Senna Osawa, Tamayo Watermelon, mixed media, Second Grade, Kumeyaay Elementary.
Look what I discovered!
The San Diego Museum of Art has a free exhibition of art that was created by local school students. It’s called Young Art 2017: Beyond the Ordinary. You can find it in Gallery 15, which leads from the museum’s outdoor sculpture court to the restrooms that are often used by diners at Panama 66.
Every two years, a new exhibition of Young Art is presented by the museum. All I can say is once you step through the door your jaw will drop! Dozens of outstanding, truly amazing works of art line the walls and fill a few display cases.
Inspired students from Kindergarten to Twelfth Grade, from schools throughout San Diego County, have created all sorts of fantastic still life artwork, including paintings, drawings, mixed media, photography and ceramic sculptures. Some of the students have written a sentence or two explaining their thoughts and creative process.
My quick photos of these few examples barely scratch the surface. I just chose some of the art that I personally like. Funny–perhaps my favorite piece was created by a talented young artist in Kindergarten!
If you visit Balboa Park, you must take a look!
Beyond the Ordinary. Young Art 2017. Amazing, inspired artwork in a free exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park!Catherine Zhao, Message in a Bottle, painting, Twelfth Grade, Westview High School.The Great Fruit Bowl, a drawing by many Christ Church Day School Second Grade student artists.Fizzah Arshad, Tea, drawing, Ninth Grade, Otay Ranch High School.Arissa Diaz-Lelevier, Multi-media Still Life, mixed media, Eighth Grade, Stella Maris Academy.Mirabella Komniey, Pitcher, mixed media, Fifth Grade, Vista Grande Elementary.Emma Cecil, Enticement, painting, Twelfth Grade, Torrey Pines High School.Camryn Melendez, Apricot Sunrise, drawing, Eleventh Grade, Westview High School.Eric Pak, Flora and Skull, painting, Twelfth Grade, Westview High School.Karina Spinazzola, Lemons and Lilies, drawing, Eleventh Grade, Westview High School.Anh Huynh, Distilled, painting, Twelfth Grade, Westview High School.Caden Glazner, Time for Tea, painting, Third Grade, Del Sur Elementary.Joy Zou, Tea Time, drawing, Eleventh Grade, Westview High School.Bella Anderson and Cate Hunsberger, Medieval Lunch, painting, Seventh Grade, Coronado Middle School.Skylar Britt, O’Keeffe Flower, mixed media, Kindergarten, Kumeyaay Elementary.Jenna Vo, Magritte Floating Still Life, mixed media, Fourth Grade, Kumeyaay Elementary.
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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!
I learned a past visitor to the Whaley House photographed these old dolls and was surprised to see the eyes–which are painted–closed!
Did I see any ghosts inside the Whaley House?
During my recent visit to Old Town San Diego, I ventured into the unknown. I took my very first look inside the Whaley House, widely considered to be the most haunted house in America. I also took lots of photographs, which you are about to see!
The Whaley House has been the subject of many serious paranormal investigations, and has appeared on many television programs. It was featured on Syfy Channel’s Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, the Travel Channel’s episode America’s Most Haunted on Ghost Adventures, and the Biography Channel’s show The Haunting of Regis Philbin. The house’s reputation for supernatural activity has been discussed widely in the media and adopted by the popular culture.
LIFE magazine, a serious publication, has stated that the Whaley House is “the most haunted house in America.” The Travel Channel has agreed with that conclusion.
So, did I see any ghosts, spirits or apparitions–any spooky or weird stuff?
As I took the self-guided tour and peered into the various rooms, my eyes were primarily searching for ideal shots for my camera. But in the back of my mind, I also anticipated perhaps glimpsing something unusual.
Perhaps I’d see the ghost of Yankee Jim, who was hanged in a particularly gruesome way in 1852, on the same plot of land where the Whaley House was built in 1857. The Whaley’s youngest daughter Lillian was absolutely convinced that he haunted their home.
