Tag: christmas

Santa Claus, CHiPs and toys for kids!

What was Santa Claus doing in San Diego this morning? Good question!

As I waited at the Fashion Valley Transit Center for a bus, I spied Santa on the side of a box truck in the mall parking lot. So of course I had to walk over and investigate!

Turns out I had discovered a wonderful charity.

CHiPs for Kids sponsors an annual holiday season toy drive by the California Highway Patrol. The toy drive typically begins in mid-November and runs through mid-December, just in time for Christmas.

CHP area offices around California are where the unwrapped and unused toys are collected. The donated toys are distributed to families who are in need.

Santa on the side of a truck and the promised delivery of holiday cheer!

In late April!

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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

House of Ukraine kids sing Christmas carols!

The spirit of Christmas lives on in San Diego!

This afternoon, kids performed traditional Ukrainian Christmas carols at the International Cottages in Balboa Park. They sang and played guitar in front of the House of Ukraine cottage.

I saw small wise men, an angel, a bright guiding star, and possibly Mary and Joseph on donkeys. When I asked about the riders, I learned animals from the stable where Jesus was born are often represented in traditional Ukrainian skits performed by kids wandering from door to door during the holiday season.

In this world where adult wars never seem to cease, let us remember the children. May there be Peace on Earth.

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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

The holiday Grinch Tree comes down!

You know the holiday season in San Diego is over when the Grinch Tree comes down outside the Old Globe in Balboa Park!

The joyful Christmas tree, with its candelabras, horns, wreaths and happy Whoville characters, was disassembled today and promptly hustled away. The Grinch, that old grouch, would applaud its disappearance!

What’s with that funny monkey mask atop the boxes? I was told by two of the smiling Grinch Tree disassemblers that the monkey face was embedded inside the tree. I don’t know if they were pulling my leg. For real? I asked. Yes, I was assured.

I suppose next holiday season, I’ll have to peer into the tree more closely!

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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Merry Christmas from Cool San Diego Sights!

It’s Christmas Eve. It’s the perfect time to gather with loved ones, and create meaningful, lasting memories.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Here are some fun photos that you might enjoy. I took these while walking around San Diego the past few days.

I spotted lots of Santas greeting passersby from shop windows. I found Frosty, Woodstock and some ugly sweaters, too! And a magical unicorn that doesn’t mind the chilly North Pole!

Cool San Diego Sights will take a pause tomorrow. I’ll be mostly offline. Perhaps we can all put our phones down for the day and experience life as it should be.

We remember warm Christmas experiences for the rest of our lives–not moments on small screens.

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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Is this America’s most haunted Christmas tree?

The historic Whaley House in Old Town San Diego is widely considered to be the most haunted house in America. So it’s possible that what you see in these photographs (which I took today) is America’s most haunted Christmas tree!

When you think of Christmas ghosts you probably conjure up Ebenezer Scrooge’s visitation by Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. While those are literary creations, ghosts believed to have been observed at the Whaley House have many real life witnesses.

Over the years, I’ve been told about ghostly presences in the Whaley House’s small upstairs theater. The theater is located behind those balcony windows.

I spoke to several Whaley House Museum tour guides today and asked if there have been any strange incidents concerning their Christmas tree. They did say that the ornaments are securely fashioned, but one was found on the ground beside the street below.

Did a Christmas tree hating Scrooge-like ghost utter bah humbug and toss the ornament from the balcony?

You decide!

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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

San Diego wonderland of Christmas ornaments!

One of San Diego’s most beautiful Christmas displays can be enjoyed inside the Timken Museum of Art in Balboa Park. Jewels of the Season has returned for 2023!

Over a thousand uniquely hand-crafted, jewel-like ornaments dangle from the museum ceiling, frame bright windows, fill display cases, and decorate a large Christmas tree. Visitors stepping into the Timken might feel they’ve entered a twinkling Christmas wonderland!

Thank goodness a lady at the Balboa Park Visitors Center reminded me of this annual display. I really loved last year’s Jewels of the Season and blogged about it. Check out that past blog post if you want to read about the artists and learn why these ornaments are so special!

The photographs that you see here were taken today.

Would you like to experience this magic? Visit the free Timken Museum of Art before New Year’s Day!

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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Carlsbad Historical Society’s beautiful holiday decorations!

The Carlsbad Historical Society’s museum inside the Shipley-Magee House is a fascinating place to visit at any time of year. But during the holiday season, beautiful decorations add a festive touch to nearly every room!

I stepped inside the Shipley-Magee House a couple summers ago and posted a blog full of history and photographs here.

Today I took more photos. They provide a small taste of what you’ll now see!

Do you love nostalgia? This would be the ideal time to visit! You’ll be transported back in time to another era, when Christmas cheer brightened a very small town on the Southern California coast.

Learn more about the Carlsbad Historical Society and their Shipley-Magee House by clicking 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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Santa races speedster in Balboa Park!

Santa Claus raced from the North Pole into Balboa Park this morning in his uniquely built Model T speedster!

Jolly Old Saint Nick then pulled into the parking lot by the San Diego Automotive Museum for the monthly Cars and Coffee event.

Apparently there was a need for speed and Santa was delivering a wrapped present early. Someone must have made the Very, Very Nice list.

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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

A downtown Christmas crane “lifts” spirits!

Have you seen the towering construction crane in downtown San Diego that’s lit up at night for Christmas? It’s hard to miss!

I tried to take good photos early this morning.

The festive holiday crane is bright green, red and several other colors.

It’s one special crane that will lift heavy steel beams and your spirit!

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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!

Christmas colors illuminate U.S. Grant Hotel!

You know it’s the holiday season in San Diego when Christmas colors illuminate downtown’s U.S. Grant Hotel!

During the night the hotel turns bright green and red. I took these photographs as I walked down Broadway very early this morning, while it was still dark.

You might notice some scaffolding. The building’s exterior is presently undergoing a refresh.

Did you know the U.S. Grant Hotel was built by the son of President Ulysses S. Grant, has hosted twelve United States Presidents, and was the very first location for San Diego Comic-Con?

Learn more about the elegant hotel’s amazing history 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 (formerly known as Twitter)!