So, as Summer kicks off and I have no reason to travel for the Army, we decided to poke around San Diego and use the internet to find lesser known places. Saw this link last week:
https://www.10news.com/lifestyle/exploring-san-diego/shhh-seven-secret-spots-in-san-diego-to-visit-this-summer
Banker's Hill 100-Year-Old Bridges
The Spruce Street Suspension Bridge was built in 1912, connecting Front St. and Brant St. over Kate Sessions Canyon. The bridge's suspension adds a gentle sway to the bridge that was built more than 100 years ago.
That cable is a little more than an inch in diameter.
Being brave.
Just a few blocks over, the 236-foot-long Quince Street Bridge connects Quince St. and Third Ave. Built in 1905, the bridge takes pedestrians 60 feet above Maple Canyon. (We COMPLETELY missed it and will have to return!)
Looking back. Yes, we have to walk back!
And a beautiful hibiscus as we return to the Front Street side.
Coronado's Sunken Ship
The SS Monte Carlo was a 300-foot casino ship, known as "Sin Ship," that crashed on Coronado's shore during a storm in 1937. What's left of the gambling vessel can be seen poking through the surf depending on conditions in front of the Coronado Shores condos.
We didn't see the ship, but what better reason to go back MANY times until we do!
La Jolla's Secret Swing
In the hills atop Scripps Pier is a tree swing with one of the best views of La Jolla and the Pacific Ocean. In the area between La Jolla Shores Dr. and Expedition Way, a handmade swing offers a unique ocean view. But be aware, sometimes the swing may not be there due to reported vandals. However, it will appear now and again for visitors.
The tiny bridge was the hint at the trail head.
There was a family there and we conned them into doing shots for us and us for them.
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
It was not part of the original plan and is not one of the "secret" spots, but if you just happened to see a submarine, wouldn't YOU check it out?
The Star III, a two-seater submersible submarine from 1967 in the parking lot.
Press Photo ca. 1967.
Star II and Star III (foreground), the two research submarines launched by General Dynamics last month at its Electric Boat Division in Groton, Connecticut, completed their preliminary sea trials this week. Star III, which is 25 feet long and can carry a 1,500 pound payload, compared to Star II's 250 pounds, is in Atlantic waters preparing for advanced testing of its 2,000 foot depth capability. The boat was leased last week by the Military Sea Transportation Service to conduct oceanographic research surveys off Bermuda under technical direction of the U.S. Navy's Underwater Sound Laboratory. The 17.7 foot long Star II is being readied for exhibition in next week's Marine Technology Show in Washington, D.C., where it will form the central part of General Dynamics' multi-divisional presentation there.
Birch Aquarium at Scripps is the public exploration center for the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego.
Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Birch Aquarium features more than 60 habitats of fishes and invertebrates from the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest to the tropical waters of Mexico and beyond. An oceanographic museum showcases research discoveries by Scripps Oceanography scientists on climate, earth, and ocean science and includes interactive elements.
The Legacy by Randy Puckett.
At the time of its installation in 1996, this was the only life size bronze sculpture in the world of any of the large whales: at 39 feet 10 inches tall, it was the second largest bronze sculpture ever cast in the U.S. This life size work features a breaching Gray Whale and calf, and the diving tail of a third Gray Whale displayed in two fountains.
The leafy seadragon or Glauert's seadragon, Phycodurus eques, is a marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, which includes seadragons, pipefish, and seahorses. It is the only member of the genus Phycodurus.
It is found along the southern and western coasts of Australia. The name is derived from the appearance, with long leaf-like protrusions coming from all over the body. These protrusions are not used for propulsion; they serve only as camouflage. The leafy seadragon propels itself by means of a pectoral fin on the ridge of its neck and a dorsal fin on its back closer to the tail end. These small fins are almost completely transparent and difficult to see as they undulate minutely to move the creature sedately through the water, completing the illusion of floating seaweed.
The common seadragon or weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is a marine fish related to the seahorse. Adult common seadragons are a reddish color, with yellow and purple markings; they have small leaf-like appendages that resemble kelp fronds providing camouflage and a number of short spines for protection. Males have narrower bodies and are darker than females. Seadragons have a long dorsal fin along the back and small pectoral fins on either side of the neck, which provide balance. Common seadragons can reach 18 inches in length.
The common seadragon is the marine emblem of the Australian State of Victoria.
Pretty ugly dead fish in a jar . . . Fangtooth, not just a nickname [Anoplogaster cornuta]. It's teeth are the largest in the ocean in proportion to body size, and are so long that the fangtooth has an adaptation so that it can close its mouth! Special pouches on the roof of its mouth prevent the teeth from piercing the fish's brain when its mouth is closed.
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