Hawaii!

I am a California girl at heart but I'd have to say that Hawaii is truly the most beautiful place I have ever visited.  I recently visited the big island of Hawaii and Oahu.  The temperature is moderate all year-round and the water in the Pacific Ocean is pleasantly warm compared to the cold water at the beaches in California.  The Hawaiian archipelago is a chain of islands and reefs that form an arc in the Pacific Ocean.  There are eight islands that make up the entire state of Hawaii: Hawaii, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau.  The scenery is beautiful and the history of the islands is still very much alive.  The volcanoes Mauna Kea, Kilauea, and Mauna Loa  are all sights worth seeing.  Mauna Loa is still active and sprouts lava every four years. Kilauea is also still active and sprouts lava every seven years.  Just like Hawaii, San Diego also has beautiful scenery and a large amount of it's economy is stimulated by tourism...

View from my hotel room in Oahu, Waikiki Beach

The 10 Best Things to do in San Diego!
1. Sea World-
The world famous Shamu calls Sea World home and there are also several shows that families can take their children to watch.  My personal favorite exhibit at this ocean theme park are the polar bears.  I also had a blast feeding the dolphins fish.  Sea World gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with marine life.
2. Legoland-
Legoland is a relatively new theme park that is based upon the popular children's toy legos.  There are rides, attractions, and a water park.  I personally have never been to Legoland mainly because it is a place to take younger children.
3. The Beach-
Where else would you go in San Diego?! San Diego has several beaches including Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, the La Jolla Beaches, and the Point Loma Beaches.  Soak in the rays, play beach volleyball, or go surf!

4. San Diego Zoo Safari Park- 

This zoo offers a different offers a different kind of experience.  The tour is safari style and allows us to come into close contact with animals, included lions, living as they would in their natural habitat.

5. The San Diego Zoo- 

 The San Diego Zoo is a enormous complex housing a vast variety of animals.  There are also several restaurants in the zoo that hungry visitors can chow down at.  Some of my favorite animals that I saw here were the lions, giraffes, polar bears, and tigers.  

6. Harbor Cruise- 

A harbor cruise gives you an awe-inspiring view of downtown San Diego and also gives you a view of the Pacific Fleet.  The view from the water is unforgettable.

7. Coronado Island- 

This city is located about 15 minutes outside of downtown San Diego.  It's peaceful and easy going atmosphere is a slight departure from San Diego's lively, fast-pace nature.  Coronado also has a classic hotel named the Hotel de Coronado and ocean-side dining.

8. Balboa Park-

 Balboa Park is America's largest cultural urban park.  It has more than 25 museums and attractions and 8 gardens.  You can take a walk, admire the scenery, go for a long bike ride, or even ride a carousel.

9. USS Midway Aircraft Carrier- 

Exhibits range from the crew's sleeping quarters to a massive galley, engine room, the ship's jail, officer's country, post office, machine shops, and pilots' ready rooms, as well as primary flight control and the bridge high in the island over the flight deck. 

10. La Jolla- 

La Jolla is a higher end community with extravagant shopping, beaches, and beach-side dining. It is a beautiful community to visit especially if you have a little extra cash to blow!

USS Midway Aircraft Carrier

Hotel de Coronado

Pacific Beach

Chapter 16: The North Pacific Coast

The North Pacific Coast section of the United States is constituted by Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and part of Canada.  The typical visual image of this area is snow-capped mountains, beautiful cities, tall trees, and friendly people.  Seattle, Washington is the most populated city in this region of America.  In the realm of climate, this area is highly subject to maritime influences and there is high precipitation.  Due to the immense amount of rain, there is lush vegetation near the coast.  Forestry and fishing are a large part of the North Pacific Coast's economy.  San Diego does not have a large forestry industry but fishing for sport is a popular leisure activity in Southern California.

Seattle, Washington

Fishing in San Diego...
Just like the Northwest Coast, San Diego is also famous for fishing.  After all, it is located right on the shores of the Pacific Beach.  Rated #2 in Field & Stream's list of America's Best Fishing Cities, San Diego is home to world-record class largemouth bass, the state record blue catfish, and a world class sport fishing fleet hot on the tails of giant yellowfin tuna and other bluewater sportfish.  Salmon is the primary fish of import in the North Pacific Coast.  Fishermen in San Diego have the opportunity to choose where they fish: the bay, the pier, or nearby lakes.  

