Today I enjoyed one of my favorite places. I took a slow walk through the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park.
Beauty is cultivated and revered in this very special garden.
It’s almost like heaven–so close to perfection.
After strolling along the clear stream in the Lower Garden, I headed up out of the canyon and paused for a few moments in the Exhibit Hall. I sat on a bench, near a window overlooking the Dry Stone Garden. Several participants in an afternoon Japanese Tea Ceremony were quietly practicing.
Refinement and elegance.
Deeper meaning.
A joy for life.
So close to perfection.
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This afternoon I also enjoyed a visit to Balboa Park’s lush Botanical Building. When I got home, I used my computer to convert photographs of plants and flowers into colorful oil paintings!
Small sea creatures made of ceramic swim about a tile mosaic bench at a bus station in Solana Beach.
Check out these colorful benches at a Solana Beach bus station on Pacific Coast Highway!
Passengers waiting for a North County Transit BREEZE bus at this station are surrounded by all sorts of sea creatures in the form of ceramic tiles. You can find the public art just north of Lomas Santa Fe Drive, on the west side of the Solana Beach train station. Bicyclists heading down Solana Beach’s Coastal Rail Trail can also pause to enjoy the artwork.
The fun mosaics, decorating 11 concrete benches, were created by artist Michelle Griffoul.
Here are photos from several benches that you might enjoy!
Two of eleven concrete benches decorated with images of marine life on Pacific Coast Highway, just north of Lomas Santa Fe Drive.A colorful fish, shell and seahorse among small blue tiles.Sit here and you can ride a dolphin that is swimming among abundant sea life.More fun public artwork at a Solana Beach bus station.Butterflies! It appears that not all of the images concern aquatic life.More fish in their watery element.More beautiful artwork at the bus station.A bike rider rolls past public art. This station is part of the Coastal Rail Trail in San Diego’s North County.So much sea life it seems we’re somewhere out in the nearby Pacific Ocean.A small school of beautiful fish swimming in blue tiles.Enjoy The Path.The sun is shining atop this bench.I’ve spotted a whale!
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Bold spray paint street art in a Logan Heights alley features the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
Several long alleys in Logan Heights have been spray painted with super cool street art. I visited one alley recently that contains awesome images of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
This particular “Alley Gallery” can be found north of Commercial Street and west of 32nd Street. The colors are bold and the artwork is fantastic. Walking down the alley is almost like turning the pages of a TMNT comic book or graphic novel.
(I learned on a later visit to Logan Heights that this cool art is the creation of a community group called the San Diego Art Team!)
Enjoy these fun photos!
Leonardo, leader of the Ninja Turtles, stands alert beside some bold, colorful graffiti.Michelangelo of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is surrounded by enemies.Donatello appears to be ready for action in an alley mural in Logan Heights.An ordinary turtle wandering through the sewers is caught in some strange glowing green ooze. This innocent, unassuming reptile is almost certainly destined to mutate into a humorous humanoid martial artist!Splinter, the rat sensei, is hanging out on a wall between more cool graffiti.Raphael emerges from a spray painted city. This particular turtle does not appear to be amused.
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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!
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A street mural in San Diego that features many famous faces. Martin Luther King, Jr. is joined by others who have worked to advance civil rights.
A long mural at the corner of 32nd Street and Imperial Avenue celebrates many of history’s most recognized civil rights leaders. Among them are those who have fought to empower the poor, advocates for democracy, human equality and social justice, and peacemakers.
Originally painted in 1986 to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., the mural was restored and augmented in 2002 by internationally renowned muralist and activist Mario Torero with the help of the local community. The mural now includes faces from around the world, as you can see in these photographs.
The colorful mural spans two walls near the border of two neighborhoods east of downtown San Diego: Logan Heights and Stockton. The images have again faded with time, but the idealism represented remains timeless and powerful.
