Last Monday, I sat in my apartment, beer in hand, waiting for the U.S. team to make their appearance in the 2014 World Cup.  They are ranked #13 - which is pretty damn good considering there are 32 teams overall. By this point, I had watched 4 days of soccer, sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation of the USA vs GHA game.

It was midnight and not a single bone in my body was feeling tired.  I was fired up, ready to cheer, feeling the excitement of watching an important sporting event.  Not even two minutes later, before I had completely settled into the couch, the word “GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL” came blaring out of TV.  I could barely believe my eyes but my instinctive reaction was to throw my arms in the air and scream out the words, “Yes, yes, yes!!”

Although the next 70 or so minutes were filled with injuries and no other goals, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen.  I was (and still am) in awe of the USA team - their tenacity was admirable as they kept fighting and pushing on.  Their foot skills were phenomenal and the way they attacked the ball was brilliant.  I gained heaps of respect for these players - especially Dempsey who received a foot to the face, resulting in a broken nose.  The last 10 minutes of the game were nail biting but in the end, the US eventually pulled through, beating Ghana 2-1.  

The next game is against Portugal on Saturday at 3pm (west coast time), which I can hardly wait for.  So those of you who live in Coronado and know the significance of the 4th of July, there’s not a better time to support your country.  I love how the World Cup happens to fall around Independence Day, helping remind Americans how important our country is as well as the importance of the tournament.  So, let’s go USA….all the way!

*ablogmonger

In many of my previous posts about The Coronado Shores, I’ve written about how amazing the views are from 10 giant apartment buildings.  There’s the ocean on one side and the bay on the other. You might imagine apartments that are oceanside must be the clear winner since...well, since it’s the ocean and watching the sunset over the Pacific is an absolute treat.  

But in this case, especially this time of year, living bayside at The Shores trumps that of an ocean view. I say ‘this time of year’ because the best day of the year is upon us.  That’s right, Independence Day. The 4th of July is on the horizon and is, hands down, the best time of year to be in the Crown City.  It goes OFF in this little Cali town.  

The 4th of July in Coronado begins with a parade running through the town, along Orange Avenue.  This morning event is definitely the favorite event of the day among children.  And possibly for the adults too - watching the kids dance and shriek with excitement over horses, clowns, military troops, bagpipe players and characters of all sorts.

The afternoon melts into a party throughout the town - the hard part is picking which one to attend; they’re all a blast! And then in the evening, around 9pm, you have a glorious fireworks show that blast off from the Coronado Bay.  And this is precisely why living bayside at The Shores is perfection.  Sitting cozy on a couch or even cramped onto a 5th floor balcony, these are some of the best seats in the house.  

Get ready, plan accordingly...the 4th of July is just around the corner.

*ablogmonger

Coronado has transformed tremendously over the last century.  Before The Shores existed, that part of town was known as Tent City.  When the Hotel del Coronado was built in the 1880s, travelers would come from all over the world, ready to experience a paradise vacation at the luxurious hotel.

Where the 10 towers that make up The Coronado Shores now stand, was once home to hundreds of tents. A long, narrow road divided the lined tents of Tent City and along this path were train tracks, carrying passengers from San Diego to the Crown City. Long before the bridge created a shortcut from Coronado to San Diego and even before the ferry was in service, the 19th century locomotive brought visitors to the small island. Running along the Silver Strand, up through Tent City, is where the old school train cars unloaded passengers. Or so we thought.    

Not until last week did we know that other railroad tracks existed outside of Tent City.  Along Pomona Avenue, down the road from The Shores and adjacent to the park, the city is constructing a roundabout in hopes of defusing fast and heavy traffic (during rush hours).  When workers began digging for Coronado’s only traffic circle, they unearthed railroad tracks dating back to 1888.  These tracks gave proof to local residents that trains ran through parts of Coronado that we were unaware of.  

Unfortunately the tracks will not be preserved as this is one of Coronado’s busiest intersections.  However disappointing it may be to remove a piece of the past, it is equally exciting to have unearth another piece of the Coronado’s history.  

*ablogmonger

One of the best ways of knowing how fabulous it is to live at The Shores is by asking someone.  I certainly can’t answer my own questions – I didn’t grow up in the Shores community. I have stories and memories from running around the lot but I never truly got to experience the luxury of residing in the amazing towers.  But I do however have a good friend who got to live and breath the Coronado Shores lifestyle.

Ablogmonger: How old were you when you moved to The Shores?

