Tag Archive | sunsets

Star of India And Some Star Sunsets in San Diego

Who said there could not be star sunsets?  I’m sure this was a star sunset.  To me a star, is something that shines bright.  Yes, a star and the sun both shine bright, so let’s just for once call it a star sunset.

Sunset in San Diego at the Embarcadero

Sunset in San Diego at the Embarcadero

I wish the little reflection thing in the water (round green light) hadn’t shown up on my picture, but let it be part of it as I don’t do any retouching of my pictures.

Sunset in San Diego at the Embarcadero

Sunset in San Diego at the Embarcadero

On this same night of the star sunset, just a little earlier, I took a picture of the Star of India.  I like to think this could be the Star of San Diego too.

Star of India in San Diego

Star of India in San Diego

Even more compelling for the argument of calling it Star of India, and Star of San Diego is when my little girl enters the picture – she is the star of India to me, even though she has not been there yet (India, of course is birthplace of my parents), she is the star of San Diego (her birthplace).  She is the star of the UK (my birthplace) and also the star of Italy (her dad’s birthplace). My little star is associated with four different countries.  Of course, she’s not really a star in these 4 places, just in my eyes.

Star of India in San Diego

Star of India in San Diego

This picture below was not taken this summer like all the other ones, it was taken last year (even time-stamped).  I’m not sure if I like the time-stamp feature, I stopped using it. I did some posts previously on the Star of India, you can read it by clicking on this link.

Star of India in San Diego

Star of India in San Diego

So, I’m not sharing many pictures today, in fact, I have been quite stingy with pictures compared to usual.  Sorry for not writing too much lately.  I have been caught up in so many other life events, you wouldn’t believe it.  I hope you are all having a wonderful October.

Sunsets At The Hotel Del

The sunsets at the Hotel Del, well…..they’re just swell!  What more can I say.  It’s just swell at the Hotel Del!

By the way, the Hotel Del in Coronado is just about a ten minute drive from downtown San Diego.  Did you know that Coronado is an island that is accessible by crossing the beautiful Coronado Bay Bridge?  Now you know that, you just have to make your way there.

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

So, I told you it’s swell at the Hotel Del………and that’s just the sunsets!

Spectacular Star of India Sunset

I do enjoy beautiful sunsets, but tonight’s sunset was spectacular – what more do you expect on July 4th?  I hope you all had a great day !

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Star of India sunset on July 4th, 2014

A Little Bit of Paradise At The Hotel Del, Coronado

I love to go to the Hotel Del – that place is just what the doctor would order or should order for anyone to get away from it all!  It makes me feel content and serene and as though I am on vacation.  Yesterday, on November 30th, we finally got to go and visit this beautiful place again.  My heart had been yearning for the Hotel Del.  I was so excited to go and visit it again.

On the way to the Hotel Del, there are many picture taking opportunities:

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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near the Hotel Del, Coronado

Don’t park in the hotel grounds as you will have to pay for parking, and it isn’t cheap.  There is plenty of free parking by the beach on the main streets.  We had to park about a ten-minute walk away from the hotel, but it’s such a lovely place to take a walk.  Just take in the surroundings all around and you won’t be disappointed.

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near the Hotel Del, Coronado

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near the Hotel Del, Coronado

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near the Hotel Del, Coronado

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near the Hotel Del, Coronado

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near the Hotel Del, Coronado

People just love to gaze at the Hotel Del, well……it’s so swell!

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near the Hotel Del, Coronado

Coronado near the Hotel Del

Coronado near the Hotel Del

Finally, we got to the Hotel Del.  The ice-skating rink is now open for the holidays and I could just stand here for hours taking in the happiness of everyone and the beauty all around.

I couldn’t decide if I wanted pictures with the hotel in the background

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

or without it

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del

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Hotel Del Ice-Skating Rink, Coronado

Hotel Del Ice-Skating Rink, Coronado

Hotel Del Ice-Skating Rink, Coronado

You might want to start with taking a break, just to take in the surrounding beauty while you have an ice-cream from Moo-Time Creamery or grab a cup of coffee or a cold drink – this area shown in the picture below is a self-service area and it is ever so relaxing and a great place to sit.

