Journey 2: Liberty Station ...

Round Trip Distance -- 43 miles

Cap'n Baldy here!

      As many of us know, San Diego was, and continues to be, a U.S. Navy town! The sprawling Naval Training Center on Point Loma was active from 1923 until its closure in 1997. The Navy has since passed the property to the City of San Diego, which has a long-term plan for developing this area into a center for commerce, history and the arts. The emerging design is called Liberty Station. As much as possible, Bertham Goodhue’s original Spanish Colonial architecture has been retained and the place is morphing into an edgy agreeable collection of shops, cool restaurants and artist studios.

      Barbara is taking a modern dance class here … at the new Dance Place in Liberty Station! I am overjoyed by this development, which revives Barbara’s past passion for dance and choreography. We had both thought this chapter of her life to be closed due to the effects of age and an aggregation of insults and injuries to her neck, shoulders, brain, heart and knee! Not so! She is reconnecting with members of her former dance group to create a dance in celebration of their teacher's 50th wedding anniversary!

Barbara and her dance group decades ago ...

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We now proceed with our journey at Liberty Station ...

    One of our favorite country songs is Alan Jackson's "A Work in Progress". That definitely summarizes the current state of Liberty Station! Remodeling and creation of new work spaces are everywhere! Y'all want craft beer? Check out Stone Brewery Bistro's tank array!



    Old military barracks are being morphed into new creations. ... artist studios, museums, a candle-making shop, an exotic tea shop! It looks to us that Mr. Goodhue's architectural genius continues to be put to good use!

     Do y'all remember the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" children's song? It seems that downspouts are a favorite location for geocaches here in Liberty Station!
Ace Hardware looks to be a world for future exploration!

    Overwhelm! Based in the cavernous former recruit mess hall, the Stone Brewery Bistro is currently the largest restaurant in San Diego! Awesome food here with lots of jalapeno chiles ... this place is a KEEPER!

    Believe it or not, this is a Von's Supermarket! We think of it as absolutely the coolest supermarket in San Diego!

     One thing to remember about Liberty Station is that all y'all are directly under the flight path of commercial jets coming out of Lindbergh Field! One learns to make allowances for this unavoidable fact!

     I said I wouldn't use any more Southernisms. I lied.

 

     Here sits a commissioned naval vessel that never sailed on water! We learned 50,000 recruits were trained aboard this vessel each year!

    The old central Parade Ground!

 

    Walking around this place will surely wear a person out!  Should that be the case, seriously good oatmeal raisin cookies are to be found in Liberty Station! I thought y'all would like to know that fact! Just don't tell Goldilocks I told y'all!

 

    Signing off now ... until our next journey, stay happy and stay well!

    Thanks for sticking with us!

 

Affectionately,

Baldy