Brand new San Diego trolley wraps for Comic-Con 2025 are appearing on almost a daily basis!
Today another design promoting Nintendo’s recently released Switch 2 and its Mario Kart World game can be seen running through the city!
Yesterday a different Mario trolley wrap debuted–see those photographs here. A wrap promoting Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch 2 appeared a few days back–see that here!
And there are already many trolley cars wrapped with a design that promotes the upcoming movie Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle!
And to think Comic-Con is still over a month away.
The excitement builds…
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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 X.
IGNITE CREATIVITY proclaims this fun, very colorful mural in Hillcrest. It was painted last year on the side of ArtReach San Diego‘s building on University Avenue.
Information in a nearby window indicates the mural’s lead artists were Esteban Sanchez, Isabel Halpern and Ian Stiles-Mikl, and that over 200 community members helped to paint it.
ArtReach is an inclusive and welcoming place where art is transformative. Youth who participate in ArtReach programs can turn their dreams to reality.
As the organization’s website explains: Through artmaking, young people find a powerful outlet to express themselves, process emotions, and build self-esteem—all while forming bonds with their peers in a nurturing yet inspiring environment.
I took these photos about a week ago during a walk through Hillcrest.
Over the years I’ve photographed many ArtReach public art projects all around San Diego. To see those very creative murals, click here or here or here or here or here or here or here.
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
A plaque honoring San Diego’s underwater pioneers is embedded in a boulder a short distance west of La Jolla Cove. It was placed above Boomer Beach next to Ellen Browning Scripps Park last year.
People walking beside the ocean on the scenic boardwalk might see the bronze plaque near a bench.
The plaque reads:
Since 1933, offshore from this beach access, the seafloor bears memorial markers to name and honor San Diego’s most heralded underwater pioneers. The San Diego Bottom Scratchers Dive Club.
The Bottom Scratchers dedicated every dive to preventing the waste of sea life and to helping others appreciate the wonders of the sea. All who enter here fall under oath to do the same.
Plaque donated by San Diego Freedivers.
Here’s a great article about the Bottom Scratchers Dive Club, which began almost a century ago. It explains: The name “Scratchers” came from the members’ habit of scouring the ocean bottom for food… The Bottom Scratchers either invented or were the first to use the basic freediving spearfishing gear still employed today… Soon club members became local legends… Everything the explorers experienced was new…
There are some great old photographs in the article, too.
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Mario will be riding the San Diego Trolley during Comic-Con 2025!
The latest San Diego Trolley wrap for Comic-Con promotes the Nintendo Switch 2 and ever popular Mario games, including Mario Kart World, which launched on Switch 2 last week.
For 2025, this is the third Comic-Con trolley wrap design I’ve noticed so far. Considering San Diego’s international pop culture event is still a month and a half away, I reckon there will be many more to come!
Time to Power Up Your Play!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
The Island of Misfit Toys has magically appeared at Silver Strand State Beach!
The sandy “island,” where beach toys await boys and girls, is open to all comers near the State Beach’s lifeguard building!
The delightful toy chest you see in my photos was built about a month ago by Silver Strand State Beach maintenance personnel. It was painted beautifully with local and related natural scenes by talented artist Victoria.
The open chest is is full of lost toys that have been found on the beach, like shovels and pails used to build sandcastles. Families visiting the beach can borrow the toys which might otherwise have been discarded.
A wonderful idea!
By the way, everyone I spoke with at Silver Strand State Beach today was super friendly! You all are awesome!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
San Diego history can be viewed during a walk across the First Avenue Bridge in Bankers Hill.
Two identical bronze dedication plaques remain at either end of the arched steel bridge, which was built over Maple Canyon in 1931. The impressive structure was originally called the Peoples Bridge.
Today, looking down into Maple Canyon, you can also observe history being made. The Maple Canyon Restoration project has been underway for a couple years, replacing storm drains in the canyon, and expanding the channel to establish streambed and riparian habitats along the canyon floor.
Ten years ago I walked down Maple Canyon Trail and under the First Avenue Bridge. You can see photographs that I took here.
First Avenue Bridge…Length 463.24 feet…Height 104 feet…Erected by property owners under Improvement Act of 1911…R.E. Hazard Contracting Co…Tom Johnson Allen, Civil Engineer…R. Robinson Rowe, Structural Engineer…John C. Shaw, Consulting Engineer…R.M. Gregory, Superintendent of Streets
STANDARD IRON WORKS SAN DIEGO is indicated in many places along the 1931 steel bridge that spans Maple Canyon in Bankers Hill.
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Should you walk along Main Street in Barrio Logan, you might see this inspiring mural. It depicts a heart sprouting butterfly wings.
The mural is painted at The Chrysalis: Monarch Center for the Arts, a 6,000 square foot arts space in Barrio Logan with a dedicated 100-seat theatre, dance studio, visual art classroom, and storefront gallery.
Before the butterfly comes the chrysalis. According to their website: We envision a world where youth and adults use the tools and resources of the arts to help imagine, create, and build the vibrant and successful life they desire and deserve.
The Chrysalis is home to Creative Youth Development and Community Programs. As the beautiful mural suggests, it is a place filled with positivity and hope.
A poster in the window encourages people to “Host your next event in our space!” Why not support people who strive to help youth and the community?
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Gigantic gorillas are ready to bust loose and roam around San Diego! Strangely, the gorillas all resemble Donkey Kong!
As Comic-Con 2025 nears, the rampaging gorillas will be clinging to San Diego trolley cars in the wild riding through the city! And I’m not talking about gorilla cosplay on trolleys!
The latest trolley wrap for Comic-Con 2025 promotes Donkey Kong Bananza, an upcoming platform game for Nintendo Switch. According to Wikipedia, the game is scheduled for release on July 17, 2025, right around the time of Comic-Con, which begins the following week.
I remember playing the original Donkey Kong arcade game when I was a kid. I never did master it. I was better at Galaga. Doesn’t seem that long ago. Time flies.
I had to take these zoom photographs from a distance. If I manage to get better images in the coming days, I’ll post an update!
UPDATE!
A couple days later, I got these pics:
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
An unusual fashion show took place today in San Diego. Whimsical dresses made of upcycled materials were a highlight of a Philippines Independence Day celebration. The cultural “lawn program” was held outdoors among Balboa Park’s International Cottages.
Local fashion designer Elsie Clavin used everything from newspapers to plastic straws to playing cards to bubble wrap to create these crazy dresses!
I don’t pretend to know anything about fashion, but I did enjoy this very colorful, very fun show!
I’m sure many of you will enjoy these photographs, too. I tried to write down some information as I took the pictures, but I fumbled around with camera and pen and fell well short of decent journalism. Again. Sorry.
Photo time…
First up, a dress made with playing cards and poker chips. Perfect for a visit to the casino!
Next, a dress made of old newspapers! Good news, I hope.
Here’s a skirt made of those color match samples you use to select paint! I did say these dresses are colorful!
Here’s a creative use of upcycled plastic straws and bubble wrap…
There are all sorts of upcycled materials in this next dress. I failed to write any of them down.
More playing card casino action with this couple…
Yes, plastic spoons, forks, and coffee filters can make an exquisitely elegant dress…
Burlap works, too…
I believe I heard that batik is an important part of the next incredible outfit! I’m probably wrong. (I welcome corrections in the comments.)
And finally here’s the fashion designer, Elsie Clavin herself, wearing a fun bubble wrap design!
I bet you’ve never seen a fashion show quite like this!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Cool San Diego Sights! 