That’s not a tipi. It’s a lavvu! It’s the portable dwelling used by the nomadic indigenous Sámi people when following herds of reindeer in the arctic north!
Why was it set up in Balboa Park today? It was a part of the House of Norway’s cultural lawn program at the International Cottages.
As a nearby sign explained, a lavvu is similar to a Native American tipi but less vertical and more stable for the high winds of Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland), a region mostly north of the Arctic Circle. The foundation of a lavvu is built into permafrost for warmth and stability.
The House of Norway had numerous interesting displays and activities for their lawn program this year. I had never heard of a lavvu, so it particularly intrigued me!
The flag of Sápmi was being draped on the lavvu when I took my final photograph.
The elements of the flag are symbolic. This article explains the historical meaning of its design and colors.
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The 2026 Geranium Show and Sale was held this weekend in Balboa Park. Members of the San Diego Geranium Society filled Room 101 of the Casa del Prado with beautiful living color!
There’s something very homey about geraniums. They’re easy to propagate and grow, and their cheerful blooms endure most of the year. What home doesn’t have a pot of these flowering plants on a porch or window sill?
In addition to the different varieties of geranium in the show, visitors could view works of art and special displays that celebrate the geranium.
Some photographs…
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Fashion Redux 2026: Cocktail Hour opened last month at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park. I enjoyed a look at the exhibition today.
Once again, students from the Mesa College Fashion Program have produced inspired creations for this annual event.
As one display explains: This exhibition explores the rise of the “Modern Woman” through the lens of cocktail dresses, featuring contemporary designs by San Diego Mesa College students inspired by examples from the San Diego History Center’s historic textile collection that span the periods 1890 to 1970.
Women’s fashion has changed greatly over the decades, driven by societal “norms” of the day. History that was studied by the student designers included social movements leading to both Prohibition, its repeal, and women’s suffrage.
The cocktail dress emerged in the 1920s, as women embraced more public and social roles, moving away from restrictive floor-length dresses, into a short, semi-formal garment for early evening events…
A number of displays, including historical photographs and garments, demonstrate this fascinating evolution of fashion.
At the center of the exhibition, however, are the reimagined cocktail dresses. It’s very impressive how college students designed the four unique dresses you see in the next photograph!
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The 250th Anniversary of the United States is coming up. There will be big celebrations in San Diego and around the nation on July 4, 2026.
The San Diego History Center in Balboa Park will be taking part this summer, too, with a special America at 250: San Diego 1776 – 2026 exhibition. A large gallery space will be filled with fascinating displays, recalling San Diego’s rich and diverse history.
I stepped into the museum today and noticed they’re starting to get the exhibition ready. So far I noticed an El Cajon & Lakeside stagecoach, a mining ore car, an antique printing press, a vintage automobile, a model of Horton Plaza, and even a classic Jack in the Box drive-thru intercom clown head!
I can’t wait to see what else appears! Stay tuned!
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Art and creativity were busting out everywhere at today’s big, very colorful Goldenpalooza festival at the Golden Hill Recreation Center! Check it out!
The festival offered families creative opportunities at every turn. There were multiple art-making stations and workshops for every age. You could learn how to make a cyanotype, a monster and a zine!
Friendly artists were painting, printmaking, demonstrating their technique and showcasing fantastic creations. There was even a cool, highly original video game created by San Diego locals that kids (or adults) could play!
All this while listening to live music from the stage!
Literacy also had a big presence at the festival. Kids were encouraged to read. Reading is fun and expands your mind!
Okay, can you tell I really loved Goldenpalooza? It was my first ever visit to the festival, and will likely not be my last.
Words Alive San Diego encourages children to read. It’s done with art and adult participation.A lot of activities for Makers!Sun Art! Golden Hill is the perfect place for this!The Joey, Jeremy & Camille Trio wave from the Goldenpalooza stage.INSIDE:ART (@insideart_sd) supports the fostering of identity for adults with developmental disabilities through dignified access to the creative arts community of San Diego.The Wall of Questions & Colors by Compagnia Creativa (@compagniacreativa) asks festival goers “What makes you smile?”Made me smile!Testing out the cool, locally developed Behemoth video game (find it on STEAM). A bit like the classic arcade game Joust.
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Everyone was smiling at Goldenpalooza in Golden Hill today, especially those at tables stocked with free healthy food, courtesy of Feeding San Diego!
