Lucha libre surprise for Cinco de Mayo!

A huge lucha libre audience looked on with amazement as the unforeseen happened in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter during today’s Cinco de Mayo celebration!

The first high-flying match was amazing, as exciting as anything you’ll see on television or in a big arena. The luchadores of World Power Wrestling (WPW) entertained everyone with their moves, and the good guy (despite having his mask removed and eyes viciously raked when the official wasn’t looking) was victorious!

That wasn’t the big surprise, however. That came in the second match.

Miguel Lopez, General Manager of Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, took to the ring with two other wrestlers, promoting his establishment. As the two wrestlers (one appearing like an evil clown) began to grapple, Miguel suddenly removed his outer clothing and revealed his lucha libre costume! Like a sudden flash of lightning he decimated the evil clown!

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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.

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Free Comic Book Day in San Diego’s Gaslamp!

May 3rd is Free Comic Book Day!

Today, in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, not only can you enjoy the big Cinco de Mayo festival along Fifth Avenue, but if you spot Rolling Wave Comics among the vendors, you’re invited to grab free comic books! Those are some in the above photo!

I see DC and Marvel and independent publisher titles. I see Superman, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Godzilla and more superhero and comic book favorites.

If you’re heading down to the Gaslamp today, keep your eyes open!

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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 sky full of cherry blossom wind chimes!

Dozens of beautiful glass wind chimes, many decorated with images of cherry blossoms, hang suspended like shining stars at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park!

Together these many wind chimes twinkle-tink-tink, creating music in the patio of the Upper Garden.

I hadn’t been to the Japanese Friendship Garden in a long time, so today I had to ask a nearby gardener when these were installed. He told me months ago. They were part of a special event or exhibition.

Their magic remains.

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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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World War II map remains in Balboa Park!

Balboa Park contains many surprises!

If poke your nose inside the Santa Fe Room of the Balboa Park Club building, you’ll find a large map on one wall. The old map is a remnant of the park’s fascinating history.

During World War II, the Palisades part of Balboa Park was turned into Camp Kidd Naval Training Station, a U.S. Navy facility that included hospital wards, training facilities and barracks.

The Balboa Park Club building, which had been the Palace of Education for the 1935-36 California Pacific International Exposition, was converted into a temporary annex to the naval hospital with a dispensary and mess hall. Here’s an interesting web page about Camp Kidd.

The building’s Santa Fe Room, with its map of The Pacific and Far East, became the Camp Kidd Officers’ Club. Visitors to the park today can view that same map–provided the room is open and not being used for a special event.

I had to increase the contrast quite a bit for my two photographs, to bring out more detail.

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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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Mosaics at El Portal Undercrossing in Encinitas!

I absolutely love these mosaics!

Seventeen long, narrow mosaic panels were created last year in Encinitas on either side of the El Portal Undercrossing, which allows pedestrians to pass under railroad tracks.

I saw them the other day for the first time!

This excellent article about the project explains how it aims to tell the storied and colorful history of the city and its residents, was a collaborative effort between students from Paul Ecke Central Elementary School and San Dieguito Academy, nonprofit art studio Campana Studios and SDA art teacher Jeremy Wright.

I took a bunch of photos for everyone to enjoy!

The City of Encinitas has completed other public art projects at underpasses, similar to this. In the past I’ve photographed some of that art: here and here and 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.

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Building sand dunes from air in Carlsbad!

I wondered. Why are hundreds of little wooden stakes sticking out of the sand at South Ponto Beach in Carlsbad?

Reading a nearby sign provided the answer. Habitat restoration in progress. The fence, shims, and plants will build dunes and keep sand on the beach.

I never heard the word “shims” used this way.

I found a webpage that explains how to “make land from air.” Biomimicry uses 14- inch-long, narrow cedar shims which are randomly inserted several inches into the sand. The shims are placed 10-14 inches apart, in a random matrix, along the upper beach. This matrix stabilizes existing sand while also collecting new sand, by generating turbulence in laminar ocean storm winds.

There’s another fascinating word!

Biomimicry. Definition: The design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes.

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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!

60,000 yellow ribbons on the USS Midway.

If you’ve seen the USS Midway Museum in the past few days, you’ll notice the historic aircraft carrier is covered with yellow ribbons.

I learned today that the approximately 60,000 ribbons honor the same number of members of the United States Armed Forces who were killed in action during the Vietnam War.

The ribbons, tied several days ago around the edge of the aircraft carrier, will remain in place through Memorial Day. Visitors who go to the flight deck’s information stand can ask to tie their own yellow ribbon.

I notice some of the ribbons have messages written upon them. Loved ones can be remembered in this way.

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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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Gaslamp trolley umbrellas for Comic-Con.

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) workers were testing a new development at the Gaslamp Quarter trolley station this morning. They were setting up that large umbrella in my photo!

I learned that during upcoming Comic-Cons and other similar events near the San Diego Convention Center, temporary umbrellas will be installed at the station platform to provide shade. One of the umbrellas, I was told, will shade a spot for police canines. Dogs can overheat in San Diego’s summer sunshine!

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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!

Cool murals near Encinitas train station!

These two cool murals can be found close to the train station in Encinitas.

One mural, in my first two photographs, is painted on a wall at the Moonlight Marketplace flea market venue, which, when not in use, appears like a dirt lot west of the station platform. The butterfly and face artwork was created by Chloe Becky (@elsiethecowww).

The second mural is in the alley one block directly south of the Encinitas train station. It’s on the back of a building near the corner of Founders Drive and E Street. The smiley face in swirled colors was spray painted by DJ NEFF (@djn3ff) in 2024.

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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!

Local artists at new downtown Courthouse Gallery!

Wolf in the Storm by Laura Green.

A new art gallery recently opened in downtown San Diego. Juried works by diverse artists can be freely viewed from the sidewalk in front the Edward J. Schwartz United States Courthouse!

From behind several large windows, works by local artists greet the curious eyes of those walking down Broadway. This new Courthouse Gallery of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California is now displaying The Art of Freedom.

The courthouse website describing the project and a call for submissions explains: The inspirations for this on-going, rotating art display are: making art more accessible to the public, enhancing civic engagement through the arts, and creating an opportunity for local artists to increase exposure to their work. The gallery will be featuring emerging and established artists 18 and older residing in San Diego and Imperial Counties.

It’s difficult to photograph through these windows with the reflections. Enjoy several pieces…

Woman Charging I by Cathy Deibler.
Forest Dance, by Leah Schaperow.
Remember When We Were Free by Cynthia Sue Kelly.

Years ago, these same windows displayed artwork created by students for San Diego County Bar Association’s Law Week Poster and Video Contest. See three years of those displays here and here and here.

Over the years, my photos of those Law Week posters have been viewed thousands of times through Google search–quite possibly by teachers and students around the nation and world. Amazing.

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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!