A young lady is about to get a surprise during a fun magic show in Balboa Park.
I observed many emotions today. These emotions were expressed in the eyes and faces of people I encountered during a walk through wonderful Balboa Park.
Balboa Park is like a small slice of some ideal world: so many people coming together, sharing dreams and happy visions. A walk through the park is like all the good things in human life stirred into one potent elixir, with smiles, freedom, friendship, rampant creativity on every side, and much sunlight. And, of course, memories of special moments and of past loved ones–and, sometimes, sadness.
Kenny Shelton juggles in between magic acts. Today he tossed dizzy feelings of joy toward hundreds of people on El Prado.
Kenny seems like a great guy. He’s definitely funny and a crowd-pleaser! Need some entertainment in San Diego? Find him here!
The San Diego Harmony Ringers conjure bright, cheerful music in Balboa Park.Intense sadness near the Museum of Man, as people remember the Sewol ferry disaster in South Korea, which happened 1000 days ago. The victims’ families are still searching for answers.A belly dancer and musicians draw a large crowd near the Botanical Building. The audience is spellbound.A group prays under a beautiful tree. Human hope, pain, love . . . among the dropping leaves.Creating a labyrinth in Balboa Park’s Zoro Garden. This gentleman created a similar labyrinth which I photographed near the Botanical Building some time ago.I’m shown a notebook. A Native American basket on the left depicts a radiating labyrinth. Labyrinths are a very ancient human expression, filled with spiritual meaning.
To learn more about his fascinating labyrinths, please visit this Facebook page.
A canvas on El Prado asks random passersby to Paint On Me.Dogs and people mingle freely. Sheer happiness at Balboa Park’s busy Nate’s Point Dog Park.This musician was so positive and so alive, he lit up countless hearts in wonderful Balboa Park. Joy conquers.
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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!
The spacious Reading Room at downtown San Diego’s Central Library.
Do you love to read or write? I have a number of favorite locations in San Diego where I can pick up a book or pen while enjoying a pleasant view and relative peace. I find these places to be comfortable, inspiring and expansive for the mind. But, of course, my list is completely subjective. One can find countless benches, tables, parks and beaches in sunny San Diego.
Some readers and writers might like to place themselves in a coffee shop, or at the center of a bustling scene. Others might like to be surrounded by natural or artistic beauty. Others simply want solitude. Personally, I prefer the latter two–with a bustling scene in the quiet distance, perhaps.
Here are my 12 favorite spots, in no particular order:
San Diego Central Library’s amazing Reading Room. (See the above photo.)
Downtown San Diego’s large new Central Library is just a wonderful place all around. But perhaps its best feature is a gigantic eighth floor Reading Room, crowned by the building’s fantastic lattice dome. Comfortable sofas and easy chairs allow patrons to gaze through enormous windows out toward San Diego’s South Bay. And the Reading Room is so nice and quiet.
Benches can be found overlooking moored boats in San Diego Bay’s Crescent Area.
Any bench near the water in San Diego Bay’s Crescent Area.
If you don’t mind the occasional company of homeless people, San Diego Bay’s Crescent Area is a fine place to stretch one’s legs and mind. It’s a not-very-touristy stretch between the Grape Street Pier and the Coast Guard Station, with a number of comfortable wooden benches facing picturesque boats moored in the bay. Bicyclists and joggers pass by frequently and gulls and pigeons swing by for an occasional visit. The wide view, stretching across the bay to Point Loma, always puts me in a thoughtful mood.
Picnic tables at Embarcadero Marina Park North offer views of sparkling San Diego Bay.
Picnic tables near the water at Embarcadero Marina Park North.
When writing, I like mental peace. I find this state of mind can be most easily reached inside a happy, carefree atmosphere. So I often seek out an available picnic table near the water at Embarcadero Marina Park North. The blue bay sparkles, boats sail past serenely, families laugh on the grass, colorful kites glide overhead. Sometimes I just sit and do nothing.
Several tables are usually open on the deck of the Inamori Pavilion at the Japanese Friendship Garden.
The Inamori Pavilion at the Japanese Friendship Garden.
Would you like to sit at a table overlooking a tranquil koi pond and waterfall? I would! That’s why I have become a member of the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park. I wrote two short stories recently while sitting at one table. They are titled An Old Man on a Bus and Waterfall Tears.
You’ll likely find solitude in the beautiful Administrative Courtyard in Balboa Park.
The little-known Administrative Courtyard in Balboa Park.