The cost of living seems higher than ever in San Diego, so keeping food on the table is a struggle for too many residents. Feeding San Diego is there to fill in the gaps (and hungry stomachs).
At the Goldenpalooza community festival, people could fill a bag with potatoes, melons, tuna, low fat milk, and other nutritious essentials.
On behalf of so many in San Diego, thank you!
If you’d like to help Feeding San Diego fulfill their mission, or receive help putting food on your own table, visit their website here.
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Another fun Dogs of Downtown event was held today in San Diego! Canines were the furry superstars on the outdoor WeWork Terrace at 600 B Street!
Downtown residents and four-footed best friends enjoyed free live music, a pup fashion show, dog-centered art, crafts and goods, and the opportunity for dog adoption. There were even VIP tickets available if you wanted your pet to be drawn by a caricature artist, have its tag engraved and more!
It was a great way for people and dogs who live at the center of San Diego to make new friends. And take a pic or two!
The tail-wagging annual event is courtesy of various supporters and the Downtown San Diego Partnership.
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This morning I noticed somebody freshening one of the hanging planters in downtown San Diego’s Cortez Hill neighborhood. On a ladder above the sidewalk, he was adding geraniums and other flowering plants!
It was a friendly worker from Downtown San Diego Partnership’s Clean & Safe program!
Voice Out 2026 is a youth media art exhibition that officially opens today inside San Diego’s downtown Central Library.
Young creators from across the San Diego region were invited by Outside The Lens to explore the idea of Wonder through photography, digital illustration and mixed media. Nearly 200 pieces are now on display on the first floor of the Central Library.
I checked the art out yesterday after the displays were set up!
Wonder stretches our curious minds, leading us to places beyond our accustomed horizons. Places that can be fantastic and strange. I saw images full of dreams, discovery and possibility.
The art of Voice Out 2026 will be on display at both the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and the San Diego Central Library throughout June 2026.
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Walk for a few minutes south down Seacoast Drive from Imperial Beach Boulevard and you will come to the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge Viewing Station.
Near a pair of benches, two free scopes allow curious people to view the wide green Tijuana River Estuary and search for birds. Four information signs help describe what is seen.
I took photos of the signs, but glare from the bright sun can make them difficult to read. I altered the contrast quite a bit.
The first sign explains that Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge is the largest remaining coastal wetland in Southern California.
The Tijuana River touches the lands and lives of people of three nations: the Kumeyaay Indian Nation, United States, and Mexico. Starting in the mountains of Baja California, the river crosses the international border just four miles from here before emptying into the Pacific Ocean…
In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established the first wildlife refuge in Florida. Today there are more than 560 refuges… Tijuana Slough shares the mission of all refuges: to conserve wildlife, restore habitat, and protect threatened and endangered species for the benefit of present and future generations.
More than 370 species of birds frequent this area, including six threatened or endangered species, four of which can be seen from this spot. High diversity means healthy habitat, where many species find food and a safe place to rest or nest.
The landscape in front of you might appear flat and quiet, but there is more than meets the eye. Between the beach behind you and the bluffs at the southern end of this reserve, inches of elevation and slight changes in water level and chemistry create many different habitats–each specially suited to a surprising diversity of plants and animals. From the elusive long-tailed weasel hunting rodents to the tiny pygmy blue butterfly perching on pickleweed, fascinating creatures are everywhere.
This place has a pulse, and just like you, it depends on healthy circulation. At high tide, oxygen-rich ocean water pumps into the marsh, while the ebb of water at low tide carries sediment out to sea…
Scientists constantly monitor the marsh’s vital signs. Data loggers, placed around the estuary, record and transmit temperature, oxygen level, water level, and more…
The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of 29 and counting, was established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study how human activities and natural events affect estuarine habitats in the United States. People that work at the reserve include staff from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California State Parks, City and County of San Diego, the U.S. Navy, and the Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Associates.
An old plaque is embedded in a nearby rock…
Tijuana Estuary Restoration Project
1.25 Acres
Dedicated March 24, 1999
Trying to put this plaque in context, I found this website.
Peer through one of the scopes and you might see a yellow-crowned night heron!
(At least, I believe that’s the species. I framed the nearby bird with my camera.)
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Cool San Diego Sights! 