Anniversaries celebrated by OB community murals!

Ocean Beach has a wonderful public art tradition that started in 1999. If you’ve visited this colorful seaside neighborhood, perhaps you’ve noticed.

The Murals of OB was the brainchild of local artist and activist Rich James. The idea was for the community to come together and create beautiful murals that would be mounted on walls and buildings around town. Over the years, many of these murals have been painted during the annual OB Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off.

This webpage describes the many murals and includes a walking tour map.

During my own walks, I’ve noticed that some of these community murals celebrate important Ocean Beach anniversaries. I’ll now share four that I’ve found.

The first mural (my previous and following photo) celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Ocean Beach Farmers Market.

The popular farmers market got started back in 1992. (Here’s a timeline of certain OB events.) The mural was painted in 2017.

Today, in 2025, people swing by the market every Wednesday, from 4 pm to 8 pm, on the 4900 block of Newport Avenue.

The next two photos show a mural that celebrates 100 years of the Ocean Beach Woman’s Club. It was painted in 2024.

Learn about the club’s fun events and philanthropy at their website here.

The next three photos are of a mural painted in 2012. It celebrates 125 years since Ocean Beach was founded in 1887.

Curious about the image of Wonderland on the right side of the mural? You can read about the short-lived amusement park and the very unique history of Ocean Beach by clicking here.

Finally, the fourth mural I’ve photographed celebrates the 50th anniversary of the OB Pier. The artwork was painted by many hands in 2016.

I happened to take photos back in 2016 during the pier’s big anniversary event. See that blog post by clicking here!

So, you might ask, what does it look like when people in the Ocean Beach community come together to paint one of these amazing murals?

In 2015, it looked like this…

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Flag Day and Army anniversary celebration in San Diego.

A special Flag Day Celebration was held today in San Diego. People gathered on the grounds of the Mormon Battalion Historic Site to observe both Flag Day and the 250th Anniversary of the United States Army.

There was an Invocation, March On the Colors, a greeting, remarks, patriotic music, and a stirring recitation of “Old Glory.” But the most important part of the ceremony paid recognition to four honored Veterans, three of whom served in the Army.

Those attending the Flag Day event heard of the sacrifices made by SGT Danny Lee Foster, U.S. Army; SFC Carlos Jesse Taitano, U.S. Army, Ret.; LT Robert “Bob” W. Conger, Jr, U.S. Navy; and Brigadier General Dean J. Mallires, U.S. Army, Ret.

All four received standing ovations.

Then there was a ceremonial cake cutting up near the stage.

After the ceremony ended, guests were invited inside the Mormon Battalion Historic Site to partake of the cake, and view displays concerning the four honored heroes.

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Old-fashioned games in Old Town San Diego!

An old-fashioned Sack Race at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.

Visitors to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park were have tons of fun today!

To celebrate California State Parks Week, outdoor games that were popular in the 1800s were being enjoyed in the park’s historic plaza!

Tug of War, Hoop and Stick, Graces, Sack, Egg and Wheelbarrow Races–park visitors were invited to take part in these fun old-fashioned pastimes!

I hung around for a few minutes and watched the action! Participants who won each game or took second place were awarded ribbons!

Who will win this game of Tug of War?
The game of Graces involves launching and catching a small wooden hoop with two wands.
Hoop and Stick is a fun way to pass the time. In 19th century San Diego, there were no television shows or video games.
During an Egg Race, one must balance an egg on a spoon, while hurrying along toward the finish line!

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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.

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Photos of Flag Day Parade in La Mesa!

The 26th Annual Flag Day Parade was held late this morning through downtown La Mesa. Hundreds of residents came out for the patriotic Flag Day spectacle.

Flags lined La Mesa Boulevard. Families gathered along the sidewalks in anticipation. At ten o’clock, the big parade, a beloved La Mesa tradition, began!

There were marching bands, equestrian groups, politicians, scouts, local schools, churches, clubs and organizations, waving queens, costumed cosplayers, cool cars . . . even tractors! It appeared to me the entire community had come together.

The Flag Day Parade this year celebrated service organizations who work to improve lives in the city. Grand Marshalls were the La Mesa Kiwanis Club, the La Mesa Lions Club, La Mesa Optimist International, and the La Mesa Rotary Club.

Most of my photographs were taken a bit away from the crowd, which mostly gathered in the center of La Mesa’s historic downtown. At the end of the parade, I followed the big flag held by volunteers, and I took my final photo with hundreds of flag-waving spectators all around.

Ready? The big parade is starting…

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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.

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A visit to the Heritage of the Americas Museum.

