Wandering Old Town San Diego Historic Park

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park includes five original adobe buildings as well as other buildings housing museums, unique retail shops, and several restaurants. Parking was free and easy to find mid-week.

San Diego became California's first Spanish settlement when a mission and fort were established here in 1769.

The park was filled with colorful plants and cacti of every sort.  There were a few families around, lounging in the plaza and enjoying the beautiful weather.

California passed into the hands of the newly made Mexican government before gaining statehood in the United States after the Mexican-American War. 

These days the park and the Old Town neighborhood is a place for tourists to gather.

While my mother shopped nearby I just wandered and enjoyed the sunshine and all the new plants to photograph!

Since Mexican food doesn't agree with me I had to settle for an iced tea that was out of this world, so of course I don't remember the name of the shop.

The Cosmopolitan Hotel & Restaurant looked like a good place to have lunch, maybe I will if I'm ever back. The original dates back to the 1829, but of course it has been extensively reconstructed.

The Blacksmith Shop was home to a small stagecoach museum.

But the visitors to this area were discharged from tour buses, not stagecoaches.

Across the street was a lovely church that was closed to the public due to a funeral.

But the painted walls are always open for viewing!  More to come from my trip  to San Diego in the days ahead.