Enter into old town San Diego
Come take a ride on the Old Town trolley with Yankee Jim and enter San Diego’s Old Town historic Park where the people are friendly, the music is zesty and the air is rich in history.
When only 15 minutes from the border of Mexico, Old Town State Historic Park sits in the heart of downtown San Diego and is teeming with life of old. Merchants play soothing tunes on the flute and sell Spanish trinkets lined delicately with bright, vivid cloth. Locals dress in costume to create an ambiance of the “old west” with a little Latin flavor.
When you enter the Bazaar del Mundo, which means “marketplace of the world” in Spanish, your eyes will open to the charming sights of a real Spanish fiesta. Senioritas in lacey white dresses accented by rich red flowers adorning their hair, swirl to the light music of old Spanish folk dances under the bright blue sky. You may sit and endulge in fresh chips and salsa while chatting with the locals serving you margaritas.
The bazaar’s old-fashioned shops celebrate the fiesta spirit while offering gourmet hot sauce, Guatemalan jackets, vests and tableware. The bazaar would not be fully experienced though, without stopping by the local tortilla hut to get a warm and fresh tortillas made right before your eyes.
The bazaar does not only offer quaint sights and sounds from the rich Hispanic heritage that San Diego is known for, you may also visit shops that feature many different cultures, from the American Southwest to Far East Asia and all around the world.
Lino’s Italian Restaurant serves up a delicious plate of fettuccine alfredo along with some gracious hospitality given by the friendly staff. The patios are laden with bright blooming flowers and the mood is set, engaging all the senses. You can’t help wanting to stay all day enjoying the company with good friends.
As you stroll out of the bazaar and into the park, shops, museums and historic houses line the square. A blacksmith shop, homemade soap shop, San Diego’s first newspaper office and a stable with a carriage collection are just a few of the restored buildings you can wander through. A schoolhouse still stands on the outskirts of the town and still runs to this day. This old historic town offers everyone a quiet and relaxing day complete with unusual sights such as red long johns hanging in the sun to dry in the breeze and rocking chairs being worn in by visitors with tired feet.
Before the day is over, a sweet tooth is put to rest by stopping in at Cousin’s Old Town Candy Shop, the home of famous handmade saltwater taffy. You can get almost any flavor of taffy that your taste buds desire, from watermelon to bubblegum, enough to satisfy even the youngest customers.
Old Town is run by the locals who live all around San Diego. They love the constant old time atmosphere, the authenticity and especially the period clothing, which reflects the cultural history of the town. Established in 1769, San Diego was actually the first Spanish settlement in the golden state of California.
An Old Town trolley attendant, Gary Lamble, says, “The costumes help a lot [with the atmosphere], it honors the fact that it wasn’t the Americans who lived here first.”
As the day winds down and the southern California sun sets in the western sky, but the fun has just begun. The nightlife in Old Town consists of salsa dancing in the clubs and daiquiris on the lush open-air patios.
Life never stops for this little cultural getaway in the middle of the big city. Smiles are always wide and people are always giving. So the next time you’re on vacation in southern California and the beaches just don’t cut it, then perk up your ears, for you just might hear laughing and clapping in the distance and the sound of cultural history being lived out in charming Old Town San Diego.
Jessica Alexander is a sophomore majoring in liberal arts and photographer for the Statesman. Comments may be sent to
jalexander@cc.usu.edu
Homemade tortillas are made fresh and given out to visitors only for tips. (Photo by Jessica Alexander)
Dancers twirl in their lacey white dresses as they dance to Old Spanish folk songs. (Photo by Jessica Alexander)
Old Town trolley tours are offered daily to give visitors a tour of the state park, and even feature special tours like “Ghosts and Graveyards” at night. (Photo by Jessica Alexander)
(Photo by Jessica Alexander)