Yellowtail

Spotted Sea Bass

Bone Fish

Blue Catfish

• The Bay- Fishermen can fish at either Mission Bay or San Diego Bay.  Mission Bay provides anglers an extremely diverse year-round fishery. Fishing for spotted bay bass and halibut is very good in Mission Bay. Anglers can also target Bat Rays and Leopard  Sharks which strain both angler and equipment (sdfish.com).  San Diego Bay offers anglers the county's most diverse fishery.  One of San Diego Bay's most sought-after species is the bonefish.
• The Pier- The four piers in located in San Diego are: Crystal Pier, Ocean Beach Pier, Oceanside Pier, and Shelter Island Pier.  At 1,971 feet long, the Ocean Beach Pier is the longest pier on the West Coast and probably the most popular fishing pier in the County.  Sand bass, halibut, surf perch, and the rest of the saltwater surf-zone fish are available here.  Crystal Pier does not boast as many fish species as some of the other piers but is still popular for catching surf perch.  The Oceanside Pier is a popular spot for catching barred surf perch, corbina, croaker, stingrays, guitarfish, and sargo. Shelter Island is the hub of fishing in San Diego Bay. It houses the most frequented launch ramp, and protects the world's largest sportfishing fleet (sdfish.com).
• Lakes- San Diego's lakes are not always full of water, but always rich in history. Historically known for the world's largest largemouth bass, and world class size blue catfish, our lakes are known around the world.  Here are a few popular lakes: Lake Cuyamaca, Barrett Reservoir, Diamond Valley Lake, Dixon Lake, and Lake Henshaw. 

Chapter 15: CaLiFoRnIa

California is a state admired for it's physical beauty and is home to more than 12% of all Americans.  American citizens who dwell in one of the forty-nine other states have varying opinions about California.  Some view the golden state as idealistic while others believe that Californians are overindulgent.  Regardless of non-California resident's opinions, California is very diverse in terms of ethnicity, socioeconomic standing, and climate.  San Diego is located in the most southern section of California.  California is typically viewed as being divided into three sections: Northern California, Central California, and Southern California.

Contrary to popular belief, the climate in California is arbitrary.  The west coast border of California is the only area in the entire United States that experiences Mediterranean climate.  San Diego is one of the cities located in this area so it's residents undergo mild temperatures year-round.  There are areas in the interior of California and Central Valley that experience desert climate and semiarid climate.  The primary reason for our great weather is the location of the state's proximity to the Pacific Ocean.  Being so close to the Pacific Ocean has its disadvantages.  California is far removed from the core of the United States which contains much of the country's economic demand and supply.

  

Fires and earthquakes are frequent occurrences in California.  The San Andreas Fault runs through much of California and as a resident myself, I fear that a large earthquake may happen at any given time.  San Diego is not directly located on the fault like many other cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.  However, the effects of nearby earthquakes can still be felt by residents of San Diego County.  Here are some recent statistics on fires near San Diego (provided by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection)

• Ammo Fire (October 23, 2007)
• Location: Camp Pendleton USMC, North of San Diego  
• Acres Burned: 21,004
• Injuries: 6
• Cost: $708, 047
• Poomacha Fire (October 23, 2007)
• Location: Hwy 76, Pauma Valley  
• Acres Burned: 49, 410
• Injuries: 15 firefighters were injured
• Cost: $20.6 million
• Rice Fire (October 22, 2007)
• Location: Rice Canyon, Clearwater Rd. Fallbrook 
• Acres Burned: 9,472
• Injuries: 5
• Cost: $2.6 million

Images from the Poomacha Fire

Chapter 14: The Southwest Border Area

The Southwest Border Area is a portion of the United States that overlaps many other distinct regions.  It includes the southern border of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and the southwestern part of Texas.  What makes this region unique is it's cultural foundation.  This area is distinguished by coexisting Spanish American, American Indian, and Northwest European American people.  Like the southwest border area, San Diego is also an ethnically diverse city.  This mix of cultures gives San Diego a distinct cultural fusion which is reflected in the local music, architecture, and cuisine.

San Diego boasts a large Hispanic population (around 30%) but the most populous is the Caucasian race (around 40%).  California has the highest number of Hispanic people in the entire united states with around 13.2 million followed by Texas and Florida.  Hispanic Americans first began settling in this area around 1769.  The Hispanic population in San Diego is the tenth-largest in the nation and continues to grow. For the first time in San Diego County, Hispanic births have surpassed the total number of Anglo births. By the year 2036, Hispanics will comprise the largest section of the population; two out of every five people in the county, or 41 percent, will be of Hispanic origin or descent (Hispanic Marketing).

The presence and history of the Hispanic population can be easily seen in the historical sites and restaurants in Old Town San Diego...