I discovered this perfect, blissful park a couple of years ago. It’s called the Balboa Park Administrative Building Courtyard and it’s located in the park’s Inspiration Point area, behind the Balboa Park Administration Building. Almost nobody goes there. You might have the entire beautiful place all to yourself. A perfect sunny place to really concentrate.
Shelter Island offers shade, grass, trees, and wide views of San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline.
A bench, a picnic table or the grass on Shelter Island.
I love Shelter Island–especially the southwest end. Few tourists, great views, grassy lawns, a wonderful pier. When I walk along the park-like paths I feel as though I’m on vacation. Many benches and picnic tables along the length of Shelter Island make ideal places to read or write. Or just bring a blanket and lie down on the grass. It’s so pleasant you might fall asleep!
The area around La Jolla Cove is so magnificent, you might do nothing but sit in one spot for a long while, taking in the scenery.
A spot near the ocean at Ellen Browning Scripps Park in La Jolla.
When you’re visiting one of the most beautiful locations in the world, of course you’ll feel inspired. After finding a spot to read or write for a bit, get up and walk along the cliffs. Breathe in the fresh sea air. Watch birds, seals and the endlessly crashing waves. You’ll feel so alive.
Many picnic tables are often unused at Silver Strand State Beach. An ideal spot to quietly read or write.
An isolated picnic table at Silver Strand State Beach.
Silver Strand State Beach can be lonely, especially off-season and on the San Diego Bay side. There are usually dozens and dozens of picnic tables that are empty. Walk or pedal down the Silver Strand bike path, perhaps, and rest for awhile at a table. Then take out a book or your laptop or notepad. If you’d like to get up and stretch your legs, walk under the highway to the Pacific Ocean side, take your shoes off, walk on the beach and watch kitesurfers.
Sit near the end of the OB Pier high above the swelling blue ocean and you’re certain to feel inspired and alive.
Any bench above the water on the Ocean Beach Pier.
Sit on a bench out on the long Ocean Beach Pier and you’ll feel that you’re far from land–in a magical place between airy blue heaven and the rolling, living blue water below. When you glance up from your book or laptop, you’ll see fishermen sharing the rail with patient pelicans, and surfers bobbing below waiting for their perfect wave. But bring a jacket. The ocean wind can be chilly, even in summer.
Many benches await thinkers, dreamers, readers and writers at Spanish Landing in San Diego.
A spot beside San Diego Bay at Spanish Landing.
This is another fine place to sit by the water. Spanish Landing is an uncrowded retreat from city life with a view of the marinas behind Harbor Island. You might hear aircraft taking off from nearby Lindbergh Field, but I seldom notice. There are many benches along the grassy park to choose from. Here you can also read interesting historical markers. With a little imagination, you might visualize Spanish explorers landing here many centuries ago.
One of the many beautiful, peaceful spots that can be found throughout Liberty Station.
Any bench at Liberty Station, particularly by the boat channel.
Liberty Station has many walking paths and benches where anyone can sit down to think or simply relax. My favorite spots overlook the boat channel. Light twinkles from the water, the breeze is pleasant, and paddleboarders and kayakers occasionally coast on by. There’s no hurry to do anything. If I write or read just a few words, I’m happy.
There are a couple of hidden benches not far from here in Balboa Park! Perfect for writers who like to observe people!
A hidden bench beside the Timken Museum of Art.
Against the north wall of the Timken Museum in Balboa Park, tucked behind a few trees, you’ll discover a couple of hard concrete benches. During a hot summer day they are so nice and cool! One can peer between foliage at the grassy area near the Botanical Building and reflecting pool, where people play, picnic and walk dogs. It’s like your own secret space in green heaven. But bring a seat cushion if you sit there for long!
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Where are your favorite places to read or write? Leave a comment!
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Do you enjoy reading philosophical short works of fiction? You might enjoy visiting Short Stories by Richard!
Stagecoach on display at the Wells Fargo History Museum in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
I recently visited the Wells Fargo History Museum in Old Town. The exhibits inside concern early San Diego history. When our city was in its infancy, Wells Fargo ran a stagecoach line, and their Express Office was an essential part of local business life.
I took loads of photos in this very cool museum. Read the captions to learn much more!
