Exciting San Diego

Nursing, Nov 2004 by Munson, Carol

From hilltop mission to thriving modern city, this city has something for everyone. By Carol Munson

Sunny days, scenic environs, and subtle sophistication-all make San Diego one of the most popular areas in southern California. Situated south of Los Angeles, this sea-level city of 1.2 million residents-the nation's seventh largest city-offers something for everyone. Temperatures are mild, ranging from the mid-60s in winter to the upper-70s in summer. Fog that embraces the coastline in fall and winter is absent just blocks inland. Dress is stylishly casual.

History

Centuries before Europeans discovered San Diego Bay, the land was inhabited by native tribes, most likely descendants of Asians who had crossed the Bering Strait land bridge in search of better hunting. In 1542, the first European, the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, arrived. He named his find San Miguel but left without colonizing the region.

It wasn't until 1602 that a European returned. Sebastián Vizcaíno, a Spanish explorer, charted the coastline, renaming the area San Diego after a Spanish monk. In the late 1760s, Don Gaspar de Portolá arrived to establish a presidio, or military fortress, at San Diego. A Franciscan priest who accompanied him established the first California mission, San Diego de Alcalá; before long, 21 missions became part of the Spanish system, serving as social, religious, and economic links between Mexico and San Francisco. Trading of grain, hides, leatherwork, and wine prospered.

In 1821, Mexico, newly independent from Spain, named San Diego the territorial capital of Alta California, or Upper California. Over the next 20 years, both Mexican and U.S. citizens settled into Old Town, the area immediately adjacent to the presidio, bringing the population to about 350. But Mexican rule didn't last long; as fighting between the United States and Mexico abated after the United States annexed Texas in 1845. All land north of the Rio Grande and west to the Pacific Ocean came under U.S. control. For the next decade or so, the town remained sparsely populated even as the gold rush brought frantic growth to northern California towns.

It took Alonzo Horton, his vision, and his promise of land to spur San Diego's growth. A wealthy and shrewd developer, he purchased nearly 1,000 acres of land abutting San Diego Harbor (Old Town was about 3 miles to the north) for just 27 cents an acre in 1867. He then practically gave land away to anyone who promised to develop it. And so began San Diego's cycles of boom and bust. But mostly prosperity ruled, especially with the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad, world fairs, and the military bases and tourism.

At its Balboa Park, San Diego hosted two world fairs-the Panama-California International Exposition, 1915 to 1916, and the California Pacific International Exposition, 1935 to 1936. Both fairs brought visitors galore to the city and the 1,100-acre park with gardens, pathways, and museums. Eventually, the world-renown San Diego Zoo was built next to the park. Both sites continue to bring hundreds of visitors annually.

But the biggest boon to San Diego's development was the influx of military personnel during World War 11, when the area become home to the U.S. Navy's Pacific fleet. Today, San Diego is headquarters for Pacific military operations, notably the Naval Training Center and the Marines' Camp Pendleton.

The 1960s saw another push for development and tourism with the reclamation of more than 4,000 acres in what's now known as Mission Bay Park. Once a swamp, the area exhibits wide lawns, man-made islands, sandy beaches, and bright energetic nightlife. SeaWorld calls this area of San Diego its home.

Twenty years later, in another area of the city, Horton Plaza-11.5 acres of shops, specialty stores, restaurants, and two theaters-became a reality. Not long thereafter, San Diego established a convention center and hosted the 1996 Republican National Convention.

San Diego no longer resembles its humble beginnings as a hilltop Spanish mission 350 years ago. It's now a major metropolis with a thriving port and more than a million inhabitants.

Old Town and museums

A thoroughly modern city, San Diego has taken steps to preserve its remarkable past. Visitors and residents alike can enjoy a blend of architectural styles as they soak up the region's past in museums at Balboa Park and preserved sections of Old Town.

Museums of note include nearly a dozen in Balboa Park itself: The Marston House, which is a craftsman-style house from 1905; the Museum of Photographic Arts, which exhibits the works of noteworthy still and film photographers; San Diego Aerospace Museum, which has a replica of Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis on display as well as interactive exhibits; San Diego Automotive Museum, which features more than 80 special-interest and historic cars and cycles; the San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum, which houses baseball and football memorabilia; San Diego Historical Society Museum and Research Archives, showcasing the region's history since the 1850s; San Diego Model Railroad Museum with its of exhibits and interactive displays; San Diego Museum of Art, housing a permanent display of Spanish baroque old masters among others; San Diego Museum of Man, with its exhibits of cultures of American Indians and Mayan and Mexican civilizations; and San Diego Natural History Museum, which includes displays of plants, animals, and geology from around San Diego and Baja.