Happy elves magically appear at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion for Christmas on the Prado.
If you would like to give a special Christmas gift to less fortunate children in San Diego, here’s a wonderful idea!
This coming Saturday and Sunday afternoon–December 1 and 2, 2018–toys will be collected by Toys for Tots during the 5th Annual Christmas on the Prado in Balboa Park.
Bring a new unwrapped toy . . . or two . . . or three!
Here’s an even more wonderful idea! Host a toy drive at your work, church or special event and bring lots of toys!
If you happen to swing by Balboa Park on Saturday, you’ll be able to watch the lighting of the community Christmas tree in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion at 6:30 pm, then Sing Along with Santa!
Visitors to Cabrillo National Monument enter the restored Base End Station and Battery Commander’s bunker, north of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. Battery Ashburn can be seen in the distance.
The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 caused many to fear that the Imperial Japanese Navy might attack the mainland United States.
Coastal defenses were rapidly built up at strategic points along the West Coast, including Point Loma, the peninsula that overlooks the narrow entrance to San Diego Bay. Many of the United States Navy’s remaining ships were homeported in San Diego and had to be protected at all costs.
During World War II, Point Loma’s Fort Rosecrans was the home of the U. S. Army 19th Coast Artillery Regiment. Soldiers manned steel-reinforced concrete bunkers containing Base End Stations, and scanned the horizon for enemy vessels. Should the enemy be sighted, they relayed their information to a Battery Commander, who precisely calculated the enemy’s position, then issued orders to various gun batteries that guarded the approach to San Diego.
Today, almost a century later, the general public can enter one of those old bunkers overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
During my recent Saturday visit to Cabrillo National Monument, I was excited to see that the park’s restored bunker, designated Battery E Control Station, was open. I descended the steep steps into a small underground world, and experienced what life was like for those who stood watch over the wide ocean day and night during the war.
I then checked out a small museum near the bunker to learn a little more about San Diego’s coastal defenses during World War II.
Here are photographs that I took. Read the captions for more fascinating information. Click the signs and they will enlarge.
The Battery E Control Station can be entered on many weekend days. Tours are provided by volunteer docents who are members of the San Diego Military History Association.Walking down steps into the two-level, steel-reinforced concrete bunker is like stepping back in time. The 19th Coast Artillery Regiment manned multiple Point Loma bunkers during World War II.A docent in a World War II era uniform demonstrates the use of an azimuth scope. These spotting scopes gave accurate readings of target positions.A photograph inside the top level of the bunker, which served as the Battery Commander Station for nearby Battery Ashburn.Objects displayed include a map, helmet, canteen and pin-up girl on the wall. A WWII veteran who served at Fort Rosecrans helped to make the bunker’s interior appear historically accurate.Diagram on a wall identified Japanese Naval Vessels during World War II.Marks show the direction and distance to South and North Coronado Islands, which lie in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico.Phones on the wall beside a small Duty Roster chalkboard. The Battery Commander would calculate and communicate accurate information to nearby Battery Ashburn.Metal rungs descend into the lower level of the bunker, where visitors can see the small bunkroom and a typical Base End Station.A friendly docent shows me the bunkroom, where those who manned the bunker took turns sleeping.Objects in the bunkroom include toiletries, U. S. Army rations, cigarettes, magazines and pin-ups on the wall.Next to the bunkroom is a Base End Station, where soldiers continuously scanned the ocean horizon. It is one of five Base End Stations that were assigned to the Battery Commander Station directly above.Old photos above two phones show the operation of azimuth scopes in a Base End Station.A sign describes Fire Control Rooms. A pair of Base End Stations would track an enemy ship’s position, course and speed. Distance to an enemy vessel was determined through triangulation.Sign shows the different battery positions on Point Loma during World War II. Battery Ashburn’s two 16 inch naval guns had a range of 26 miles.Old photos include Battery Ashburn in 1943 and Battery Point Loma in 1941.A sign in the nearby museum shows the ranges of Point Loma’s many defensive gun batteries.During World War II, Fort Rosecrans on Point Loma was garrisoned by the 19th Coast Artillery Regiment. Troops assigned to Fort Rosecrans in San Diego thought it a good duty station, with pleasant weather.Binoculars at the ready. Enter a coastal defense bunker at Cabrillo National Monument to experience a bit of what it was like during World War II in San Diego.
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People walk through Balboa Park. There is much living to do.
Another fine Sunday afternoon in Balboa Park.
More beauty.
More sunshine.
More smiles.
More heart.
I could take a million photographs during walks through Balboa Park, because there is always something new.
