Tag: beautiful

Star of India readies for her November sail!

This year world-famous tall ship Star of India turns 160 years old. The last time she sailed out of San Diego Bay into the Pacific Ocean was five years ago. (To see photographs of Star of India heading out to sea in 2018, click here!)

Today I took a long walk around downtown San Diego. When I visited the Maritime Museum, I noticed work being done on the poop deck of Star of India. I learned that the Star is being readied for her upcoming November sail!

As you might imagine, the world’s oldest active sailing ship requires constant upkeep and repairs. The sun, salt and weather can be very hard on any vessel.

After climbing up to the poop deck, I watched museum volunteer Bob H. removing old varnish from the saloon’s skylight structure. In my photos you can see how the wood will then be sanded, removing an old coat of stain.

The smooth bare wood of the teak bench will be newly varnished. It will turn beautifully golden like the smaller companionway bench beside it.

A section of the pin rail on the ship’s port side is also being repaired. Part of the wood rail had to be removed to deal with rust on the standing rigging.

(Back in February, I watched as a skilled woodworker chiseled away at a section of pin rail. See those photos here!)

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Sculptures at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas.

Several notable works of public art welcome visitors to Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas.

During my walk yesterday I noticed five different sculptures near the hospital entrance. One sculpture was unreachable behind a construction fence, so I was able to photograph four of them.

Each had a plaque at its base.

The first reads:

THE MAYPOLE TREE BY FRITZIE URQUHART – DEDICATED BY RALYN & NATE WOLFSTEIN 2008 – IN HONOR OF NATE’S 80TH BIRTHDAY

The second reads:

THE CALDERBERRY TREE BY AMOS ROBINSON – DEDICATED BY RALYN & NATE WOLFSTEIN 2008 WITH THANKS TO GERRIT GREVE, JEFFERY LAUDENSLAGER & COOP COOPRIDER – WITHOUT WHOSE IDEAS & SUPPORT OUR SCRIPPS ARTS FOR HEALING PROGRAM WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

The third reads:

MIKOSHI BY JEFFERY LAUDENSLAGER – DEDICATED BY RALYN AND NATE WOLFSTEIN IN HONOR OF THEIR 60TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY 2008

The fourth reads:

FAMILY TREE BY THE SEA BY CAROLYN GUERRA – AS PART OF THE ARTS FOR HEALING PROGRAM AT SCRIPPS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ENCINITAS

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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 Twitter!

Sensuous Environment at the San Diego History Center.

A new exhibit recently opened at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park. It’s titled The Sensuous Environment – Sim Bruce Richards, Architect.

San Diego architect Sim Bruce Richards is best known for designing houses that appeal not only to the eyes, but to other human senses as well. The museum exhibit, with its many photographs and drawings, celebrates the unique vision of an architect whose creations feel both rustic and modern. It’s an aesthetic that appeals to an essential human connection with nature.

His houses are truly homes. They are warm and welcoming. They contain natural, textured materials that are pleasant to the senses, like stone, adobe, and beautiful woods, including mahogany, redwood and aromatic cedar. Fireplaces are centerpieces where life gathers. Natural outdoor light shines through large windows. As one display explains: Richards took inspiration from his Cherokee heritage, his apprenticeship with Frank Lloyd Wright, and fondness for the work of San Diegan Irving Gill and other early twentieth century architects…

Reading the fascinating displays, I learned he often collaborated with noted San Diego artist James Hubbell.

Richards also designed commercial and church buildings using the same aesthetic. Did you know the Morley Field Tennis Club building in Balboa Park was one of his projects?

Beautifully inviting furniture that he designed is also part of the exhibit.

The Sensuous Environment – Sim Bruce Richards, Architect presents material from the archives of the San Diego History Center and UC Santa Barbara’s Art, Architecture and Design Museum.

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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 Twitter!

Reclaiming a city park from gangs, drugs, crime.

For many years, Teralta Park in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood was a place you might want to avoid. Drugs, gang activity and fights were too common.

Yesterday, when I visited Teralta Park to watch the Fern Street Circus, I saw lots of kids at play in the sunshine. I observed families at picnic tables, friendly games at basketball courts and a happy, active playground. What happened?

I learned from community leader Edwin Lohr that what happened is many people became passionately engaged. Community meetings and concerns turned to action.

New lighting has been installed. New benches now invite a stroll through the park. The playground is newly painted with bright colors. An incredibly positive community mural has been painted along one long wall.

