Happy Father’s Day from County Properties
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Origins of Father’s Day
The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm–perhaps because, as one florist explained, “fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have.” On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly in honor of fathers, a Sunday sermon in memory of the 362 men who had died in the previous December’s explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah, but it was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday. The next year, a Spokane, Washington woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and government officials to drum up support for her idea, and she was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day on July 19, 1910.
Slowly, the holiday spread. In 1916, President Wilson honored the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane when he pressed a button in Washington, D.C. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day. However, many men continued to disdain the day. As one historian writes, they “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products–often paid for by the father himself.”
Father’s Day: Controversy and Commercialism
During the 1920s and 1930s, a movement arose to scrap Mother’s Day and Father’s Day altogether in favor of a single holiday, Parents’ Day. Every year on Mother’s Day, pro-Parents’ Day groups rallied in New York City’s Central Park–a public reminder, said Parents’ Day activist and radio performer Robert Spere, “that both parents should be loved and respected together.” Paradoxically, however, the Depression derailed this effort to combine and de-commercialize the holidays. Struggling retailers and advertisers redoubled their efforts to make Father’s Day a “second Christmas” for men, promoting goods such as neckties, hats, socks, pipes and tobacco, golf clubs and other sporting goods, and greeting cards. When World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honor American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day may not have been a federal holiday, but it was a national institution.
In 1972, in the middle of a hard-fought presidential re-election campaign, Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a federal holiday at last. Today, economists estimate that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts.
Island Prime
For all the fathers who flock to the finer things in life, Island Prime is the perfect special occasion restaurant. The steaks are prime, the seafood’s fresh, the wine list is excellent and the views of the skyline top it all. A perfect, upscale, go-all-out choice.
Pal Joey’s
Stop in to Allied Gardens’ neighborhood watering hole on Father’s Day for steak and a surprise: It’s been completely overhauled! the dance floor is bigger, the colors are lighter and brighter and, on Father’s Day, they’re serving up an old-fashioned steak and baked beans BBQ for just $2 per ticket.
Eclipse Chocolat
Make reservations at Eclipse Chocolat for a chocolate-themed Father’s Day BBQ. That’s right, chocolate BBQ! Give dad a break from the grill and just let him enjoy the chocolate caramel cheesburger, chile-roasted corn with cocoa nib butter and more. Cost is $25 per person, and advanced reservations are required.
Father’s Day Gift Ideas
West Marine
This place is always crowded in the weeks leading up to Father’s Day for a reason: It’s the end-all, be-all retail store for anyone interested in boating, sailing, or fishing. If your dad hangs out on the water, you’ll have no trouble finding him something special at West Marine.
The Jeanery UTC
Nothing says I love you like a nice pair of jeans, right? OK, so this might be more desirable for newer, younger dads who aren’t quite excited by brunch at te country club just yet. A sweet pair of nice designer jeans (or, if you’re on a budget, maybe a hat or a cool belt?) is the perfect way to let him know he’s still hip to you.
More Ideas, Events for Father’s Day
Barnstorming Adventures Limited
Take Dad up, up and away on a barnstorming adventure in a real airplane. Ex-Navy and Air Force piltos give tours on the classic airplanes (yes, they do barrel rolls!) in the skies above Rancho Santa Fe. Be sure to call ahead for reservations, as they only have a limited number of flights available on Father’s Day.
Coronado Ferry Landing
Take the ferry over to Coronado, and treat Dad to lunch and a bike ride along the beach path. Or splurge on a nice sunset dinner at Il Fornaio or Candelas. Both are within walking distance of the ferry landing, and both have panoramic views of the city skyline.
Seaport Village
On a budget? Still want to plan a fun day for Dad? Why not pack up a picnic and head to Seaport Village? Wander through the shops, stroll along the promenade, check out all the boats in the marina, or grab coffee and treats at Upstart Crow. It’s a perfect place to make a special day without spending a lot. in the restaurant.
Torrey Pines Golf Course
Set on the cliffs amongst the indigenous Torrey pines, two 18-hole courses are famous for unrivaled views of the ocean. If you can score dad a tee time here, you’ll be a champ for years to come. But it sure isn’t an wasy task, and there are no tips, tricks, or screts. Just. Keep. Calling.