Sunday, November 09, 2014

Making Lemonade in San Diego



In the last month I have seen way more of the inside of a hospital than I would care to see in a lifetime. In this day and age though, acting as a patient advocate is a necessity if you want to make sure that those you care about are getting the best treatment possible. So what does a person do to make lemonade out of this lemony-situation? Naturally I turn to my camera. Can't complain about the view from the patient's 11th floor room. You can pretty much see all of San Diego.

The early morning drives in the dark (attempting to catch Doctors when they make their initial rounds for the day) caused me to pay attention to signage and other landmarks that I typically don't notice during the day. This neon sign for El Cajon Boulevard is a beauty, and celebrates what was once known as U.S. Route 80, the principal automobile route from San Diego to El Cajon, the Imperial Valley, and points east.



Along the way you can see Rudford's Restaurant (ate here once many moons ago after a night on the town):



The infamous Red Fox Room, which was just about the only place my late Aunt cared to dine:



The Red Fox Room was an old inn in Surrey, England and dates from around 1560.



The room was dismantled in 1926 and shipped to the U.S. for actress, Marion Davies, where it was completely rebuilt as her "Ocean House."



During the 1950's, this property was sold and the Red Fox Room was again dismantled and placed in Storage.



It is from this source that the Red Fox finally found its resting place in the Lafayette Hotel.



It's always good to stop and smell the roses; or in this case, the Fox.

See more Daveland North Park in San Diego photos at my main website.

8 comments:

K. Martinez said...

It's not hard to make lemonade with a beautiful city like San Diego. Nice job on the neon night images.

Dave, if you want another beautiful view of a city, try a hospital room at the UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco. From high atop is an incredibly beautiful view of the city including the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges.

Major Pepperidge said...

I hope your loved one is going to be OK. I've been going through a similar thing with a family member, and it has not been easy.

Thanks for the beautiful pix of San Diego, where I lived for just a few years as a kid.

Fifthrider said...

Based on the age of that wood, the red fox may actually qualify as the oldest building in town.

Mike, Studio City said...

I was raised in Yuma Az, on Highway 80. As a kid and adult I have spent a lot of time in San Diego. It is so beautiful in so many ways. There are some nice motels on Shelter Island. One of my favorites is Humphrey's. The views of downtown San Diego and Coronado Island, and Point Loma are the best.

Daveland said...

Thanks Major - hope your situation resolves in a good way as well!

Bryan - Never thought of it that way, but you are probably right! I need to eat there and get some interior shots; it's probably been about 7 years or so since I last went.

Mike - Can't beat a concert at Humphrey's, especially if you can view it from one of the hotel rooms!

Daveland said...

PS: Ken - For now, I will probably do my best to avoid future Hospital Room views, no matter how lovely!

Sweetie Suz said...

Beautiful pictures. You are making me homesick :(

Mike, Studio City said...

That is where I saw "AMERICA" put on the best concert, ever.