Ferry: A pedestrian ferry leaves the dock on Coronado on its way across the bay to San Diego. There are two docking sites in San Diego. The Coronado Ferry Center where the ferry docks in Coronado offers a great view of downtown San Diego about two miles away. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Orange Avenue: Orange Avenue is the main street in downtown Coronado, Calif. The tree lined street is filled with shops, restaurants and galleries as well traditional downtown staples such as banks and office buildings. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Visiting San Diego is not something one should try “on the fly” because there is so much to see and do in the area. One of the activities that we enjoyed was visiting Coronado, Calif.
Coronado is usually referred to as Coronado Island although it is not technically an island. It appears to be an island as you gaze across San Diego Bay from the city but it is technically a peninsula. It was possible to drive from San Diego to Coronado even before the Coronado Bridge was constructed but to accomplish this one would have to travel south of downtown San Diego for about 20 miles to the Imperial Beach area near Tijuana, Mexico where they could take California Highway 75 and drive back north into Coronado.
Today the town of Coronado is easily reached by crossing the San Diego Bay on the beautiful Coronado Bridge from downtown San Diego to the eastern shore of Coronado. The bridge was opened in 1969 and is a beautiful span of concrete that travels 2.1 miles across the bay.
Another method of travel from San Diego to Coronado is the ferry. A pedestrian ferry runs two routes on a regular schedule every day from the city to Coronado. Once off of the ferry in Coronado, visitors can enjoy the Coronado Ferry Center which features shops and restaurants. This is also a great area to enjoy viewing the San Diego skyline as downtown San Diego is directly across the bay from the Ferry Center.
Coronado has always been a haven for the “rich and famous” as living on the small island paradise does come with a cost. The town has several large homes which are all priced in the multi-million dollar range and the average price of a home in Coronado is 2.2 million dollars. Regular visitors to the island are presidents, prominent dignitaries, business executives, and movie stars.
Once on the “island” it is like the hustle and bustle of the city is forgotten. This is a quaint small town where locals travel around in golf carts and the general pace of life shifts gears to a slower and more relaxed speed. The downtown area of Coronado is built along Orange Avenue which leads drivers to the famous Hotel del Coronado.
After winding through the simple downtown the massive hotel greets visitors on the southwest area of town where the San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean are only about one quarter mile apart. The Hotel del Coronado was opened in 1888 just a few years after the town was established and remains a prominent fixture in Coronado today.
Coronado offers many activities for visitors. In downtown, Orange Avenue is lined with shops, restaurants, galleries and an art museums. Typical businesses such as banks, city buildings, and other office complexes were mixed among the restaurants and shops. The tree lined street in downtown was a mixture of tourists and locals on the weekday when we visited.
Just a few blocks from downtown lies the Coronado Municipal Golf Course, one of the best public golf courses in the country.
As one would expect, Hollywood has taken advantage of Coronado’s beauty and famous structures as many movies have been filmed in Coronado.
Another interesting fact about Coronado is it was the winter home of L. Frank Baum author of the Wizard of Oz series. One can see Baum’s house where much of the famous classic was written. It is also known that Baum stayed at the Hotel del Coronado during some winters and some of the series was penned when at the hotel.
Also very popular with locals and tourists are the beaches in Coronado as well as all along the peninsula leading from the south into town. The small town, island atmosphere along with near perfect weather make Coronado a favorite place to visit when in the San Diego area.
Coronado, Calif. is just one more must see when visiting the San Diego area. We enjoyed driving across the bridge as well as driving the southern route and driving north on Ca. Hwy. 75 into town. Whether you drive the bridge, drive the peninsula, or take the ferry, Coronado is a must when visiting San Diego.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Hotel del Coronado: The massive Hotel del Coronado opened in 1888 just a couple of ears after the town of Coronado was established. The hotel was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977. Presidents, world dignitaries, as well as many Hollywood stars have stayed at the hotel. L. Frank Baum, author of the Wizard of Oz series spent winters at the Hotel del Coronado as well. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Coronado Beach: Visitors enjoy walking and jogging on the sands of Coronado Beach. The popular beach stretches along the west coast of Coronado which lies on the Pacific Ocean. In the distance in this photo is the Cabrillo National Monument on the point of the peninsula. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
North Beach: The northern end of Coronado Beach, North Beach, is a dog friendly section beach. Residents and visitors were seen enjoying the beach with their dogs. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Surfer: A group of surfers were enjoying the waves at Coronado Beach the day we visited the area. Shown is one of the surfers as he catches a wave and begins his ride toward the shore. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
