So, yesterday, on a whim, I decided to head down to San Diego with my boyfriend, Jose, to enjoy a day off. I wouldn't call it an official meet, since there was little planning or advance notice, but upon arriving In San Diego, we met up with Anachronist and Penny Dreadful at the <a href="
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=663" >Old Town San Diego Historic Park</a>. Its a marvelous little recreation of San Diego during the period between 1821 to 1872, and some of the structures are original.
After splurging on some goodies (a new watch fob and a couple of cigarette holders), we split up and Jose and I headed for the <a href="
http://www.gaslampquarter.org/history/map.php" title="link >Gaslamp Quarter</a> for lunch. Though, I think, only four of the street lamps are actually gas fueled, the area itself still has a lot of the original buildings. We ate at the non-Victorian styled Mahoney's, but surprisingly still found traces of the 19th century in quotes mounted to the walls which included H. G. Wells last words and a witticism of Oscar Wilde.
Hunger sated, we ventured onto the <a href="
http://www.sdmaritime.com/" title="link >Maritime Museum</a>. The The Mid-Victorian sailing ship
Star of India is completely awe-inspiring. And I drooled over the
Berkeley's (a steam ferry) engine room, with its triple-expansion engine and 6ft pistons. We were even lucky enough to watch the
Californian glide in and dock.
After exploring every inch of the Maritime Museum, we drove over to Balboa Park to see other museums. Our priceless dawdling at the Maritime Museum meant we missed the show at the <a href="
http://www.balboapark.org/in-the-park/detail.php?OrgID=75" title="link >Spreckel's Organ Pavillion</a> and the closing time for the <a href="
http://www.aerospacemuseum.org/" title="link >SDAM</a> (Wanted to see the lighter-than-air exhibit). But we enjoyed wandering all over the massive complex of museums within the park. We did get to see the <a href="
http://photo.net/bboard-uploads/008nam-18708784.jpg" title="link >Botanical Garden House</a>.
Our day of exploration found its end at the <a href="
http://www.shakespearepub.com/" title="link >Shakespeare Pub & Grill</a>, a nice little British pub off the tourist trails. Here we met up again with locally based Anachronist and Penny Dreadful for a few drinks and some dinner (well, snacks) and lots of discourse.
I know the first meet is scheduled in LA, and by no means do I want to change that, but I do propose we alternate locations (for the respective convenience of the locals of each). San Diego, after just the one day, has only left me craving more and some of its best historical sights aren't the period structures lining the Gaslamp or even the palatial museum grounds, but all the Victorian houses tucked away in side streets that you find as you get lost (and you will get lost). There seems to be a museum on every other block.
Let us keep San Diego in mind for a future meet.
