Tourist First: 12/24/17

Sunday, December 24, 2017

San Diego: A Harbor Tour

The Coronado Bridge curves 80 degrees as it nears Coronado, an island-like community that
boasts more retired admirals than any other community in the country and where the
average home price is reported to be $1.4 million.

San Diego Bay is a 12-mile-long J-shaped mix of military ships and bases, sports and commercial fishing boats, yachts, tour boats and sailboats. On Dec. 23, Jane and I joined the other goobers aboard the Admiral Hornblower, one of several boats that take tourists out from the Embarcadero near our apartment building, for a two-hour cruise of the southern and northern portions of the bay.
The Coronado Bridge is the line between the southern closed end of the bay and the northern bay, which opens onto the Pacific Ocean at Point Loma. The bay is formed by the Coronado and the Point Loma peninsulas. The bridge is just over two miles long, a length achieved by its curved design, a curve needed to make it long enough to qualify for federal funding back when Ronald Reagan was governor of California. (That's when he saw government as the solution, not the problem.)
Below are snapshots from our tour.

Our tour boat's dock is near the USS Midway. These cars are parked on a dock. The entrance, above,
is actually in the side of the ship.

U.S. Navy ships dominate most of the southern part of the bay, where some of
them are built or repaired or updated. The drafts on the ships are
as deep as 40 feet and as shallow as 15.

Another view of the Midway and its parking lot.

The Midway as seen from the southwest with the waterfront skyline in the background.

This is the boat we were on.

Even on a chilly winter day (temperatures in the 60s), people were out sailing on the bay.

That's part of the commercial fishing fleet at left, and the
Coronado Bridge in the background. It's tall enough
for aircraft carriers to pass beneath it.

Sail boats and military ships co-exist peacefully.

In the center is a Navy ship under construction. At right is a tri-hull Navy ship in a dry dock.

Another Navy ship in dry dock.

There are too many ships to count and too many types of ships to keep track of, though the tour
narrator told us what many of these ships are.

A research ship operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. They help with the research on global warming.

Catamarans are common here.

The battered-looking commercial fishing fleet keeps San Diego restaurants supplied with fresh
seafood. There's also a public fish market on Saturday mornings on a dock off the Embarcadero.

Not sure I'd venture from the dock on this tub, but
apparently it's a working boat.

The Midway looms over Seaport Village and the fishing fleet.

The historic Star of India is docked at the foot of Ash Street.

A Southwest flight comes into Lindbergh Field, America's busiest one-runway
airport. It is startlingly close to downtown.

Another Southwest flight. That's Bankers' Hill in the background.

Here we are along Harbor Island, a T-shaped artificial island filled with hotels and restaurants.
Marinas for pleasure craft can be seen on the far side.

Naval Air Station North Island occupies
the northernmost point of Coronado.

One of Harbor Island's hotels.

Another view of Harbor Island, which is quite narrow at this point.

A replica of the famous racing yacht America sales past the half-dome hangars
of Naval Air Station North Island.

A replica of a 16th-century Spanish ship cruises the bay.

The Sally Ride, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography research vessel, is docked on Point Loma.

Cormorants and California sea lions enjoy the sun on a floating dock off Point Loma.

There's also a submarine base on Point Loma. Most of this vessel is underwater even at the dock.

A woman aboard our boat waves at people on a "Seal" boat, a land-and-sea bus-boat
that takes people out to see the sea lions (not seals!). Jane and I did that tour once.

A Sigorsky helecopter sits with other aircraft at Naval Air Station North Island.

The Henry J. Kaiser is an oiler, a ship that refuels other ships at sea.

The semester-at-sea ship World Odyssey is docked where cruise ships usually come in.

That's Point Loma in the distance as we headed back
to the dock. We could also see hills in Mexico during the
tour.

Argentine Patagonia

They are called what they look like: Mexican hats. They occur naturally in the highlands above the town of El Calafate. The water in the distance is glacier-fed Lago Argentino. An hour's drive east of El Calafate, near the headwaters of the lake, visitors can hike on the Perito Moreno glacier and take a boat ride among icebergs that have fallen off the several glaciers in the Parque Nacional des Glaciares. El Calafate is basically a summer (Nov. to Feb.) tourist town, and there are a number of hotels at all price points. We stayed at Esplendor El Calafate, a very stylish hotel with a full restaurant and bar. The South American picker-upper drink mate is available at breakfast. The hotel is an uphill walk from the commercial area, but that's not much of a drawback. Click on the photo to visit the Esplendor online.

Dominica

Probably the greenest island in the Caribbean, in terms of color and ecological awareness, is Dominica, just north of Martinique. It was named by Columbus, who sailed past it on a Sunday. The island nation is one of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, but it is rich in friendly people and natural attractions, including a boiling lake, hot and cold waterfalls, a parrot jungle and hill after hill of dense green jungle. There is also a cable-car ride through the jungle canopy (http://www.natureisland.com/AerialTram.html). I wrote about Dominica years ago, and much of that article is still relevant: http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/26/travel/winter-in-the-sun-an-island-where-less-is-more.html?scp=2&sq= Unfortunately, one of the hotels I mentioned, Petit Coulibri, has since closed. Fortunately, there's still a wonderful eco-resort called Papillote Wilderness Retreat http://www.papillote.dm/), four acres of lush gardens, hot-spring-heated soaking pools and modest cottage rooms.

Palm Springs

Palm Springs, Calif., is a great destination for nature lovers -- Mount San Jacinto State Park is a wonderful gondola ride (shown above -- click on it to visit its website) away, and Joshua Tree National Park is a short drive away. It's also a great destination for naturists; there are several major clothing optional resorts in the area -- and for fans of Mid-Century Modern architecture. For a dose of mid-century style, stay at the Orbit In (http://www.orbitin.com/), which does ask that you keep your clothes on.

Pompeii

If you're driving from Naples to the Amalfi Coast, and it's hard to imagine anyone who wouldn't want to visit the Amalfi Coast, you should plan to spend a night in the modern city of Pompei, adjacent to the ancient city of Pompeii. Above are the murals depicting an unknown ritual in what's called the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. If you can, devote most of a full day to exploring the site. Afterward, you'll want a good hotel. Click on the image for info about Hotel Amleto, a small and friendly hotel in the heart of the new town and an easy walk from the ruins.

St. Vincent

This is one of the "rooms" at Petit Byahaut, an isolated (access by boat only) eco-resort on St. Vincent, the largest island in the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Bequia, mentioned above in this column, is one of the Grenadines. The photo above is of the living deck and doesn't show a relatively enclosed area that had a real bed. Did you notice I said "had"? That's because the place has closed. To read about the property in its heyday, click on the image for a New York Times article I wrote. The article has a link to a slide show with more images of the resort.