The restored Colorado House in Old Town San Diego is home to a fascinating Wells Fargo museum.The two-story, wood frame hotel called the Colorado House was built in Old Town San Diego in 1851 by Cave Couts. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1872.The Wells Fargo History Museum in San Diego is open daily from 10-5. Admission is free!Tourists in Old Town check out an iconic red Wells Fargo stagecoach, which transported mail, gold, goods and passengers in the Old West.Old photo on video screen shows the Wells, Fargo and Co’s Express Office in downtown San Diego, in 1911.Historical artifacts in a glass display case include books, bottles and a photo of Cave J. Couts.In the spring of 1851 Cave Johnson Couts opened the Colorado House as San Diego’s first two-story hotel. It had an elegant billiard table and fine food.Old photograph shows bar and patrons in Colorado House.Antique telegraph key once used to send messages and money across the continent.Colorful mural high on one wall shows a small town by a blue bay. I believe I recognize many buildings in Old Town.Article from the Omaha Herald published in 1877 provides Hints for Plains Travelers. When the driver asks you to get off and walk, do it without grumbling!Old plaque in the museum: Silas St. John carried the first eastbound overland mail out of San Diego, from Carrizo Creek to Fort Yuma, November 16, 1857. On September 9, 1858, in a lone-handed defense of the Butterfield-Wells Fargo Overland Stage station at Dragoon, Arizona, St. John was horribly wounded and lost his left arm. He recovered to continue in Wells Fargo service. Of his stuff the West was made.To be a stage driver–the Whip–was to be a member of a highly skilled profession. They handled 4 to 6 horses in all kinds of weather on all kinds of roads, outwitted highwaymen, and calmed passengers.Passengers on board the Overland Mail Company stages were allowed 40 pounds of baggage.Advertisement shows Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s traveling trunks and valises, also packing trunks of every description.Map shows the historic Butterfield Overland Mail Route. Wells Fargo’s experience in Western transportation led it to finance and eventually run the Butterfield stage line’s operations in the west. (Click image to enlarge.)On February 23, 1875, the stage coming from the Julian mines was robbed, and the San Diego agent took action. He immediately notified the sheriff, posted a reward, and reported the robbery and his actions to the central office.Cool display inside the Wells Fargo History Museum in Old Town San Diego shows how stagecoaches and their cargo were protected from bandits.The most infamous stage robber was Black Bart. He left bits of poetry and called himself the “Po8” to distance himself from the common thief. He robbed 28 stagecoaches from 1875 to 1883. Once identified, authorities learned he was actually Charles E. Boles, a “respectable” mine owner!A museum recreation of the Vallecito Stage Station, a stop on the Overland Mail Company’s southern route, 1858-1861. Thick adobe walls provided relief from desert heat.Table in the stage station used for rest, serving food and games of cards to pass the time.Gold was discovered at Julian in San Diego’s mountains, triggering a small rush into the area.Miners from placer diggings on the Colorado River and hard-rock mines at Julian brought their gold dust and bars to the Wells, Fargo and Co. agency in Old Town San Diego.The Julian Stage Line carried miners and other passengers to this gold mining town in east San Diego County.Cover of the Wells Fargo Messenger, dated July 1917.Wells Fargo published a monthly magazine calls the Wells Fargo Messenger between September 1912 and June 1918. Edward Hopper, an illustrator, went on to become a famous American realist painter.On her travels she uses Wells Fargo Checks.Cover of the Wells Fargo Messenger, dated April 1918.Antique desk used by a Wells Fargo agent.During a typical day, a Wells Fargo agent saw many types of business, reflecting the Company’s varied and essential services.Nooks in this desk hold dip pens, receipts, letters and accounting ledgers.Wells Fargo agents were known for their respectability, ability, and trustworthiness. The first Old Town agent was J.F. Damon, co-editor of the San Diego Herald.Wells Fargo agent William A. Biglow works in his express office which included an agent’s cabinet and iron safe.A large old letterpress sits atop a cast iron safe. The safe, made by Herring, Hall, Marvin and Co. in 1885, is filled with concrete and weighs over a ton.Some pastoral art on the face of the safe door.The copy machine of the 19th Century. Pressure from this heavy cast-iron letterpress transferred brown ink to tissue paper.A collection of old letters, certificates and small packages exhibited at the Wells Fargo History Museum in San Diego.If you ever visit Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, check out the interesting Wells Fargo History Museum in the Colorado House!
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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 enjoy!
Cool female face on one side of a utility box on 30th Street in North Park.
In the past I’ve posted dozens of street art photos from San Diego’s hip North Park neighborhood. But here come even more!
I spotted these cool street art faces (mostly human faces, that is) along 30th Street, between University Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard!
Enjoy!
