Today volunteers and crew members at the Maritime Museum of San Diego undertook a complicated operation. Very carefully, they slowly removed and lowered a spar on the Star of India called the mizzen gaff.
The mizzen gaff of the historic, 161-year-old tall ship hadn’t been inspected for 15 years, and it was time for another look. The United States Coast Guard is tasked with ensuring that working ships like the Star of India remain in safe sailing condition.
I stood and watched for a long while. You can see why special care must be taken when lowering this long, heavy spar. Imagine what might happen if somehow it slipped! Many lines held by steady hands were supporting and maneuvering it, making sure a calamity could not happen.
I watched for probably half an hour, and it seemed to my eyes that little progress was made in that time. That’s how carefully the operation was conducted!
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Are you a fan of science fiction, horror, comic books or graphic novels? You don’t want to miss Collaboration(s)! A Journey with John Jennings, a fantastic new exhibit that opened last week at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park!
John Jennings is an Eisner Award–winning and New York Times best-selling artist, designer and author who has worked in comics for over twenty years. He’s also a professor of media and cultural studies at the University of California, Riverside and the director of the Abrams ComicArts imprint Megascope, which publishes graphic novels focused on the experiences of people of color.
Jennings was introduced to comics by his mother at a young age, and fell in love with the medium, whose possibilities are limited only by human imagination. Since then he has made many notable contributions to the popular culture.
Perhaps you’re familiar with the new Marvel character, Ghost Light. Jennings was the creator! He is the author of the 2023 comic series Silver Surfer: Ghost Light.
The African American character Ghost Light actually began his life as Al Harper, a physicist and friend to Silver Surfer, who sacrificed his life to save the world in a 1969 story titled And Who Shall Mourn for Him? That was back in Marvel’s comic book Silver Surfer #5.
Jennings brought the character back in a way that represents the modern African American experience. Ghost Light also reflects John Jennings’ artistic collaboration with co-creators and his love of Afrofuturism, which can be observed throughout this new museum exhibit. He has helped to create thousands of images that have been enjoyed in art shows and diverse publications.
As my few photos demonstrate, you’ll be dazzled by the bold, very colorful comic artwork produced by this prolific artist. You’ll see familiar Marvel superheroes, monsters and dark horror, images filled with symbolism and mythological and historical references, and futuristic wonders that might blow your mind!
Visitors to the exhibit can also “collaborate” with the artist by writing a story or coloring a sketch, and then share it on a wall in a Comic-Con Museum gallery. Very cool!
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
The colors of life in Balboa Park become even more vivid in Spring. New flowers, bright greenery, San Diego’s sunlight on amazing architecture, sunshine on smiling people…
Here’s another collection of colorful photographs. I took these today while walking in one of the world’s most amazing parks.
Read the photo captions to learn a little more about each image!
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Members of the San Diego Astronomy Association participated today in the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s 19th Annual Space Day!
The local amateur astronomers gathered on the grass of Pan American Plaza in Balboa Park, in front of the museum, and observed our sun through a variety of telescopes.
As I walked nearby in the late morning, I spied telescopes of every size pointed skyward toward the sun, which was still hiding behind “May gray” clouds.
I paused and spoke to several of these friendly astronomy hobbyists. Solar observation was their activity on this Space Day, and telescopes fitted with special filters could provide magnified images of sunspots, the sun’s corona and solar flares!
I was told how there are thousands of amateur astronomers around the country and world, and how their efforts often help to further scientific knowledge. When distant stars are seen to slightly wobble over time, or when their light’s intensity as seen from Earth periodically changes, it can be an indication that they are orbited by planets–exoplanets very far from our own solar system!
The members of the San Diego Astronomy Association possess an enthusiasm that is infectious. I could have spent half the morning absorbing fascinating information.
How can you not be excited, peering out into the awe-inspiring Universe–a vast, vast, incredibly vast Universe that includes the nearest star: our Sun!
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Seven positively enormous books stand along a sidewalk in Escondido as if they were filed on a library shelf. All concern the history of Escondido and nearby places.
