Coronado, “the crowned one”

Hotel del Coronado

Hotel del Coronado

Strelitzia - Bird-of-Paradise

The Famous Landon's Incognito

Hotel Lobby

Heading for the beach on a hot September day seemed a good choice for an afternoon outing.  We drove the rental car to Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, located on the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego.  This affluent resort town is one of the most expensive places to live in the United States; the core business area is referred to as The Village.  Coronado Island is home to one of the oldest and largest all-wooden buildings in California, the famous Hotel del Coronado, a National Historic Landmark situated along one of the most beautiful beaches in California.  Coronado’s beach glistens year-round due to the mineral Mica in the sand and gentle waves wash along the shoreline.  Spanish for “the crowned one,” Coronado seems to be a fitting name.  The town of Coronado was founded in 1885; the land was purchased by Midwestern investors Elisha Babcock (railroad executive) and Hampton Story (of Story & Clark Piano Co.) who wanted to create a resort community.  When the Hotel del Coronado opened in 1888, it was the largest resort hotel in the world.  It was designed in the Queen Anne Revival style with its whimsical turrets and asymmetrical layout and is one of the few Victorian seaside resorts still standing in the world.  Lumber for the construction, begun in 1887, was shipped from the Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Co. in Eureka.  The Crown Room was architect James W. Reid’s masterpiece – its wooden ceiling was installed with pegs and glue, not a single nail was used.  The hard times of the 1890’s depression brought sugar magnate John Spreckels into the picture.  He fell in love with “The Del” and became the sole proprietor by 1892.  Hotel del Coronado has been host to the rich and famous over the years and continues to do so to this day.  Eleven U. S. Presidents have visited The Del, starting with Benjamin Harrison in 1891.  One of the resort’s most famous visitors was England’s Prince of Wales in 1920, who later became King Edward VIII.  America’s early legends hosted by the Hotel included Thomas Edison, Babe Ruth, and famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, who was honored at The Del in 1927 after his successful trans-Atlantic flight.  Many movie celebrities have graced Hotel del Coronado from Charlie Chaplin and Humphrey Bogart to Brad Pitt and Madonna.  In 1958 the Del served as the backdrop for the comedy classic “Some Like It Hot” starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon.  Hundreds of tourists, like the Landon’s, visit the Hotel each day and enjoy a refreshing drink on one of the outdoor patio’s overlooking the beach.

Beach front Patio's at The Del

Beach Paradise at The Del

One of many Bird Species in Southern California