Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Hotel Del Coronado, aka Dorothy's House

I look at the Hotel Del Coronado everyday when I am on my beach retreat.  It is a remarkable place. There have been many changes over the past few years as ownership has changed and some of my favorites are no longer part of the new culture.  It is still a sight to behold and has many things I love.

So today we are touring the "Del".  I call it "Dorothy's House" with the G kids because of the Wizard of Oz writer, L. Frank Baum, who lived at the Del while he was writing the book.  A couple of years ago was a big Wizard of Oz celebration and the characters from the WOO were all over the island. The kids were visiting at this time and they saw Dorothy and Toto and The Good Witch, Glinda numerous times.  This is how we started calling the Del "Dorothy's House".  My G daughters  were looking for Dorothy this year and were a little disappointed that they didn't see her.  I told them that she does not always hang out here but they continued to look for her.

Beach side- the sand man is usually out making a fabulous creation.  He works for tips and there is usually a crowd watching him.  I just read an article about him and he said it is easier to remove the sand than to try to rebuild.  So start with a lot of wet sand and then take the sand away to build your structure.  Now you can't say that you never learned anything on my blog.
The sandman at work.

Last summer he did The Hotel Del Coronado.

Chairs to rent.

The beach right in front of the Del is crowded with hotel guests.  You can rent a cabana or a chair if you want to sit about one inch from the next person.
Bikes for rent
You can rent a bike right on the boardwalk by the Del, by the week, by the day or by the hour.

My favorite restaurant is Enos, they have wood fired pizza from an outdoor oven, you sit outdoors and they have a fabulous pear salad.  It is a wine bar so my wine friends also love it,

Sheerwater is the dining spot on the patio. My favorite item is the lump crab, fresh and delicious. Yesterday we shared a Caesar salad and the lump crab.  It was a perfect lunch on the patio with the ocean in our sight line.  They do not show the lump crab on the menu, just as part of some jumbo seafood tower,  but ask for it and you can get just the lump crab.

The Sun Deck is casual dining with a great view of the ocean.  In the old days they had live bands on the Sun Deck.  No more.  Sad---- we have to go down the street to hear our favorite band.  It is a beautiful spot for lunch but a very limited menu and no more Del dogs....Am I whining now?

The ice cream parlor is always busy and we usually will not wait in line, we  just go on to the candy shop next door.  The have great sea salt caramels, sometimes.  I like the milk chocolate sea salt caramels the best.

Babcock and Story is the original bar and has live music most nights.  Usually a guitar player that sings my playlist.  The other night I seriously thought he had my playlist.  I did not request a single song and it was The Beatles, The Eagles, Simon and Garfunkel.  It was almost scary.  They serve bar food but you can also ask for other stuff and they will usually get it for you, like the lump crab or a regular hamburger.

My favorite shop is also called Babcock and Story and it is just adjacent to the bar.  They have home decor items, cool dishware and candles.  Also candy- if they are out of my favorite caramels in the candy shop sometimes they have them at B and S.

There is a children's shop.

A toy shop.

A bath shop.

Upstairs is the signature shop, with all things with a Hotel Del signature.  Also the Dorothy shop, really called the 1888 shop.  This shop has mementos of "The Wizard of Oz", "Some Like it Hot" and also some really nice signs and vintage looking jewelry.

This is a quick look at my favorites and it is just a touch of the Hotel Del.  If you have not visited you need to come sometime.  A piece of history.
 The Boys Of Summer"

"Nobody on the road
Nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air
The summer's out of reach
Empty lake, empty streets
The sun goes down alone
I'm driving by your house
Though I know you're not home

But I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone"

"The Boys of Summer"- Don Henley




Coming Soon:
  • View from a bike
  • Ferry Landing
  • The Bucket List
  • The costume project
Love, Ya-Ya

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