U. S. Police & Fire Championships in San Diego!

The 2025 United States Police & Fire Championships are now underway in and around San Diego!

As their website explains: The USPFC is an Olympic-style competition for athletes representing Law Enforcement, Firefighters, and officers from Corrections, Probation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection from across the country.

There are 38 different sports in which participants can compete. There’s everything from tennis to soccer to bowling to cornhole, and, as I discovered this afternoon, basketball!

Walking through Balboa Park, I noticed spirited basketball play inside the Municipal Gymnasium. The athletes I observed are skilled and very serious about winning!

To learn more about the United States Police & Fire Championships and the various sports being played in venues around San Diego, check out this webpage.

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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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Clairemont Town Council is for the birds!

The Clairemont Town Council is for the birds . . . in a good way!

This fun street art can be found in Clairemont on electrical boxes at the intersection of Balboa Arms Drive and Mt. Abernathy Avenue. Painted seagulls are shown lounging at the beach, boating, biking, and otherwise enjoying the Southern California lifestyle!

As I looked at this art, I noticed it contains an emblem indicating it’s a project of the Clairemont Town Council.

This web page describes how the Clairemont Town Council Foundation has a Public Art Program, which includes the painting of transformer boxes in San Diego City Council District 2.

One of CTC Foundation’s aims is to encourage the development of vibrant residential communities. This particular neighborhood behind a shopping mall features many apartment complexes and, I’m sure, residents who smile at humorous street art!

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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!

High school organist wows in Balboa Park!

Jonah Molina, a Senior at Mission Bay High School, wowed an audience in Balboa Park this afternoon during the AGO-Spreckels Honors Concert. Jonah was the Honors Performer, as selected by the San Diego Chapter of the American Guild of Organists!

Jonah played two difficult pieces on the world-famous outdoor Spreckels Organ: Batalla de Torres (which he arranged) and Toccata, from Suite Gothique Opus 25. This wasn’t his first public performance. He has participated in different competitions and events around Southern California.

As one might expect, Jonah was exceptional!

After he completed the two pieces, Jonah received a trophy. He has been awarded the Advanced Division Scholarship by the Spreckels Organ Society!

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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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Fun times at multicultural Day at the Park!

Many San Diego families were out having fun today at a special event in Barrio Logan. Day at the Park was being presented by the Port of San Diego at César Chávez Park!

The community festival attracted an ever growing crowd as the day progressed. The public could freely enjoy multicultural entertainment at the main stage, plus free bags of kettle corn and other food! The warm San Diego sun was shining and everyone was smiling.

During Day at the Park, the Port of San Diego also sought feedback about possible improvements to César Chávez Park. If you have any ideas, go to their online survey by clicking here!

I enjoyed my hot dog and kettle corn while watching some of the colorful entertainment. Enjoy my photos!

Many vendors and community organizations were present during the event.

The Living Coast Discovery Center had a chuckwalla that people could touch! I learned these lizards can inflate their body in their burrow to prevent predators from pulling them out!

There it is! I suggested a chuckwalla, with its odd name, must be mix between a woodchuck and walrus.

The Port of San Diego was gathering info about potential improvements to this bayside park in Barrio Logan.

These ladies smiled for a photo before the event officially began. They gave out the free food tickets. Yes, I arrived early.

Kids love the Rad Hatter! I see them at many San Diego events. Make your own crazy hat!

Here’s the free kettle corn. Super yummy! Thank you.

First up on the stage was Soaring Eagles, with Native American dance…

Meanwhile, look how the crowd has grown! Lots of food trucks, in addition to the freebies.

Next up the stage was R:TYME Band, playing happy classics perfect for dancing. One kid was even breakdancing!

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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!

How to improve César Chávez Park in Barrio Logan?

The Port of San Diego is seeking public feedback concerning César Chávez Park in Barrio Logan. Port representatives were at the Day at the Park event today held in the bayside public park.

Have you ever visited César Chávez Park? What ideas for improvement might you have? Click here to take a community input survey being conducted by the Port of San Diego.

Would it be great to have a beach? Pier improvements? More community events? More shade trees? A water feature? An expanded playground? Exercise equipment? More signage? More interactive art? More security features? Something else?

Let the Port of San Diego know! Click 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!

Sportfishing Legacy monument in Point Loma.

The Sportfishing Legacy monument can be found steps from the docks at Fisherman’s Landing in Point Loma. If you’ve ever gone on an ocean fishing charter in San Diego, you might have departed from here and seen the remarkable bronze sculpture of a man.

