California Getaway, Part VI; Lunch at Famous Anthony's and Point Loma

Panoramic view of Downtown, the harbor, and the flight deck of the USS Midway. Because it's awesome, that's why. It will be awesomer when I make my book.

Navy ships in the harbor.

We were told by more than one person that while we're in town, we must eat at Anthony's. Specifically, we heard the fish tacos are to die for. After the Midway museum we were hungry, it was lunch time, and there was famous Anthony's. Right there. So we went in. We got to sit by the window and watch the boats go by. That's always a treat. Right after he sat down and took in the view, Nicco turned to me and said, "So, you come here often?" ~snort~

We even saw a jellyfish. A stray from the invasion, I guess.

While we waited for our food, Nicco practiced his photography skills. He took pictures of all the boats (sometimes just the wake they left behind) going by.

We were really looking forward to a meal to die for. We ordered the fish tacos, but none of the catch of the day were inspiring, so we chose mussels too. The fish tacos were decidedly NOT to die for. They weren't bad, by any means, but nothing special. Just so you know.

After lunch we went up to Point Loma where Portuguese sailor Juan Cabrillo and his crew were the first Europeans to land in California. They landed and after a quick evaluation describing San Diego Bay as a very good enclosed port, they hopped back on their vessel and sailed away.

That's Cabrillo's ship there. Not the real one, of course.

And that's a nice panoramic view of the very good enclosed port. You can see Mexico. When Patrice mentioned that fun fact to Nicco, the small boy hummed "La Cucaracha." It was hilarious.

My boys, looking at the bay.

Nicco did the Junior Ranger program. He started out really well, looking at the exhibits and learning fun facts and interesting tidbits and answering questions, but then he got tired and deferred to me. But I didn't want to be a Junior Ranger. I told him if he wanted his badge, he at least had to learn the fun facts. I would write on his paper for him.

Cabrillo wasn't at port long in San Diego, but they call it the place where California began, so he gets a statue.

The old lighthouse on the hill...

And up close. It is a museum of the quarters of the lighthouse keeper and his family. One of the Junior Ranger questions was "Would you like to have lived in the times that the Israel family was running the lighthouse? Why or why not?" Nicco said no, because he didn't want to use a chamber pot.

 

Climbing the spiral staircase to the light.

The tippy top was locked up. They only open it a handful of times a year for special occasions. That didn't stop my kid from peeking!

Nicco was in weird mode by this point in the day. His face. I tell ya.

That's the something something lens used to light the light. Very cool.

There were more sights to see than just the statue on the point and the lighthouse at the top of the hill. There was also gray whale watching lookout which also looked over the kelp forest. There was a nifty little whale mama and pup sculpture, next to a whale spine.

The Daddy asked Nicco what he thought that was. He said bones. "Bones of what," the Daddy asked. "A snake," the boy replied. Duh.

And there's the new lighthouse down there on the shore. And I think that's the kelp forest out there.

 

There was also a little cabin housing some artifacts and info about the local military history on the point.

When we finished our stops at all the points of interest, we went back to the ranger station for Nicco to get his Junior Ranger badge. He had to promise to do his part to protect the national parks and monuments and to spread the word to his friends to keep the parks alive. The ranger lady asked the kids if they had been to any other national parks. Nicco said he had been to one in Arizona. She asked if he was from Arizona and he said yes. Those two other girls there smiled and said asked where in Arizona, because that's where they're from too. Nicco said Tucson and they gasped a little and said they're from Tucson! I asked what part of Tucson and they are closer to Tucson proper. That would have really been a small world if they were from our same suburb!

They got their badges just moments before closing time. Phew!

It was a busy and fun day and we were happy to collapse onto our respective beds for a few minutes before scavenging for food. And that is another story for another day.