Californians — declare your independence in San Diego
It’s hard for us Angelenos to acknowledge San Diego’s supremacy in anything.
[...] I’ve always considered the perfect Fourth of July to be a Pasadena barbecue followed by fireworks at the Rose Bowl, which is officially “America’s Stadium.”
The Bay Area and Los Angeles are technological and cultural oddballs, proudly out of step with reality, not to mention the rest of the country.
San Diego County, with relatively equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans, represents our middle, and the closest approximation to the American norm that California can offer.
If you attempted a census of American flags, San Diego would win hands-down; look in almost any direction in the city, and you’re likely to see the Stars and Stripes in some form.
While the military no longer is the engine of the city, the visibility of the armed forces and its ships and installations offers a constant reminder of America and its history that you don’t get in the rest of the state.
Sandy Purdon, a marina owner, Marine veteran and longtime San Diego mover-and-shaker, was building a home out on Point Loma more than 16 years ago when it hit him:
San Diego’s downtown waterfront sits at center stage of an enormous natural amphitheater created by Mission Hills to the north, the hills east of downtown, the hills of Point Loma to the west, and the hills to the south on the Mexican side of the border.
The Port of San Diego and port-affiliated businesses agreed to sponsor it, with proceeds going to the Armed Services YMCA, a charity supporting military families.
[...] the show has grown into a reliable giant, with four barges in the harbor now serving as staging ground.
The effect is powerful — like four simultaneous Rose Bowl-size fireworks displays, with an impressive water feature thrown in.