Ideas for volunteering around San Diego!

April is National Volunteer Month. Have you considered going out into your community and volunteering? Here are 20 past blog posts that are full of ideas!

Hundreds of volunteering opportunities await you all around San Diego. What is your passion? Neighborhood cleanups? Rescuing dogs? Planting flowers? Helping out at a food bank? Creating art? Preserving history? Helping the elderly? Helping kids in hospitals?

Over the years, I’ve blogged about many events and organizations that concern or welcome volunteering.

Because Cool San Diego Sights focuses on my discoveries during walks, I often stumble upon environmental cleanups. But there’s a whole universe of very different volunteering possibilities out there!

I’ve chosen 20 past blog posts that might inspire you to investigate further.

Click on the following links and get some ideas!

(I usually provide a link to the organizations that welcome volunteers. If by chance I didn’t, Google will do the trick!)

San Diego nurses organization cleans Ski Beach!

Rotary Club of Coronado celebrates 100 years.

Help preserve history, education in Chula Vista!

Dog rescuers of San Diego/Baja region save lives!

Thank you to Balboa Park’s many volunteers!

Pollinator garden planted near Lemon Grove Depot!

Community volunteers beautify City Heights!

The Santee Food Bank needs your help!

Help our environment at San Diego EarthFest!

Spring flowers brighten Shelter Island!

San Diego River Center at Grant Park is rising!

Gamers Outreach brings play to kids in hospitals!

Painting beautiful street art in Hillcrest!

Operation Clean Sweep beautifies the waterfront!

Preserving local history in Imperial Beach!

Many generous Boy and Girl Scouts volunteered to beautify Cabrillo National Monument during Operation Gum Drop Removal!

Community clean up in Old Town San Diego!

Spread kindness and love in Escondido!

Make security blankets to comfort hurting kids!

Step into El Cajon’s fascinating history!

Help keep San Diego clean and beautiful!

Here are some of the people who have volunteered and made a real difference.

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Mural at Best Little Hair House in Escondido.

This mural beautifies a wall outside Best Little Hair House at 332 E. 2nd Avenue in Escondido. I noticed it during my most recent walk in Escondido. Enjoy a couple photos!

According to this article, the title of the art is Bellas Rosas. It was created by Charlie Mejia, teacher at Valley High School and member of the Escondido Mural Committee. The City of Escondido has been supporting the creation of public art as a catalyst for economic growth.

This mural replaced another one decorating the same wall. You can see photographs taken in 2023 of that old, faded mural by clicking here.

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Brilliant Lady arrives in San Diego!

Brilliant Lady has made her debut in San Diego!

The impressive 17 deck, 2770 passenger cruise ship, which launched in September last year, arrived in San Diego this month to begin operations on the West Coast. The adults only Virgin Voyages ship will be cruising down to Mexico and up to Alaska. It’s the fourth ship in the Virgin Voyages fleet.

I saw the new cruise ship this morning docked at San Diego’s Broadway Pier.

A brilliantly glowing Growing Home!

In 2019, about one week after its installation, I posted a blog concerning this amazing, stainless steel, sea snail sculpture, which is called Growing Home. It rises near Petco Park in East Village, in front of the Park 12 – The Collection luxury apartments.

You can read more about this phenomenal public art and see my original photographs by clicking here.

Last night I walked past Growing Home. Wow. I was so struck by its glowing brilliance that I had to take more photos.

And here they are!

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Baseball is Inside/Out at San Diego History Center.

Baseball is being celebrated at the San Diego History Center. While the 2026 season gets underway, the Inside/Out exhibit in the museum’s atrium summons happy baseball memories.

Artifacts and ephemera from the San Diego History Center’s collection are front and center. Most of the memorabilia on display concern the San Diego Padres and professional baseball in our city. Tony Gwynn, Jerry Coleman, the San Diego Chicken and others are lovingly remembered.

There are multiple objects from the 1978 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at San Diego Stadium (pre-Jack Murphy Stadium). Padres players Dave Winfield and Rollie Fingers contributed to the National League victory.

I noticed one shelf celebrates Alice “Lefty” Hohlmayer, a longtime Bonita resident who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1946 to 1951. She was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame in 2005.

Very cool!

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

It’s a Good Day mural in Crown Point!

Near the corner of La Cima Drive and Ingraham Street, it’s always a Good Day!

This mural is located in the Crown Point neighborhood of Pacific Beach, a couple blocks from Mission Bay. That explains the bicycle, palm trees, surfboards, shore bird and sailboat graphic.