There’s a surprising museum jam-packed with wonders that everyone in San Diego should visit. I’m speaking of the Heritage of the Americas Museum in Rancho San Diego.

The Heritage of the Americas Museum is located near the West entrance of Cuyamaca College, immediately adjacent to the Water Conservation Garden. The museum building appears modest at first glance, but when you step through the front door your eyes might pop out of your head!

How do I begin to describe this amazing place?

The museum has four wings. They are dedicated to Archaeology, Anthropology, Natural History and Fine Art. If you wanted to examine every artifact, specimen and work of art, you could easily spend an hour exploring the museum.

Display cases contain objects from the Americas that fall into dozens of categories, whether it might be Peruvian textiles, or Haida and Tlingit artifacts, or paleo points dated 12000 B.C. to 6000 B.C., or millions-year-old fossils, or beautiful sea shells and coral…

When I visited, school children on a field trip were excitedly peering into the displays, seeing new worlds beyond their own life experience.

I’ll share a few photos so you get an idea of the fascinating worlds you’ll encounter, too.

Cool thing: the Heritage of the Americas Museum is free to the public every second Friday of the month!

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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.

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Harvesting the Ocean at Maritime Museum.

An exhibit about the history of fishing in San Diego opens today at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

Harvesting the Ocean expands upon pre-existing displays in the museum. The new exhibit follows the rise and fall of our city’s commercial fishing industry, and celebrates contributions by native people, immigrants and resilient fishing families to that rich history.

In addition to informative signs containing historical photographs, the exhibit includes artifacts used by fishermen who’ve harvested the ocean over the years.

I enjoyed an early look at the exhibit. If you’re interested in this very important aspect of San Diego history, you need to experience it, too.

The opening of this exhibit corresponds with the launch of a new seafood cookbook created by over a hundred contributors from the San Diego community. San Diego Seafood: Then & Now is available at the Maritime Museum’s gift shop. It contains over 75 recipes and includes essays, stories and photographs that bring our city’s extensive and diverse fishing history to life.

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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.

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Meet celebrated chefs, fishermen in San Diego!

A big event is being held this coming Saturday, June 14, 2025 in San Diego!

Celebrated chefs and local fishermen will greet the public at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market as an amazing new cookbook is launched that celebrates seafood and fishing history in San Diego!

San Diego Seafood: Then & Now contains over 75 excellent recipes, and includes the contributions of over a hundred people from the San Diego community, such as historians and fishing boat captains.

The book is curated by California Sea Grant, a unique partnership that unites the resources of the federal government, the State of California and universities across the state to create knowledge, products and services that benefit the economy, the environment and the citizens of California.

In addition to recipes, the cookbook contains many great photographs, stories and essays concerning the rich history of fishing in San Diego. Those who’ve contributed to our fishing history include the Kumeyaay, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Italians and Mexicans. Many immigrants settled in San Diego because of our long-time status as tuna fishing capital of the world. You’ve heard of Little Italy, right?

As the Amazon page concerning the book explains: San Diego Seafood: Then & Now blends local history and cuisine to celebrate the region’s rich maritime heritage and culinary diversity. More than a cookbook, this volume features colorful stories from past and present, stunning visuals, and helpful tips on buying, storing and preparing seafood, in addition to over 75 recipes that showcase local catch– from widely-known favorites, like tuna and halibut, to lesser-known treasures, like black cod and spiny lobster...

At Tuna Harbor Dockside Market next Saturday, there will be book signings and a meet and greet. The public can rub elbows with book project participants, working fishermen and renowned chefs. And there will be seafood tastings!

If you’ve never been to Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, it’s where fishermen sell freshly caught seafood directly to the public and restaurants. It’s open Saturdays from 8 am to 1 pm or sold out. Look for the many canopies on the pier just north of Seaport Village, next to Tuna Harbor.

Even if you have no interest in buying freshly caught fish, crabs or sea urchins, Tuna Harbor Dockside Market is a bustling and fascinating place to experience. (I’ve blogged about it many times over the years, including the day of its grand opening!) There are usually sea lions playing and barking nearby. You can watch fishermen at work on their boats. And you can also buy and eat fish and chips on the pier!

Some past photos…

Here are some friendly folks from California Sea Grant that I once met…

If you want to be part of the San Diego Seafood: Then & Now book launch celebration next Saturday, and perhaps purchase a signed copy, look for the first canopy on the pier!

You can also purchase San Diego Seafood: Then & Now in the gift shop of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

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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.

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A new Mario Kart World trolley for Comic-Con!

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 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.

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ArtReach mural in Hillcrest: Ignite Creativity!

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.

Feel free to share!

La Jolla plaque honors San Diego’s underwater pioneers.

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.

Feel free to share!