Or I might see the ghosts of Thomas or Anna Whaley who built the house when they came to San Diego from San Francisco. Thomas is said to appear in the parlor or on the upper landing; Anna in the downstairs rooms or outside garden.
Or perhaps I might get a ghostly glimpse of someone or something else…
Three of the docents I spoke to during my recent visit related their own bizarre experiences. Two docents once saw a gilded cup in a display case begin to vibrate for no apparent reason. Nothing had shaken the house or case. No other artifacts near the cup moved. The cup’s peculiar motion continued for 30 to 45 seconds, they attested. Another docent told me that she twice smelled lavender perfume inexplicably while sitting near a window in the upstairs theater. Nobody was nearby.
Several years ago, when I passed the Whaley House and spoke to a docent standing outside the front door, they told me they’d heard inexplicable footsteps in the theater and had seen a strange shadow moving on an upstairs wall. The cashier in the gift shop next door had seen the same weird shadow. I blogged about that here.
Okay. So what exactly did I see? Look at the photographs! And read the captions for more history concerning this fascinating and historically important house.
If I experienced anything unusual inside the Whaley House, it was that I felt a bit like a time traveler. A tour through this historic house is like stepping back into another time, when day-to-day life was both simpler and in many ways more dangerous, unpredictable and difficult. In my mind’s eye I could almost see the people of that era moving about the house–performing ordinary tasks–people who really weren’t that different than you or me. I could almost put myself in their shoes. In my imagination.
Take a look at these photographs and what do you see? If a few images seem to contain glare or strange effects of light, it was probably caused by my camera’s flash and the necessity of taking some photos through glass. The photo of the children’s bedroom, for example, was taken through a glass pane.
The only adjustments I made to these photos were cropping, brightness, contrast and the GIMP filter for sharpness. And the photos I altered were changed just slightly to make them appear a little bit nicer on your screen!
Leave a comment if you see something ghostly!
Sign in front of America’s most haunted Whaley House. Like various other historic structures in San Diego, the house is preserved by SOHO–the Save Our Heritage Organisation.Photo of the 1857 Greek Revival-style Whaley House from across San Diego Avenue. The famous house is located in Old Town, the birthplace of San Diego.The Whaley House, once designated an official haunted house by the United States Commerce Department, has appeared on many television programs, including the Travel Channel’s show America’s Most Haunted.The Whaley house is the oldest brick building in Southern California. It served as home, granary, store, courthouse, school and theater. It was the most luxurious residence in early San Diego.Visitors to Old Town San Diego peer into the Whaley House window just left of the front door. That is where the Whaley and Crosthwaite General Store was located.The self-guided tour begins in the courtroom, which is located directly behind the store. Originally a granary whose brick walls failed to stop rats, at different times the room served as school, church, ballroom and billiard hall.Photograph on the courtroom’s back wall shows the Whaley House on the outskirts of tiny San Diego. It stands alone in a barren place. It was built on a hanging ground not far from old El Campo Santo Cemetery.Another photo inside the courtroom. This served as the second County Courthouse in San Diego, in operation from 1869 to 1871.Inside the courtroom you’ll find the Centennial Cannon. It was cast in 1876 and was used for various ceremonies before being moved to Horton Plaza.Another photo in the courtroom shows San Diego’s old stone jail in a crumbling state. It stands next to the chapel cabin and the old graveyard.The Whaley and Crosthwaite General Store. Many items available for purchase included whiskey, wine, buckwheat, macaroni, codfish, pickles, catsup, tin ware, hardware, stationery, clothing and shoes.Shelves behind the store’s counter contain products one might buy in the mid to late 1800’s in San Diego. Goods that arrived by ship around Cape Horn were later obtained via transcontinental railroad.A nearby display case contains items belonging to various members of the Whaley family, including engraved silverware and china.Inside the display