Arrival by Air

When you arrive in San Diego by air, have your seats on the RIGHT side of the plane with a window seat. On the right side as you are sitting down looking up towards the pilot, here's why. As you land, look over your right shoulder out that window and there is a big tower with the word MARINES on it. Well, gang, that is that 6-story tower your baby has been jumping off and you see it because there is only a chain link fence between the airport and the base. The area you are looking at is called the CONFIDENCE COURSE. Remember that even if you are over a wing, so what because the plane is taxiing and you can see out over the top of the wing.

Confidence Course Tower Click Picture for a Larger Image

Now, when we take off to go home, also be on the right side because there is only one runway and the planes land and take off towards the ocean, so the base is off the right wing. Only this time you want to be a few rows in FRONT of the wing because that plane is lifting off the ground, and, if you are over the wing, you see the top of a wing and the sky. If you are in front of the wing on the right side of the plane, as it clears the height of the barracks, look back, there is the Depot Theater where this all started. Over from there is the Museum and the Marine Corps Exchange; you were there Thursday during the On Base Liberty. You are now going by the Parade Deck, graduation Friday morning. You are coming up on Command Headquarters, Morning Colors Friday morning. Behind Command Headquarters is the Bay View Restaurant.

Keep on looking, you just cleared the base and are going over Rosecrans Street. Look down the street 5 blocks and there is the Howard Johnson's. Keep it rolling. You will see Sea World, the beaches along the shore, and to the horizon, the Pacific Ocean. Just look what you saw back-to-back.