PassPort to San Diego

LOCAL LIVING RESOURCE for Residents, Visitors & Newcomers

Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach, A Hilton Hotel Resort & Spa

LOCAL LIVING RESOURCE for Residents, Visitors & Newcomers

Museums

Cruise into August’s warm summer days with cool events! Catch Thoroughbred horse racing, live theater, a fine-arts festival, wine-tasting, and savor summer dishes throughout the month! Check out our August newsletter for more things to do here: https://buff.ly/2GHU9f7

Cathy Hendrie
PassPort to San Diego

Learn about honor, courage, sacrifice and commitment by veterans to our nation in this important living history museum in Balboa Park. Housed in a former Navy Chapel, the hilltop venue honors the U.S. Armed Forces and Wartime Merchant Marine through impressive exhibits, memorabilia, artwork and documents.

See real U.S. Army Calvary boots from World War I. Marvel at a mural signed by local World War I and World War II vets. Explore at a life-size recreation of a bunker in the Korean War. Spend time in a room devoted to the Vietnam War complete with a timeline along three walls; and another room dedicated to women in the military.

Out in front of the museum, read about Brigadier Gen. Robert Cardenas (from San Diego) adjacent to the replica B-24 bomber representing all air and ground crews who made wartime and peacetime missions possible. Also spend time at the Purple Heart memorial, engraved with the Guy de Maupassant quote “you have never lived until you have almost died. For those who have fought for it life has a flavor that the protected will never know.” Steps away, enjoy the “Rosie the Riveter” Rose Garden honoring the woman’s working force of World War II.

Also inspiring are the museum’s annual events, including a Spirit of ’45 Day, a tribute to the can-do spirit of the entire generations of Americans who resumed peacetime lives after enduring the trials and hardships of World War II upon the surrender of Japan to the U.S. and its Allies August 15, 1945. The National Day is annually observed the second Sunday of August and will be held Aug. 11, 2019, at the museum.

Other events include the San Diego County’s Veteran of the Year program in November, which salutes vets’ service to the community; and the solemn but important reading of the names of San Diegans killed in the Vietnam War or listed as missing in action each Memorial Day weekend.

Much more than stories and pictures, the venue is central to the active-duty community, which holds military promotions, retirements and memorials. It is also used for fundraisers, banquets, seminars and weddings. In recent years, the museum has been hosting art shows, concerts and theatrical events.

The museum’s newest exhibit is “Veterans Who Became Presidents,” featuring leaders whose U.S. military service was of significant or unique character, and how it influenced them during their term in office. The exhibit is on display Feb. 19 – May 18, 2019.

The museum is at at 2115 Park Blvd., and is open from 10 a.m-4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for veterans and seniors, $2 for students with active I.D. and FREE for children 12 and under and active military families.

Use their coupon here to Buy One Admission & Get 1 Free. Call (619) 239-2300 or visit veteranmuseum.org.

1957 Peacock Blue Ford Thunderbird

Cathy Hendrie
PassPort to San Diego

Take a trip down memory lane while touring the San Diego Automotive Museum’s new world-class exhibit, “ICONS: Cars That Drove Our Imagination.”

The dazzling display filling the museum’s expansive showroom features classic and famous cars and motorcycles, wowing visitors with their sleek, elegant and innovative designs. Above all, though, the show is undeniably about reverence and nostalgia, evoking entertaining and era-defining stories behind each iconic model.

All are showstoppers and hail from around the globe. Strolling about, enthusiasts and aficionados will love the exhibit including models such as:

• A gleaming 1957 Peacock Blue Ford Thunderbird. The stylish ’57 T-bird is an automobile legend, with its chiseled body, large front bumper, porthole window and pronounced tail fins. Thunderbirds were made through 1997, and a retro-style model was produced from 2002 to 2005.

1965 Jaguar E-type XKE Fixed Head Coupe

• A 1965 Jaguar E-type XKE Fixed Head Coupe. This exquisite red racer with wire wheels was known for its incredible performance, and when released was the fastest car available to the public. The car was recently in the news when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle drove to their wedding reception in a vintage Jaguar that had been converted to electric power.
• A pristine 1970 Datsun 240Z. This Japanese sports car started the Z car dynasty of the early 1970s and quickly reached icon status. Owners loved its edgy design, affordability and high performance, out-handling competitors like Triumph and Porsche. Datsun’s U.S. manager Yutaka Katayama also made sure that tall Americans could fit in the car.

1970 Datsun 240Z

• A 1968 Mustang Fastback “Bullitt” Tribute. The first in a new class of automobile known as the “pony car,” the Ford Mustang sports coupes had short rears and long hoods. In response, other carmakers followed up with similar models. GM produced their Camaro and Firebird, Plymouth made the Barracuda and Dodge designed its Challenger. The Mustang reached iconic status after it was featured in the 1968 film “Bullitt,” starring Steve McQueen.
• A 1949 Triumph TRS Trophy 500 Custom — also known as Fonzie’s Motorcycle from “Happy Days.” The American sitcom aired from 1974 to 1984, and the motorcycle at the museum is one of three used on the show. The motorbike helped establish the TV character “The Fonz” as the “King of Cool,” and was provided for the show by stuntman and Triumph dealer Bud Ekins, who removed the front fender, painted the fuel tank silver and changed the handlebars.

The exhibit also features an elegant 1938 Delahaye known for its flowing body and pontoon fenders; a 1963 Chevy Corvette Stingray (the only year the model had a split window); a 2005 Ford GT; a 1972 Citroen; 1969 Morris Mini Cooper; 1967 Volkswagen Bug, and many more wheeled wonders.

The permanent side of the museum is also a car and motorcycle lover’s dream. Not to be missed is Louie Mattar’s Fabulous $75,000 Car, the vehicle that still holds the distance endurance record set in 1952; a 1981 DeLorean, known for it gull-wing doors and made famous as a fictional time machine in the “Back to the Future” films; and a luxurious 1931 Cadillac 452 Roadster, worth the price of admission alone. The museum’s motorcycle collection is also impressive, with models on display such as Indian, Harley, Norton, Ducati, Honda and many more.

“ICONS: Cars That Drove Our Imagination” runs through June 1. The public is invited to the opening reception at the museum on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members includes admission, hors d’oeuvres and beverages.

The museum is at 2080 Pan American Plaza in Balboa Park and is free to all San Diego County residents and military with ID on fourth Tuesdays. On other visits, enjoy 2-for-1 admission here. Call (619) 231-2886 or visit sdautomuseum.org.