Dancers perform at the International Cottages during the House of Lebanon lawn program.Yummy authentic Lebanese food is devoured on a sunny San Diego day.Exquisite artwork displayed inside the Casa del Prado for the 43rd Annual Sumi-e Ten Japanese Brush Painting Exhibition.Young people take up a brush, learning to transform ink into elegant beauty.The seasonal display in the Botanical Building features pumpkins arranged among plants and flowers.Raúl Prieto Ramírez, San Diego’s Civic Organist, talks to the audience during the free Sunday concert at two o’clock.Peering down into the Lower Garden of the Japanese Friendship Garden from the deck of the Tea Pavilion.Light filters through bamboo at the Japanese Friendship Garden.A painting of Mt. Fuji by Yutaka Murakami. His fantastic artwork is now on display in the Exhibit Hall at the Japanese Friendship Garden.Steel drums add flavor to the Plaza de Balboa near the Bea Evenson Fountain.People eat, talk, find comfort at tables in the Plaza de Panama.Browsing photographs by a local artist at the outdoor Art in the Park.People filter through the dreamy Alcazar Garden.Feeling the holiday spirit by The Old Globe Christmas Tree in Copley Plaza.Enjoying peace and warm sunlight on the grassy West Mesa of Balboa Park.Shining blooms in a tree.A noisy flock of crows was perched in the eucalyptus trees near the San Diego Chess Club and Balboa Park Horseshoe Club.A drum circle in Marston Point. Like the joyful, beating heart of Balboa Park.
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During my walk about Logan Heights today I met a few friendly members of the San Diego Art Team. They were creating even more cool street art just north of the intersection of 31st Street and Commercial Street.
Some of their recently spray painted art features popular Marvel Comics characters, particularly those related to the X-Men!
If the style of their work seems familiar, I blogged their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mural (which has since been painted over) here and some of their other graffiti-style artwork here.
The San Diego Art Team is composed of Logan Heights community members who enjoy being creative and energizing their neighborhood with bold, colorful public art!
Very cool!
Spiderman faces off against a member of the X-Men in street art in Logan Heights.Cyclops, Nightcrawler and a Sentinel street art in Logan Heights.I believe that’s Wolverine.I’m certain that’s Wolverine!Cyclops in action street art in Logan Heights.Jean Grey as Phoenix street art in Logan Heights.
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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!
Cool comic book superheroes, villains and other characters are spray painted on a long wall in Logan Heights!
Check out this awesome spray paint street art on a wall south of the intersection of 31st Street and Commercial Street in Logan Heights! It’s loaded with comic book superheroes, villains and other cool characters!
The mural is a work currently in progress. Today I was fortunate to meet the primary artist, who goes by the name Fizix. I learned that most of the characters in the large, colorful mural are his artwork. I also learned that additional work on this very cool mural is by the artist ABSO.
Does the name Fizix ring a bell? Perhaps you’ve seen his work here and here. Because I photograph so much street art all around San Diego, it’s possible his work appears elsewhere on Cool San Diego Sights and I simply don’t realize it.
Fizix is actually Alex Julian, a talented artist in San Diego who can be found @alexfizix. His blog, which features some really good graphic novel art and his bio, can be enjoyed here.
His expertise is illustration, book covers, digital art, murals, horror caricatures and comic book coloring. His artwork has a distinctive style that I really like.
Check out the following photos!
Judge Dredd street art by Fizix.Fizix at work on a commissioned mural featuring superheroes, supervillains and a few other characters.A neighbor in Logan Heights loves old school Jazz, so Fizix included this cool musician in the large mural.Another neighbor in Logan Heights has a dog that resembles this cool spray paint artwork by Fizix!This very awesome sunset portion of the mural is by the artist ABSO. It looks like the sort of street art one might find in Ocean Beach.Carnage street art by Fizix.Rose of Black Dog and Rebel Rose street art by Fizix.Spawn street art by Fizix.The Maxx street art by Fizix.Hela street art by Fizix.Ghost Rider street art by Fizix.Iron Man street art by Fizix.Wonder Woman street art by Fizix.Miles Morales version of Spiderman street art by Fizix.Hellboy street art by Fizix.Rocket Raccoon street art by the artist ABSO.Cool characters from pop culture can be enjoyed by anyone who drives down Commercial Street in San Diego!
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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!
A bright, happy Christmas tree has appeared inside the Donut Bar.
Many colorful Christmas trees have suddenly popped up all around downtown San Diego!
Step into the lobby of any elegant hotel or large office tower and you’re sure to be dazzled!
This morning and evening I walked through downtown searching for Christmas trees to photograph. A couple of my photos turned out a bit grainy due to dim lighting, but hopefully you get the sense of how amazingly beautiful many of these trees are!
I also got pics of some fun ornaments in shop windows!
One of the slender Christmas trees adding holiday cheer to the north entrance to the 701 B Street office building.A large Christmas tree has appeared in the lobby of the Wells Fargo building. When I dropped by in the morning it hadn’t been decorated yet.A beautiful, shining Christmas tree in the grand lobby of One America Plaza.One of several creative, very elegant Christmas trees in the lobby of The Sofia Hotel.San Diego sand dollar and disco ball ornaments inside the window of Best of Gaslamp.One of the dazzling Christmas trees in the posh lobby of the historic US Grant Hotel.A simply magnificent Christmas tree in the lobby of Symphony Towers.A gorgeous Christmas tree inside the luxurious Westgate Hotel.A snowy Christmas tree inside the west entrance of the 101 W. Broadway office building.A funny surfing Santa ornament in the window of San Diego Trading Company!
