A familiar sign as drivers enter Old Town from Interstate 5. Welcome to Old Town. Birthplace of California.
I have more photos to post from my long walk yesterday. But first I’m going to share pics that I took during today’s walk from downtown San Diego to Old Town!
I didn’t pull out my camera until I was well past the airport, heading up Hancock Street. I passed very few people. My mind was far away. As you can see, I did capture a few amusing images!
After a brief detour to explore Witherby Street and the semi-decayed old bridges and underpasses leading to an entrance of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, I passed over Interstate 5 and entered Old Town.
I took a look around the quiet streets as I headed up Jefferson Street and Congress Street. Making sure there were no signs posted saying I couldn’t enter, I quickly passed through Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, which was almost deserted. Then I headed back south down San Diego Avenue.
Most of the shops and restaurants in Old Town were closed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A few restaurants were offering take-out, but very few potential customers were anywhere to be seen…
I’m heading up Hancock Street. If that’s not a NOT, can one legally park here?This might be the coolest little free library I’ve come across!A superhero who resembles Superman flies from what might be San Diego’s last phone booth.These pigeons regarded me as I walked along a gritty walkway under the Witherby Street train bridge.Now I’ve entered Old Town. Check out this cool sculpture in someone’s front yard!Flowers through a white fence.The African Latin Museum was closed. It’s on my list of things to do.This was part of the 1890 Ballast Point Light Station on Point Loma!
To learn more about the history of this lighthouse, and why part of it is now sitting on a sidewalk in Old Town, click here!
Mural in front of some small businesses on Congress Street depicts the early days of San Diego.Right part of the mural.Signs by the parking lot of Rockin’ Baja point to different distant destinations.On the small island beneath the signs I spotted this plaque.In Memory of Joe Flynn. 1902 – 1963. Joe loved Old Town and helped re-create Casa de Lopez. Old Town Chamber of Commerce.Mexican themed outdoor decor, but no customers at this eatery during the coronavirus pandemic.Voted best pizza in America! I gotta try a slice one day.The plaza in the middle of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is deserted. But the grass is long and green!The many Old Town museums and attractions are all closed due to COVID-19.On an ordinary Sunday, this photo would be filled with people.Now I’m heading down San Diego Avenue. Another popular restaurant is temporarily closed.But Cafe Coyote is open for take out! And I got two yummy handmade fresh tortillas to munch on as I walked!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Check out this huge, amazing mural that was painted in South Park about a month ago!
The street artists of Beautiful San Diego created the 46-foot mural in the alley behind The Bottle House, along the building’s north wall. The neighborhood has a love for pets, and the mural features dogs howling in front of a full moon. But the most impressive part of the mural–to me–are the words San Diego South Park California rendered in cool graffiti style!
Love it!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Need a little hope and optimism during this difficult time?
Check out all this inspirational street art I discovered today during my walk through North Park!
I found positive artwork painted on an electrical box, hopeful chalk art on the sidewalk, and two cool murals (first and last photos) by PANDR Design Co., the folks who created the popular “SMILE, You’re in San Diego” mural downtown! (You can see that mural and learn more about the artists here!)
You are a radiant beam of light and capable of so much good.You got this.Some happy, positive street art in North Park.Breathe. You are loved.I know it’s hard now but it will get better.Better days ahead.We’ll get through it together.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Funny comic panels featuring Star Trek characters, standing near Captain Kirk’s Coffee in South Park.
It was hot today as I walked through South Park, so I stopped at Captain Kirk’s Coffee to get an ice cold green tea. And look what I saw and learned!
All sorts of humorous Star Trek imagery can be found on and around this popular sidewalk coffee shack!
The super nice people who served up my green tea explained they’ve been there for many years now. Then they told me something amazing that I didn’t know. Whoopi Goldberg, before she became a superstar, worked at The Big Kitchen just a block south of Captain Kirk’s Coffee! They said she signed her name on a wall of The Big Kitchen, and while the interior has been repainted many times over the years, her signature remains untouched.
Among her many big Hollywood roles, you might recall that Whoopi Goldberg played Guinan in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in the films Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: Nemesis.
Captain Kirk’s Coffee by the Fern Street sidewalk in South Park.Various spaceships have landed or crashed atop the roof of Captain Kirk’s Coffee.At the front counter. Bean me up Scotty!Big Kitchen Café in South Park, where Whoopi Goldberg worked before becoming a Hollywood superstar.Star Trek meets Star Wars in these silly panels near Captain Kirk’s Coffee.Whoopi Goldberg as Star Trek character Guinan says: I miss Judy’s delicious coffee cake at The Big Kitchen.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Today I went on a super long, absolutely amazing walk. (Lots of blog posts are on the way!)
