It's hard to miss one of Coronado's most famous landmarks: the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. Completed in 1969, this five-lane bridge rises 246 feet above the bay, spanning 2 miles and linking San Diego and the "island" of Coronado. When it opened, it put the delightful commuter ferries out of business; in 1986 passenger-only ferry service restarted, making Coronado a very pleasant day trip from downtown. Crossing the bridge to Coronado by car or bus is a thrill because you can see Mexico and the shipyards of National City to the left, the San Diego skyline to the right, and Coronado, the naval station, and Point Loma in front of you (designated drivers have to promise to keep their eyes on the road!). The bridge toll was abolished in 2002, so passage is free. Bus no. 901 from downtown will also take you across the bridge.

A Century of Intrigue: Scenes from the Hotel del Coronado--San Diego's romantic Hotel del Coronado is an unmistakable landmark, filled with enchanting and colorful memories.

Several familiar names helped shape the hotel. When it opened in 1888, it was among the first buildings with Thomas Edison's new invention, electric light; the Hotel Del had its own electrical power plant, which supplied the entire city of Coronado until 1922. Author L. Frank Baum, a frequent guest, designed the Crown Room's frumpy crown-shaped chandeliers. Baum wrote several of the books in his beloved Wizard of Oz series in Coronado, and some believe he modeled the Emerald City's geometric spires after the Del's conical turrets.

The hotel has played host to royalty and celebrities as well. The first visiting monarch was Kalakaua, Hawaii's last king, who spent Christmas here in 1890. But the best-known royal guest was Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII, then duke of Windsor). He came to the hotel in April 1920, the first British royal to visit California. Of the many lavish social affairs held during his stay, at least two were attended by Wallis Simpson (then navy wife Wallis Warfield), 15 years before her official introduction to the prince in London. Speculation continues about whether their love affair, which culminated in his abdication of the throne, might have begun right here.

America's own "royalty" often visited the Hotel Del. In 1927, San Diego's beloved son Charles Lindbergh was honored here following his historic 33 1/2-hour solo flight across the Atlantic. Hollywood stars including Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo, Charlie Chaplin, and Esther Williams have flocked to the Del. Henry James wrote in 1905 of "the charming sweetness and comfort of this spot," and the "languid lisp of the Pacific, which my windows overhang." The hotel has also hosted 10 U.S. presidents. Perhaps most famously, director Billy Wilder filmed Some Like It Hot at the hotel; longtime staffers remember stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon romping on the beach. The Stuntman, starring Peter O'Toole, was also filmed here, in 1980. And some guests have never left: The ghost of Kate Morgan, whose body was found in 1892 where the tennis courts are today, supposedly still roams the halls--room 3327 has a reputation for being haunted.

Visitors and guests intrigued by the Hotel Del's past can stroll through the lower-level History Gallery, a minimuseum of hotel memorabilia.