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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!
Another bright day in November. A day for sailing.
I sat at a picnic table at Embarcadero Marina Park North, quietly gazing at the sparkling water.
As the tide flowed, a sailboat drifted across San Diego Bay. It turned in the wind. The unmanned vessel must have become accidentally unmoored. A small Coast Guard boat slowly followed it.
Beside the water people moved forward through life.
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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!
Visitors to Cabrillo National Monument investigate the tidepools.
Cabrillo National Monument at the end of San Diego’s Point Loma peninsula is a place of many wonders.
Visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of San Diego, its big, beautiful bay, Coronado’s North Island and the Pacific Ocean. They can enter the Old Point Loma Lighthouse which was built in 1855 to guide ships into San Diego’s harbor. They can see the iconic statue dedicated to Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the explorer who discovered San Diego Bay in 1542 on behalf of Spain. They can watch the migration of gray whales, move through native flora on the Bayside Trail, and check out bunkers that were erected as a coastal defense during World War II.
And by heading a little off the beaten track, visitors can also explore amazing tidepools!
Where are they?
Shortly after passing the park’s Entrance Station, turn right on Cabrillo Road and drive down the hill to the Point Loma Tide Pools.
Make sure to arrive around the time of low tide. Wear sturdy shoes with good traction. Then carefully walk from the parking lot down a short path to the sandstone cliffs and slippery intertidal zone rocks. That’s where you’ll find abundant sea life.
It’s easy to spot all sorts of diverse marine animals, invertebrates and plants at the ocean’s edge. One can find surf grass, sea lettuce, dead man’s fingers, sea hares, lined shore crabs, bat stars, aggregating anemones, sea urchins, limpets, chitons, periwinkle snails, California mussels, lobsters and even small octopuses!
I took some photographs about two hours before low tide!
As low tide nears, people look about the rocks and shallow water for signs of sea life.Amazing beauty awaits curious eyes.Starting down the path from a parking lot to the Point Loma Tide Pools at Cabrillo National Monument.A sign by the path. Exploring the rocky intertidal zones is like peering through a window into the ocean’s ecosystem. During low tide, marine animals in shallow pools can be closely observed.The closer you look, the more you see. Park rangers periodically identify and count the organisms to monitor the health of each species.As we head down the dirt path, the tide pool overlook comes into view.The tide pool area is active with curious visitors. Only two hours until low tide this afternoon.A funny crab asks visitors to please leave all shells in the tidepools.Approaching a pair of information signs atop the overlook. Pacific Ocean waves curl smoothly below.These old signs are very faded, but let’s take a look anyway.You are now standing in the upper limits of the splash zone. The waterline does not come this high, but splash and spray sometimes do. Just below is the high-tide zone.Some organisms pictured are limpets, chitons, sand castle worms, goose-necked barnacles and abalone.Plant life includes giant kelp, surf grass, coraline algae, rock weed, feather boa kelp and dead man’s finger.Families enjoy the warm sunshine and smell of the ocean. This photo looks north along the sandstone cliffs of Point Loma.A few rocks stick out of the surf. Fishing boats lie in the water beyond.A gull stands upon one of the larger rocks.A lone surfer has caught a good wave!As we head down a short dirt path from the overlook to the tidepool area, we take a closer look at the eroded sandstone cliffs and water-smoothed stones on the narrow beach below.
A wide flat rock dips dips toward the ocean at one end of the tidepools, making a perfect platform for exploration when the tide goes out.In a couple hours even more tidepools will appear. Low tide is the best time to explore the rocky pools of captured water.Someone peers down into the shallow water, perhaps looking for an octopus or fish.Someone–a young person most likely–searched for heart-shaped stones on the rocky beach and lined them up for all to see.People explore a smooth bowl-like pit in the eroded, layered, tilted sandstone.So much wild natural beauty. So much to contemplate.The rock shelf contains parallel fissures and oddly eroded patterns. Over many years the rock is weathered, strangely changes.I see some of those whitish goose-necked barnacles. Many of the tiny pits are home to troglodyte chitons.I found some limpets clinging to the wet rock.Bright green algae grows on the exposed intertidal rock’s surface.Beauty that defies adequate description.The patient sea washes against these rocks, doing its slow work over the course of countless lifetimes.Looking south at light on the water and dark, broken rocks.The uplifted then eroded sandstone cliffs tell a story in their book-page-layers about the passage of time.Little piles of sand and stone collect where the cliffs crumble.High above, atop Point Loma, I see the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, now a part of human history.Gazing at the sublime work of nature.
No human artist could possibly paint this.
I see a small leaf of sea lettuce!An aggregating anemone has collected fragments of shell and grains of sand.A young boy walked up to me as I photographed this small scene and said that it looks like a volcano. On the surface of Mars, I thought to myself.Like a glittering hidden treasure.A chiton between an anemone and a limpet. Another close look at nature’s awesome and infinite beauty.
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