Flashback Friday: San Diego Zoo & SeaWorld in 1974

I went looking for old pictures of Las Vegas but instead found photos from a family trip to San Diego, California, in 1974.

Lately it’s been tough to decide what to write about since my work is mostly focused on traveling, restaurants, and other things that involve going out and being around people – which is problematic (to put it lightly) these days. So I decided to dive into my treasure trove of family photos in search of any pictures of old Vegas that I hadn’t already shared.

Naturally, I found zero photos of the Strip, or Downtown, or really much of anything beyond family road trips, backyard gatherings, and holidays. It may be hard to remember, but there was a time when people didn’t always have a camera on them. If you did, you had a limited number of shots on your roll of film. Also, knowing my parents, they wouldn’t have been caught dead walking around taking pictures like a tourist.

In August of 1974 my parents took me to San Diego for a vacation, which was a serious upgrade from our normal summer road trip to Texas. As I recall, my dad knew a guy who comped the room and most of our meals. (My dad always “knew a guy,” in true Vegas fashion.)

We went to SeaWorld, which at that time was a fraction of its present-day size. I think I remember my dad saying the arena for the “Shamu” show was new, but I haven’t been able to confirm if that’s true or not. (This was, of course, long before there was a public awareness about all the issues with orcas in captivity.) Notice the grassy hills in the background and the complete lack of development around the arena – so much so that a hang glider landed as part of the show. 

We also went to the San Diego Zoo on our trip, and in looking at the photos I was struck by the appearance of the old exhibits, which look alarmingly cramped and bare. I found a photo of the polar bears in their sad cement enclosure and immediately remembered photos I’d taken in 1997, at the zoo’s new polar bear exhibit. By that time, enclosures were being transformed into more animal-friendly areas – a definite improvement. 

One thing that hasn’t changed? The beach. One of my favorite memories of that trip was walking on the beach for the first time. 

Well, I should qualify that statement: the view looking out toward the ocean is the same. Looking the other direction is another story.

What are some of your favorite family photo finds? Have you spent any time working on old photo collections while you’ve been at home?

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All photos from the collection of Terrisa Meeks. All rights reserved.