Tag: animals

Great artwork on Harbor Island marina gates.

Whales depicted on a Harbor Island marina gate.
Whales depicted on a Harbor Island marina gate.

On Harbor Island, just east of the Hilton, several gates leading down to the marina have metalwork that is really beautiful. Check out these images…

Underwater scene on a marina entrance gate.
Lively underwater scene on a marina entrance gate.
Dolphins decorate a marina gate on Harbor Island.
Dolphins decorate a marina gate on Harbor Island.
Beautiful approach to one gate on Harbor Island marina.
Beautiful approach to one gate at Harbor Island marina.

Seeley Stable’s stagecoaches and freight wagons.

Front of the Seeley Stable Museum in Old Town.
Front of the Seeley Stable Museum in Old Town San Diego.

Perhaps my favorite part of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is the Seeley Stable Museum.

The huge old barn and surrounding area were once owned by Albert Seeley, who ran the San Diego-Los Angeles Stage Line from 1868 to 1877.  His Concord stagecoaches left San Diego at 5 am, stopped overnight at San Juan Capistrano, and arrived in Los Angeles at 4 pm the next day.  Eventually competition with the railroad put him out of business.

Sign on the Blacksmith Shop behind Seeley Stable.
Sign on the Blacksmith Shop behind Seeley Stable.

Behind the Seeley Stable is a cool blacksmith shop, where tourists can watch skilled hobbyists demonstrate the shaping of red hot iron.   The hammers ring loudly and the sparks fly!  Unfortunately it wasn’t open the day I took these photos.

Covered wagon, anvils and relics of the Old West behind Seeley Stable.
Covered wagon, anvils and relics of the Old West behind Seeley Stable.

Across from the blacksmith you’ll find this.  Very cool!

Several unrestored wagons.
Several unrestored wagons.
Peering through old wagon wheels.
Peering through old wagon wheels.
Donkey awaits young visitors to historic Seeley Stable.
Donkey awaits young visitors to historic Seeley Stable.

On the south side of the stable you’ll find a couple of donkeys, which are used by park rangers to teach children about life in the Old West.

Stagecoach from the Los Angeles and San Diego route.
Concord stagecoach from the Los Angeles to San Diego route.

Finally, we’re inside the museum!  You can see many different wagons and stagecoaches inside the dark old barn, plus other artifacts from life one and a half centuries ago.

Museum display with horse and saddles recreates the old stable.
Museum display with horse and saddles recreates the old stable.
Huge freight wagon on display at Seeley Stable.
Huge freight wagon on display at Seeley Stable.
Old Wells Fargo wagon once used to transport the mail.
Old Wells Fargo wagon once used to transport the mail.
Old Town San Diego park ranger chats with ticket window lady.
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park ranger chats with friendly lady at the ticket window.

The Seeley Stable Museum is free!

UPDATE!

Here are a few more interesting and informative photos that I took inside the museum in August 2017…

Roscoe E. "Pappy" Hazard was a developer and rancher who collected stagecoaches, carriages and wagons from the Old West. Many are displayed in Seeley Stable.
Roscoe E. “Pappy” Hazard was a developer and rancher who collected stagecoaches, carriages and wagons from the Old West. Many are displayed today in Old Town’s Seeley Stable Museum.
In 1869, Albert L. Seeley transformed the nearby Bandini adobe into the two-story Cosmopolitan Hotel, which became Old Town's stage depot and social center.
In 1869, Albert L. Seeley transformed the nearby Bandini adobe into the two-story Cosmopolitan Hotel, which became Old Town’s stage depot and social center.
Photo of Seeley Stable's barn and yard taken from Presidio Hill in 1872. The Cosmopolitan Hotel can be seen on the right.
Photo of Seeley Stable’s barn and yard taken from Presidio Hill in 1872. The Cosmopolitan Hotel can be seen on the right.
Map shows important stagecoach routes, including the Butterfield Overland, and the Birch's Line from San Antonio to San Diego.
Map shows important stagecoach routes, including the Butterfield Overland, and the Birch’s Line from San Antonio to San Diego.
Signs and old photos concerning freight wagons in the Old West, which often employed large teams of mules.
Signs and old photos concerning freight wagons in the Old West, which often employed large teams of mules.
Spaniards introduced mules to America along with the horse. Hardy pack mules were used by trappers to haul furs, and by gold miners to move supplies and equipment.
Spaniards introduced mules to America along with the horse. Hardy pack mules were used by trappers to haul furs, and by gold miners to move supplies and equipment.
This delivery wagon was brought to San Diego by Frank Kimball in 1868. It was used to show passengers land that he had for sale in National City.
This delivery wagon was brought to San Diego by Frank Kimball in 1868. It was used to show passengers land that he had for sale in National City.
This old Park Wagon was used by rancher Walter Vail. He owned land in Arizona, Santa Rosa island off the coast of California, and Warner's Ranch northeast of San Diego.
This old Park Wagon was used by cattle rancher Walter Vail. He owned a land in Arizona, Santa Rosa island off the coast of California, and Warner’s Ranch northeast of San Diego.
How part of the stable might have once appeared. Stable hands had many chores, including feeding, watering and grooming animals, and cleaning stalls.
How a corner of the stable might have once appeared. Stable hands had many chores, including feeding, watering and grooming animals, and cleaning stalls.

