exploration and walked back across the grass among the gigantic eucalyptus trees, someone was getting ready to fly a kite. It can be breezy atop Grant Hill!

Approaching Grant Hill Neighborhood Park from the west.

Heading up a walking path, looking at giant eucalyptus trees atop Grant Hill.

Several people were sitting on the park’s grass, enjoying the wide outdoors in the middle of a busy city.

Downtown can be seen when turning back west. That’s J Street, which I climbed.

Downtown San Diego seen from the top of Grant Hill.

Turning a little to the left, there’s the Coronado Bridge!

Coronado Bridge seen from the top of Grant Hill.

A zoom photo shows Glorietta Bay and Coronado Shores buildings.

A zoom photo over Coronado reveals distant Point Loma jutting into the Pacific Ocean.

Walking down the Grant Hill Neighborhood Park path heading east.

San Miguel Mountain seen from Grant Hill.

I turned back west and passed this old tree in an interesting planter.

Grant Hill Neighborhood Park is a beautiful grassy retreat in urban San Diego.

I have numerous photographs on my computer which I need to share!

Stay tuned in the next week or two for blog posts concerning Solana Beach, Cardiff, Escondido, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, and more!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Chow: Feeding a Navy in San Diego.

The old Naval Training Center San Diego had a reputation for serving sailors and recruits some pretty good chow. But providing over 30,000 meals every day took a lot of work!

Inside the Dick Laub NTC Command Center at Liberty Station in Point Loma, visitors can view the fascinating exhibit Chow: Feeding a Navy.

NTC had one of the finest mess and galley programs in the nation. Many sailors with chef and mess service school command training were sought after by the White House kitchen…

Each recipe contained large amounts of ingredients not found in the family kitchen…

The galleys at NTC offered buffet-style metal partition trays for many years. Later ceramic plates and plastic trays were used… Having plates gave the sailors a feeling of home.

Chow included a main course, sides, and often a dessert…

Many recruits recall their favorite part of the chef and mess school was the bakery. Bread or cake, the bakery at NTC was renowned…

The daily operations…trained sailors to cook for thousands aboard ships, submarines and on land…

By 1990, a few years before decommissioning, the three NTC galleys averaged 6,445,000 meals per year.

Cakes were included in every celebration and prominent in many official photographs. Cake was a staple for Pass In Review with dignitaries and guests presiding.

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