I saw the monument for the first time last month during the Day at the Docks event. I’m finally getting around to sharing these photographs.

A plaque states:

SPORTFISHING LEGACY

DEDICATED TO CAPTAIN BILL POOLE AND ALL THE DEVOTED CAPTAINS WHO HAVE MADE SAN DIEGO HOME PORT TO THE WORLD’S FINEST SPORTFISHING FLEET.

THE PIONEER OF LONG RANGE SPORTFISHING, CAPTAIN POOLE EXPLORED THE OCEAN FOR THE FISHING GROUNDS AND ESTABLISHED INNOVATIVE FISHING TECHNIQUES. AS AN ENTREPRENEUR, HE INSPIRED NUMEROUS SUPPORT BUSINESSES INCLUDING LANDINGS, FUEL DOCKS, AND A BOAT YARD, WHERE HE BUILT MANY OF THE NEWEST HIGH TECH SPORTFISHING BOATS.

THIS MONUMENT SERVES AS A TRIBUTE TO ALL WHO HAVE ENJOYED THE MAGICAL MOMENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED ON THESE DOCKS AND AT SEA. THE FLEET CONTINUES TO ENSURE THAT SAN DIEGO IS THE PREMIER DESTINATION FOR SPORT FISHERMEN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

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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!

Fun (and edible) Labubus in San Diego!

Instead of snuggling with a Labubu plush toy monster, why not devour one? (Yes, a fuzzy toy would be difficult to swallow–I mean eat a Labubu donut!)

I’m told Labubus right now are one of the hottest collectibles around. If you’d like to collect one in your stomach, head over to the Donut Bar in downtown San Diego!

That’s my smiling friend in the above photo! (The human-eared, non-purple face to the right.)

The Donut Bar has other fun Labubu merchandise, too, and I can see it’s selling fast!

I’m told that during Comic-Con, their world-famous donuts will be adding a Fantastic Four design for 2025. I can’t wait!

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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!

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle trolley for Comic-Con!

It’s still May, and the first trolley wrap for Comic-Con 2025 has already appeared in San Diego! This morning I managed to take a couple good photographs!

The cool trolley graphics promote Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, a movie that’s coming on September 12, 2025. The official anime movie’s name is Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle. That’s a mouthful!

You can learn more about the upcoming movie here!

As usual, I’ll be keeping a lookout for Comic-Con stuff this year. Comic-Con will be back in full strength after the pandemic and writers strike a few years ago, so I hope to take lots of colorful photos!

UPDATE!

By sheer chance, I found myself on the same trolley the next day heading down to Barrio Logan. And I captured a couple more photos…

And a couple more…

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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!

Beautiful mural at 7-Eleven celebrates Encinitas!

There’s a very beautiful mural on a long wall at the 7-Eleven in Leucadia. Look for it at 1766 North Coast Highway 101.

The mural, celebrating Encinitas and some of its landmarks, was painted by Kevin Anderson. The artwork is set back from the Coast Highway, behind the 7-Eleven store and its gas pumps. It’s easy to miss.

The mural shows the world-famous Swami’s surf break, the Self-Realization Fellowship’s iconic Golden Lotus Towers, and other sights one might find in Encinitas!

Enjoy some photos…

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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!

History, flag and roses at Ingram Plaza.

Ingram Plaza is a special place at Liberty Station in Point Loma. It can be found very easily by looking for the large American flag. Like all of Liberty Station, Ingram Plaza used to be part of Naval Training San Diego, which closed in 1997.

Words that wandering visitors can read describe the history and significance of the place.

A plaque can be found beside an anchor, steps away from the plaza. It reads:

INGRAM PLAZA

THIS PLAZA IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF OSMOND K. INGRAM, GUNNER’S MATE FIRST CLASS UNITED STATES NAVY, WHO SACRIFICED HIS LIFE IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE HIS SHIP AND SHIPMATES DURING AN ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE U.S.S. CASSIN AND A GERMAN SUBMARINE ON OCTOBER 15, 1917. “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.”

After pausing at the anchor to read its plaque, I walked into the plaza’s center near the flagpole, where there are beds of roses. (I took these photos in spring.)

A nearby sign…

This plaza served as a “detention camp” when the base first opened to isolate new recruits…to make sure any contagious disease…did not circulate among the entire base. During this time, they were transformed into trainees with new haircuts, clothing and initial instruction…

Among the roses is a time capsule with a plaque…

To commemorate the Centennial of Liberty Station and the former Naval Training Center, a time capsule was buried here on October 29, 2023, to be opened in 25 years.

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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!