It you’d like to have a look at these giant books, head to the corner of Kalmia Street and Grand Avenue!
These books, as you can see, are realistically painted in a big mural. The fun artwork was created earlier this year by local artist Zane Kingcade, whose murals can be found all over Escondido.
The titles of these books (which actually exist–and will fit in your hand) are: Yesterday in Escondido, Grape Day Festival 1908-1950, The History of the Hotel Charlotta, San Pasqual A Crack in the Hills, The Royal Highway, Palomar From Teepee to Telescope, and Early Escondido.
If you’re interested in reading any of these books, simply google the title.
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Should you walk down the alley that runs just south of Grand Avenue in Escondido, you might notice many of the murals that once graced the blocks between Maple and Broadway have vanished. These works of local artists, from the inaugural 2021 season of Esco Alley Art, had to be removed.
I explored Escondido’s cultural center last weekend and discovered familiar works of art mounted to several outdoor walls…
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
In recent years, locals artists, many of whom belong to the Escondido Art Association, have been working diligently to beautify Escondido. Some of these artists were on hand yesterday during the Cinco de Mayo event in Grape Day Park!
A variety of community projects have been undertaken by these inspired artists. You might recall a blog post in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Concrete barriers along Grand Avenue were colorfully painted by Beautify Escondido. Later, an alley south of Grand Avenue would turn into an amazing outdoor gallery, featuring the murals of Esco Alley Art.
Suzanne Nicolaisen (aka Zanniki), one of the leaders of these efforts, was present at the Cinco de Mayo festival. She and others were showcasing their artwork, painting live, and promoting the beautification of Escondido.
Not only does creativity flow from these generous artists, but expanding ripples of happiness and positivity. They are true community heroes!
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
The North County Cinco de Mayo Festival brought exuberant life to Grape Day Park in Escondido today. The annual event, produced by USA Multicultural, was said to be bigger than ever. And I believe it!
Those arriving from around San Diego’s North County enjoyed Mariachis, different groups of colorful folklórico dancers, great singers, and other (mostly) Mexican cultural entertainment.
And tons of food, of every description, everywhere! (I succumbed to the temptation of a scrumptious carne asada quesadilla.)
Nonprofit community organizations were also on hand, and more than a few artists were showing their work. Beautify Escondido was present, too. I’ll be blogging about their efforts next.
Enjoy this collection of photographs!
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
It’s obvious that many in Chula Vista are looking forward to the debut season of San Diego FC next year. Huge crowds have come out today for the San Diego FC Chrome Ball Tour stop in downtown Chula Vista!
As the free street festival opened, soccer games were already underway up and down Third Avenue. Kids, adults, even the Chula Vista Fire Department and Police Department would participate in hard fought competition!
I walked about shortly after noon, as people were arriving from every direction for the event. I took some photographs while checking out games, lowriders, vendors and enthusiastic San Diego FC supporters. Entertainment including live music and a fashion show on the big stage hadn’t begun yet, nor the Lucha Libre wrestling exhibition, which would start in the evening.
Thumbs up! La Masia SD is a very successful local soccer team. Many of its past players have gone on to play professionally at different levels!
Paul Jimenez of Ground Floor Murals prepares a big canvas for some live spray paint art. I didn’t hang around the event long enough to see its progress.
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Star Wars fans rejoice! It’s May the Fourth! And today the Force is extremely powerful in Chula Vista!
As I walked through the big San Diego FC Chrome Ball Tour event in downtown Chula Vista early this afternoon, I noticed the 18th Battalion was attracting a lot of attention. They are a big supporter of San Diego FC.
Not only did the 18th Battalion SDFC Outpost have a table laden with a prize wheel, mini R2-D2, Star Wars helmets and other cool stuff, but I noticed they have a presence at the Vogue Tavern a few blocks up Third Avenue, where I spotted Darth Vader, Star Destroyers and the menacing Death Star looming above the sidewalk! Hopefully Luke Skywalker is nearby!
May the Force be with you!
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!