Going to my nephew's USMC graduation next week and will have a day to tour and shoot before the festivities. Any must see/must do's??
Tour the Midway and if possible, come back at night with tripod when the aircraft carrier is lit up.
As I see you are from NM I assume your son is graduating from boot camp at San Diego rather than Parris Island. You will find much to see and do in the area including the San Diego Zoo. As CHG CANON suggested the Naval ships in the area are an attraction as well. San Diego is a spread out city so you might check online to see what is close to where you will be.
My nephew graduated from the San Diego bootcamp years ago and his dad, my twin brother, both went to see him graduate. If you are like most Americans you will be filled with pride, and probably a few tears, watching your son graduate as a Marine. It is quite the ceremony and well worth watching especially if you are there to see someone special as they graduate.
From my brother and I, class of Parris Island, January 1964, Please give your son a heartfelt, Semper Fi, from two old combat Marines from Vietnam. We wish him well on his USMC journey. He made a great choice.
Dennis
billnourse wrote:
Going to my nephew's USMC graduation next week and will have a day to tour and shoot before the festivities. Any must see/must do's??
Balboa Park is tremendous. Honestly, I think the zoo was a tad overrated.
So much in the area it's hard to pick a few. Balboa Park is unique to Dego and has a Blvd lined with several buildings housing various museums, and more. The Park's buildings and scenery is beautiful and a lot of photo opportunities in the park. The Zoo is among the best in the US. The Wild Animal Park is great. The original Sea World is in Dego. If you go to the Midway, there are other ships along the same stretch of harbor, such as the square rigged, Star of India, and one of the ships from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. As above, the harbor at night has a lot of photo possibilities. Old Town is both very interesting, and photogenic. You need about 3-4 days to take a casual tour of the city, and a week if you're going to see a lot of places.
At MCRD a monopod can be helpful, but a tripod will get in the way. There is also a museum at MCRD. Remember that MCRD is an active military base and very restricted as to where you can take photos. Always ask first.
Good luck and enjoy.
Cabrillo National Monument is a high point on the West side offers great views of the city and NAS North Island. You will pass through one of our national cemeteries, Fort Rosecrans, along the way.
bpulv
Loc: Buena Park, CA
CHG_CANON wrote:
Tour the Midway and if possible, come back at night with tripod when the aircraft carrier is lit up.
I second the Midway. Also, the San Diego Zoo. I would plan a whole day for that. Balboa Park where the zoo is located, also has museums and other attractions. When you see the Midway, you may also want to look at the Santa Fe Railroad station that is about three blocks away. It is beautifully preserved. Seaworld is another popular attraction on Mission Bay.
sea world is not as great as it once was. it is mostly rides now a Do you need a ride tomorrow very few shows. went last year with the family. been to the midway twice. got to use my lifetime membership the second time. you can get this if you had served on board her otherwise it is an annual membership. the fees go to support the running of the museum and sponsored programs, one of which his a cruise to Alaska next year that I am here am taking with my family.
59-mile Scenic Drive. You'll see a little of everything.
There are also four very well done model railroads at Balboa Park. One of them models the Tehachapi Loop located on the Southern Pacific in the mountains north of Bakersfield.
Or you could food hop and sample fish tacos from as many restaurants and bars as you can hit!
russelray wrote:
59-mile Scenic Drive. You'll see a little of everything.
I've never heard of the 59-mile Scenic Drive and I'm a native San Diegan who has lived here my entire life (except a few years spent in Taos, NM and Denver, Colorado).
Of course I have seen the "Scenic Drive" signs everywhere, but never realized they were an interconnected, organized, route meant to be followed.
So I looked it up and apparently it
is a "thing":
https://www.sandiego.org/articles/tours-sightseeing/san-diegos-59-mile-scenic-drive.aspxWho knew?
Re the OP's question, looks like you've been given some great ideas.
Someone already mentioned Cabrillo National Monument - it features a nice lighthouse and amazing views. It is usually very windy up there so it can be chilly even when sunny. Bring your National Park Pass (if you have one) and there is no entry fee.
If you are limited to one day, Balboa Park should be the plan. So much to see and do and free!!!
Whenever in San Diego, I always make time to go to La Jolla which is a very short distance from downtown. From the coastline to the town itself to Torrey Pines & the hang glider park there are many opportunities for photographers.
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