The face of Cesar Chavez.The face of the Dalai Lama.The face of Óscar Romero.The face of Corazon Aquino.The face of Desmond Tutu.The face of Nelson Mandela.The face of Mother Teresa.The face of Chief Joseph.The face of Mahatma Gandhi.
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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 couple walks along Broadway in downtown San Diego.
This long, lazy weekend I’ve been sifting through my computer, searching for fun photos that I haven’t used yet. I discovered a few that I’d like to share.
These photographs are in no particular order. All were taken in the vicinity of downtown. I snapped them during recent walks down from Cortez Hill, where I live.
You might see why I love San Diego.
Several buildings in East Village are reflected in the glass windows of the headquarters of Sempra Energy.Looking up at the fantastic dome of downtown’s Central Library.People enjoy the grassy hill in the Park at the Park, near the statue of baseball hitting legend Tony Gwynn.A banner hanging on a lamppost near the Gaslamp Quarter landmark sign shows a fun photo from San Diego history.I’m not sure if this is a fluffy llama or alpaca. It stands guard in front of Inka’s Bar and Grill in the Gaslamp.The Art of Dr. Seuss is now showing at The Chuck Jones Gallery in the Gaslamp.People play in the fun, splashing fountain at Horton Plaza Park.Colorful new banners have recently appeared around Cortez Hill. Very cool!Morning photo of the handsome old World Trade Center building, once home to publisher Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.Some guys ride their bikes down Fourth Avenue through Bankers Hill.Bright red bougainvillea on a building’s balcony in Little Italy.Sunlight on the side of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.A few days ago I spotted a couple in Tuna Harbor having their engagement photos taken by the water.Tourist souvenirs on a vendor’s cart on the Embarcadero.The Admiral Hornblower and another boat pass near the bow of the USS Midway Museum, recently deemed the best attraction in California.Enjoying sunny San Diego Bay from the end of Broadway Pier, watching the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s restored Swift Boat pass on by.
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Late light reflects from the Marriott Marquis onto San Diego Bay near Seaport Village.
So far this Memorial Day weekend I’ve enjoyed short walks through several favorite places. I’ve done a lot of sitting, reading, writing, eating ice cream, enjoying sunshine. And I’ve taken photos, of course. I always carry my little camera in hand. So why not?
Here are some random images. The first eight photos are from Friday evening along the Embarcadero. They are followed by photos from Saturday and Sunday.
Another beautiful day at Embarcadero Marina Park North.Evening kites fly in the remaining daylight above Donal Hord’s sculpture Morning.Sunset clouds reflected in the still water of Marriott Marina.Many downtown buildings reflect light magically.A fine late Friday walk by the water to begin the long Memorial Day weekend.A bright moon above tinted clouds.Leonardo Nierman’s sculpture Flame of Friendship catches the sun’s last rays as the lights come on at the San Diego Convention Center.Artist Pete Tillack creates stunning new artwork in front of Michael J Wolf Fine Arts in the Gaslamp Quarter.Three sailboats pass the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) aircraft carrier docked at Naval Air Station North Island.A bunch of happy people on the ferry to Coronado wave at me from beneath the ship’s American flag.Looks like a family enjoyed a tour of the USS Midway Museum during the Memorial Day weekend.Many people were out on enjoying the San Diego sunshine.A restored PCC streetcar of the San Diego Trolley’s Silver Line passes near Kansas City Barbeque. A huge inflatable Uncle Sam is out for the Memorial Day weekend.In Balboa Park, at the International Cottages, a big food festival was underway on Sunday. Yummy smells filled the air.Colorful dancers grace the outdoor stage at the International Cottages.San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez greets people up on the stage at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion after the Sunday concert.Marine and a new bride head for their stretch limousine in Balboa Park.Street entertainment delights a crowd in Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama.The WorldBeat Cultural Center had lots of colorful flowers out on the sidewalk beside Park Boulevard.Many flags fly proudly on the Memorial Day weekend near the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center. Including the POW/MIA flag. You Are Not Forgotten.