case one can see an old photograph of George H. R. Whaley, one of the six children of Thomas and Anna Whaley.Two docents told me how they were both present when the gilded cup began to vibrate without explanation. It did so for about 30 to 45 seconds. No other objects moved.More historical objects that belonged to the Whaley family, including a small snubnosed revolver.Next on the self-guided tour is the circa 1860s dining room. The chairs are upholstered with woven horse hair. They’ve survived a century and a half in pretty good condition.The wallpaper with fleur-de-lis patterns reflects light like a sky full of shining, golden stars. The furnishings and silver are original.The tour proceeds to the reconstructed kitchen, which seeks to replicate the original board and batten structure. The checked floor is typical of the era.Many of the dishes and utensils are original. Prepared food would be passed through a window (that we are looking through) to the adjacent dining room.Photo of rear of Whaley House. The white detached room is the kitchen. In case of fire, the burning walls of the kitchen would be pulled away from the main building by horse. This type of construction was common in those days.These stairs lead up to the second floor of the Whaley House museum, where there is a theater and three bedrooms.A docent explains the history of this first commercial theater in San Diego. The Tanner Troupe performed here from October 1868 to January 1869. The first performance reportedly attracted an audience of 150. The docent thought this number was improbable–for just one performance in this rather small room!The painted backdrop of the stage, an original family trunk, and a raven, recalling the famous poem of Victorian-era American horror writer Edgar Allan Poe.Another photo showing painted curtains. On two occasions, a docent was sitting to the left of this stage by one of the second floor windows when she smelled sudden, mysterious lavender perfume. Nobody was nearby, she told me.Advertisement framed on theater wall. Admission to see the Tanner Troupe perform was 50 cents. Audiences saw moral, chaste and versatile entertainments–drama, farce, comedy, singing and dancing.Print in a gilded frame in the upstairs theater. It’s from a painting depicting Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. On the opposite wall hangs similar artwork depicting Othello.Outdoor stairs back then ascended to this outside balcony. Audiences entered the theater that way, without disturbing the Whaley House living quarters.Photo of Thomas and Anna Whaley’s master bedroom. According to the self-guided tour info, the walnut bedroom set is in the Renaissance Revival style. The writing desk was Anna’s.A visitor gazing into the children’s bedroom said the dolls seemed very creepy. The crib just visible was used by four generations. An 18-month old Thomas Whaley Jr. died here from scarlet fever.Visitors look for ghosts in the children’s bedroom. The theater is straight ahead.The rear bedroom could be used by up to four children and multiple visitors. The washbowl and pitcher were used for bathing.Now we are back downstairs. This is part of the elegant guest chamber in the southeast corner of the Whaley House. Important people stayed here, including General Thomas Sedgewick.The study with desk and bookcase. During his time in San Diego, Thomas Whaley held many positions, including merchant, city clerk, notary public, realtor and railroad secretary. That sword was actually a prop used by the Tanner Troupe during their performances in the theater upstairs.Looking from the study into the Rococo Revival Style parlor. The Whaleys were much wealthier than most San Diego residents at the time. The room is full of art, paintings and splendid decorative objects.There’s no guarantee you will see a ghost at the Whaley House. But you will definitely observe a good deal of history and learn about San Diego’s fascinating past.
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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 fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
A wrinkly dog stands eternally inside the front door of Korky’s Ice Cream and Coffee in Old Town San Diego.
Here’s a fun blog post!
Once in a while during my walks I come across art depicting dogs or cats. And sometimes it occurs to me to take a photograph!
Today I rode the trolley to Old Town, where I discovered some more dogs and cats running about my field of vision!
Some of these photos were taken elsewhere in San Diego and have been sitting in my computer waiting for the right moment.
Enjoy!
