San Diego – Sittin’ By the Shore

I’m an old Army guy and am proud of everything about my branch of the service. Nevertheless, when it comes to campgrounds, the Navy maintains some of the best in the country.  Helen and I have stayed at a few awesome campgrounds on the east coast, like Great Pond in deep woods Maine, and the excellent facility near the quaint village of Solomon’s Island, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay. Both are outstanding but, when we arrived at Fiddler’s Cove, adjacent to Coronado Beach in San Diego, we agreed that this facility might top them both.

On previous trips, several campers we talked with raved about Fiddler’s Cove, so I got the booking information from MilitaryLiving.com and patiently waited for the day the reservation window opened. I was afraid that a reservation was out of the question, but on the first day I was eligible to apply, I made the call and, much to my surprise, got the exact dates I requested. I had rather be lucky than good.

While camping at El Centro, we met a couple familiar with Fiddler’s Cove who suggested we drive to San Diego from the south through Imperial Beach rather than drive from the north and deal with all of the traffic.  The suggestion proved very helpful. We encountered only light traffic and made it to the campground in the early afternoon. Check-in was an efficient process, and we could barely contain ourselves when we learned that our campsite was right on the water with a view as good as any we have ever had.

Helen and I have visited San Diego twice in recent years and love it here.  The climate is perfect, and the area is so beautiful. When our son first moved to California, we drove down for some sightseeing and a trip to San Diego’s famous zoo.  Two years ago, we visited again and stayed at a Navy Lodge cabana on Coronado Beach with our grandchildren.  Those visits were delightful, and we feel like we covered the city well, so we decided to take it easy on this visit. Up until now, we have stayed pretty busy hiking and sightseeing but, with a campsite like this and a view like no other, we were ready to sit by the water and do little else.

After a few days of rest, we drove over the bridge to Coronado Island to visit the famous Coronado Hotel and have dinner at a nearby pub. We arrived late on a Friday afternoon, and the area around the hotel was abuzz with activity.  Parking was a challenge, so we parked several blocks away and got our exercise by walking to the hotel, passing by some charming homes and flower gardens along the way.

Coronado Hotel has an elegant feel to it with heavy wood trim on the walls and staircases. The hotel is no small place and took us more than a few minutes to walk through it and out to the pool and courtyard. A reception for the American Pipe Coating Association was getting underway beside the pool. I didn’t recognize any of the participants. We stopped at the bar for an adult beverage then walked to the Coronado Brewing Company for dinner. Helen had an order of delicious fish tacos. I don’t remember what I ordered, but I’m sure it was good.

We returned to Fiddler’s Cove at sunset and sat stunned while the sun disappeared over the Marina. I have posted a picture, but it barely captures the real scene. A large crowd of campers gathered along the shore to take in the spectacle.

On our last day at Fiddler’s Cove, we watched the sailboat races taking place in the bay just beyond the Marina. The winds were perfect for the event and sailboats of every size, and stripe took advantage of the stiff breeze to determine the fastest boat in the harbor.  Since I’m not a sailor, I didn’t fully appreciate their efforts in negotiating what appeared to be demanding conditions, but those sailors gave us an afternoon of outstanding entertainment.

We’ll continue on our Lucy Does the Desert tour and return to the desert in another week or so, but we certainly enjoyed this visit to San Diego. As evidenced by this shorter than usual post, we were not overwhelmed with activity but, we had just what we were looking for…a little vacation within a vacation just sittin’ by the shore. Retirement is the best gig going and we’re Easin’ Along.