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

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Moo-Time Creamery, Hotel Del, Coronado

There’s plenty of shops and places to get treats

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The Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Then, you’ll want to go and see the lobby and  the Christmas tree, and some more of the grounds of the hotel

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

This tree is located where the Sheerwater Restaurant is and close by to where the self-service coffee shop is located

Hotel Del, Coronado

If you go through the lobby and past the tree, then you can exit from the other side and wander out into the beautiful garden

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

This area shown below is a restaurant with out-door seating and a prime view of not just the ocean, but people-watching

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

We ended up staying for several hours, and got treated to a nice sunset.

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Hotel Del, Coronado

Feel like some hot chocolate out by the ice-skating rink?  Then you should try Coffee By The Sea

Hotel Del, Coronado

The ice-skating rink is now bathed in a beautiful sun-set

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Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Did you know that the beach is just a few steps away from the Hotel Del?  Such a fantastic setting!
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Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Then the sunset became even more spectacular, but how could it be other than spectacular in this beautiful of most beautiful places?

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

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Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Last, but not least…..this place is just where you have to come to get into the holiday spirit!  It looks like a holiday bonanza, and it is so festive and elegant here that I can’t describe it accurately enough.

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Did I tell you that I loved the Hotel Del, did I tell you it is so so swell?  It is beautiful and I highly recommend that you visit.

Summer, Sunsets and Fun in San Diego

Summer, sunsets and fun were all in one place – the San Diego County Fair in beautiful Del Mar.

First, the sunset

Sunset at San Diego County Fair

Sunset at San Diego County Fair

Here’s a pre-sunset picture capturing some of the people at the Fair

San Diego County Fair, Del Mar

San Diego County Fair, Del Mar

Then the sunset again

San Diego County Fair, Del Mar

San Diego County Fair, Del Mar

and one more time

San Diego County Fair, Del Mar

San Diego County Fair, Del Mar

Well, you can’t beat summer fun, lights, sunset and Paradise all rolled into one.  The San Diego Fair – got to say, it’s one of the best Fairs out there!

San Diego Sunset Picture (Of Coronado) Will Be In Get Away San Diego’s Next Issue

This is a first for me – to have my picture be selected in a contest – I am so excited!  Granted, mine was not the best picture, but my picture made it as one of the top ten!

Coronado, San Diego

Coronado, San Diego

I entered a competition that Get Away San Diego posted on their Facebook page, just out of curiousity.  My picture shown above of the sunset near the Hotel Del in Coronado is the reason I just had to write today!  My photo will be published in the next edition of Get Away San Diego .  I don’t think my picture is as good as the other nine that made it into the top ten, but all ten will be shown in the next issue.  However, since this is the first time for me that I have won such a contest, I am ecstatic!  If it’s good enough to be chosen, it’s good enough to be happy about.

If you want to see the other pictures in Get Away San Diego’s Album, you can take a look right here Get Away San Diego’s Photo Contest Winners.

My whole family loves the Hotel Del, and Coronado.  Here is my little Chandi on the beach at Hotel Del.

Hotel Del - Coronado

Hotel Del – Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

So for anyone who wants to wine a bit, I have a picture for you – it’s also taken in Coronado.

Wine Styles, Coronado

Wine Styles, Coronado

And for all those who would love to see what’s so great about the Hotel Del, here’s some more pictures.

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Marilyn Monroe shot one of her movies here “Some Like It Hot”, and this tree is famous partly because of that movie, and Marilyn Monroe.

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

People love to visit the Hotel Del, and many weddings and parties take place here.

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

The grounds of this hotel are absolutely stunning!  Do you know you can spend an entire day here, and not be bored?  There’s the beach, restaurants galore, tennis, a swimming pool and of course shops, and the hotel lobby to look at.

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del's Lobby Chandelier, Coronado

Hotel Del’s Lobby Chandelier, Coronado

Of course, my little Princess belongs here, that’s why I like to bring her time and time again!

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Don’t forget that Coronado is just a 15 to 20 minute drive from downtown San Diego, or just a boat ride across – here are some useful tips on how to get around.

I may have said this before, but the Hotel Del is swell!  I am so glad that one of my pictures is going to be published, and I’m glad that it was taken in beautiful Coronado.