A cool cat bench outside the entrance of the Coronado Veterinary Hospital.Two dogs stand guard on a downtown San Diego sidewalk.This realistic cat seems ready to jump from a flower pot.Pottery pooches on a shop’s shelf in Old Town.An army of ceramic pooches!Beautiful dog art for sale inside Seaport Village’s fantastic The Tile Shop.A curious cat observes a blue moth on a flower.u mad bro?A very colorful cat bag.Two dogs run in circles at the Balboa Park Carousel.A dog with a sore head. A funny image on the side of downtown San Diego’s Banfield Pet Hospital.A chalk cat in Balboa Park waves to passing visitors. Fun art outside the Mingei Museum’s Collectors Gallery.A fat cat who loves treats!A dog at Dick’s Last Resort tugs wildly at his leash!Two cats in one window!
Today I also revisited the Old Town Model Railroad Depot, and I took more photos of the awesome O-Scale layout! To see them, click here and check out that old post’s update!
I’ve been busy! Coming up will be blog posts concerning the famous Whaley House, the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center in Balboa Park, and something super amazing inside the San Diego Automotive Museum. But it takes time to choose and prepare photos—-and to do necessary research–give me a few days!
Thanks for following my blog! I hope you all enjoy these glimpses of San Diego as much as I do!
Curious tourists take the Coronado ferry across the bay to downtown San Diego. What will they see?
Yesterday I bumped into a few unexpected sights. No different than any other day. A walk through the world with open eyes can tickle both one’s funny bone and heart.
A pedicab advertising marijuana delivery!A walking, smiling iced coffee!Upside down visitor information!A heartfelt welcome on the bow of the USS Midway. Welcome home to the troops.
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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!
Looking across San Diego Bay toward downtown. A spectacular view from Coronado’s beautiful Centennial Park.
Spring will soon become summer. I had to wear shorts for my long walk around Coronado today. A very warm sun was shining and the island was abloom.
Walking west through Centennial Park. Flags line the pathway for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.Gazing from a sheltered area with benches across the green grass. The skyline of downtown San Diego rises in the background.Words on one bench. Don’t be afraid to lean into the wind, love the earth in all of its glories, and take care of each other.Gazing north along the bayside beach toward Navy ships docked at North Island.Roses bloom near the old ticket booth of the original Coronado ferry.A spring bloom in Coronado.Some patriotic art on a wall by the Little Club on Orange Avenue.Walking west along Orange Avenue. Coronado is pleasant, friendly and inviting wherever you roam.Bench near the front of the Coronado Public Library.Plaque on the bench. In memory of June Lenz, founder of Crown Garden Club, whose legacy was to encourage the love of flowers and the beautification of Coronado.Flowers in front of the stately but welcoming Coronado Public Library.The big Torrey Pine on the left side of this photograph is a Coronado Heritage Tree.Flags by the library fly proudly on a spring day.A plaque on a boulder by the flagpole. The Stockdale Tribute. Vice Admiral Stockdale and his wife Sybil were distinguished Coronado residents.A shining, kinetic sculpture by the library turns in the breeze.A flower vendor brightens Orange Avenue.This life-size Marilyn Monroe by an Orange Avenue shop is in her iconic pose. The famous actress starred in the movie Some Like It Hot, which was filmed at the nearby Hotel del Coronado.Flowers along fence of a pleasant house in affluent Coronado.Looking out across the wide beach toward the Point Loma peninsula and the Pacific Ocean.A peek at John D. Spreckels’ “beach house” on Coronado.
On the beachfront, at 1043 Ocean Boulevard, you’ll find one of two historic Spreckels Mansions: his “beach house”. John D. Spreckels’ more impressive “bay-side house” is now the Glorietta Bay Inn, across from the Hotel del Coronado. The successful and very wealthy businessman helped to transform San Diego into a bustling city and center of commerce. One of his business ventures included the world-famous Hotel del Coronado.