Look what I stumbled upon as I headed homeward through Golden Hill. Nicholas Danger, one of San Diego’s most prolific street artists and muralists, was painting a cool new mural on a patch of front lawn!
If you recognize his style, that might be because many photographs of his street art have appeared on my blog over the years. One of his recent murals that I photographed was created for Vespa Motorsports, which you can see here!
You can also see a photo of him painting a mural in North Park during the 23rd Annual San Diego County Credit Union Festival of Arts here!
Nicholas Danger is the name that Nicholas McPherson goes by, and how he signs his artwork. I met him only briefly this afternoon, but he was a really nice guy and let me take a photo of his latest creation.
If you want to learn more about his art, check out his website here!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
If you need face coverings during the present coronavirus pandemic, today I discovered that handmade face masks are for sale downtown! They are being produced at Sante’s Tailoring located at 1150 7th Avenue, #1.
As I walked up Seventh Avenue, I saw a table covered with all sorts of colorful face coverings for sale, and met Luzney, who works in another of the building’s suites. Luzney’s Flowers and Gifts at 1150 7th Avenue, #2 has seen a sharp downturn in flower sales, as hotels are empty and weddings are put off during the COVID-19 crisis, so she’s helping to sew these cloth masks, too!
I learned from Luzney that the cotton, washable face masks will be for sale at this location Mondays through Fridays, from 9 am to 2 pm. If you live or work downtown, or just need some cool face masks once the countywide May 1 public face covering rules come into effect, either swing on by, or you can call their phone at 619-231-9898.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Because I live nearby on Cortez Hill, I frequently see the colorful mural in the above photograph. It was painted last year at one end of the rooftop of the old, now vacant San Diego Superior Court Family Court Building. (Years ago the Family Court moved to another downtown location.)
For a while last year, during a larger than average influx of refugees, the unused building was turned into a temporary shelter for asylum-seeking families. At the time I often saw kids playing outdoors on the roof, to one side of the parking area.
One day the mural appeared. Some cheerful color to brighten the lives of children, who were experiencing a very stressful moment in their lives through no fault of their own.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
An amazing bronze sculpture can be found in downtown San Diego, on Ash Street beside the new Carte Hotel. It’s titled Global Proportion.
Created by artist Beverly Penn in 2019, the bronze “topiary sphere” is described as “a journey and destination created from individual bronze leaves cast from live flora at Balboa Park.”
The diverse leaves seem to represent many beautiful lives, joined together in one organic Earth-like object.
Below the amazing bronze topiary sphere, inlaid plaza tiles represent fallen leaves, scattered by the wind.
Whenever I walk by this very unique sculpture I like to pause for a moment and look up. It’s like a small, perfectly beautiful planet that hovers almost within reach.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Are the kids bored being stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic? Are you bored?
The Comic-Con Museum has created something enjoyable for everyone to do! They’ve produced their first Fun Book!
Fun Book #1 has pages to color, instructions on how to draw a cute cartoon character, word puzzles and other activities! Download the .pdf here and print it out!
The Comic-Con Museum has launched a web page called Comic-Con Museum@Home, where all sorts of cool stuff will be appearing in the future, including lots of exclusive videos. Check it out here!
Like many of you, I’m really going to miss Comic-Con this summer, which was cancelled for the first time in 50 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. But time flies and next year will be here before we know it.
And the Comic-Con Museum still plans a Grand Opening in 2021!
I can’t wait!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Many neighbors are being damaged financially by the coronavirus pandemic. Many have lost jobs or work reduced hours. Many don’t know how they’ll continue to cope with everyday expenses. Many worthy organizations are also suffering. The future for all remains uncertain.
In San Diego County, artists and organizations that rely on income produced by their creativity have been hit very hard. The San Diego Arts + Culture Challenge Fund exists to provide a lifeline for these people.
According to The San Diego Foundation donation page, which raises funds to help those caught in these circumstances: “Undertaken as a collaborative effort to support San Diego’s creative sector, the Fund is being launched by a cohort of local leaders and advocates committed to the health and recovery of the sector, including The San Diego Foundation, Clare Rose Foundation, San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition, and the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.”
Please visit the donation page here to learn how you can help.
Cool San Diego Sights! 