Something fun!
The Rady Shell on San Diego’s waterfront is the home of an underwater band! Where else can you attend a concert and hear the fantastic drumming of an eight tentacled octopus?
These photos of a painted electrical box were taken by the Burgers, Bait and Beer shack near the Rady Shell, in Embarcadero Marina Park South by the fishing pier!
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The construction fence in front of the long vacant Vogue Theater in downtown Chula Vista attracts street artists.
I tend to walk down Third Avenue past this fence a couple times a year. Yesterday I noticed artwork previously unseen.
I also observed new art on the wall of Chula Vista Smiles dentistry on the opposite side of the theater’s parking lot!
Photos…
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A large sea turtle at the Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista is full of plastic trash! Discarded plastic bottles, that is!
The old sea turtle sculpture, I was informed, is what remains of an exhibition from years ago. Several sculptures had been displayed at the Living Coast Discovery Center to demonstrate how trash hurts wildlife and the natural environment.
The plastic bottles contained by the sculpture have been gathered during environmental cleanups. They will be recycled.
If you happen to know who created this sculpture, or anything more about it, please leave a comment!
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I couldn’t stick around for today’s Veterans Day Parade, but I did pass by the County Administration Building while the participants were lining up along Harbor Drive.
I had enough time to take these quick photos that you might enjoy!
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The Oceanside Historical Society and its museum moved in August 2025 from the Civic Center to a nearby, much larger location at 510 Civic Center Drive. The new Robert A. and Bessie J. Weese Oceanside History Center is a wonderful resource for those wishing to learn all about the rich history of a fascinating city.
I visited the museum’s beautiful new location for my first time a couple days ago.
Wow!
The walls of the museum feature a comprehensive timeline of Oceanside’s history. The indigenous Luiseño . . . Mission San Luis Rey . . . pioneers . . . the coming of the railroad and establishment of early Oceanside . . . World War II and the creation of Camp Pendleton . . . an entire series of developments right up to present day . . . The evolution of this dynamic city is thoroughly covered with historical photographs and detailed descriptions.
Spend some time perusing the timeline and you can visualize how tiny Oceanside appeared long before it became a large coastal city in Southern California.
I learned during my visit that this spacious and welcoming new history center is frequently visited by local students and community groups who want to learn more about the place where they live and its early residents.
The Oceanside Historical Society also maintains an important archive of about 70,000 digitized photographs.
Did you know that the Oceanside Historical Society hosts Downtown History Walks? They’re held on the second Saturday of each month, April through September. The two hour walks provide a firsthand look at many of the city’s historically and architecturally important structures. Learn more about these walks, or enjoy a self-guided walk, by clicking here.
I definitely recommend a visit to the new Oceanside History Center! To plan your visit, check out their website by clicking here.
I took photos to provide an idea of what you’ll experience…
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RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the stories of Holocaust survivors. At this time they have an exhibition in San Diego on the second floor of downtown’s Central Library.
The extensive exhibition, featuring stories and artifacts from the Holocaust and World War II, has previously been located at the Chula Vista and La Jolla libraries. The organization is seeking to create a permanent museum.
To establish a Holocaust museum in San Diego requires a lot of time, effort and fundraising. If you think this effort is important, you can help!
First, check out their website to learn more by clicking here.
I visited the library’s exhibition again today. I learned RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust is now pursuing the acquisition of a very rare Holocaust uniform worn by a Jewish political prisoner in Auschwitz named Saba Goldschmid. You can see it in the above photograph.
You can go to the associated GoFundMe page by clicking here, where you’ll find a detailed description. The hope is to make this uniform part of the RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust museum collection, where it can be preserved and shared with thousands of people.
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TwitchCon is a huge video livestreaming convention, and it’s returning to San Diego this weekend!
TwitchCon is organized by Twitch Interactive and focuses on the culture of livestreaming, entertainment, esports and internet culture. It seems to grow larger every year.
I noted this evening that banners celebrating TwitchCon have appeared in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter.
I took theses photos of streetlamp banners along Fifth Avenue…
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The City of Oceanside has a remarkably rich and complex history.
Perhaps you know a thing or two about the Oceanside Pier, Camp Pendleton, and even the Top Gun House. But did you know the story of Oceanside includes Al Capone, unsolved murders, a notorious madam, the involvement of Hollywood movie stars, and a mysterious Miracle?
If you’re interested in learning these scintillating bits of Oceanside history, you really should visit this great website. It’s titled Histories and Mysteries.
Histories and Mysteries is the creation of Oceanside Historical Society’s very knowledgeable Kristi Hawthorne. Her website is loaded with old photographs and detailed descriptions that provide truly gripping reading.
I visited the Oceanside Historical Society’s museum yesterday, and I’ll soon be blogging about it. Meanwhile, go ahead and check out Histories and Mysteries. You’ll end up knowing more about Oceanside’s wild history than most of its residents!
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Two super cool props that were actually used in the filming of the hit movie Top Gun can be viewed by the public in Oceanside: the helmets worn by fictional Navy fighter pilots Goose and Maverick (actors Anthony Edwards and Tom Cruise!)
Look for the helmets in the historic Top Gun House near the Oceanside Pier, now the home of An’s Gate D5 Gelato shop!
You’ll find other cool memorabilia too, like a signed Top Gun poster and photographs from 1986.
(No, the Tom Cruise motorcycle in front of An’s Gate D5 is a replica.)
Check it out!
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Check out this cool mural! It was recently painted in Oceanside’s Artist Alley for a Coraline themed event! (You know–that classic, spooky movie by LAIKA, the movie studio that uses stop motion animation–the same studio that recently released Wildwood.)
Enjoy these photographs taken during today’s walk in downtown Oceanside…
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To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!