Author Archives: walkingward3

February 13, 2026 It has been a few months since we first visited and blogged about Manhattan Beach. We thought then that it was one of our favorite parts of Los Angeles. Our recent visit firmly reinforced our initial impression. As the sun was setting, we walked out onto the pier and then along theContinue reading “Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles, California, USA”

February 11, 2026 Mission San Fernando Rey De Espana, built in 1797, was the 17th of the historic missions established in California and is named for King Ferdinand III of Spain. It is definitely one of the largest missions we have visited so far and was once a massive agricultural operation with thousands of ofContinue reading “Mission San Fernando Rey De Espana, San Fernando, California”

February 4, 2026 Long Beach suffered a devastating earthquake in 1933, causing 120 deaths and destroying or damaging many of the downtown buildings. When the city was rebuilt afterward, many of the buildings were done in the Art Deco style that was popular at the time. A similar situation occurred in the town of NapierContinue reading “Long Beach, 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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”