The Secrets of San Diego Architecture

When it comes to traveling, it is exciting to travel internationally and see all the romantic sites and interesting places. But what about looking right here in our backyard? For example, take San Diego; there’s a reason that San Diego is called America’s Finest City.

Truth be told, San Diego is home to some of the world’s most iconic landmarks with historical significance. So pack your creativity and sense of adventure, and let’s go!

First stop: The Hotel del Coronado. The architects were James and Merritt Reid. The style is Queen Anne. Hold on to your hats because we are going to blow your mind. Did you know that this San Diego architectural masterpiece was one of the first buildings in the world to be equipped with electric lighting? Remember, it opened in 1888, and Thomas Edison himself supervised the installation. Isn’t that a hoot? 

This gorgeous romantic get-a-way also has a haunted history; it has been said that the ghost of Kate Morgan, a young lady who checked into the hotel in 1892, was found dead five days later. She was found on the steps leading to the beach–the reason was deemed a suicide. Many guests through the years claimed to have encountered her ghost.

Our next stop is Balboa Park’s California Tower. Bertram Goodhue designed it in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. This architectural marvel was initially built for the Panama-California Exposition, which celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal. Here’s a secret that very few people know about—a time capsule placed in the tower contains artifacts from that era and is to be opened eventually. That’s when we will find out what the time capsule contains. How exciting!

Our third and final stop today is Point Loma Lighthouse. The architect is unknown, and the style is 19th-century Cape Cod. This lighthouse had a short operational life because of visibility issues caused by the high elevation; it only operated for 36 years and was decommissioned on March 23, 1891, but it was used as a signal station by the U.S. Army during WWII. The Point Loma Lighthouse also had a keeper’s quarters for the lighthouse keeper and their family. Today, you can experience what it must have been like to be a lighthouse keeper and live in the 19th century.

We just gave you three places in California where you can have a fun, affordable vacation. There’s no excuse as to why you shouldn’t have an exciting, romantic, and educational getaway right here in your neck of the woods.