Cool photo memories from November 2019.

New month–time to enjoy a little history!

Five years ago, during November 2019, Cool San Diego Sights featured photographs from a variety of interesting places and events. My favorite event by far was the San Diego and Arizona Railway centennial that was held out in Campo.

If you have a curious mind, and if you’d like to take a time machine back five years and look at some of those old photographs, click the links that are coming up!

To see many fascinating photographs, click the following links:

Colorful photos of Escondido Tamale Festival!

Public art in Escondido: two female bronzes.

Amazing exhibition of Japanese washi fiber art.

Marigolds add meaning to El Campo Santo.

A walk around the Escondido History Center.

Vintage postcards remember old San Diego.

Community volunteers beautify City Heights!

Painting cool new murals in City Heights!

Amazing walk up the historic Helix Flume Trail!

A ride on the San Diego and Arizona Railway!

Photos of San Diego and Arizona Railway centennial!

Concert celebrates organist Jared Jacobsen.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

Vietnam Veterans honored at Fleet Week concert.

A fantastic event kicked off Fleet Week San Diego this evening. At the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park, members of Navy Band Southwest joined members of Marine Band San Diego for a spectacular Military & Veteran Appreciation Concert!

The music was rousing, patriotic, and even jazzy at times. But the highlight of the concert occurred before a single instrument was played. A group of Vietnam Veterans were called to the front of the audience in order to be recognized and honored.

Each hero shook the hand of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and received a special cap and Vietnam Veteran Commemorative Pin. Then all who’d been recognized formed a line for photographs.

I took my own photos from a distant bench. You can see the appreciation and the smiles.

If you’d like to learn more about San Diego Fleet Week, which in 2024 runs until November 11, click here! There are free activities available to the public, including tours of Navy and Coast Guard ships!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

Creative Halloween pumpkins at Hard Rock Hotel!

The Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter has an awesome Halloween display inside their lobby!

The hotel’s different departments have each “carved” a pumpkin. Their creative efforts fill a large table, and guests are invited to vote for their favorite. The winning department receives a trophy!

I checked out all the great pumpkins this morning. Some are really scary. Some are pure fun. (I like the pumpkin with a spa facial.)

Here come the photos…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

Halloween creeps into San Diego’s Gaslamp!

Should we be frightened? Halloween has crept into San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter!

I took these spooky (and fun) photographs early this morning in dim light, then in the late afternoon as restaurants and bars prepared for a terrifying onslaught of evening partiers.

Trick or treat!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

Walking through Swan Canyon in City Heights.

For a small adventure, hike down into Swan Canyon from the streets of City Heights.

The long, narrow canyon is one of several in this San Diego neighborhood. Like other nearby canyons, it features trails for nature walks in a mostly urban environment.

I enjoyed a short, easy hike last weekend in Swan Canyon. My aim was to photograph a newly painted mural on an old concrete foundation down in the canyon. If you’d like to see those photographs, click here.

There are several ways to enter the canyon. The trailhead I used is at the intersection of Olive Street and Highland Avenue, a couple blocks east of Fairmount Avenue. I headed east down the Olive Street Trail to the bottom of the canyon. You can see several trails on Google Maps if you perform a search.

At the bottom of the canyon, there’s a sign showing where the Olive Street Trail and Quince Street Trail cross. From the Olive Street Trail, I turned left and headed north up the Quince Street trail.

After a short distance of upward climbing, I noticed a definite but unmarked trail to the left. It led to the mural.

It’s hard to get lost in the narrow canyon. Just keep looking around.

Once I reached the mural, I easily retraced my steps. You could venture down another trail or in a different direction if you’d like to conduct your own voyage of discovery!

The trails I walked down were fairly well maintained, but wear good shoes and bring water on a warm day. You can see a few hollows in the shrubbery where homeless people might live, and graffiti in places, particularly near the mural–so be aware of that.

The above sign stands at the trailhead.

The sign contains information about wildlife and plants in our city’s canyons, and is provided by the organization San Diego Canyonlands. See their website here. You’ll find loads of useful information!

Did I come across any wildlife during my walk? The canyon did smell fresh and wild. I observed no coyotes, raccoons or red-tailed hawks, but I did spot a squirrel, and a few small birds in some trees.

Looking down from the trailhead…

Here we go! Watch your step…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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 Symphony’s beautiful community ofrenda.

The San Diego Symphony has placed a community ofrenda in their box office lobby for Día de los Muertos. The beautiful Day of the Dead altar can be found inside the front entrance of downtown’s Symphony Towers. Step inside, turn left and you’ll see it.

The community ofrenda was designed by local Mexican-American artist Maricruz Alvarado. She has been creating beautiful ofrendas for 25 years.

(By the way, I recently posted photos of a gigantic skull that Maricruz made! See it by clicking here!)

Members of the community are invited to contribute photographs and other momentos to the San Diego Symphony ofrenda in memory of deceased loved ones.

I swung by for a look early this morning…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

House of Turkey’s colorful celebration in Balboa Park!

San Diego saw a huge celebration of Turkey’s unique history and culture on Sunday. The House of Turkey brought a festive parade and lawn program to Balboa Park!

I spied the flag-waving procession heading down El Prado around noontime. The smiling group was led by the House of Turkey royalty. Those participating gathered beside the Bea Evenson Fountain, danced and clapped their hands in rhythm!

At the International Cottages, a huge crowd enjoyed traditional food, including Gözleme, Börek and Turkish Tea.

There were crafts, kids activities, cultural displays, and after opening remarks, the happy music of the ATASC-SD Turkish Music Chorus. Then at two o’clock colorfully costumed Turkish folk dancing by the performing group Grup Anadolu began!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

Old Globe celebrates Día de los Muertos!

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) was celebrated today by the Old Globe in San Diego’s Balboa Park. Lots of family-friendly activities and theatrical performances were enjoyed by the public in the Old Globe’s outdoor Copley Plaza!

I enjoyed the first performance of this magical event: actors portraying Mexican folk passed through the audience, came to a grave in front of a beautiful Día de los Muertos altar, and summoned the spirit of a deceased loved one. The spirit came and danced with them, before finally departing.

The event would go on to feature other performances, including a puppet play and Drummers Without Borders. My camera captured their smiles before I headed off, as you can see in the final two photos.

Learn more about the Old Globe’s very colorful Day of the Dead event on their web page here.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

Halloween fun with San Diego Youth Symphony!

This afternoon, the San Diego Youth Symphony took to the stage at Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion, to perform their traditional Halloween concert. And many of the young musicians were in costume!

I noticed cows, Harry Potter, the Riddler, a Super Mario mushroom . . . and two adult conductors who were quite evil-looking!

Spooky pieces played during the fun concert included Valse Diabolique, The Boogie Man Blues, Themes from Harry Potter, Waltz of the Wicked, and Curse of the Rosin Eating Zombies From Outer Space! Yes, that last one is a thing. I’m not kidding!

I took photos of a few fun costumes before and during the concert…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.

Another beautiful Orchid Show in Balboa Park.

I know, I know–I’ve posted blogs about orchid shows in Balboa Park many times over the years. But the flowers are so spectacular. Here we go again!

The 2024 Fall Orchid Show and Sale of the San Diego County Orchid Society was held this weekend inside the Casa del Prado.

Exotic species of orchids and prize winning plants were displayed on tables in one half of Room 101. In a corner, people on chairs listened to a speaker and viewed an orchid growing demonstration. In the other half of the large room, local orchid growers and artists had abundant beauty available for purchase.

If you’re interested in becoming a member of the San Diego County Orchid Society, check out their website here.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

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.