Want to take a little trip through time, back to the early days of San Diego? You can do that by exploring Presidio Park. The park is known for the tall adobe tower standing on a hill above a busy freeway. This is one of the landmark images of San Diego. The first California mission and a fort (or presidio) were built on this bluff in 1769. The original structures fell into disrepair. Bricks and materials were carted off to build the nearby town. The white adobe building you see today is a museum that dates from 1929. Its architecture is in the style of “old” San Diego, so you can easily imagine the days long ago.
Today you can tour the small Serra museum at Presidio Park and enjoy a picnic on the grassy slopes that surround the building. The mission style of the museum is picturesque.
Desert plants decorate the landscape.
A passerby told me this is called “Papaya Popsicle.” What a great descriptive name!
The view is tremendous, taking in the bay and downtown.
The park is 40 acres, but you can easily see the museum and the area around it in about an hour. Hiking trails border the museum and lead down into a canyon. Not so energetic? You can bring a blanket and a book and hang out on the lawn and relax.
Spend an afternoon here and you’ll be walking in the footsteps of the early settlers of San Diego. They certainly knew how to pick a prime spot for a cool breeze and a clear view.
How about you? Does your hometown have a landmark you enjoy visiting?
17 Comments
Beautiful photos! It looks like a wonderful place to visit. Gorgeous flowers too. We have a lot of bougainvillea over here too.
I can’t say anything bad about San Diego! I’m crushing on that door! I love missions and planned to do a few mission tours before summer is over but I’m falling behind on that! Thanks for the pretty tour. Visiting from Tamar’s.
I love the architecture!
What a beautiful Mission! Lovely photos & splendid architecture!
Lovely outing Sharon you are sharing with SEASONS – many thanks! And beautiful shots that clearly reveal the building styles:)
Have never been there, even when we were so many times in San Diego (our hang out at the coffee-book place Upstart Crow – blanking out on the name right now -close to the Army- air museum at the coast).
Don’t remember if I ever told you, we were living close to South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Have a great week!
Your last photo of the reflection of outside on that ceiling fixture is very cool. Mission San Diego is one of the few I have yet to visit. Mission San Juan Bautista is several miles to the east of us. I like wandering around the town.
Beautiful mission – aren’t they all? I do love to visit missions and take pictures. Your images are wonderful, I very much enjoyed this post.
What a lovely place. I didn’t get to see this when I was there, but it will be on my list of places to visit if I return!
Thanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/07/bottoms-up.html
Sharon, I have been to San Diego many time and still have not stopped by the Mission. That is kind of ironic give that I enjoy this structures (and the history related to them) a lot. I promise I will stop by next time.
I love San Diego. Your photos have me longing to visit again!
I wish we had more time to visit further south of SF while we were there. Would have loved to visit San Diego, too.
What a beautiful place to see. I love the splendid architecture. Thanks for the pretty tour.
I especially love your window photographs. The range of colors on the white walls is striking.
What a beautiful place. You had some awesome photos of it. I really liked the shot of the Door, The Window and the last view out the window. Plus the pretty flowers.
Sharon I wanted to sign up for updates but am not finding that feature on your blog. Could you let me know where it is? Thanks.
You captured the park perfectly!
The Presidio is just beautiful and I am so glad they made it into a museum! I have never been there and should go! You got some wonderful photos too!