The El Cortez (right), built in 1927, has had a colorful history and is now on the National Register of Historic Places

July 1981 — I do remember a number of things about this summertime visit with my sister’s family in the San Diego area, partly because I’ve held onto my journal from that period. It tells me that I went along with my mom and my grandpa and we stayed from July 11th to the 18th (I think my dad must have been in Mexico). On the 15th we visited the San Diego Zoo — which I shared a few weeks ago — and the following day we enjoyed a 2-hour harbor cruise. I still have quite a few pictures of the experience, shot with my vintage Kodak (it used 127mm film), but these are the photos my mom shot as our boat circled the bay. According to my journal, we finished out that day eating cherry pie and watching a lunar eclipse!

Belknap-class cruiser USS Fox

Passing under the Coronado Bridge

Naval Base San Diego, the principal home port of the Pacific Fleet

SS Coast Range (current name Hercules) was built in San Diego in 1981

Empty drydock

Return trip under the bridge