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Photos of San Diego walk for farm animals.

cows are friends not food sign

I had taken a pic of an unusual poster about this event several weeks ago, so I decided to swing by during my Saturday morning walk. (Stay tuned for pictures of the San Diego Zombie Walk later today!)

I walked through Embarcadero Marina Park North about 10:30, half an hour after the animal rights protest had begun. It didn’t seem that many people had shown up yet. I’d estimate perhaps fifty scattered about the grassy areas and in the nearby gazebo and bay overlook.

This lady sat alone holding a poster indicating that cows are friends.

men dress as a pig and cow to support animals

Here’s a photo of two men in the nearby parking lot being helped by a woman into animal costumes. One is a cow; it appears the other is a pig.

san diego walk for farm animals attendees

These tables seemed to be the central feature of the event. The attendees all were smiling. You can see haze in the distance–mostly overcast skies and very much like Autumn today.

sign proclaims that a rooster is someone

Two more posters. One indicates that a rooster is someone, not something.

As I left the public park and returned through Seaport Village, I noticed a few more people trickling in for what seemed to be a very laid-back protest.

Rabbits ready to tube race at Bunnyfest.

rabbits ready to tube race at bunnyfest

Here’s another pic from Bunnyfest. Three rabbits are ready to compete in a big race! They’re poised before three burrow-like tubes, just waiting to be released… There they go! Which one will win?

The one nearest the camera popped out of its pipe first!

Just a sample of the fun stuff  I observed today during my walk!

Girls at Bunnyfest trim nails of rabbit.

girls at bunnyfest clip nails of rabbit

Here comes another pic from Sunday afternoon!

Walking back toward downtown, I happened to stumble upon Bunnyfest on the grass at the south side of Balboa Park. It was a surprisingly large event with lots of booths and activities, put on by the San Diego House Rabbit Society. Rabbits were everywhere! Big rabbits, small rabbits, ordinary rabbits, exotic rabbits . . . rabbits of every kind and description! In arms, in pens, and featured on many great works of art! I watched for a moment while two girl volunteers trimmed the nails of a bunny. Here’s the photo.

Colorful animal obelisk in front of Horton Plaza!

colorful obelisk by horton plaza

Here’s a much better look at the obelisk in question. (See my last blog post.) It thrusts out of the ground right in front of Horton Plaza, marking the underground entrance to the Lyceum Theater. Animals of the water, land and air, fashioned out of colorful tiles, frolic together in a mosaic beneath a smiling crescent moon!

This playful work of art and the beautiful architecture of the building behind it is just a small hint of the fun that awaits visitors inside the Horton Plaza shopping mall!

Looking down at the obelisk and Lyceum Theatre.
Looking down at the obelisk and underground entrance to Lyceum Theater.
A closer view of colorful tile fish on the Horton Plaza obelisk.
A closer view of artistic fish on the Horton Plaza obelisk.

Animal rights poster features cute pig.

animal rights poster features cute pig

I intend to keep this blog non-political. I’m just going post images that look interesting, unusual or visually appealing. Life is full of complexity and surprises.

Well, here’s a poster for an animal rights event that I discovered stuck to a traffic light post in Hillcrest that is definitely unusual! It features a cute farm pig. Perhaps I’ll make it to the event to take photographs of the protesters. That oughta be interesting!

So now I have a picture of a farm tractor and a pig in cultivated Hillcrest. What is the world coming to?