My Town Monday: It's All In Your Perspective
Here's how our first public school teacher, Miss Mary Chase Walker, felt about the fair city of San Diego when she arrived in July 1865:
I arrived in the bay of San Diego on the morning of July 5, 1865. It was a most desolate looking landscape. The hills were brown and barren; not a tree or green thing was to be seen. Of all the dilapidated, miserable looking places I had ever seen, this was the worst.
We have around 146 sunny days a year and 117 partly cloudy days. San Diego County has 70 miles of beaches. You can visit the coast, the mountains and the desert. All in the span of a day. Our average daily temperature is 70.5 degrees.
These days, we have attractions that weren't even a twinkle in anyone's eye back in Miss Walker's day: the Zoo, the Wild Animal Park, Legoland, SeaWorld, USS Midway Museum (naval craft), trolley tours, Balboa Park, etc. The list could go on and on and on.
Although I will admit, the earthquakes are starting to freak me out.
Happy Monday to all! I'm late getting this post up. But it's still Monday in my neck of the woods! ;)
Links to other My Town Monday participants are here on the official My Town Monday blog or on Travis Erwin's blog. Travis is this week's MTM host (thanks Travis!).
sources:
https://www.sandiegohistory.org/bio/walker/walker.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_San_Diego
Posts
Did you feel the earthquake last week? Or did you have another one today?
ReplyDeleteI have been to most of the places you listed in San Diego, which is a beautiful city. I am sorry that your early school teacher was not more impressed with the city. I guess you've come a long way.
Teresa, I REALLY felt last week's quake. I was outside at a strip mall. The window of the Mexican restaurant across the parking lot looked like it was moving in waves!
ReplyDeleteIf Miss Mary Chase Walker could see you now...
ReplyDeleteAlyssa: I think Miss Walker would be shocked at how far San Diego has come!! ;) (But, I bet she'd be proud.)
ReplyDeleteBack in the early 80s I was in San Diego for a bit of a holiday. I liked it a lot better than LA. Time changes everything.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great quote from Ms. Walker and Alyssa beat me to the comment I wanted to leave. I can see this school marm's wide eyes scanning San Diego's aesthetic display today.
ReplyDeleteWriting what someone thought of your town a long time ago is a great idea! I might have to copy by using an old Chicago quote if I ever get back on the MTM bandwagon!
ReplyDeleteMy sister followed a partner to California and she was totally unnerved by the perfect weather. In Nova Scotia, if you don't like the weather, you just have to wait 10 minutes.
ReplyDeleteShe came home after a month. I know that it was mostly about the guy, but she also told me that the weather had been a huge problem for her because everyday felt the same. It's funny when you think about it. We really are odd little creatures.
I've often wondered what people thought of a place back when cities and towns were young. Could they see the potential or were they dismayed and just ploughed ahead anyway. It seems Miss Walker was a bit dismayed, but I am glad she left evidence of her first impression. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteI spent a weekend in San Diego once for a work conference. It was beautiful. You can't beat that average daily temp either.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could handle earthquakes either. Then everywhere has something to deal with.
ReplyDeleteThe glass is half full! I was in your fair city a long time ago. I remember that infinite azure sky!
ReplyDeleteWhat a funny quote from the teacher. I guess she couldn't see its potential or she really hated beaches.
ReplyDeleteI love the ocean. I hate the cold. I don't like when it's really hot. Places like San Diego would be perfect... if weren't for those earthquakes.
Those same words could be used to describe my area even today, and yet I find beauty around me all the time.
ReplyDeleteA person could get used to an average temperature of 70.5 degrees.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how things will be in another hundred years.
Change can be so dramatic.