Officially
recognized as the first European settlement
in California, what became San Diego was
founded in 1542 by a Spanish explorer
named Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo.
There wasn’t really anything there
until 1770 when a Spanish mission was
placed on the site. As the settlement
(including a Spanish Fort) grew to a small
city it served as a port and defensive
facility supporting a Mexican province
called “Alta California”.
In 1846 the Untied States invaded the
province and the city was swallowed up
with it. The city's population surged
when the Santa Fe Railroad arrived in
1884, bringing in people from all over
the country.
Over the years the city’s ability
to serve as a military (and specifically
navy) base wasn’t ignored; in the
1950s a gradual concentration of bases
causes the technology industries of San
Diego to boom. While the boom didn’t
last to the current day many people are
still employed by and/or stationed out
of the nearby bases.
What many consider to be the true gem
of the city is a lush and verdant park
called Balboa Park. Located in the heart
of the city, the park is covered in vegetation
both sculpted and un-sculpted. Balboa
Park is home to the world famous San Diego
Zoo, as well as several museums and the
city’s premier art gallery.
Of
course no mention of the City of San Diego
would be complete without discussing the
miles and miles of city beach. Beautiful
and soaring, they go almost the entire
length of the city and on sunny days (which
is pretty much every day) the city drains
of people and the beaches pick up a carnival
like atmosphere; it isn’t rare to
see a group of over twenty or so people
camping for the day on the beach, digging
a barbecue pit at first light and staying
to play volleyball for the entire day.
San Diego is a city if contrasts; while
it does have a busy down town core it
is easy to find a place to relax. The
city isn’t the same as Los Angeles
(it’s neighbour to the north) with
its endless miles of urban sprawl and
smog. Nor is San Diego like its distant
cousin San Francisco… San Francisco
is a mild place without the appearance
of eternal springtime. If you want to
see the place that gave California it
sunny reputation then San Diego is defiantly
worth a visit.
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