Trolley Ride

What do you do when visitors from out of town arrive in town? You join them and become a tourist. Today we hopped on the Old Town Trolley, a hop-on/hop-off guided circumnavigation of San Diego's attractions. The trolley shot is stock footage. The rest were taken on my iPhone.


San Diego's Harbor through the rigging of the clipper, The Star of India. In the background is the supercarrier USS Ronald Reagan.


A drive-by palm tree shooting.


Downtown San Diego and Coronado Island from the Coronado Bridge, 200 feet up.


Hotel Del Coronado, which featured in "Some Like It Hot."


Balboa Park, one of my favorite spots.

An iPhone Harbor Walk

Today, I braved temperatures in the low 70s (with a wind chill factor in the even lower 70s) for an iPhone photo expedition along San Diego's splendid harbor front. Above: You are looking at "The Star of India," the world's oldest active sailing ship, dating from 1863.

A slightly newer ship, the USS Midway, commissioned just after World War II, now a museum.

Looking out to Coronado Island.

The historic Santa Fe Depot (and AMTRAK station), which almost fell to the wrecking ball in 1971.

Harbor Drive.

Gray Whales!

Each year, some 26,000 gray whales migrate in small groups from the Arctic to Baha, Mexico to mate. The technical marine biologist term is spring break. From December to March, these magnificent mammals can be spotted in the waters off San Diego.

Yesterday, I hopped aboard a cruise boat with my movie camera and played nature photographer.

I'll let the video do the talking. Suffice to say, the sight of one of these leviathans breaching the surface transcended all my expectations. Enjoy ...