The Ferry

2009 marks the 40th year since we last saw the graceful San Diego Coronado Ferry Boats.  This part of San Diego history is remembered fondly by many of us who rode these wonderful vessels.  There was kind of smell associated with the ferry boats.  A combination of marine air and the tar coated timber pilings at the dock.

Ferry Boats75

The Crown City was one of the newer sleek ferry boats.  It could carry the most cars of any in the fleet.  The Coronado Historical Association’s Newsletter of Spring 2008 reports it is still in service at Martha’s Vineyard.
Ferry Boats53

The Coronado went to Argentina and served on the Amazon River.  It is reported she is beached and abandoned somewhere there.

Ferry Boats27

The San Diego skyline from the Coronado ferry dock.  Not so big and built up as we know it today.
Ferry Boats54

The ferry boats were basically an extension of Harbor Drive.  Here you can barely make out the the Harbor House Restaurant sign.

Ferry47

The San Diego is aground on the banks of the Sacramento River.  The Coronado Historical Association indicates there were repeated efforts to bring her back to San Diego to be adaptively reused as a dinner boat.  But no such success. UPDATE: The San Diego was finally taken apart for scrap. She is no more.

Ferry48

The handsome San Diego Coronado Ferry offices.

SanDiegoCoronadoFerry

The bridge that replaced the ferry boats is a great achievement and an important element of our cityscape. But we missed a great opportunity to save part of San Diego’s history by letting all the ferry boats go away.   They were an iconic part of San Diego’s identity for so many years, and added a lot of character to our port.  No doubt in my mind if one had been kept in service here for harbor cruises or a party boat, it would have been a very popular tourist attraction.  Is all hope gone to ever bring one back for that?

Ferry Boats39

The passenger deck. Gorgeous wood interior – benches, rails, banisters. Brass fittings. Very craftsman.

Ferry Boats85

Stairs from the auto deck to the passenger deck. Note the city bus on the right.

Ferry Boats38

Ferry Boats77

Ferry Boats29

Ferry Boats86alt

Ferry Boats59

Ferry Boats22

The San Diego crossing toward Coronado

Ferry Boats26

Cable Crossing Don’t Anchor West

Ferry Boats25

Ferry Boats24

City Bus Route on the ferry.

Ferry Boats23

The Coronado departing Coronado.

Ferry Boats28

The Crown City with Coronado and North Island in the background. Shot from one of the other ferry boats.

Ferry Boats37b

Coronado Ferry Landing

 

Ferry Boats36b

The ferry boat on the right was the Silver Strand, which appears to have been moth-balled at this point.

Ferry Boats33b

The inactive Silver Strand.

Ferry Boats35b

The apparently moth balled Silver Strand and North Island. Tied up at a rather cluttered repair and maintenance dock.

Ferry Boats31

While autos obviously drove onto the ferry, passengers had a separate ramp.

Ferry Boats32b

Pedestrian Passengers came aboard the upper deck.

Ferry Boats30b

Ferry Boats41

The San Diego loading cars and passengers in Coronado.

Ferry Boats43

The San Diego leaving Coronado

Ferry Boats44

The Crown City boarding cars at Coronado. Note the Western Metal building in the background

Ferry Boats40

The easy-on-the-eye San Diego skyline of January 1969 – and jet landing.

Ferry Boats45

The view of the San Diego ferry landing from the Coronado ferry landing. Several sites in good view here. Old City Hall (County Admin Building), Harbor House Restaurant, The SDG&E Power station, and before the Power station is the Old Police Headquarters.

Ferry Boats46

Ferry passenger ramps, Coronado terminal.

Ferry Boats47

Looking over to the moth balled Silver Strand ferry boat. Some of the windows are boarded.

Ferry Boats48

The Crown City heading to San Diego.

Ferry Boats50

The Coronado.

Ferry Boats51

The Coronado once more.

Ferry Boats52

The San Diego.

Ferry Boats55

A past facing the future.

Ferry Boats56

Ferry Boats58

Ferry Boats57

The Crown City

Ferry Boats64

The inactive Silver Strand

Ferry Boats61

Ferry Boats63

Ferry Rescans3alt

 

Ferry Boats72

The Coronado

Ferry Boats73

Ferry Boats74

Ferry Boats66

Ferry Boats67

Ferry Boats80

 

Ferry Boats81

Life boat aboard The San Diego.

Ferry Boats76

Ferryboat Finale050b

Certificate courtesy of Steve Lieber.

Belvederes of La Jolla

 

La Jolla Belvedere_0016

Perhaps small in stature compared to the breakwater wall at Children’s Pool beach or La Jolla Cave. But La Jolla coastline wouldn’t be quite the same without little Belvederes. Those four small green wooden structures nestled to La Jolla’s coastline between Scripps Park, Shell Beach and Children’s Pool beach. For a sheltered sit and ocean view. Moreover, these are among the last few links to “Old La Jolla.” Days when this was a seaside village and artist colony. When it was only accessible over hills of dusty roads. When Scripps Park was populated with vacation tents during summer months.

.
La Jolla Belvederes_0007

Bellvedere1s

The old photo from La Jolla Historical Society shows a belvedere at Scripps Park between 1890 and 1905. The gingerbread roof. Ladies in their Victorian dresses and hats. A picnic meal. All atop a dirt bluff.

Perhaps its a bit miraculous the belvederes survived. Not disposed of in the name of “progress” or replaced by plain old benches, or something tacky.

But there they are. A concrete foundation and boardwalk nowadays. But still board and baton painted green.. Braving the sometimes not so peaceful Pacific.

.
La Jolla Belvederes_0024