San Diego
Old Town
For most of the 19th century, Old Town was the heart of San Diego. Today, kids can walk around the Plaza, stopping into San Diego's first public school house, the stable and blacksmith's shop, a Spanish adobe family house, the Wells Fargo bank, commercial restaurant and the newspaper office. And also, don't miss the Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcala, the first mission in California.
Old Town State Historic Park - For most of the 19th century, Old Town was the heart of San Diego. Today, walk around the Plaza, stopping into San Diego's first public school house, the stable and blacksmith's shop, a Spanish adobe family house, the Wells Fargo bank, commercial restaurant and the newspaper office.
Robinson-Rose House (Visitor's Center) - Start your explorations of Old Town at the Visitor's Center, where you can see a cool diorama of Old Town in 1872. Seeley Stables - In the stable you'll find a well-preserved collection of carriages, buckboards, stagecoaches, harness and saddle displays, and brands used by Mexican cowboys, the vaqueros. Out back are original covered wagons and wooden freight wagons.Blackhawk Smithy and Stable - The blacksmith's shop was essential to a frontier town - the blacksmith made hammers, saws, nails, nuts and bolts, chisels, wrenches, shovels, axes, horseshoes and wagon wheels. At the blacksmith's shop, watch demonstrations at the forge and anvil, hammering out nails, horseshoes and carriage parts. Mason St. School - Be sure to check out San Diego's first public school, the Mason St. School. The little red one-room school house was built in 1865. Sit down in the old fashioned desks, and imagine doing your homework with chalk on a black slate. Machado y Stewart House - Next to the school, take a peek into this house, simply furnished and typical of ordinary life. La Casa de Estudillo - This is one of Old Town's original adobe houses, built in 1829. The house is constructed around a central courtyard with a fountain. The dark, cool, rooms are furnished in the style of an upper-class family - the formal dining room, parlor, family chapel, bedrooms, large kitchen, with outdoor cooking oven. Don't miss the kid's room with antique dolls!Commercial Restaurant (La Casa de Machado y Silvas) - Find out what a typical restaurant looked like in the mid nineteenth century.San Diego Union Building - The San Diego Union was San Diego's first newspaper. The first edition of the newspaper came off the press in 1868. In the exhibit you can see the editor's office, hand press and type racks.Wells Fargo Bank - Wells Fargo operated a stagecoach service, as well as banking for miners and prospectors. East of San Diego, the gold mines in Julian were very productive. Inside the bank is a full size stagecoach, and scales for weighing gold nuggets. Practice your Morse code (an essential skill for telegraph operators).Music and dance - Listen to mariachi bands and watch Folklorico performances on the weekends. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) live entertainment at Fiesta de Reyes during October. Cinco de Mayo is fiesta day in Old Town.Tip: In May, don't miss the Cinco de Mayo Festival, Colorful and fun for everyone in the family - live music on stage, equestrian groups in flowing costumes, re-creation of the Battle of Puebla (all events are free). Little ones will enjoy a ride in the Wells Fargo stagecoach.
Old Presidio Historic Trail - From the southwest corner of the Plaza, at Mason St., walk east from Old Town, up the hill to the Presidio, site of the first California mission and military outpost. Follow the signs to find out more information along the way. It's not a long walk, and the Presidio Park is the perfect spot for a picnic.
Junipero Serra Museum and Presidio Park - In 1769, Father Junipero Serra founded the first mission in San Diego on Presidio Hill. The hill also became the site of the first fort, presidio, built by Spanish soldiers. Long before the Spanish came, the Kumeyaay people lived at the base of Presidio Hill.
The Serra Museum, a mission-style building, features exhibits of clothing, tools, and furniture from the Kumayaay, Spanish, and Mexican eras. Much of the Kumeyaay artifacts have been patiently excavated over the years. Don't miss the cannons and cannonballs. Climb up the tower for a bird's eye view of Mission Bay and the beaches.
In Presidio Park, there are picnic tables, shady, grassy areas, and wonderful views of Old Town and the surrounding area.
Mission San Diego de Alcala - In 1774, due to a lack of a reliable water supply, the mission was moved from Presidio Hill, six miles up the valley (Mission Valley).Today, you can see the whitewashed adobe brick church, a bell tower, garden, and ruins of the monastery.
Fun food
Watch tortillas being made by hand at the Old Town Mexican Cafe and Coyote Cafe (and buy them hot off the griddle). At El Mercadito in Fiesta de Reyes, pick up delicious churros and baked goods. Kids can also try old fashioned sodas and sarsaparilla at Old Town House of Jerkey and Root Beer. And throughout Old Town are lots of places to eat tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and tostadas.
Shopping
Stop into shops which features folk arts, crafts and clothing of Mexico and Central America, such as Bazaar del Mundo. In Old Town, you can watch artisans at work, dipping candles or making pottery.