MM: My dad bought our apartment [at The Shores] before they were even built in the 70s.  He bid on them when they were first being developed.  We went there for summers and weekends ever since I was born and permanently moved to the shores when I was 13.

Ablogmonger: Where were you living before you moved to Coronado and why did your parents decide to move when you were a teenager?

MM: The apartment was bought by my dad as a vacation home before he was even married.  He had been visiting Coronado for vacation while living in LA and wanted to spend as much time in Coronado as possible.  They loved it so much that 20 years later we moved there!

Ablogmonger: What was it like growing up at The Shores?  From age 13 on…

MM: It was the best.  I only have the best memories from there.  It was like living in paradise.  I still dream about it today.

Ablogmonger: Which direction did your apartment face?

MM: We faced the ocean.

Ablogmonger: What are your most fond memories?

MM: My most fond memories are going to the beach and pool with my dad.  We would spend our weekends at the pool at The Shores and at the beach right there.  We also tried to play tennis a lot but I was very bad at it! But it was so great to have all of that right there.  I also have great memories of hanging out with friends in high school there. There were so many fun activities we could do there – go to the gym, the pool, play ping-pong in the clubhouse.  It was the absolute best place to grow up.

Ablogmonger: This might be a silly question, but did you appreciate living so close to the beach?

MM: Clearly.

Ablogmonger: Haha, clearly that was a silly question! Why is it so special?

MM:  Honestly, out of all the things I’ve previously mentioned, falling asleep and listening to the ocean every night has to be the most special thing about living at The Shores.  The beach was literally right there at my doorstep.  And I’ve never slept better as I did then – listening to the waves as I fell asleep. 

Ablogmonger: Sounds amazing. How does The Shores compare to other places you’ve lived?

MM: I would trade everywhere I have lived to live at THE Shores again.  It’s actually one of my goals to be able to make enough money in life that I can do what my parents did and later buy a second home there again.  I would love there in a second if I could.  Every time I go back to Coronado I drive through the Shores – just because I have the fondest memories of the time I spent there growing up.

Staring out the windows of The Shores apartment buildings, down below is the beach filled with people.  For the most part, the beach is packed with civilians enjoying their time in the sand and in the sun.  But that's not how it is for the Navy Seals who's training camp sits just beyond The Shores, right on the beach. There are obstacle courses and a bare beach - lots of room for rolling and running around in the sand.  As many of the Seals in training emerge from the water and up to the dry sand, it's hard not to imagine the thousands of soldiers who risked their lives and made their way up Normandy Beach 70 years ago. 

The 6th of June is a day to remember.  Allying with Britain and Canada, the United States soldiers risked their lives to help end a greusome and unforgettable war.  While Germany occupied most of western Europe during WWII, they set up base camps all along the coast - of what is now France - preparing for an invasion.

In 1944, on the eve of the 6th of June, 24,000 troops landed on the 50-mile stretch of Normandy Beach.  Prepared for a battle in hopes of bringing down the cruelly reigning Nazis, thousands of soldiers marched off their boats.  Although this invasion helped bring an end to the war, it was at the expense of thousands of lives.

To all those who gave their life, who fought and who were victim to the war - we will never forget you.  Thank you for your bravery.  And to the American soldiers who bravely put the fight for freedom before their own life.  We are proud.

*ablogmonger

‘Hide and Seek’ is not a game meant for kids only. It is a game that can be

played at all ages. As you get older, it makes sense to play on a more

challenging course - the playing field widens and hiding spots become more

tricky. It’s best to play with a home base, that way everyone MUST come out of

their hiding spot. Only makes it fair. Don’t you agree?

The reason I’m talking about ‘Hide and Seek’ is because of the memories I have

of playing at The Coronado Shores. And I mean playing as an adult. The reason

it’s so fun to play Hide and Seek at the Shores is because of the natural

boundary lines. The Shores is a "gated" community (of sorts) that has several

grassy areas with trees – perfect for climbing and hiding or plants for ducking

behind.

While the Shores has natural boundaries, it might be a good idea to narrow those

boundaries a little if you decide to play ‘Hide and Seek’. Keep in mind the

Shores consists of 10 giant apartment buildings. The complexes are spread out

over an approximate quarter of a mile, making for good space between each

building.

If ‘Hide and Seek’ isn’t the right game for you, then perhaps Red Rover or Freeze

Tag will do it. After all, there’s more to work with than just the grassy areas –

you’ve got the entire beach, too.

