Some Scenes in San Diego

Work took me to Southern California from July 7 to 16. My travels took a circuitous route, my first meetings in the San Diego area, followed by ones in the Palm Springs area, then on to the San Bernardino area, thence to Orange County, and back to San Diego for my final meetings. What follows is a bit of what I saw.


Otay Mesa Border Crossing

I spent one night in San Diego at a hotel about an eight-minute walk from the Otay Mesa Border Crossing. This is six miles east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the busiest land border crossing in the world. With the upsurge of violence in Tijuana these past years, I had no desire to cross the border for a quick look. But I did want to get as close to the border as I could, so off I went.

I've crossed into Mexico five times, three times in Texas during my Air Force career, and twice at the San Ysidro crossing over the past ten years. I can't recall my thoughts on the crossings in Texas, but on the California crossings I reminded myself that I was no longer under the protection of the US Constitution.

View to the Otay Mesa Border Crossing

The Otay Mesa crossing point handles the truck traffic that would otherwise have to cross at San Ysidro. Passenger cars and buses also use it, and there is foot traffic. Many Mexicans make the crossing each workday to and from their jobs in San Diego. There are Americans who work in Mexico.

People on the left returning to Mexico, people on the right headed north.

Headed to the crossing for foot traffic.

 

Vehicles entering Mexico. The northbound lines are far longer.

 

The one-way gate, with Mexico just a few feet beyond.

San Diego Pride Parade

On Saturday the 13th I drove to Balboa Park in San Diego intending to visit the museums. I found a parking spot on the north end of the park. There were announcements of a Pride parade. With many people in rainbow-colored clothing walking north on Park Boulevard, I figured the parade was nearby. So I put the museums on hold and walked to the Pride parade.

I've decided to not include on this blog post photos I took at the Pride parade.

Let's go on to Sunday!


USS Midway

On the 14th I toured the USS Midway.

These two thoughts from the tour:

1) The United States military is what stands between us and the Dark Ages.
2) The small digital camera I carried in my hand had more memory storage than that contained in the UNIVAC computer that almost filled a small room aboard the USS Midway.

God bless the men and women of the US Navy and the Marines!