Concrete sidewalk in front of the Spreckels “beach house” is stamped 1898.Heading south along the beach toward the Hotel del Coronado, one of the world’s finest resorts.Coronado has one of the best beaches in the United States. It is regularly rated in the nation’s top five.Hotel guests and visitors enjoy the San Diego sunshine on a broad white beach.This cool sand sculpture was built near the Hotel del Coronado by The Sandcastle Man!The Hotel del Coronado is an architectural gem. Numerous world leaders, dignitaries and celebrities have stayed at the resort over the years.Sign by the beach. Hotel del Coronado continues to safeguard this magnificent stretch of Southern California coastline.This is paradise.Biking down toward the Coronado Shores.Old and new maps of Coronado Island on a portable restroom.The Hotel del Coronado’s old boathouse, on Glorietta Bay, built in 1887. It’s now home to the Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill.Bicyclists ride down Glorietta Boulevard, part of the Bayshore Bikeway around San Diego Bay.Golfers enjoy a sunny spring Saturday at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course.Photo taken beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, which opened in 1969. Locals often call it the Coronado Bay Bridge.Boats moored between Coronado and the bridge. San Diego’s shipyards can be glimpsed on the other side of the bay.Colorful boats piled on the sand near Coronado Tidelands Park.A silly bench by the playground at Coronado Tidelands Park, created by sculptor Douglas Snider of Studio 15 in Balboa Park’s Spanish Village Art Center.I believe this fellow down by the water is a great blue heron.My walk will soon come full circle. What a perfect late spring day.
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Families, generous supporters, and many young heroes converged on Embarcadero Marina Park North this morning for the 2017 Celebration of Champions!
During my walk along the Embarcadero this morning, I encountered a legion of amazing young heroes! Courageous children who are fighting cancer–and those who have defeated cancer–were gathering with their families for the 2017 Celebration of Champions!
I learned the emotionally moving event is in its 22nd year. It features young cancer battlers passing a simulated torch, from one hand to the next, as participants run a very short distance. Money raised supports Rady Children’s Hospital’s social, psychological and emotional support programs.
Parents of brave children who lost their battle with cancer also attend the event, in a tribute to loved ones whose smiles and hopeful hearts were in this world too briefly.
Folks head to the annual Celebration of Champions event, which honors young people who are fighting and have fought childhood cancer.A youthful honor guard arrives before the ceremonies begin.I learned that later in the day, many young cancer-fighting champions would carry a simulated torch around the grassy park at the edge of beautiful San Diego Bay.Some very young children were excited to be greeted by princesses!Young champions would hand off a simulated torch once they finished running a short length of the park’s looping walkway.Go Champions!
Late this afternoon I discovered strange and wonderful beauty.
As I relaxed on a comfortable wooden bench on the poop deck of the Star of India, enjoying the sea breeze and sunlit bay, my eyes were drawn to the riot of ropes that were coiled, knotted, stretched and dangling all about the deck, in every direction. How strangely beautiful they appeared.
I took a few photos.
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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!
Someone rides a bicycle along B Street during San Diego’s Bike to Work Day.
This morning, on my way to catch the trolley downtown, I saw lots of people heading to work by bicycle. Today was Bike to Work Day in San Diego!
I snapped a few photos just for the fun of it. I also took a photo of a cool map showing designated places to bike in San Diego’s downtown and uptown areas. Make copies of it for your own use if you’d like!
The Donut Bar had a Bike to Work Day pit stop in downtown San Diego. Many morning riders swung on by.There were tables full of goodies for those who commuted to work by bike.Another pit stop at Civic Center Plaza. The City of San Diego has a special program that encourages bicycling.A map of the San Diego downtown and uptown bike loop. (Click image to enlarge.)Even a blogger who is more into walking received big smiles!
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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!
Ion Theatre artist Kate Schott paints a cool mural on a wall in Hillcrest.
A mural is being painted on a wall next to the entrance of the Ion Theatre in Hillcrest. I first saw the new artwork a few days ago, so I snapped several photos. Today I swung by again after work to see what progress had been made.
By comparing photos, you can get a glimpse of the creative process. Kate Schott, the muralist, is a multi-talented Ion Theatre artist who is bringing this cool vision to life.
