Leaving our peaceful site at Joshua Tree on I-10, we were blown away by the 'windmill farms around Indio, California. I commented earlier about these windmills on the hills of West Texas, but here they were packed very densely with tall ones and short ones. Ok. Now I will explain why we went to Hemet. First, it's about the best way to get to San Diego. Second, Chuck wanted to make a side trip to Idyllwild. This is a place he went to while stationed out here almost 50 years ago. (Wow, that's a long time ago). Anyway, Idyllwild is a little alpine village in the mountains and today, as then, it's a popular spot to live and visit, with lots of touristy shops. It's about 33 miles from Hemet up winding mountain roads. Here is a view of the road from above. Hemet is in the valley in the far distance. There was snow on the ground up on top. Street scene Now heading for San Diego, we were interested in the land use in the mountains. Orchards were planted all over the hillsides, and in populated areas, houses were all over the place. Orange tree Note the roof on the house in the lower left. There are a lot of freeways with considerable fast traffic, and concentration by pilot and copilot is required to be in the correct lane at the correct time. A couple of people have honked and waved at us, but I don't think the meaning was 'welcome to California'! Well,... on second thought, maybe it was. Southern California near the coast is very lush and colorful with wild flowers everywhere. These were planted, but you get the idea. San Diego is probably the jewel of the state for beauty and climate. It's natural harbor was discovered in 1752 by the Spanish explorer Cabrillo and is now home to many naval installations. Point Loma guards the entrance to San Diego bay and of course has a lighthouse. The old lighthouse is no longer used and is open to the public. Stairway from the top. From Point Loma, North Island Naval Air Station and San Diego in the distance. A feature of every lighthouse is the lens used to magnify the light from oil lamps in the old days to electric lights in modern days. Before electricity, lighthouse keepers had to stay awake all night to make sure the light didn't go out. Here is a lens on display at the Point Loma lighthouse. On around the bay at the San Diego waterfront, a number of varied ships made up a 'maritime museum and included a US and Russian submarine, and a couple of sailing ships. The sailing ship in the photo below is the one used by Russel Crowe in the movie 'Master and Commander'. That a Russian sub behind it. How do they know what all those ropes do? The USS Midway stern. This area also had a number of art pieces dedicated to the 'Greatest Generation' of World War II. The first is a large statue of the famous photo from the end of the war, and the second is Bob Hope doing a USO show for the troop during the war. That's NOT Chuck in there looking up! We took the bridge from San Diego to the Coronado peninsula (it was a ferry ride when Chuck was here before. Aside from the military installations, the main attraction is the Hotel del Coronado. This is a famous old hotel and movies have been filmed here including 'Some Like it Hot' with Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. (for you old-timers out there). A visit to San Diego would not be complete without going to La Jolla, north of Point Loma. This a well-to-do sea-side community featuring a prominent cove with a swimming beach, both for people and sea lions. Interesting sand erosion. There is just too much to share. But we'll move on. Tomorrow more freeways and Los Angeles. (is this La-La Land?) Stay tuned.
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Who Are We?
Chuck and Mary Lou have been traveling in their RV since 2002 and have lately been taking longer, extended trips. This is our way to share our experiences. Trip Reports
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