Workers in the San Diego’s Parks and Recreation Department saw how the community had a new passion for their neighborhood park, and became passionate, too. During my visit I saw no weeds, no trash, just green grass, flowers and smiles all around.

It was great to see how this spacious public park–the only such park built over a major freeway–is now a welcoming retreat where people want to relax and recreate. I guess the not-so-secret formula for Teralta Park’s reclamation is people caring, and doing.

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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 Twitter!

Senses mural beautifies Park and Market.

I saw this beautiful mural at the Senses Human Bistro inside UCSD Park & Market the other day during a walk in East Village. I had to take a photo. I was told the floral artwork was painted several months ago.

The art is by Bay Area based Hungry Ghost Productions. See 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 Twitter!

A walk past the Baby Del in Coronado.

If you walk along the beach in Coronado, you might notice a gorgeous old Victorian house that resembles a small version of the famous Hotel del Coronado. It stands near the corner of Isabella Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. The Livingston House, built in 1887, is appropriately known as the Baby Del!

The “Baby Del” was originally located in Sherman Heights at 24th and J Streets. It was the home of Mrs. Harriett Livingston. It is said many of the workers who built the house would also work building the fantastic Hotel del Coronado one year later.

In 1983 the Livingston House was moved by barge to Coronado by architect Christopher Mortenson, who was instrumental in the Gaslamp Quarter’s renewal. The property was sold not long ago for nearly 16 million dollars.

The amazing house is recognized as San Diego Historical Landmark No. 58. Read more about the Baby Del at this website.

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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 Twitter!

Beautiful blooms at San Diego Iris Society show.

I took a bunch of flower photographs today at the San Diego Iris Society’s show and sale in Balboa Park. Some of the blooms were beginning to dry out after a full weekend, but that is the eventual fate of any beautiful flower.

In my last blog post, I quoted Frida Kahlo: “I paint flowers so they will not die.” Well, perhaps by taking photographs, the same immortality can be achieved!

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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 Twitter!

A hidden garden in Old Town San Diego.

Most people visiting Old Town San Diego State Historic Park will not see the spring flowers now blooming in one beautiful but scraggly garden. That’s because the garden is a bit hidden, located near a walking path that is seldom traveled.

The garden can be found behind historic buildings that line the west edge of the State Park’s central plaza. If you walk into Old Town from the nearby trolley station, you’ll likely pass the path that leads behind these modest buildings, including Casa de Wrightington, San Diego House, U.S. House and Casa de Machado y Silvas.

I saw roses today and many other flowers!

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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 Twitter!

A sunny walk in La Jolla’s Kellogg Park.

During my last visit to La Jolla Shores, I enjoyed a walk through Kellogg Park.

Several interesting sights met my eyes as I wandered about the beachside park on another sunny San Diego day!

At the south entrance to Kellogg Park, there’s an unusual table-like sculpture.

I believe the octopus and compass design represents the organization Friends of La Jolla Shores.

Nearby, an octopus welcomes visitors to The Map of the Grand Canyons of La Jolla, which is located in a plaza located between the grassy park and the beach’s boardwalk, Walter Munk Way.

The following photo shows a bit of the beautiful map. I once blogged about the map, its artwork and meaning here. There’s a cool interactive website that describes the marine animals in the map here.

Entering wide grassy Kellogg Park from the south. Benches face a tall flagpole.

Another beautiful day in paradise.

Facing the flagpole from its north side.

There’s an old plaque at the base of the flagpole.

Kellogg Park, a gift to the people of San Diego from Florence Scripps Kellogg and the City of San Diego. Dedicated to the memory of Frederick William Kellogg. June 1951.

Palm trees and the nearby playground.

Gazing out toward the ocean and the La Jolla Shores boardwalk.

Picnic benches and green grass.

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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 Twitter!

Spring blooms in Land of the First People.

It’s springtime!

Days are longer. The air is warmer. Flowers are blooming in the Land of the First People in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park!

A few days ago I strolled through The Iipay ~ Tipay Kumeyaay Mut Niihepok (Land of the First People) area at the north end of the State Park, and I noticed a whole lot of color.

I’m no expert when it comes to identifying flowers and plants, but I do believe I recognized Bush Sunflower, Yarrow and Cleveland Sage, all native to the San Diego region.

I do know that what I saw is beautiful.

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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 Twitter!