After driving up the coast from the south to San Diego...the next day we began at La Jolla beach and started driving north on the Coastal Highway. La Jolla beach is really nice. You can imagine how packed with people it would be in the summer months.
I had to get out and get my feet in the water here too, although we returned here on our last day of vacation for a lazy beach day.
I can't remember the name of this town where we pulled over to stretch our legs. We were on a level above the beach. There were cliffs below with houses right next to the shoreline. Blue skies, blue ocean, warm sun. Nice!
We continued the trip... driving through Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corp base. From the car we could see them doing a maneuver or practice with an "Osprey" a sort of plane with helicopter blades on both wings. Pretty cool!
As we got closer to Los Angeles traffic started getting heavier and we were ready to head back and call it a day.
Another morning, when the forecast called for cool and cloudy weather, we took a tour of the decommissioned aircraft carrier docked in the San Diego Harbor....The USS Midway
We were there when they opened and the first thing we did was climb four flights of steep metal stairs to take the guided tour of the "Island".
That's the tallest part of the ship. Here is the view from the command center for flight deck operations.
It's also where you would find the Captain of the Ship.
There were lots of planes on the Flight deck and you could learn about each one by listening to a handheld device - actually worn around your neck. Also on this deck there were presentations on how the planes take off and another on how the tail hook works when they land.
Then below was the Hangar deck, with more airplanes there and also a movie about the history of the USS Midway and how it got it's name. Also on the deck were the sailor's bunks, the anchor chain room, and the Tactical Command Center.
Below decks were the kitchens, dining areas, storage, laundry, sick bay, dentist, barber, and even a small chapel.
We were there nearly six hours and still did not see all of the displays and exhibits. So much to see and so much information here. It is the most unique and best museum I have ever visited.
It's not over yet...
On one of our scenic drive days we headed up to the Palomar Mountains. Our first stop was the Palomar Mountain Observatory They have a visitors center there with a lot of information and a few exhibits...all outer space related. We were lucky to be there in time for a tour of the building that holds the 200 inch Hale Telescope, which was the largest in the world for decades.
On the dome below you can see the doors that slide open when the telescope is in use.
It was cold inside the building. They keep the temperature set at whatever the predicted low temperature is for that night...to prevent the metal of the telescope from expanding and contracting.
This is just the base.
And here is the telescope. It isn't for looking through, only for taking images.
Interesting tour and good guides. They were very serious about not touching anything and staying with the guide.
We had a short drive through Palomar Mountain State Park, then we headed for a desert park nearby...but, my phone GPS couldn't get a signal, I took a wrong turn and drove for miles in the wrong direction. Gas got low and we ended up paying $4.19 a gallon. A frustrating afternoon but we made it out okay and consoled ourselves with dinner at Mike's BBQ, which earned my husband's BBQ stamp of approval.
Well sorry! I have a few more photos and a couple more days to talk about. I will be following up with part 3.
No comments:
Post a Comment