1954 to 1987 Palos Verdes Peninsula So Cal Hello, My dad grew up around the big peninsula in San Pedro, this coastal area was a favorite of his. He showed us a ton of places to park/fish from the shoreline rocks and cliff outcroppings in those early years. So, around the big curving coastline, was a new place to whet his appetite for anything ocean influenced, Marineland of the Pacific. When we were little, our dad always took us to Marineland of the Pacific in the Palos Verdes Peninsula . He was a crazy for all kinds of fish, fishing and eating fish. When this place opened up, we were right there looking at all of the fish inside the aquarium. We had our own aquarium with fish at home, like so many other kids, but the tanks in Marineland were huge and awesome. We always liked going there because my dad would always stop at a guy’s car, set up on the side of the main road leading to the aquarium. That guy sold Salt Water Taffy, which was a new thing back then. It was such an unusual treat, but the two brothers ate tons of it. Watching a ton of fish we had never seen before, while munching on this new bite-size item, was an incentive for us to go with the family anywhere. On several visits to Marineland, there were some car clubs having an outing with their hot rods and custom cars. That may have been inspiring to my brother and me. Who knows, the cars were very cool looking. Even my mother pointed out those shiny, racy sounding cars. Those trips were always on the weekends, so there were many cars going to and from the big structure overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Palos Verdes. In 1987, they tore down the whole complex, when it was purchased by the owners of Sea World San Diego. The new owners moved the popular killer whales and other animals to their San Diego facility and abruptly closed Marineland. We drove by the huge, Sea World complex in Mission Bay, San Diego, it is a far cry from the early days of actual Sea World and of the early Marineland Aquarium that was once located in the coastal Palos Verdes Peninsula. It is a gargantuan of a entertainment complex vs. a marine inspired aquarium and its inner workings. Jnaki That was a sad ending to a great place to cruise, as we found out when we started driving our own cars on dates in 1960 onward. That coastal highway (Palos Verdes Drive South) had ocean views that were awesome and inspiring. Let alone, dark… We were always told by older guys that we can’t miss the “Submarine Races” here, too. The what??? Note: In a visit to the large Mission Bay waters in San Diego recently, that Sea World Center is no longer a sleepy place to see splashing dolphins and a giant aquarium. What a change from 1987, as they compete for the showtime dollars. A one year pass is outrageous and add in the waterpark 30+ minutes away for an additional fee. It is entertainment West Coast style for families. In 1987, we went to Sea World as a small family. The adult tickets were $17.95 for us and $11.95 for our son. At the time, that was horrendous, but fun. NOTE2: More than 20 years after tourist destination Marineland of the Pacific shipped off its whales and closed its gates, a noticeably more refined attraction opened atop the same ocean bluffs in Rancho Palos Verdes. The first official overnight guests at Terranea Resort, a 582-room luxury hotel and spa meant to compete with California’s most upscale coastal inns, checked in 2009. The opening of the $480-million resort that includes a vast ballroom, restaurants and golf course is the culmination of 10 years of planning and construction. Again, that place looks awesome, but for us, a little out of the picture. But, on our sailing out in the Pacific Ocean, up the coast journey, to the destination of Marina Del Rey, my wife took a nice photo of the resort from our sailboat vantage point out on the ocean. Terranea Resort from the ocean photo by Vnak
The Jalopy Journal
