Author Archives: walkingward3

Lakewood, California, USA

January 25, 2026 On another beautiful Southern California winter’s day, while much of the rest of the country was enduring massive snow storms, we went on a walk through Lakewood which borders our neighborhood in Long Beach. As we have mentioned in previous posts, Lakewood sprung up after World War II to accommodate veterans returningContinue reading “Lakewood, California, USA”

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, Oceanside, California, USA

January 22, 2026 Founded in 1798, the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is nicknamed “King of the Missions” for a couple of reasons. First, it is named for Louis IX who was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. Second, it the largest of the California Historic Missions. In fact, atContinue reading “Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, Oceanside, California, USA”

San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California, USA

January 22, 2026 The San Diego Botanic Garden is actually in Encinitas, a small beachfront town about 25 miles (40 km) north of San Diego. We decided to drop in on our drive back to Long Beach and it was well worth the visit. There were beautiful plants from all around the world. The gardenContinue reading “San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California, USA”

Coronado, California, USA

January 21, 2026 Across the bay from downtown San Diego is Coronado. Coronado is Spanish for crowned and its nickname is The Crown City. It is a pleasant place to stroll around with a long sandy beach and vibrant shopping district along Orange Avenue. Coronado is most well known, however, for its iconic beachfront VictorianContinue reading “Coronado, California, USA”

Mission San Diego de Alcala, San Diego, California, USA

January 21, 2026 We are on a mission to visit all of California’s 21 historic Missions (pun intended). The Mission San Diego de Alcala was established in 1769 and is the first of the historic Californian Missions. For that reason, it is sometimes called the Mother of the Missions. It is named for a FranciscanContinue reading “Mission San Diego de Alcala, San Diego, California, USA”

Old Town, San Diego, California, USA

January 21, 2026 Old Town, San Diego, is the site of the first European settlement in California, dating back to 1769, when it was founded by Spanish Army officer, Gaspar de Portola and Franciscan missionary, Juniper’s Serra. Today, it mainly caters to tourists, with restaurants, stores and markets selling Mexican food, pottery, and assorted otherContinue reading “Old Town, San Diego, California, USA”

USS Midway, San Diego, California, USA

January 20, 2026 Commissioned just eight days after the end of World War II, USS Midway was the largest aircraft carrier in the world until 1955 as well as the first ship that was too big to go through the Panama Canal. She operated for 47 years and saw action in the Vietnam war andContinue reading “USS Midway, San Diego, California, USA”

Signal Hill, Long Beach, California, USA

January 10, 2026 Signal Hill is the highest point in Long Beach. In 1921, oil was discovered there and within a few years the hill was covered with so many wooden oil derricks that it was nicknamed “Porcupine Hill” by the locals. In fact, during the twenties it was the most productive oil field inContinue reading “Signal Hill, Long Beach, California, USA”

San Juan Capistrano / Laguna Beach, California, USA

January 8, 2026 San Juan Capistrano is a town in Orange County, about an hour’s drive south of Long Beach. We started our visit there by having lunch in the Los Rios Historic District, which is California’s oldest continuously inhabited residential neighborhood. The main attraction in the town is its Mission. There are 21 historicContinue reading “San Juan Capistrano / Laguna Beach, California, USA”