 

On another note:

Lately, I have also been toying with another idea….to enter one of my videos into a competition or to make a new one – perhaps of San Diego.  I decided to not enter the competition or attempt making a new video for it, because I can’t go away for 6 months and leave my kids, neither can I take them with me (two of them can’t take six months away from school, and it wouldn’t be fair to take just the youngest one) – so this kind of competition is not meant for me.  Want to know which competition I am referring to?  It’s this one: http://www.mydestination.com/bbb/competition#faq1 and if you want to know who has my full support in this particular competition, it’s Lesley Carter from Bucket List Publications: http://lesleycarter.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/if-you-could-make-someones-bucket-list-dreams-a-reality-would-you/

Sunsets in Coronado, San Diego

Sunsets can be spectacular in San Diego, and Coronado which is only a two mile drive or so from downtown San Diego is no exception.  Some of the best sunsets can be found right here.

Coronado, San Diego

Coronado, San Diego

Me and the kids went to one of our favorite places in the San Diego area – across the Bay – and onto the island of Coronado.  Coronado is only a 5 minute drive or so from  downtown San Diego – you head down Highway 5 and take the 75 South to Coronado, then when you see Orange Avenue, make a left and you can head to the Hotel Del.

I think this picture below would have come out nice if the car hadn’t got in the way, but I think the passengers wanted to see the sunset too.  I can’t blame them.

Coronado, San Diego

Coronado, San Diego

I think the sunset looks pretty like this too

Coronado, San Diego

Coronado, San Diego

Most of these pictures were taken right before we got to Hotel Del (just a few minutes walk away), and some further down the page were taken at the beach in front of the hotel.

Coronado

Coronado

Coronado

Coronado

Coronado

Coronado

I think these two trees below might be the same ones that were in my personal favorite sunset picture that I took in Coronado (seen below the one directly underneath)

Coronado

Coronado

My favorite sunset picture taken just over a year ago on Christmas Day (2011)

Coronado

Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del, Coronado

The Hotel Del is swell!  It’s a great place to visit, or even stay at (I stayed there once for three nights in 2008).  Top your visit off with some gelato from Mootime Creamery, their wonderful ice-cream store.

Mootime Creamery, Hotel Del

Mootime Creamery, Hotel Del

Well, I will leave you with a few more sunset pictures, this one was taken right in front of the Hotel Del

Coronado

Coronado

This is on the way to the Hotel Del, just a few minutes walk away right now.

Coronado

Coronado

This picture was taken right in front of the Hotel Del

Coronado

Coronado

Coronado
Coronado
Coronado
Coronado

The clouds were even a little black today, we’ve had quite a bit of rain the past few weeks.

Coronado
Coronado

There’s nothing like bringing in the New Year in with sunsets, and that’s just what we did this year – that’s when these pictures were taken (except for the Christmas Day, 2011 picture).  Remember, to get to Coronado from San Diego is not very hard at all.  It’s just a two mile drive or so from downtown, across the Coronado Bridge.

Coronado Bridge

Coronado Bridge

To get this view of the San Diego skyline (seen below), all you do is go across the Coronado Bridge and make a right at Orange Avenue, you would then make another right, and park on your left hand side where the shops are and where the Il Fornaio restaurant is.  Some of the hotels seen in the San Diego skyline are the Hyatt Grand Manchester, the Marriott Marquis & Marina and the Hilton BayFront (I’ve also stayed at all these hotels).  Please feel free to get in touch with me for making hotel reservations, or recommendations.  As you can see, these hotels are fairly close to Coronado, and should definitely be on your list of hotels to consider staying at when you come to San Diego.  You will have the best of both worlds – be close to Coronado and still be close to all the other fabulous attractions near these hotels, such as Seaport Village, the Gaslamp District, Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and shopping at one of the most gorgeous shopping malls in the entire world – at Horton Plaza.  Please see my previous post: Scenic San Diego.

San Diego Skyline from Coronado

San Diego Skyline from Coronado

By the way, I wish you all a Happy New Year, and I’m so sorry for not writing as frequently, time is in short supply….but I will try harder.  May the New Year bring you plenty of spectacular sunsets, and much happiness.