Two dozen winter residents of Coronado gathered at Villa Nueva Restaurant last week to meet and greet, and celebrate the main reason they are here, the weather.
CORONADO The warm climes of Coronado have always appealed to visitors seeking refuge from cold weather. Records of such visits date back to 1888 and the opening of the Hotel del Coronado, and became a virtual outbreak during the heyday of Tent City (1900-1939).
When we have a winter like the one that bashed the Mid-West and East Coast a few weeks ago, the number of visitors seeking to thaw seems to increase significantly. Evidence of this could be seen recently when 25 snowbirds gathered at Coronado’s Villa Nueva Restaurant to celebrate their decision to winter in Coronado. The event was hosted by Lee Mather Co. Realtors (LMCo).
Cold weather jokes were the rule of the day as participants enjoyed happy hour, dinner and drinks. The snowbird gathering was presented by Mercedes Estrada and Anthony DiVicenzo of LMCo to help winter friends meet and greet, and grow their familiarity with all that Coronado has to offer.
“That’s what it’s all about,” said Mercedes Estrada, who along with Anthony DiVincenzo created this event last year. “We do this to make them feel at home and encourage them to build new winter friendships.”
Snowbirds attended from North Dakota, New York, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and British Columbia. The winter break party gives everyone a chance to meet and greet the many repeat, seasonal “residents” all under one roof.
“From December through March each year we have this very large group of out-of-state visitors who make Coronado their winter home,” said DiVincenzo. “They are a delightful group and I’m never sure who is having more fun, the guests or us.
“What’s really funny is that they’ve become experts on Coronado history and things to do in San Diego. Mercedes and I are just amazed at the things they tell us exotic bicycle rides, hidden culinary treasures and off-the-beaten-track locations,” said DiVincenzo.
