San Diego (Part 2): Old Town – Where California Was Born

📍 Location: San Diego Old Town State Historic Park, 4002 Wallace St, San Diego, CA 92110 Why It’s Special As California’s first European settlement (1769) and original Mexican/Spanish colonial capital, this 12-block living museum blends: 🌵 Colorful adobe buildings with original 1850s furnishings 🎻 Mariachi bands performing near vintage stagecoaches 💀 Día de Muertos flair (those skeleton fridge magnets you loved!) Must-Do Experiences 🛍️ Shopping & Oddities: 150+ quirky shops selling everything from Hand-painted Talavera pottery ($25+) "Wild West" photo ops with cowboy props That creepy/awesome Victorian dressmaker’s dummy (still puzzled by it!) 🍽️ Foodie Highlights: Casa de Reyes’ Baja Bucket ($85): 2-person meal? More like 4! Endless chips/salsa + live folklórico dancing Hidden gem: The $5 churro cart by the blacksmith shop Local Secrets 🚗 Parking Hacks: Free lots behind Robinson-Rose House Skip the $7 valet unless hauling grandma’s pottery 🎭 Best Time to Visit: September for Fiesta de Reyes (think: piñatas + tequila flights) Weekday mornings to avoid tour groups #OldTownSanDiego #CaliforniaHistory #MexicanFood #TravelThrowback