(To see lots more North Park street art, look for the “Related” links at the bottom of this blog post. Or simply click the “street art” tag in my website’s sidebar to see hundreds of examples from all around San Diego! And, as always, feel free to use the share buttons! Have fun!)
Another face, same box.A third red face looks down the North Park sidewalk.A blue face with a faint smile. Minimalist street art by Alex Avila.A funny pink stretchy blob face covers its eyes and yells!Another side and another funny face.Street lamp banners along 30th Street in North Park feature imaginative faces. Explore Art.There is certainly a lot of urban art to explore throughout North Park!Funny graffiti faces on an electrical box.More multi-colored faces on the other side of the box. And some fun figures, too!Not a face here. Just a hand.A bare pink face on a painted mannequin. Abstract street art in North Park.The regal face of a tiger. Grand Prestoz.Yes, even flying pigs have faces.Jumbled eyes, lips and faces in this cool street art at the Thrift Trader in North Park.Two funky faces watch people walking down the sidewalk from a window above a bin of CD’s.The face of a Belching Beaver isn’t something you often see. Unless, perhaps, you drink lots of their beer!Not street art, but an artful face in a window on 30th Street. This is VIP Paints – San Diego, a special studio where the public can go to learn and create art!The head of a pink flamingo painted on a utility box!Artistic collage on a public telephone includes the printed word, and various stencil faces and figures.Creativity can be found up and down the streets of North Park!
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The distinctive Victorian roof of the Hotel del Coronado, a top San Diego resort and tourist attraction, appears in the letter S in a North Park mural.
I walked through North Park today with my camera. I had intended to continue up to Normal Heights and walk along Adams Avenue, photographing lots of street art, but I got distracted! I’ll head that way another time.
Meanwhile, stay tuned, because a whole bunch of super cool North Park street art is coming up! (I think North Park probably has more street art per city block than any other San Diego neighborhood.)
To get things started, check out this cool mural that caught my eye while I walked along 30th Street. Using the magic of the internet, I now send it to you! Greetings from San Diego!
Balboa Park’s iconic California Building and bell tower appear in the letter G in the same colorful North Park mural.Greetings from SAN DIEGO! It’s a postcard painted on a building wall! This cool urban art is on 30th Street, just south of El Cajon Boulevard in North Park. Images in the eight letters include the Ocean Beach Pier, La Jolla Cove, the U.S./Mexico border, and the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster at Belmont Park in Mission Beach!
This cool urban art was created in 2016 by New York graffiti artist Victor Ving and Ohio photographer Lisa Beggs. They have been traveling around the United States in an RV painting these postcard-like murals!
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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 gazes from the Broadway Pier across the water toward Coast Guard Air Station San Diego, whose buildings shine, reflecting early morning sunlight.
I was surprised at the number of beautiful photos I was able to capture this morning during my leisurely walk out on the Broadway Pier. All was quiet. The sun was rising…
The sun is about to rise above a part of the San Diego skyline.A gull glides over still water.Early morning light turns active aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) golden. It is docked at Naval Air Station North Island.Colorful reflection on San Diego Bay of the USS Midway Museum, seen from the Broadway Pier.Bronze plaques create an historical timeline as one walks toward the pier’s end. The construction of the Broadway Pier took place in 1913.An exquisitely beautiful seagull feather on the wet concrete at my feet.Someone rides out to the end of the Broadway Pier early one Friday morning. Few people are about.Water droplets cling to the metal seats and tables at the end of the Broadway Pier.Three large maps on the Broadway Pier show the shape of San Diego Bay in different eras. This outline of the modern bay shows where I now stand on the Embarcadero!Beautiful clouds and morning light on blue water frame a United States Coast Guard Cutter in the middle of San Diego Bay.A dreamlike vision one morning at San Diego’s magical Broadway Pier.
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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!
Photo of historic McCoy House in Old Town San Diego from the Native Garden. Today’s garden is located in a spot that was once very close to the San Diego River, before the river was diverted to the north, through Mission Valley.
A small, ragged but beautiful native garden can be found in the northwest corner of San Diego’s Old Town, next to the McCoy House Museum. The Native Plant Garden contains vegetation that grows naturally along the rivers of our semi-arid region.
Long before Europeans arrived in Southern California, the Native American Kumeyaay lived where Old Town was eventually established; the Kumeyaay village at the base of Presidio Hill was called KOSA’AAY, or Cosoy. Many of the plants in the garden were used by the Kumeyaay people in everyday life.
Read the photo captions to learn much more. Click the garden plans and the two signs, and those images will expand providing additional information!
