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Tip of the Week: February 23, 2008

You Can Ring My Bell...

You history buffs might know, but few others know that San Diego is part of Sister City International and proudly calls Yokohama, Japan, her Sister City. The Sister City program was created by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. San Diego was the first city on the west coast to start such a relationship in 1956.

The spirit of the Sister City relationship is to bridge the two cultures. Over the years, there have been gift exchanges, student exchanges, book exchanges and visits from dignitaries between the two cities. We can thank Yokohama for the Cherry Blossom trees at the San Diego Zoo and at the Wild Animal Park as well as several donations of exotic animals to the San Diego Zoo.

For the 25th anniversary of the San Diego-Yokohama relationship, a San Diego delegation traveled to Yokohama to present the California Mission Bells to the citizens of Yokohama. In June 1983, the Yokohama-San Diego Friendship Committee arrived in San Diego and presented a black marble sculpture of an open book inscribed with the words of "The San Diego Song." This sculpture is on display in front of the Japanese Friendship Garden Gate in Balboa Park.

Nice history lesson, why the tip?

We can send you to places to check out or give you obscure facts about San Diego, but isn't it a beautiful thing when we tie it up all nice and "perty" for you? Make a trip to the end of Shelter Island to check out the Friendship Bell, presented by the Citizen's of Yokohama in 1958. The bell stands 6-feet high and weighs almost 2-1/2 tons and is typical of the bells found in Japan.

The small park setting for the bell is a great spot for catching some great views of the harbor, maritime activity, and watching the boats (er..yachts) coming in and out of San Diego harbor.

Got a special friend? Why not go to check out the Friendship Bell?

1401 Shelter Island Dr. Map
Western most end of cul de sac on Shelter Island.
Large bronze bell housed in a pavilion structure.