The mural was designed by Channin Fulton (@channinfulton) and painted by various artists on the side of PB Express Market & Liquor. Here’s the webpage concerning the mural, which was commissioned by the Crown Point Neighborhood Association.

Enjoy a few photos.

This sunny San Diego art definitely makes a Good Day!

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Sound Tree’s sonic fruits in Balboa Park!

A tall metal sculpture stands behind the WorldBeat Cultural Center in Balboa Park. It’s called the Sound Tree.

When I learned about the existence of this sculpture several days ago, I resolved to see it myself. I walked to Balboa Park yesterday and was able to take these photos. A fence and closed gate behind the WorldBeat Cultural Center kept me at a distance.

The WorldBeat Cultural Center is usually open on weekends, so that would be the time to grab the sculpture’s hammer and ring those long tubes, which dangle in the air like sonic fruit!

Sound Tree was created by artist and neurobiologist Victor Hugo Minces. He works as a research scientist at UC San Diego. According to the sculpture’s webpage, the dangling metal pipes produce low soothing vibrations that you can hear and feel. The pipes are tuned to interact acoustically, creating harmonies and rich sonic interference patterns.

The WorldBeat Cultural Center is a treasure trove of multi-cultural art, on display both inside and outside. Go check it out!

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Over 250,000 miles from San Diego!

You might have heard that the Artemis II moon mission will be splashing down off the San Diego coast on Friday shortly after 5 pm. But did you know you can be watching the mission live during its lunar flyby?

This afternoon I’ve been watching live video from NASA as Artemis II has begun passing around the far side of the moon! It’s the farthest humans have ever flown from planet Earth. Over 250,000 miles!

Right now as I type this they cannot contact Earth due to loss of signal, but as soon as they come around the opposite side of the moon, we’ll hear from them again and see new views! From over a quarter million miles away!

I urge everyone to watch the live feed from NASA as this historic mission progresses. Human eyes are seeing what they have never seen before. You can watch the live feed from the NASA website. Click here!

All my photos are screenshots taken from the live video feed.

Here’s one look inside the Orion manned capsule:

And here’s the Earth–that tiny bright sliver–about to pass behind the moon as the Artemis II mission moves around the moon:

UPDATE!

Later, the crew of Artemis II would watch a solar eclipse–one never seen before! From a point near the moon!

Yes, the moon at their position appeared much larger than the sun. That tiny dot is Venus.

Science will benefit from this unique observation of the sun’s corona.

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Enjoy a stimulating Sound Shower in Escondido!

A couple weeks ago this interesting sculpture was installed on the grass near the box office of the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. It’s titled Sound Shower.

Artist and neurobiologist Victor Hugo Minces created this immersive sound sculpture. He’s a research scientist at UC San Diego and has published work about how neural networks in the brain represent the sensory world.

The webpage concerning Sound Shower features a video that shows how the sculpture can stimulate the senses of those who stand within it. Using a hammer, a subject strikes the large chime-like pipes and experiences sound as it “showers” all around!

I wish I’d understood the sculpture’s function while gazing at it a few days ago. If by chance Sound Shower is still there when I return to Escondido, I’ll try it out.

(Different sculptures have temporarily appeared in this same place. You might recall how I blogged about a star-like sculpture a year ago.)

(While reading through Victor Minces’ website, I’ve noticed he has another sensory sculpture installed near the WorldBeat Cultural Center in Balboa Park. I think that today I’ll go experience that one!)

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Mexican mummies arrive in Balboa Park!

Several human mummies from Mexico have arrived in San Diego’s Balboa Park!

Okay–they’re replica mummies to be exact. Visitors to the House of Mexico cottage can now view them as well as other artifacts from Guanajuato, a state in central Mexico.

The House of Mexico opened this exhibit a day or two ago. Every three months they celebrate one of Mexico’s many states with a new exhibition.

Not only is Guanajuato famous for its mummies, but the mountainous region is known for mining, its unique culture, and colorful architecture that includes many tunnels. Displays in the cottage include photographs, historical information and crafts from this Mexican tourist destination.

Today I enjoyed a free sample of ice cream unique to Guanajuato! I received a beautiful bilingual magazine titled Roads of Guanajuato, too!

Between the mummies and the ice cream, and all the colorful sights inside the House of Mexico cottage, your family will be sure to enjoy a visit!

…

To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)