Plans of the Native Plant Garden in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Included are species used by the Native American Kumeyaay for food, shelter and medicine. Their village Cosoy was located here.Looking northwest from the second floor of the McCoy House Museum in Old Town San Diego. The Native Garden beyond the fence is a bit dry and scraggly–but that’s how local vegetation naturally appears.150 years ago the San Diego River flowed nearby, bringing explorers, settlers, boats and traders to Old Town. California native trees and shrubs have been planted that once grew along the riverbank.Dirt walking paths meander through the small Native Garden at the northwest corner of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.Yarrow was used by the Kumeyaay as a treatment for various medical conditions, including burns, inflammation, and pain from toothache, headache and arthritis.Tall stalk of a yucca that already flowered still juts into the sky in Old Town San Diego.The Kumeyaay people have lived here for at least ten thousand years. Their innovations in managing San Diego’s resources in wet winters and dry summers are still used today.A variety of native plants found naturally in coastal San Diego’s semi-arid climate, including sages and prickly pear cactus.Fibers from the yucca were used by the Kumeyaay to produce cords, nets, shoes and other useful items.
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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!
One of several small waterfalls at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park.
Today I went to the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park. I’m a new member.
After walking along the beautiful stream in the garden’s canyon, and crossing a few bridges, I sat down at a table overlooking the moat and magnificent waterfall near the Inamori Pavilion. And I pulled out my notebook.
A story came to me at once. From where, I don’t know. Perhaps from the falling water. Perhaps from the water’s voice. I really don’t know.
The story is about grieving, the passage of time and release. It’s just a tiny, tiny little story, but I think it might strike deeply. You can read it very quickly on one of my other blogs, Short Stories by Richard, by simply clicking here. If you like it, there are ten other very short stories that you might also enjoy. Just click around.
I’ll be sitting at that table often this year. So I’m positive coming stories will also be filled with beauty, hope and joy. The garden inspires those things, most of all.
Oh–I recently provided a quick photo tour of the Japanese Friendship Garden on my blog Beautiful Balboa Park. You can check out those posts here and here.
I’d like to bring two talented artists to everyone’s attention. I met them during my walk around San Diego yesterday. They show their colorful works of art on the sidewalk. I had spoken to Carlos several times in the past; I spoke to Juli for the first time and learned a little of her story.
Carlos often hangs out on the Embarcadero, right next to the Star of India. His fantastic Eagle Warrior appears to me to belong in an art gallery. (Click this image to enlarge it!)
Carlos hangs out next to the Star of India, right near the ship’s figurehead. He usually has a whole array of stone and wire creature creations on display. Many of them are antlike. They’re all a lot of fun.
Yesterday he had something absolutely amazing on the sidewalk. You can see it in my first two photographs. He has made several such figures using resin, acrylic, and in this case some some quartz crystals. I looked very closely at his Eagle Warrior and was completely blown away. To me, this piece appeared to belong in an art gallery!
Carlos is very friendly and interesting, with many wise things to say about life and the world. He has lived in San Diego for a long, long time. If you happen to walk along the Embarcadero, and you see some art on the sidewalk that matches what I have described, you’ve probably found him! Say hello!
Close look at jaguar and serpent at foot of Aztec warrior, an amazing work of resin, acrylic and quartz by San Diego artist Carlos.
And now, a small colorful work of art by Juli:
A small but beautiful work of art, painted by friendly Juli. You can find her sometimes on the Embarcadero, sometimes on Broadway by the Santa Fe Depot.
At times I have seen Juli along the Embarcadero, painstakingly using a small brush to paint her fantastic crystal-like watercolor creations. But yesterday I spoke to her for the first time. She was hanging out on the sidewalk just south of the Santa Fe Depot. Take a look at her work!
Juli is quite knowledgeable about the art scene and has travelled all around the country. Many of her friends and acquaintances know her as Tree. She recently came down to San Diego from San Francisco, and is working to recover from a difficult situation. Her attitude is of unbounded optimism!
If you’re ever walking about San Diego and you spy her small but very distinctive works of art, take a close look! They’re pretty amazing!
These wonderful small pieces of watercolor art were created by Juli, who also goes by the street name Tree. She recently came to San Diego from San Francisco. (Click this image to enlarge it!)
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Cool artwork on wall in the famous Donut Bar in downtown San Diego.
Another year. More opportunities for discovery!
Yesterday’s storm ended and the sun came out. So I decided to take a wander around my fair city on New Year’s Day.