Today I published two new stories on my website Short Stories by Richard. They’re both very quick reads.
A woodie with surfboard under palm trees and a shining sun. This mosaic greets people walking down the sidewalk in Solana Beach.
During my visit to Fiesta del Sol in Solana Beach last weekend, I walked around the area of Lomas Santa Fe Drive, South Cedros Avenue and Highway 101 searching for cool sights.
I found some colorful art and images of local history which I’ll now share!
Nearby Fletcher Cove was named after “Colonel” Ed Fletcher, who developed Solana Beach and contributed in the early 20th century to the history of San Diego. As businessman and politician, he was the driving force behind many important accomplishments. He created Lake Hodges and other area reservoirs; he built the plank road through the desert that connected San Diego to Yuma, Arizona; he helped save Balboa Park’s temporary buildings from the 1915 Panama-California Exposition from destruction; he raised money to purchase land for the Naval Training Station on Point Loma; he also acquired a statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo that was a gift to California from Portugal–an iconic sculpture that now stands at Cabrillo National Monument overlooking San Diego Bay.
A fascinating electrical box at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Plaza Street contains photos of Solana Beach’s origin and early history.
Grill in sidewalk marks historic U.S. Route 101 (also known as Pacific Coast Highway) where it passes through Solana Beach.An electrical box celebrates the origin and early history of Solana Beach in San Diego’s North County. Pictured on the right is Ed Fletcher.Fletcher Cove opened on July 4, 1925, giving Solana Beach easy access to the ocean. A celebration was held that included horse races along the sand.Early photo of Solana Beach, which was developed by Ed Fletcher as a commercial center for nearby Rancho Santa Fe and Del Mar.Old photos decorating the electrical box were provided by the Solana Beach Civic and Historical Society.Horses race along the beach as the opening of Fletcher Cove is celebrated.Cool mosaic artwork on Pacific Coast Highway shows marine life in the nearby ocean.An octopus.A graceful fish.Another beautiful fish made of small ceramic tiles.Nostalgic artwork on an electrical transformer on South Cedros Avenue shows people lounging on the deck of a luxurious ship.More cool street art decorates a utility box on Lomas Santa Fe Drive in Solana Beach.Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind.
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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!
Colorful public art is now located at Ruocco Park, right next to Tuna Harbor on San Diego Bay.
During my early evening walk along the Embarcadero today I noticed that four Urban Trees sculptures owned by the Port of San Diego have recently been moved from the front of the Cruise Ship Terminal to Ruocco Park.
I was taking photos of the play of sunlight on boats and buildings, and snapped a few pics of these public sculptures as I walked past them. At the time it didn’t occur to me that I’d devote tonight’s blog post to these images. But I like how they turned out!
Perhaps you recognize these sculptures. I’ve shown them two or three times over the years on Cool San Diego Sights. The Port of San Diego acquired a number of these Urban Trees sculptures for their public art collection, and they are moved about every so often. Urban Trees was a series of public art exhibitions along the Embarcadero years ago, before I began to blog.
Smiley face on a pedicab heads toward four Urban Trees just before sunset. These unique Port of San Diego public sculptures were recently moved from the Cruise Ship Terminal to Ruocco Park.Orange Tree, by artists Guy and Ellen Mayenobe, 2007. Originally exhibited on the Embarcadero during Urban Trees 4.Photo of late sunlight reflecting from section of A Different But Loving Pair, by artist Cecilia Stanford, 2005. Originally exhibited during Urban Trees 2.
For a more complete look at A Different But Loving Pair, click here.
A dog plays with someone near the base of Fish Tree, by artists Zbigniew Pingot and Toby Flores, from the Urban Trees 2 waterfront exhibition years ago.
Like crystals shining in the sun. Looking up at Tap Root and Growth, by artist Christopher Lee, originally exhibited during Urban Trees 3.
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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!
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