• Serra Museum- Original San Diego Presidio, this museum chronicles Old Town's inhabitants from the Kumeyaay to the present with classic photos and exhibits. Operated by the San Diego Historical Society, 2727 Presidio Drive.
• Casa de Aguirre- This is a reconstruction of a house built in the 1850's by Jose Antonio Aguirre. Aguirre married two of his neighbor Don Jose Antonio de Estudillo's daughters. He married Francisca, and after her death married her sister Maria del Rosario.
• Presidio Park- Father Junípero Serra established the first San Diego Mission on Presidio Hill. Officially proclaimed a Spanish Presidio on January 1, 1774, the fortress was later occupied by a succession of Mexican forces. The Presidio was abandoned in 1837 after San Diego became a pueblo.
• Tequila Museum- From its beginnings in the blue agave fields of Jalisco, to its consumption in small cantinas and trendy restaurants, tequila is the quintessentially Mexican drink.  It is said that, Old Town San Diego serves more tequilla than anywhere else in the world so there is plenty to choose from!
• Casa de Bandini/Cosmopolitan Hotel- Originally a one-story adobe, the home of Don A. Bandini. Built in the early 19th century, this adobe was the headquarters of Commodore Robert F. Stockton in 1846. The building was purchased in 1869 by Alfred Seeley, who added the second story and opened it as the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Now operates as the Cosmopolitan Restaurant

Presidio Park

Cosmopolitan Restaurant

Serra Museum

Chapter 13: The Empty Interior

The Empty Interior spans across the Rocky Mountains to the Cascade Range and Canadian Coast Range.  It was given the name the "empty interior" because the population density is so sparse in this area.  The climate is arid to semi-arid and there is a large Mormon presence concentrated around the Salt Lake City area in Utah. The empty interior's toprography is mostly comprised of plateaus, mountains, and canyons.  Similar to San Diego, this area attracts many tourists every year primarily due to the mass appeal of Las Vegas, Nevada.  San Diego also has it's fair share of attractions including Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, and the Gaslamp District.  The wildlife found in the empty interior also entices flocks of visitors.  The Colorado River is also located in this section which is a main source of water supply for residents of San Diego!

The One and Only LAS VEGAS!

Wildlife

• There has been an explosion of wildlife in the empty interior since 1935...There are currently 60,000 buffalo, 500,000 elk, 750,000 pronghorn deer, and 15 million white-tail deer.
• The golden eagle is very common in areas of Southern California and can be found soaring across the skies of San Diego. 
• The black-tail deer is another common species found in San Diego County.  While they enjoy well-forested areas, they do most of their feeding in open areas with a good deal of greenery.
• Large Predators- larger animals such as bobcats, coyotes, and mountain lions are prevalent in this city and are often forced to share quarters with humans due to the loss of their habitat.
• Sea and Shore Birds- What would San Diego be without the occasional sea bird? If you visit a beach or a park in this area, you are guaranteed to come into contact with a gull or pelican.  
• Mallards- The most common type of duck.  They are commonly found in many places, San Diego being one of them.  They prefer to live in wetlands because there are numerous invertebrates to feed on.
• Cottontail Rabbits-The most prevalent type of rabbit found in San Diego.  The can be found throughout southwestern North America; range extends as far south as central Mexico and as far west as the Pacific coast.

Peter Cottontail

Three Little Mallard Ducklings

Seagull

Mountain Lion

Golden Eagle

   

Chapter 12: The Great Plains and Prairies

The Great Plains are located in the nation's central section from Montana and North Dakota in the north and all the way south to Texas.  While the popular notion is that this region is entirely flat, the topography is actually highly variable with hills and uplands.  This area also is subjected to extreme weather such as tornadoes, blizzards, and thunderstorms. We are blessed with beautiful weather but still sometimes suffer from earthquakes and fires.  Other than the occasional occurrence of  violent weather, San Diego, California does not have much in common with this area of the United States... 

The Great Plains

Water is the single most important resource in the great plains.  A great portion of the High Plains are underlain by the vast natural Ogallala aquifer.  This aquifer supplies water for irrigation along with naturally occurring precipitation.  San Diego and Southern California as a whole is extremely water conscious.  Our water reserve levels are continuing to decline and as the dry summer months are coming up, Southern Californians are asked to cut back wherever possible...but where does San Diego get it's water from?

• About 10-12% of San Diego's total water supply is collected from precipitation into local reservoirs.  The remaining 80-90 percent is imported via the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) from two separate sources.  
• San Diego receives a portion of it's water from the an aqueduct connected to the Colorado River.  San Diego also receives water which originates in Northern California from the State Water Project. This water is captured in reservoirs north of Sacramento and released through natural rivers and streams into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The 444 mile-long California Aqueduct then carries the water from south of the Delta to State Water Project contractors throughout the state such as MWD (sandiego.gov).
• The MWD blends Colorado and State Project water for San Diego to achieve the highest quality for treatment and taste. The water is then transferred to the San Diego treatment plants at Miramar, Alvarado and Otay reservoirs, via pipelines operated by CWA.           

