Touring San Diego

When your good friend who’s a photographer comes to visit, the best part of hanging out is geeking together around town with the cameras. To onlookers, this first shot probably appears strange; to a photographer who likes to look at life in different ways, it’s our oxygen.

It’s always fun to walk around downtown and pay attention to the things I would normally ignore as I either drive by or briskly walk by because I’m on a mission. Below is one of my newer favorite buildings in San Diego, the former Police Headquarters which has been repurposed as an outdoor mall.

They have kept enough quirky touches from the original building to remind you of what it once was.

Nearby is the 25' tall “Unconditional Surrender” J. Seward Johnson sculpture in the Tuna Harbor area that commemorates Alfred Eisenstaedt’s legendary August 14, 1945 photograph taken in Times Square on V-J Day. Art critics are about as laudatory on this piece as the they are about the Rocky/Sylvester Stallone Statue in Philadelphia. The tourists love it.

Bob Hope is just a few steps away.

Also nearby is the Midway Museum, which is located aboard...The Midway. Commissioned a week after the end of World War II, The Midway was the largest ship in the world until 1955.

Heading towards downtown on Broadway we came upon the former 1920s YMCA building, which is now The Guild Hotel. My mom once told me that she played the piano here during WWII for servicemen.

An eclectic mix of buildings in downtown:

They should have a before and after mug for the logo. This does not look appetizing.

The sunset was a bit mild at Pacfic Beach, but still beautiful.

A multitude of captions came to mind when I saw this:

Who knew there were Hidden Mickeys on Crystal Pier?

See more San Diego photos at my main website.

Exploring The Headquarters

For most races, the day before the event is when you pick up your racing bib and other materials that you'll need for the big day. Of course it would be easier if they mailed this stuff to you, but then the vendors at the Expo wouldn't have an opportunity to sell sell sell their wares to you. It was also a chance for me to go to an area I rarely explore, as The Seaport District is fairly touristy and difficult to find parking; therefore, I tend to avoid it like the plague! Parking near the USS Midway, I had to get a shot of the imposing aircraft carrier, which is now a museum.

The San Diego Half Marathon Expo was held at The Broadway Pier, which functions as a Cruise Ship Terminal and an event space.



The design of the building is very sleek, and I can see how it would be a very cool venue for a special event or party. The expo itself was well organized, albeit a bit lackluster.



While at The Seaport District, I figured I might as well check out the surroundings. Why waste a good parking space, right? I encountered this little dragon sculpture along the way to The Headquarters, which was my ultimate destination.



The Headquarters was once the San Diego Police Station. It was recently converted into an outdoor retail complex, showing what a bit of creative thinking can do when it comes to adaptive reuse of old buildings.



I would have preferred the tenants to have more of a local flavor and be less national chain-oriented, but considering how touristy the area is, perhaps it was a better choice to go in that direction.



The building looks brand-new after the remodel...



but still bears some of the architectural details that let visitors know it might actually have a history.



Not sure if it was intentional, but this window looks like a huge gaping mouth, aka "The O Face."



The coolest part of The Headquarters is that they preserved this area of cells.



And yes, you can go inside some for photo ops and selfies!



Your basic jail cell.



Marilyn Monroe brightened each day of this particular prisoner.



Puesto, a Mexican bar & eatery, is one of the restaurants that guests can find at The Headquarters. There is one other Puesto location up north in La Jolla.



Seasons 52 offers a more upscale dining experience, with both indoor and outdoor seating. And yes, it's a chain.



I might come back to The Headquarters; it's fun, has a great location, and just a tad bit kitschy. Still, for guests that come to town, my first choice would be to take them to one of the less touristy neighborhoods so that they can experience a San Diego that is a bit more unique.

See more vintage & current San Diego photos from my collection on my main website.