Imagine my surprise! Nine days until Christmas, and most of the holiday decorations at Old Poway Park are now being taken down!
A worker was removing holiday decorations today as I walked through the historic park. My arrival was just in time to photograph ribbons, wreaths and ornaments before they vanish. Yes, a bit sad.
I was told everything except the lights and Christmas trees (stripped of ornaments) will remain. The big annual “Christmas in the Park” event was held several days ago.
Folks in the Old Poway Park office explained the pre-Christmas removal is being done to preserve the decorations from the weather.
I’m glad I took my Poway walk today and got these photos!
…
If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
In October, inspired local artists and volunteers came together to paint this beautiful 250-foot mural in Valencia Park, along Manzanares Way east of Euclid Avenue. It’s called the Legacy Blossoms mural.
You can see a photograph of the mural being painted on Instagram here. The installation team is credited as: Kim, Dentlok, SD Writerz and Natifa.
Additional photos of the mural’s progress can be seen on the Southeast Art Team Instagram page here. If you like what these artists are doing for the community, why not provide them with an assist?
The large concrete embankment south of the St. Rita Catholic Church complex is now covered with colorful poppies, succulents, an ocean sunset and the breath of life, brightening this neighborhood in Southeast San Diego!
Look how wonderful the art is!
…
If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
John Lennon in Pacific Beach has been joined by a new friend!
The cool John Lennon mural decorating the west side of 365 Reloaded Smoke Shop has expanded. A beautiful face has been spray painted next to John. I noticed this for the first time while walking down Garnet Avenue a few days ago.
I’ve tried to verify who painted the new artwork and exactly when, and who in particular the female face might represent. So far, no success. If you know anything, please leave a comment.
I considered the face might belong to a young Yoko Ono, but the resemblance doesn’t seem great, based on historical photos I’ve examined. What do you think?
…
If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
My friends in Balboa Park’s Senior Lounge told me the AgeWell Services Holiday Dance was taking place this afternoon, so I had to poke my nose into the Balboa Park Club building to see what might be going on. What did I find? All sorts of fun holiday sights!
Folks were enjoying a break between dances when I arrived, so I just wandered about the big ballroom.
I spied Santa, Frosty, the Grinch, silly elf Minions, very beautiful Christmas trees, and a sparkling variety of colorful holiday decorations! Happy people, too!
Look what I found!
A smiling, dancing Christmas tree!
…
If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
Last month a large shipping container was painted by community members in Pacific Beach. The container stands behind the old, long-vacant Pacific Beach Library, on the southeast corner of the Pacific Beach Middle School campus.
Why was this Community Paint Day held? Because the old library is being converted by the organization Beautiful PB into the PB Arts Center!
According to their website, the PB Arts Center will be a multipurpose venue, a vibrant hub connecting Pacific Beach residents, surrounding neighborhoods and visitors to art and to each other… Collaborative funding will allow for affordable art classes, performances, festivals and cultural activities to inspire creativity in an arts-underserved area.
Very cool project!
The lead artist for the shipping container mural was Hilary Dufour. Based in San Diego, she creates beautiful art that is inspired by nature.
A couple days ago I spotted the new public art during a walk through Pacific Beach. I took photos of the colorful shipping container through a fence…
…
If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
There’s a very cool holiday tradition at the Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach. Every year, a Christmas tree and wreaths appear at the pier’s end!
This year the festive scene, hovering magically over the blue Pacific Ocean, is just as wonderful as ever. The big Christmas tree lights up at night, and creatively made wreaths hanging along the pier’s white wooden railing celebrate the season, courtesy of Pacific Beach businesses and community organizations.
I walked down Garnet Avenue today and couldn’t resist a stroll out over the water. Starting from the Crystal Pier Bait Shack, this is what I found…
…
If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
What you see in these photographs, taken a couple days ago, is what remains of a much larger mural. It was created in Chula Vista by renowned artist Mario Torrero and local students.
The artwork was painted on the exterior of the parking structure beside the Gateway Building, at Third Avenue and H Street.
I learned about the public art from this brochure, published in 2013. It’s evident the mural once covered a much larger area and contained imagery that sought to capture the essence of Chula Vista.
I have no idea why most of the original mural was painted over. The radiant face that remains is very beautiful, but faded by its exposure to sunlight.
If you happen to know this mural’s history, please leave a comment below.
…
If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
With two days to go until December Nights, activity in Balboa Park was in high gear today!
I enjoyed another walk through the park with my camera, catching much of the action. There isn’t much time to finish the immense preparation.
December Nights, one of the largest holiday festivals in the United States, will take place Friday December 5th from 3 to 11 pm, and Saturday December 6th from 11 am to 11 pm.
Make sure to give yourself extra time for traffic and to find parking. Better yet, use public transit or one of the free shuttles. You can find the “Getting to December Nights” webpage by clicking here.
Festive red ribbons are now on the Cabrillo Bridge lamp posts.A sign and wreath bids Welcome to December Nights at Balboa Park’s west entrance.Huge crowds will stream into December Nights by foot, passing the Museum of Us and the archways of the California Quadrangle.Workers getting strings of holiday lights ready in the Plaza de Panama.Cheerful lights will be strung everywhere!Sadly, I suppose San Diego’s Community Christmas Tree encircled by its historical fence will be forgotten again. (I’ve spoken to multiple people about this over the years, but nobody seems to know or care.)The Community Christmas Center’s traditional Nativity scenes are set up already. They must have done that during the last couple days.I saw the enormous Christmas tree on the Spreckels Organ Pavilion stage being assembled!One might say the Organ Pavilion will be at the center of December Nights, with many special holiday performances.Barricades being readied in the Palisades area of Balboa Park, where there will be plenty of December Nights activity, too!Signs are up at the various parking lots.San Diego Parks and Recreation workers were all over the place, cutting grass and making everything perfect.I noticed one of the fences on the west side of the Lily Pond has been removed, now that this section of the new Central Gardens outside the Botanical Building is ready.Getting the annual San Diego Floral Association Festival of Trees ready in Room 101 of the Casa del Prado. There will be a special free preview on Thursday December 4, from 4 to 7 pm!These smiling Balboa Park Garden Stewards were on their way out to beautify the park when I happened by with my camera!Hanging stars at the Museum of Photographic Arts inside the Casa de Balboa!
…
If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
This beautiful mural was painted a couple months ago. It decorates the National City Public Works building at 1726 Wilson Avenue, next to the 18th Street underpass of Interstate 5. The vibrant public art is a positive vision of life in this South Bay community.
The building and other nearby walls had previously been the target of taggers whose vandalism required repeated removal, at the expense of the city.
National City Vice Mayor Marcus Bush helped drive an effort to paint beautiful murals on the walls, instead, providing graffiti artists with a chance to earn money while creating enduring public art!
This awesome project aims to create murals all around National City!
A young gentleman whom I met during my walk told me the long wall along 18th Street opposite this mural was also painted as part of the same project. The spray painted art appeals to kids with Christmas images from Toy Story, the Grinch and more!
…
If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
I captured these sunrise photos early yesterday, while walking through Balboa Park’s Marston Point. I was on my way to watch the start of the Thanksgiving 5K charity “Run For Hope.”
Marston Point lies at the southwest corner of Balboa Park, at the south end of the West Mesa. When there are low broken clouds to the east, the sun rising beyond the trees and distant mountains can be very dramatic.
As you can see, airplanes descending at sunrise toward San Diego International Airport are an additional cool sight!
…
If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
Cool San Diego Sights! 