It’s late October. Trees near the San Dieguito River and Lake Hodges are showing a little Autumn color.
The leaves of willows and cottonwoods have begun to turn yellow.
I took these photographs today as I walked down the Coast to Crest Trail from the Sunset Drive Staging Area in Escondido. I headed south, turned west under Interstate 15, and turned around when I reached the long pedestrian bridge that is visible from the freeway.
It was a perfect day for a leisurely outdoor stroll in San Diego’s North County!
I noticed today that the demolition of downtown San Diego’s historic California Theatre building is underway. A crew was cleaning out the interior of the long vacant building.
It’s hard to believe the once-elegant 1927 building has stood neglected (directly next to the Civic Center) since 1990.
The California Theatre in its heyday was called the “Cathedral of the Motion Picture.” Its beautiful old marquee and exterior decoration have mostly vanished. Graffiti and broken windows have been an eye sore for years.
The Prebys Foundation purchased the property in July and are having the condemned structure removed. Hopefully this leads to a revitalization of downtown’s C Street corridor.
In 2013 I took photos of the large Caliente advertising mural on the building’s west side. That was before it became defaced. See those past photographs here.
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The San Diego Museum of Art is setting up an installation in Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama for Día de los Muertos. The installation is called Altares Peregrinos, which means Pilgrim Altars.
Artist Betsabeé Romero is leading the project. You might recall she created that artistic soccer goal in the same spot back during the World Cup.
Día de los Muertos will be celebrated at these Pilgrim Altars on Sunday, November 1, 2026, from 11 am to 4 pm. The altars will remain on display through November 8th.
Learn more about the free, family friendly event by clicking here!
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A month and a half ago I headed down Imperial Avenue to the Interstate 15 underpass to observe the painting of many large murals. I returned today. They’re all completed!
To see the painting in progress, and to learn more about this project, visit my previous blog post by clicking here.
Here are today’s photographs. As you can see, the common theme is music…
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I learned something yesterday during my visit to the House of Mexico cottage in Balboa Park. There were two very different Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) altars (ofrendas) erected inside the cottage. One was called the Janal Pixán Altar. It’s what you see in these photographs.
Janal Pixán in the Maya language means “food for the souls.” Janal Pixán is the Mayan version of Day of the Dead.
Janal Pixán altars are popular this time of year in the Yucatán, where the Maya civilization flourished. These distinctive altars blend pre‑Hispanic Maya beliefs with Spanish‑influenced Catholic customs. Food, as you can see, is a major component. They are distinct from the altars in other Mexican regions.
I learned this type of altar often contains fruits and sweets like chocolate, mucbipollo o pib (a large corn tamal filled with chicken and pork, with achiote spice, tomato and espelón beans, cooked underground), and traditional kidney-shaped Campeche bread, which is called pan de riñón.
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Ernest Born was a notable California architect who did much of his work in San Francisco. He spent his later years living in San Diego.
In ink, chalk, pastel, and pencil, Ernest Born sketched impressive Romanesque and Gothic style Medieval buildings that he observed in Europe during several trips abroad in the 1920s. Over twenty pieces are on display. They’re on loan from the University of San Diego.
Visitors to the Timken can clearly see Born’s passion for this architecture and his artistry in producing these sketches. Some of this very detailed work was done in collaboration with architectural historian Walter Horn.
Gazing at these fine works, I felt ready to step into unusually grand structures built in places far from San Diego long ago.
The Timken Museum of Art is always free to the public. I encourage lovers of history, art or architecture to pay a visit before this exhibition ends on February 28, 2027.
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A big Dia de los Muertos event is being held this evening at the San Diego County Administration Building!
After dark a large crowd had already gathered on the east side of the colorfully lit building. Everyone was enjoying live music, dance, great Mexican food…
Several large altars had been created on the outdoor steps, including one dedicated to beloved pets.
Vendors were present, too, selling marigolds and gifts related to Dia de los Muertos.
I was pleased to find a friendly vendor out of Chula Vista selling bilingual children’s books. Her website is La Buqueria.
One section of the festive event was dedicated to artists and their beautiful art…
The San Diego Ballet was present, too. Nutcracker season is fast approaching!
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