DEL LOVE

These pictures were taken from our room's porch/balcony at The Del. I was used to being up two hours earlier than Californians were, so I'd go get a cappuccino and read the newspaper on the porch. The gulls would be watching from the hotel roof and come right over. They would run off the sparrows, crows and grackles. Of course, I'd have to share my banana caramel sticky bun with them. One gull, the boy I guess, would take a bite over to the other one and lay it down beside her, then do a little dance and shrieking song while bobbing its head. I'm quite sure the next door neighbors loved the noise. Oh, well, I'm such a sucker for birds. And, luckily, no one threw a shoe at me. A couple or few facts I'll share with you. Did you know there aren't any bugs around there? I did see one fly. I asked and was told there were no bugs. So what do all the birds eat? Sticky nut buns? Or potato chips? They are missing out on the cicadas and crickets. Never heard the peepers while I was there either. Oh, well, they sure got us beat on the weather. Seventy degrees during the day with a breeze and cooler at night. Can't get any better than that in my book. No AC bills nor heating bills. Did you know the sand was cold? I'm used to sand that's almost too hot to walk on. I was not going to stick my toe in the water. They have great whites there and Humboldt squids with 5 foot long tentacles full of millions of razor sharp claws. It also gets dark earlier there than in OK. I can't get that around my head as to why that is. Must be mathematical or something about the curvature of the earth. I don't know. I saw in the local paper a little article that shocked me somewhat. They were giving hepatitis shots on the beach somewhere around there. Seems, down in Tijuana, they dump all their crud in the Tijuana River which washes around San Diego and 80% of all their water samples taken and tested have hep in them. That is why they give the shots on the beach. Good or nasty - I'm not sure which. Nonetheless, I'm still dreaming about The Del and San Diego way. I'm ready to go back now!

THE DEL

See previous post for descriptions of photos.

THE DEL

I recently went to a wedding of a dear friend's son. I had never been to San Diego and looked forward to the wedding and the trip. I didn't have a clue as to where we were staying until I arrived. A close friend of mine had booked the reservations so I didn't know anything about the hotel. Imagine my surprise when we pulled up to the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, CA, or The Del as it is called. The Del opened in 1888. This grand dame has quite a history. The Grand Floridian Hotel at Disney World is fashioned after The Del. Thomas Edison stayed here as did Charles Lindbergh. Charlie Chaplin played polo here and 10 U.S. presidents have stayed also. Movies have been filmed at The Del. SOME LIKE IT HOT with Marilyn Monroe filmed here and it is reported that Wallis Simpson met her future husband, King Edward, here. They stayed off and on at The Del for years. L. Frank Baum wintered at The Del; he loved the place so much he mentioned it in many of his books and wrote part of THE WIZARD OF OZ at The Del. Probably one of the most famous guests checked into The Del in 1891, but never checked out. Kate Morgan and her ex-husband were grifters, gamblers and con artists. The last time she checked in to rendezvous with her ex, he didn't show and she took her life. That was the official story as The Del didn't want their name synonymous with murder. She was shot in room 3327, which you can still rent today. Her ghost has been sighted many times and has been studied by paranormal researchers. Oh, and her handmaid was found hanged a week later adding to the murder plot. I must add that the chandelier in the entry was massive and stunning. The brass cage is an elevator and when it opens, out steps an elderly man, who has to be one of the original bellhops, in uniform with the little pillbox hat. This place is enchanting. One forgets the rest of the world (part of its charm) and with all the shops and restaurants and pools, along with 28 acres of pristine beaches, you would never have to leave the grounds. In fact, I think the Hotel Del is my favorite place I have ever stayed.