| Old San Diego (2) San Diego, CA |
| Difficulty - Easy. Two separate boxes at different locations in San Diego. Caution - Always be careful when reaching under plants and rocks for snakes, spiders, etc. This especially holds true for the Old Town box. Special Thanks - To Lauren for replacing my Shelter Island box for me! Background -In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo landed entered San Diego Bay and landed at Point Loma. Cabrillo headed the first European expedition to explore the west coast of what is now the United States. For this reason San Diego is known as the Birthplace of Califormia and is full of historic and charming spots. These boxes are meant to appeal to the traveler with only a short stay in San Diego and a desire to get a taste of the area. Shelter Island - Shelter Island is a man-made island on the west side of San Diego Bay filled with hotels, marinas, a walking path and park. It is a wonderful place to stay when visiting San Diego as you can get up early in the morning and stretch your legs on the path that extends the length of the island. If arriving by car, park in one of the public parking lots that stretch beside the road as it leads to the south. Don't be tempted to park in the hotel spots at busy times (especially when Humphreys' has one of its great jazz concerts on the bay). Stroll down the path to the Pearl of the Pacific Park at the end of the island. This is one of four "sister" parks marking points on the PacRim. The other parks are in Russia, China and Mexico. On the way back stop look for the playground, followed shortly after by a fishing pier. Immediately after the playground is one of several waist-high, two walled enclosures made of lava rocks. These attractive items actually conceal trash cans. Most are attractively landscaped with flowering shrubs growing over them. On this particular one check the top of the wall on the side closest to the playground and the road. Reach under the vines and leaves on top of the wall and pull out the Shelter Island letterbox. Old Town San Diego - Old Town is a historic state park filled with historic buildings that are great for exploring (and free!). It also is filled with great shops and tasty Mexican restaurants. My favorite stops in the area include food at Casa De Bandini and a stop at the Old Town Mexican Cafe for fresh tortillas to bring home on the night before I have to leave. Take your time and explore the area. If you are interested in the local history it is worth picking up one of the free historic guides (e.g., The Old California Gazette) that can be found at different merchants in the area. On your wanderings look for the Mason Street Schoolhouse, California's first public school (1865). Find what looks to be the old well on the SE side of the school house. There is a large tree with a cactus growing at its roots just east of the east side of the well (opposite the schoolhouse). Look under the cactus leaf with Tyler's name on it for the box. Note - These boxes are unattended as I only make it to San Diego once or twice per year. I brought a few more boxes to plant in some of my other favorite spots but ran out of time. Next trip... Before you set out be sure to read the waiver of responsibility and disclaimer. LBNA Homepage Kurdziel Family Letterboxing Homepage |
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