I started mid-morning and went for hours, taking photos of everything and anything at my leisure. Mixed among more ordinary looks at life were a few cool discoveries.
I met two friendly street artists during my walk–Carlos and Juli–and meant to include a couple photos of their work here, but I’ve decided to write a special separate blog post tomorrow. Look for it!
My first stop this morning was the Donut Bar. One Boston Cream, please! Super yum!Walking past Symphony Towers, I noticed this graphic on their outdoor display. A free concert for the community next weekend!My feet this New Year’s Day took me through Horton Plaza Park. I recently posted a blog with photos of the Broadway Fountain lit for Christmas at night.An unexpected discovery! It appears Horton Plaza Park has a time capsule buried between the grass and the Starbucks! History happens here.And a few steps to the west I spotted another plaque at my feet. The Salvation Army held its first San Diego meeting here, March 31, 1888.Crossing an intersection in the Gaslamp, I spotted an odd thing at ground level. This tile showing a burglar has been cemented to the asphalt in the middle of the street!It appears Monkey King is a restaurant soon to open in the Gaslamp Quarter. I discovered a shining gold mural on their wall!No mural on this interesting wall. A lady in pink shoes walks her dog in downtown San Diego.Just a cool photo of light and shadow and architectural geometry. The tall glass building is the new corporate headquarters of Sempra Energy in East Village.In East Village, this brightly shining mosaic sculpture in a medical office window caught my eye!Look what I found! These must be new. Two huge baseballs at Petco Park near the Padres Hall of Fame.One huge baseball has the autographs of the 1984 National League Champion Padres!And, of course, the second baseball has the autographs of the 1998 National League Champion team!A car carrier freight train covered with graffiti has stopped along Harbor Drive.People crossing the Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge seem to walk in the clouds.Tourists on Segways pass the Coming Together sculpture by artist Niki de Saint Phalle.The Holiday by the Bay ice rink near the Hilton San Diego Bayfront seems to be winding down. A few skaters were out on New Year’s Day morning.Folks with a dog walk along San Diego Bay, approaching the high masts of superyachts.Two superyachts behind the convention center have really, really, REALLY high masts!The futuristic black superyacht Ahimsa has been docked in San Diego for at least a year, it seems. According to one website it’s worth 80 million dollars. Passersby have referred to the sleek vessel as the Bat-boat!The San Diego International Car Show is taking place this weekend. Test drives can be taken in the parking lot behind the convention center.Looks like some folks will be test-driving a new Ford.I saw this guy walking along with a large flag. He seemed to be on a mission. I didn’t think to pursue him and ask why.Just beautiful yachts in the Marriott Marina.I am fortunate to live in such a beautiful city.I spied the new downtown San Diego Central Courthouse between the silvery Marriott Marquis buildings. I believe the courthouse’s construction is nearly finished.The Silvergate ferry heads toward Coronado beyond the Embarcadero Marina Park South fishing pier.Two pelicans hanging out at the pier. A good day to kick back and fish.People descend the San Diego Convention Center steps that lead to the Flame of Friendship sculpture.An art installation in the new passageway between the Marriott and Hyatt waterfront hotels titled Kelp, created by artists Katie MacDonald and Kyle Schumann of After Architecture.Dogs stretch and relax with a human near Seaport Village.Lots of cranes in the skyline lately! The two nearby are for fishing boats. The construction crane on the left is for the new InterContinental Hotel. On the right, a high crane rises by Pacific Gate by Bosa.On New Year’s Day lots of people are enjoying a walk by the water. I see what appear to be two Navy oilers docked at North Island.Uh, oh! Look what I spotted. The live bait-catching seiner Cachalot seems to be drifting away from the Tuna Harbor’s G Street Pier! Those ropes seem loose. Perhaps last night’s storm is the reason.In San Diego, walks are often accompanied by music.Very strange! Wisconsin’s Pulaski High School Red Raiders marching band is in San Diego today! Why? A little searching indicated that they will will perform tomorrow morning in the Tournament of Roses Parade, up north in Pasadena!That isn’t a cruise ship. It’s the MV World Odyssey, a floating classroom! Its Semester at Sea allows students to study abroad, while touring the world!Dozens of sailboats out on San Diego Bay during New Year’s Day. It’s a sailing regatta!Curious gulls analyze a bicyclist at the Embarcadero’s new observation deck, just north of the Broadway Pier. Life is full of surprises!
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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 enjoy!
Cool San Diego Sights! 