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California Dreamin'


On my last post about spending New Year's in San Francisco, I mentioned how I loved all the history everywhere you went.  Now, I am at the famous and historical Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego and I just might never leave this place.  Bruce has a convention here so I decided to tag along.  And talk about historical...much of this place is original that was built in 1888 and it is so gorgeous.  It even has a ghost story attached to this hotel about a beautiful, young woman who checked into room 3327 in 1892 and never checked out...


 and so many famous people have been here including eleven U.S Presidents starting with Benjamin Harrison in 1891 and the person I mainly know this place for...


Marilyn Monroe in the movie Some Like it Hot with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, known as the greatest American comedy of all time.  I always loved that movie.  Charles Lindberg was also here after he accomplished his flight across the Atlantic.  His plane was built here in San Diego so they had a grand celebration for him in the Crown Room.

This room is amazing, all the woodwork handmade with no nails at all.  The lighting was designed by L. Frank Baum, author of the Wizard of Oz, who was a frequent visitor to Hotel de Coronado during the winter months and they ended up naming the room after his lighting.  They've had two Presidential state dinners here, too.  The only two ever held outside Washington, DC.  You can probably tell I took a guided tour of the place already so that's how I know about all this history. Our tour guide was a history buff and has worked at the hotel for 15 years. 


 His sister got married here and he said his parents spent all his inheritance on it.  Even with his 25% employee discount, the wedding cost $80,000.  Oh, my!  But I'm sure it was a beautiful wedding.


 I have visited this hotel a couple other times when we lived in Orange County in the '70's so I can't say I've never been here but I remember how in awe I was when I came here before.    


I haven't been here 24 hours yet so I haven't even eaten that much but I can't wait to start experiencing the food here.  I had a leisurely morning today, as Bruce was off at 6:30 am for golf, a beautiful 80 degree day for their golf tournament.


 For breakfast, I walked over to a little walk-up coffee bar and got a very European type meal which was suppose to be a lunch, I think, but it's what I felt like.  It was a super delicious croissant, some salami and prosciutto, chèvre and brie cheese with olives and an excellent latte. Yes, I'd be perfectly happy never leaving this place.


 This is my second post in a row about California.  I wonder what that is saying?  That I'm getting tired of winter and want to be a warm climate?  I've always gravitated to warm climates so that is nothing new for me.  I was excited about coming to San Diego with Bruce but to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't mind if we never left this beautiful Hotel de Coronado.
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