subject: Back to the Old Days of San Diego [print this page] Author: James Cook Author: James Cook
The Old Town San Diego State Park is a protected historic park that chronicles the beginnings and the history behind the city of San Diego. Though San Diego is one of the largest cities in the state of California and in fact the United States, this park takes you back to the days when San Diego was a small Spanish outpost where life went by slowly. The park preserves the history of the city from the period dating back to the Mexican War of Independence from the period starting in 1821 till the period of American occupation in 1872. The Old Town Park is located On San Diego Avenue and Twiggs Street in San Diego County a place where life moves slowly and the hustle and bustle of the city seems a long way a way. This was what life was like during the early Spanish days of the area. The historical timeline of the region is as fascinating as the glitzy lights that adorn the busy city today. In 1542, the Spanish first came to San Diego but did not start a settlement until much later in 1769. Later in the Mexican War of Independence Mexico broke off from its colonial Spanish rulers together with the US state of California. Following the Mexican War and the Bear Flag revolt in 1848 the state was California was annexed by the US and with it came the city of San Diego. What was previously a small Spanish military outpost started burgeoning into a new town in 1868. This area is now known as Downtown San Diego and the old town was left mostly abandoned and later turned in to the historical park which we see today. Visitors to the park can see some of the original buildings that were used during the 1800s. Among them are the five original adobes which are buildings constructed with brick that was made of sand and clay. The complex also includes a couple of shops, restaurants, a museum and school buildings. Among the historic buildings is San Diegos first newspaper office known as the San Diego Union Printing Office, Mason Street School which was California first public school, La Casa de Estudillo a historic mansion and La Casa de Machado y Stewart that is a veritable treasure trove of artifacts and historic furniture. The Old Town San Diego State Park also features a four acre plaza that showcases local artisans and craftsman while also acting as an activity centre where cultural presentations are made for tourists. A number of San Diego hotels can also be found close by, while other hotels in San Diegos downtown area also offer great entertainment and shopping options.About the Author:
James Cook is an executive working for Hotelseye, which is a popular online reservation portal with a wide collection of San Diego hotels and also this portal also it provides services links to San Diego travel such as car rentals and flight reservations. For more info please visit http://www.sandiegohotelseye.com/
