Hello, On our way home from our 1950’s family vacations in Baja Mexico, we used to drive around the San Diego Harbor as the roadway comes straight from the border crossing. It was a sight to see, as well as a clean gas station to fill up for the two hour drive home to Long Beach. Sometimes, we would walk around various areas of the harbor, since it was a destination location far from home. When we went along the shoreline of the harbor to the Western side, we came to a place called Shelter Island. We had never seen a community geared to power boats, sail boats and other harbor amenities, as well as, cafes and restaurants. Yes, Long Beach has a harbor and parts of it are geared to boats, but not enclosed in a small area along a giant harbor location. Shelter Island is along the bay outlet to the ocean and all movement from Navy ships to freighters with cargo go through the waters. Our dad wanted to show us the best place to view the San Diego Harbor and City views. Not only could we see the city skyline and tall buildings, but across the opening to the ocean, was a U.S. Navy Base with planes landing and taking off daily. Coronado Island… We saw the Bali Hai Restaurant sitting on the end of a jetty facing the whole bay. Jnaki Jump up many years later and our sailing adventures took us to the San Diego Harbor. We used to sail out of San Pedro Harbor and Dana Point Harbor a couple of hours of driving North. But, we decided to venture down to San Diego to see what it offered. To our amazement, it offered another way to see a place from the waters of the ocean and large bay. It felt like home for the both of us. So, we moved to see a different way to sail and enjoy the city harbor/ocean outlet. Sail in the morning to the afternoon, come in for lunch and take a long nap until the dinner hour. Now, the adventure began again in search of great diners and restaurants in the island peninsula locations and huge divisions of the city across the bay. It was a larger adventure that captivated us until we sold our sailboat many years later. The no fast pace was around us. It was a slow lifestyle and calming solution to the passing years, as they were beginning to fly by at record speed. A nice overnight on the sailboat and a leisurely drive up the coastline back to our home. Some times we would stay for a week “on the water” not, just an ocean view resort hotel. Here is a view of the webcam from the Bali Hai restaurant. Yes, we ate there many times as it never gets old. The food was outrageous and made us come back for many other nights of great views, atmosphere as well as the food. Note: The views from the restaurant are outstanding. Homes on the coastal cliffs of So Cal have nice ocean/coastal views during the day. But, at night, it is nothing but a dark, black expanse of nothing. From this bayfront location in San Diego, one sees the massive waters and it is not dark since the skyline of the city is just across the waters. We used to be able to go to the Bali Hai web cam from their website and move the view from the San Diego city panorama to the outlet to the ocean and the other views of the harbor waters. Now, there is a You Tube channel and that view moves to the other camera locations automatically. As we were sailing in San Diego Harbor area, we used to tell folks to watch on the “live camera” located from the Bali Hai Restaurant. It gives anyone located world wide, a direct live view of what takes place in front of the actual cameras. From sail boat races to watching the huge freighter ships as well as the large U.S. Navy ships taking the right of way over all of dinky sailboats… ha! As if they need an advantage on their path to their docks. If we sailed by the camera/restaurant location, we always waved. Who knows who is watching at the time. Perhaps, our relatives and old friends across the USA… YRMV Note 2: One of the best photos of a modified track “T” Roadster was taken by C. Ryan Mac in San Diego. It was an outstanding night shot of the San Diego downtown skyline skirting the large harbor waterfront. The photo was taken across the bay at a Shelter Island bayfront. My wife and I have been to that particular spot on Shelter Island, many times in the day and night in our daily driver over the past several years. But the look from the bay waters is also awe inspiring, as one is moving as fast as the wind is pushing. The location is the big channel leading out to the ocean...YRMV Thanks Jim Reid, Prowlers of San Diego for the photo.
The Jalopy Journal