The Colorado River

California Aqueduct

Area covered by the Ogallala Aquifer

Chapter 11: The Agricultural Core

The Agricultual Core is comprised of several small towns and farm landscape ranging from the Great Lakes to the Great Plains.  Sections of the agricultural core overlap into the previously discussed manufacturing core in the United States.  It is divided into the two sections: the interior western plain and the interior eastern plain.  The eastern interior plain is noted as receiving more precipitation and more humidity than it's counterpart.  The western interior plain is dry, comprised of mostly grassland, and has a sense of vast openness.  Due to the presence of rich soil and expansive farmland, this area is ideal for the harvesting of various crops and raising livestock.  Wheat, corn, and soybeans are three examples of the crops grown in this section of America.  Though many individuals may be unaware of this, San Diego actually is home to a thriving agricultural industry!  It ranks 4th in it's own county and 10th in the nation in terms of the value of agricultural products sold...

Farmland in Minnesota

 Agriculture in San Diego? Yes, it's not all beaches!

Surprisingly San Diego is home to 6,565 small family farms, 65% of which are nine acres or less in size.  Here are a few facts about the agricultural arena in California's most southern city...

• Despite the poor soil found in this area, farms located in San Diego are quite prosperous.  The terrain is characteristically steep and the soil in this area is erodible.  Only 6% of the soil is considered to be prime in San Diego but the crops still seem to thrive (sd.county.ca.gov).
• The water used for farming in San Diego is extremely expensive.  Many farmers have to rely on imported water from the Colorado River and Northern California which can be pricey.  As a result, farmers in San Diego are notorious for their low-use irrigation methods.
• The temperate climate in San Diego is idealistic for growing crops.  In some parts of the county, the growing season is year-long.  This weather is perfect for sustaining indoor nurseries because it keeps the cooling and heating prices down.  Various fruit crops such as avocados, strawberries, oranges, and apples also thrive in this environment.   

Apple Tree

Avocado Tree

Plant Nursery in San Diego

Some More Stats...

• #1 county in the nation for value of floricultural, nursery, greenhouse and sod products
• #1 county in the nation in small (under 10 acres) farms (5,899 California farms have 49 or fewer acres, 65 percent of which are nine or fewer acres)
• Ranks #1 in the nation in production of avocados and mushrooms
• Ranks #9 in the nation for grapefruit
• Ranks #8 in the nation for strawberries

Chapter 10: The Southern Coastlands

The Southern Coastlands are located along the southeast portion of the United States.  It is divided into two primary sections: the Rio Grande east to North Carolina and the US-Mexico Border area.  This particular area is known for its idealistic subtropical weather conditions and a long growing season.  Coastal California and the Southern Coastlands are neck and neck in terms of climatic appeal.  Both share pleasant weather conditions that entice millions to visit and in some cases even move.  The only difference is that summers in the Coastlands are frequently hotter and more humid than in San Diego. 

Those from the southeast also have to deal with the possibility of violent hurricanes while natives of San Diego are more likely to experience an occasional earthquake.  On a personal level, last Easter when I was in San Diego for our annual family dinner the ground began to shake for several seconds.  The shaking quickly subsided but the initial shock and fear from the earthquake took longer to wear off.  My story pails into comparison of many of the experiences of those who have gone through the eye of a hurricane.  Who could forget the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005?...

San Diego and the Southern Coastlines also share another commonality: Oranges!  Both Florida and Southern California are the top producers of oranges in all of the United States.  In the growing season of 2006-2007 Florida produced 6,300 tons of oranges while California produced 1,726 tons.  The only other location in all of the United States that produces any form of citrus in large quantities is Arizona.  In fact, only California surpasses Florida in the production of lemons and naval oranges.  The orange industry is especially labor intensive because each orange has to be individually picked.

Oranges ready for picking!

San Diego and portions of the Southern Coastlands also share one more similar feature: the presence of recreation.  San Diego is known for it's aesthetic appeal and popular vacationing hot-spots.  Long sandy beaches and water sports are commonplace in both San Diego and Florida.  SeaWorld is located in both San Diego, California and Orlando, Florida.  This theme park offers visitors an interactive experience with marine life.  San Diego also is home to the expansive San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park.  Not to be outdone, Orlando, Florida calls Walt Disney World their own.  Walt Disney World is the largest theme park in the United States and turns a child's fantasy land into reality.  New Orleans also is a popular location for visitors due to it's Mardi Gras flavor, the French Quarter, and jazz-infused roots.   

Walt Disney World- Where Dreams Come True!

The French Quarter

Panda at the San Diego Zoo