*ablogmonger

It’s a scorching summer day and you are looking for relief.  Ice cold water and lemonade help cure all this – but only for a minute.  As you stick your head in the freezer for some instant relief, you realize that the only thing that can possibly help is ice cream. 

The problem is you don’t feel like walking up town and waiting in line to satisfy your desires.  You need a quick fix but the ice cream shop seems like miles away, despite its close proximity.  You let out a huge sigh, close the freezer door and mope back into the living room. Just before you reach the chair, a light goes on in your head.

A smile spreads across your face - you’ve just remembered that across the street from your home at The Shores lies a secret.  Maybe it’s not such a huge secret anymore but the Hotel del Coronado has a MooTime Creamery in it.  The hotel contains many shops and restaurants and among them is the famous Coronado ice cream parlor.  Throwing on your flip flops and shorts you can’t seem to get out of the apartment fast enough. But less that 100 yards away, relief awaits you. 

*ablogmonger

When I was little kid I loved collecting things.  I would walk around the park picking up pinecones, trying to fit as many as I could into my tiny hands.  When I see kids doing that today, it always reminds me of Gus Gus. You know, from Cinderella? His objective was to gather as many corn kernels as possible.  Each time he reached his capacity, having stacked them between arms and chin, he would always try for one more.  The problem was that when he attempted to pick up just one more, multiple kernels would fall from his small claws.  Although Gus Gus made his best efforts time after time, he did not catch on to the problem.

Much like Gus Gus, I would run into the same issue when I was a child.  Despite my best attempts, I was unable to gather as many items as I wanted.  I was young and didn’t understand that I had a maximum capacity.  That is until I discovered my pockets (and/or a sucker to hold them for me).

While pinecones were my favorite to collect, I also thoroughly enjoyed searching for seashells.  Since I grew up in Coronado, this was an easy task.  Well, maybe not easy but easier because of the close proximity to the beach.  The best time for shell hunting is during low tide – you have a lot more beach to work with.  And I must be honest, while I say I loved this task when I was young, I still enjoy it to this very day.  

*ablogmonger

Not until I got into my older age did I enjoy house hunting.  Not to confuse the matter and say that I was actually searching for a house.  On the contrary.  When I say house hunting, I mean strolling through neighborhoods checking out different home design collecting info in my mind of what I would like to have in the future.  A place that is decent sized, has a good yard and a good paint color is important to me.  Of course some of the things I like now can and will change but there are certain requirements that won’t. 

For example, one thing that I decided is an absolute must for my future home is lots of windows.  This aspect is nonnegotiable.  I’ve always been the type of person who needs to wake up in a room with lots of natural light.  Getting out of bed is much easier when you’ve woken up [naturally], without an alarm.  If the room has blackout curtains, it is guaranteed I won’t move from the bed until I’ve tossed and turned for hours. 

This is why living at The Shores is an absolute dream.  Every single apartment has floor to ceiling windows.  There is hardly a lack of sunlight making its way into your home, filling it with warmth and happiness.  Making morning breakfast, looking out the huge kitchen windows, watching the sun climb higher in the sky seems perfect.

There are many reasons why the 10 towers have such a phenomenal amount of windows – the views of the ocean and San Diego are definitely one of those reasons.  But in my opinion, allowing the sun to seep into your home is definitely at the top of the list. 

*ablogmonger

People watching is a wonderful thing.  Observing the way that humans behave can be very entertaining – they way one walks, talks, eats, converses, etc.  But it’s even more entertaining when the people you’re observing happen to be attractive.  Down at Coronado Beach, you will find loads of attractive human beings.

Some of those “good looking” people include military folk of all kinds.  For example, we have Navy Seals constantly roaming the beach.  If they aren’t undergoing the grueling task of Hell Week then they are preparing themselves by going for long runs throughout the dunes.  While the joggers mainly consist of working Seals, you will find other military men and women running along the soft, white sandy beaches.  

Coronado Beach also has its slew of fancy surfers. Washboard abs and a tanned face from the blaring sun mixed with sweet, slick moves on a board in glistening water. It’s very hard to deny that most surfers are good looking.  The majority of these surfers (of both sexes) generally ride the waves that align with The Shores. 

In addition to surfers and those who defend our country with honor, the beach has numerous people who spend the day laying and playing in the sand. For the most part, these people are attractive! And I can guarantee that most of these beach-goers are also observing the daily attractive life that unfolds on Coronado Beach. 

*ablogmonger