Exciting San Diego

Nursing, Nov 2004 by Munson, Carol

Visitors strolling through Old Town will find adobe homes and other historic buildings dating from 1821 through 1872. Nearby is Presidio Park, where the first Spanish mission and military fortress were built in 1769. Buildings open to visitors include Black Hawk Smithy & Stable; the Machado-Stewart Adobe and La Casa de Estudillo (restored adobes depicting early Mexican and U.S. relics and lifestyles); Mason Street School, an 1865 one-room schoolhouse; and Whaley House, thought to be the oldest two-story house in Southern California (and some say it's haunted, to boot!).

Dotting Old Town are museums such as Colorado House-Wells Fargo History Museum, which features an old stagecoach, and the Steeley Stables Museum, a reconstructed stable that houses a collection of horse-drawn vehicles.

Other points of historical interest

A look at San Diego's past wouldn't be complete without a visit to these additional historical attractions.

* Maritime Museum of San Diego. This fascinating site, located on Harbor Drive, has maritime exhibits as well as three late 19th-century vessels: the Star of India, a tall ship; the Berkeley, a 289-foot ferry; and the Medea, a steam yacht.

* Firehouse Museum. Anyone interested in fire-fighting equipment of yore won't want to miss this spot and its collection of antique helmets and other equipment from around the world.

* Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá. Enjoy a tour of the first of the California missions, which was built at Presidio Hill and moved to this site in 1774.

More attractions

San Diego is more than museums and historic sites, however. You'll delight in these world-famous attractions as well:

* Balboa Park. This 1,200-acre recreational center prides itself on being America's largest urban cultural park. The spectacular grounds offer more than 85 performing arts and international cultural organizations, 15 museums, gardens (such as the Japanese Friendship Garden), hiking and biking trails, and other recreational facilities.

Many of the park's museums are mentioned above; other noteworthy attractions include the Centro Cultural de la Raza, dedicated to Chicano, Mexican, and Native American art and culture, and the 200-foot California Tower with its 100-bell carillon whose chimes ring out every 15 minutes.

Balboa offers many other attractions appealing to different interests. Take a look at some of them:

* For a taste of international culture, visit the House of Pacific Relations, a group of 30 small cottages, each home to a different nation. From February through mid-November, these houses hold daily outdoor programs featuring traditional foods, arts, music, and dancing.

* Theatre buffs won't want to miss the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater, which provides year-round puppet performances, and the Old Globe, a Tony Award-winning theater that's considered one of the nation's leading regional theaters.

* Enjoy the sound of concerts Sunday afternoon year-round at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

* Reach for the brass ring at The Carousel, dating from 1922, as band music pipes in the background. Bowling enthusiasts may find the lawn bowling in the park entertaining. Players, all dressed in white, roll an elliptical-shaped ball along well-groomed lawns.