Old Town San Diego

Old Town San Diego is considered the birthplace of California, as it is the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in California. Father Junipero Serra established the first of his chain of missions here in 1769. The mission and Presidio were built on a hillside overlooking Old Town. In the 1820s, a small Mexican community was established at the bottom of the hill. In 1835, this village became El Pueblo of San Diego. (History lesson: Mexico became independent from Spain in 1821 and, hence, became the ruler of California. California became part of the United States, independent from Mexico, in 1848.) Photo: Welcome to Old Town San Diego sign. Many of the buildings in this section of Old Town have a western look. This building houses the Tin Shop. There are over 100 stores in Old Town.

Old Town San Diego

Some tin mirrors being sold at the Tin Shop, all quite reasonably priced.

Old Town San Diego

Tin angels.

Old Town San Diego

The Tin Shop also had a good selection of reasonably priced Mexican tin mirrors. I was looking at this one but resisted buying it as I couldn’t figure out a place in my house to put it. Maybe later.

Old Town San Diego

The Plaza with some old adobe buildings.

Old Town San Diego

The Johnson House, built in 1869 by George Alonzo Johnson, a steamboat caption.

Old Town San Diego

Adobe bricks being made on the side of the Johnson House. Adobe bricks are seldom used anymore as a building material in California because they don’t hold up well in earthquake country, but they are still used in New Mexico as their use gives buildings a very nice different old centuries look.

Old Town San Diego

Toler’s Leather Depot.

Old Town San Diego

Groceries and Provisions.

Old Town San Diego

The Seeley Stable Museum. Albert Seeley ran the San Diego to Los Angeles Stage Line. He was put out of business in 1887 when the railroad came. Seeley Stables was the Yuma/San Diego stage stop in the 1850s.

Old Town San Diego

Fiesta de Reyes. For people who haven’t visited Old Town San Diego for some time (Brett and me), you’ll remember that Old Town’s Mexican flavor was restricted to the Fiesta de Reyes shops (overpriced) and Mexican restaurants and some ranshackle stores on another street selling Mexican curios. The Fiesta de Reyes section is still there but without the crowds of former years.

Old Town San Diego

More of Fiesta de Reyes.

Interesting offer at a restaurant at Fiesta de Reyes: Cinco de Mee–Yo! Free Meal.

Old Town San Diego

Immaculate Conception Church, built in the Spanish Mission style in 1917. It has one of the original San Diego Mission bells.

Old Town San Diego

The great surprise to visitors to Old Town San Diego who haven’t been here for quite a while is the street nearby the area of the first photos that is truly Mexican in flavor, with many restaurants and stores. You can definitely feel that you are in Mexico when you are walking along this street. Photo: Statue outside Fred’s restaurant.

Old Town San Diego

Another statue outside Fred’s.

Old Town San Diego

Flour tortillas being made outside the Coyote Cafe.

She is now rolling out the dough.

Holding up a perfect flour tortilla before putting it on a grill to cook. I really like this photo.

Old Town San Diego

Outside the Coyote Cafe where we ate lunch. The freshly made flour tortillas were heavenly.

Old Town San Diego

Another tortilla maker.

Old Town San Diego

Rolling out the dough.

Old Town San Diego

Putting it on the grill to cook.

Old Town San Diego

Tiled stairway outside the Coyote Cafe.

Old Town San Diego

There are many stores on this street selling Mexican curios, pottery, clothes, etc. The prices were a bit higher, but only a bit, than across the border in Mexico and there was a wide selection of merchandise. A very good place to shop if you are interested in items from Mexico and it has many more stores than on Olvera Street in Los Angeles. One store we went into also sold Southwest merchandise. Photo: talavera pots and Mexican curios.

Old Town San Diego

Many parrots.

Old Town San Diego

A cute parrot.

Old Town San Diego

Small tin mirrors.

Old Town San Diego

Many talavera items.

Old Town San Diego

Inside a large store.

Old Town San Diego

Well dressed Day of the Dead dolls.