I hope to swing by on a later day to see the finished work! I’ll post photos!
A few days later, a human figure in the mural is coming to life. I look forward to seeing the finished work!
UPDATE!
On June 7th I walked by the Ion Theatre again. More painting has been completed! The mural is gradually coming to life!
Detail has been added to the first figure. And a second figure has now been painted in the forest of green trees.A third figure on the left side of the developing mural. Many colors outline the form of a sitting woman.I don’t know what this is. We’ll have to wait a little longer and find out!Finally, a singing face has emerged in the lower right corner of the new Ion Theatre mural!
ANOTHER UPDATE!
I took this photo on June 19:
The left side of the new Ion Theatre mural is taking form!
FINAL UPDATE!
The mural is finished! Here are a few elements that have come to life:
Declaration of Independence on a wall, altered to condemn instances where power is abused.A seeing eye in hand.Standing across water from a fiery skyline.Lady Liberty shines light from atop a piano keyboard. Ignite.
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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!
Bat ray rises against glass of an outdoor tank at the Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista.
Before my hike through Sweetwater Marsh, I enjoyed a visit to the Living Coast Discovery Center, which is located inside the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Exhibits inside the center and clusters of wildlife tanks and enclosures outside allow visitors to see and learn about the animals that make this refuge their home. The place is just right for families, with kid-size educational displays, short, easy paths, and even some picnic tables. If I were a young kid, having a birthday party here would be really cool!
After checking out the exhibits at the Living Coast Discovery Center, I ventured over to an adjacent building that is the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex headquarters. Some great displays outside provide more information about the unique and beautiful wetland that stretches in all directions. Not far from this building, one can easily find a hiking trail that leads across the marsh to San Diego Bay.
The Living Coast Discovery Center, located in the Sweetwater Marsh Unit of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge, is where to get Back to Nature.A short bus ride takes one from the parking lot near Interstate 5 through the protected Sweetwater Marsh to the kid-friendly education center.People near the green sea turtle exhibit at the front of the Living Coast Discovery Center.Many species of reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and fish are on display inside the small center. There’s even a mouse house popular with kids.Outside, visitors can explore exhibits featuring sharks, rays, birds and tortoises. One can also look across the surrounding Sweetwater Marsh.Actions on land affect San Diego Bay. Pollution runoff flows via creeks, rivers and storm drains into the marsh then out to the ocean.A leopard shark. They are plentiful in the waters off San Diego.This 3-million-year-old fossilized tusked walrus skull was found in the area. 470 different species have been found as fossils here, including sperm whales and now extinct flightless auks!Enclosures in the aviary area contain clapper rails, shorebirds and ducks.A blue-billed ruddy duck swims in a pool of water at the Living Coast Discovery Center.In other parts of the aviary area one can see vultures, hawks, eagles and owls.A red-tailed hawk.Beautiful artwork on one building’s side shows a beach and birds in flight. Swallows have built nests above it near the roof.Bronze sculpture of a coyote. Many other works of wildlife art can be viewed around the center.Sign near an enclosure describes the Sonoran desert tortoise.A tortoise take a slow stroll outside the Living Coast Discovery Center.This amazing art depicting marshland birds is just outside the entrance to the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex headquarters.Large signs explain the role of a wildlife refuge.National Wildlife Refuges are safe havens for species. The first one, at Pelican Island in Florida, was created in 1903 by Theodore Roosevelt.Map of the extensive San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.The wildlife refuge contains great biodiversity. The animals and plants are all parts of a complex and sensitive ecosystem.Different forms of life can be found in subtidal channels, mudflats, the low marsh and high marsh. The changing tide allows birds to feed and variously adapted species to thrive.Wildlife can find it hard to thrive in urban areas. The conserved habitat of this refuge is a critical safe harbor for many native species.This place is special. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helps to protect its wild residents.A green sea turtle, one of those residents of San Diego Bay!
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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 fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
Cool San Diego Sights! 