| :: San Diego
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Attraction >Neighborhood
| Embarcadero |
Address:
| San Diego |
Region:
San Diego
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Description and Basic Information ::
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 Running along the edge of the beautiful San Diego Harbor is the Embarcadero, a paved pedestrian path leading to an assortment of restaurants, boating tours, fish markets and miscellaneous shops. The Embarcadero is the primary departure point for many of the city’s harbor and dinner cruise ships, including the popular Harbor Excursion Tour (1-800-44-CRUISE).
Docked at the Embarcadero is San Diego’s nautical claim to fame, Star of India, a historic windjammer built in 1863. The Star of India is the world’s oldest ship still able to head out to sea. Originally named Euterpe after the Greek goddess of music, The Star had a rough start as far as ships go. On her first excursion at sea, headed for India, she suffered both a collision and a mutiny. And on her second trip, again headed for India, a cyclone caught her in the Bay of Bengal and, severely damaged, she barely made port. Not long after, her first sea captain died on board and was jettisoned to the waves. Nevertheless, the Star of India and other such ships were the driving force behind the initial progress of major cities all over the globe.
Also located at the Embarcadero is the San Diego Maritime Museum (619-234-9153), which operates the Star of India. The San Diego Maritime Museum was founded in 1948 and, in addition to undertaking the restoration of the Star, expanded in 1973 with the acquisition of the ferryboat Berkeley and the steam yacht Medea. After six decades of ferrying between the San Diego Bay and the San Francisco Bay, the Berkeley came to rest at the San Diego waterfront and today acts as the headquarters for the Museum, housing workshops, offices, the maritime library and the gift shop.
The Embarcadero is connected to Seaport Village and the Convention Center by a quarter-mile-long boardwalk, referred to as the Embarcadero Marina. The Embarcadero Marina is actually an arm of land that reaches into the San Diego Bay, hugging the shiny white boats moored at the edge of Seaport Village. The Embarcadero Marina is an excellent place for leisure, playing host to concerts and other forms of entertainment, as well as providing plenty of open space for recreational activities and a swath of shopping and eating opportunities at Seaport Village.---Words and photos by Michael Rando |
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:: San Diego :: |
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