Coronado is a resort ocean city across the San Diego Bay from Downtown San Diego.  It is connected to the mainland by a tom bolo called the Silver Strand.  Coronado is Spanish for "crowned one" and thus nicknamed the Crown City.  

Coronado is so close, yet seems so far away.  You just need to cross the bay and you immediately feel like you are on vacation in this picturesque community of 25,000 people.  If you are new to San Diego or are here for a visit, this is one place that you need to experience!  According to the United States Census Bureau, Coronado is 32.7 square miles and 75% of it is water!  Even though most call it Coronado Island, it is technically a peninsula because it is tied to land on the south side.  There are three ways to get to Coronado - by way of the Coronado bridge (car), by way of the Silver Strand (car or bike), and by way of the ferry (walk, bike).  If you come by way of the Coronado Bridge, then you will rise high over the San Diego Bay and see the island and ocean ahead of you and the San Diego skyline off to your right.  However, I suggest taking one of the two ferries from Downtown San Diego.  You can catch the ferry from the Convention Center or from the Broadway Pier.  Each run about every 30-minutes.  After disembarking from the ferry you will arrive at the Coronado Ferry Landing.  Here you will see shops, restaurants and outdoor activities.  If I arrive in the morning or early afternoon, I like to get a chai from the coffee stand take in the view of the San Diego skyline and numerous sailboats in the bay. Even though it is a national chain, one of my favorite restaurants is Il Fornaio.  They serve great Italian food and offer excellent service with panoramic views of the bay and city. If you drive, come down Orange Avenue.  One of my all time favorite things to do is rent electric bikes at Electra on First Avenue and bike to the Hotel del Coronado and then head south along the Silver Strand toward Imperial Beach.  I'll highlight this trip in more detail on a future "Adventure" post about the "Coronado Bike Ride".  If you took the ferry, you can head out to First Avenue and hop on the bus to get to the Del.  Along the way you'll see shops, restaurants and beautiful million dollar homes along Orange Avenue.  

If you come to Coronado, it is a MUST to see the Hotel Del Coronado, that locals just call the Del.  It is a historic hotel built in 1888 and is considered one of the worlds top resorts.   It is listed as a National Historic Landmark and has hosted many notable guests, including the American presidents George H. W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft, as well as Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey, Thomas Edison, Magic Johnson, Charles Lindbergh, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Oprah Winfrey, and Robert Downey. Marilyn Monroe also stayed here and filmed the movie "Some Like it Hot".  Photos from the movie and past guests align the hallways.

"The Del" has appeared in numerous works of popular culture and was supposedly the inspiration for the Emerald City in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It is rumoured that the city's main street, Orange Avenue, was Baum's inspiration for the yellow brick road. Author L. Frank Baum would have been able to see the hotel from his front porch overlooking Star Park. Baum designed the crown chandeliers in the hotel's dining room.Because of the reported association with Oz, Coronado is often associated with the color green and is sometimes referred to as "The Emerald City".  The hotel is said to be haunted, with room 3372 being visited by the ghost of Kate Morgan.

There are many restaurants to try at the Del, but I like to head to the back of the resort and have a drink and salad at the Deck.  The Del attracts some of the most influential people in the world, prices here are not cheap.  A margarita in a plastic cup will run you $20 per drink and the bar food, while good, will still cost you an arm and a leg.  But the amazing ocean view with Point Loma in the distance that looks like a backdrop from a movie set is worth a limb in my opinion.  If I come at dinner time,  I like to eat at ENO, the outdoor pizza and wine bar.  

Coronado Beach is among the most beautiful beaches in all of California and is often named one of the best beaches in the US. The beach runs along Ocean Blvd with a backdrop of fine homes and mansions along the way. As you head north along the beach, it becomes Coronado Dog Beach where locals bring their canine companions for a day in the sun.  I have spent many of day here just laying on a blanket with the dog and dipping my toes in the water to cool off.  Just to the north of the dog beach is Naval Base Coronado, also known as Naval Air Station North Island.  Word of advice... don't try to leave Coronado by car around 3:00 p.m.  The Navy has a shift change at this time and streets are often gridlocked.