Beach yesterday and city waterscape today. Down to the city on the bay. But, let’s take the trolley. We won’t have to pay the parking in the city lot and it’s fun to take the trolley and leave the driving to someone else. I’m a big fan of public transportation. When I worked in Boston, I took an over-the-road bus to the city, a city bus to work, and after work I took the subway to the bus station and the over-the-road bus home. In Des Moines I took the express bus into the city where I worked. So neat, I could do a crossword puzzle, lean back and close my eyes, talk with my fellow passengers, read a book - anything but drive in the traffic. One time coming home from Des Moines, it was snowing so hard that a 15 minute stretch of interstate turned into 45 minutes and, when we exited the freeway, we all clapped and cheered the driver.
Meanwhile, back in San Diego: we got to the nearest trolley station, learned how to buy our tickets, stood on the platform and boarded when the trolley stopped. 10 minutes later we were at our stop and got out, with only a short walk to the restaurant for breakfast. What a breeze.
Afterward breakfast, we received a phone call from a friend of ours who is fighting through throat cancer. He has never smoked but, when he was young and growing up on a farm, he handled farm chemicals without rubber gloves, ate lunch and then went back to handling farm chemicals. Did this cause his cancer? Who knows? But the fact remains that bad things happen to good people and he got cancer.
He went through radiation and chemo for several months and as a result developed joint aches and now has a painful yeast infection on his tongue. He’s had a feeding tube and got his sustenance this way for several months. He can smell food but has no taste yet so eating is a tease. His throat has been raw and burned for quite a while from the radiation and, of course, he has the usual tiredness associated with cancer. Meanwhile, we speak mostly with his wife. Today, he called and it was such a relief to speak with him. He sounds the same with the same hearty laugh, the same wicked sense of humor and the same great attitude towards life.
He’s worked hard to conquer this cancer. Here’s the mask he had to wear to keep his upper body steady so that the radiation would hit the right spots. Note the white plastic screws used to hold him and the mask down in the exact position the radiologist wanted him. Imagine how confining this must have been for 15 - 30 minutes at a time. When he learned the uncomfortable position that he would need to be in for this 15 - 30 minutes, he practiced lying that way at home, pretending he had this mask on.
When I think of courage, I think of people like this: who face life-threatening problems and meet them head-on and do everything they can to defeat them. But, in the process are an inspiration to us all.
We talked for a while, as I was sitting on the step of a business on a one-way street. A busy one-way street. A busy one-way street with lots of trucks making deliveries. If I could have found a quieter place to go I would have gone immediately but we were in the city and quiet places are at a premium. I look pretty focused here, don't I? We were also talking about various Medicare plans and since I reached that GREAT MILESTONE a while back and had gone through all the choices, I was telling him what we had bought.
Our goal today was to walk around what is called the Gas Lamp Quarter in San Diego. San Diego, or Old Town, began along the river several miles away from the harbor and was a small thriving community. However, in 1867 Alonzo Horton began what was called New Town by buying 1000 acres of land, several miles south of Old Town along the harbor for $260. It was successful beyond his wildest dreams and actually became the center of the modern city of San Diego. But, as towns do, businesses began to relocate to the north and this area became known as the ‘Stingaree’ where one could be stung as badly in the streets as in the ocean by the stingaree fish swimming in the bay. Here were 120 brothels, several opium dens, 71 saloons and gambling halls, one operated by Wyatt Earp.
After this area was cleaned up by the police in 1912, it became a slum until the 60’s when the Gaslamp Quarter Foundation saw tourist potential in this historic area. When Petco Park was built for the San Diego Padres on the SE corner and the Convention Center was built to the south this area became a booming hotel, restaurant and retail section. Below is a picture looking towards the harbor where you can see 6 hotels towering above the marina and the convention center off to the right with the green glass.
Wyatt Earp frequented the Oyster Bar in the Louis Bank of Commerce pictured below while above the Bar was the Golden Poppy Hotel, a brothel run by a fortune teller named Madame Coara.
Here’s the Yuma Building which also housed a Brothel. It was one of the first to be closed when the city fathers decided to clean up the area. The 138 women were given a choice: join the Door of Hope charity and reform or take a one-way ticket to Los Angeles. 136 went to LA, one was pronounced insane and one became the first telephone operator in SD.
The wealth of older buildings which have been refurbished to their original glory is a feast for one’s eyes. Around every corner is a beautiful older building.
Look at the detail on these windows. Workmanship like this is difficult to find these days.
And, the inside of these buildings is just as spectacular as the outside. Here is a boutique hotel you can stay in while visiting San Diego.
And, I love this ceiling fan.
One of the buildings is a restaurant with a case full of goodies to eat.
But, it’s San Diego and it’s time to walk along the ocean and the bay.
Just an amazing wealth of sights to see along the harbor. And, it changes every day. Here is the ‘Balancer’ who can balance any rock upon any other rock. First we could see some of his work balanced on the harbor rocks beside him.
Count the 14 stones in the pillar second from the left. Note how he balances large rocks upon smaller ones. Next we watched him actually place a large irregularly shaped stone on top of another smaller irregularly shaped stone. It took him a while, he tried many different placements before he let go and it balanced.
Unfortunately, it’s performance art and difficult to take home to display in your living room. He depends upon contributions from those who watch and appreciate his art. I wish that all of those who enjoyed his work put a bit of money into his hat to demonstrate their appreciation. Clapping and cheering is one thing but it doesn't feed a family.
Hey, here’s something I’ve not seen often. Look where they keep the toilet paper in these bathrooms. You gotta plan ahead.
Pretty modern color scheme in the bathrooms but I wish they had placed toilet paper inside each individual stall.
Here is a statue memorializing a famous picture from the end of WWII.
All in all, a delightful walk along the bay harbor in San Diego. A walk we’ve taken before and will take again.
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