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Cabrillo Landing 1999 

     Living History - Learn about the daily lives of the men and women who accompanied the great explorers Cabrillo, DeSoto and Coronado into the New World. Join costumed staff in the rest area behind the auditorium  throughout the day as they bring this history to life with demonstrations of 16th century black powder arquebus and navigational instruments.

-From the Cabrillo National Monment Press Release

               a pretty
     Accepting a long standing invitation from John Golda,  I went out to the annual Cabrillo Landing reenactment in San Diego during the weekend of September 26, 1999.  I first met John when he was a seasonal Ranger at De Soto National Memorial's Spanish Living History Camp in the early 1990's.  At the time I was  begining my 'career' as a conquistador;  the local SCA group, which is how I got into all this, was assisting the Hernando de Soto Historical Society in its annual landing reenactment at the park.  In a desire to avoid continued AIM protesting of the landing, which the Historical Society had been conducting since the 1930's, they had eliminated mock battle against the Indians, and needing some authentically dressed people to help fill out the pagant.  Alas, in spite of their efforts to soften the event, the landing was eventually eliminated all-together. So it was with a certain sense of deja-vu when I saw the Cabrillo Landing event in full force.  Like its counter part on the east coast, this was a long standing community event held on a National Park site, with much of the same dynamic that I had seen years ago between the park staff, and the traditional organizers.
 
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
  
     These pages consitiute a photographic log, with occasional commentary, of my west coast conquistador adventure.  In addition to seeing John for the first time in years in was a long awaited opportunity to at last meet Bob Munson in person.  I have been corresponding, exchanging photos, and occassionally talking with Bob for a number of years now.  He does the same sort of sixteenth century Spanish Colonial living history portrayals and demonstrations that I'm involved in.  Although since he lives in Arizona he naturally concentrates on the Southwest expeditons, in particular those of Coronado, Alarcon, and especially that of Espejo. 
     The National Park Service has three sites directly related to the conquistdors who made the first European explorations of what would become the United States.  Within a span of but  four years (1539-1543) the Spanish would  make the inital forays in the Southeast (De Soto), the Southwest (Coronado), and the Pacific Coast (Cabrillo). These three entradas are memorialized at parks in Florida, Arizona, and California respectively.  In spite of their wide geographic separation they are so closely related in time and theme that the NPS puts out a publication entitled, De Soto, Coronado and Cabrillo: Explorers of the Northern Mystery.  So it seems appropriate that all three expeditions are portrayed at the festival.
      So with my luggage allowance maxed out (100lbs of armor, weapons, and clothing) I flew to San Diego.  I had a remarkably good time that weekend, exchanging reenactment stories and ideas, and interpreting the equipment and lifestyle of a 16th cenutury conquistador for a seeming endless parade of vistors to the CabrilloFest.  Ranger John Golda, who went well above and beyond the call of duty could not have been a more hospitable host.  The Staff and volunteers at the monument were wonderful to work with.  Finally, meeting mi amigo, Bob, was everything I had hoped it to be. 
Yes, its plastic!

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