Tag: construction

Model ship builders restore family heirlooms!

Is there an old model ship in your attic? Perhaps a treasured family heirloom? Is it falling to pieces or in a terrible tangle? Would you like to restore it?

Today, during a visit to the Maritime Museum of San Diego, I learned of a group of dedicated model ship builders who are busy repairing and restoring old model ships!

The members of the San Diego Ship Modelers Guild love their hobby and hold regular meetings aboard the Maritime Museum ship Berkeley. I happened to be walking around the museum today before one of their evening meetings. I struck up a conversation with Guild Master James Pitt and was fascinated as he told me about various aspects of model ship building.

The San Diego Ship Modelers Guild, which was formed in 1971, has dozens of members hailing from all around Southern California and even Arizona. They have partnered with the Maritime Museum of San Diego, and guild members can often be seen working in the museum’s specially equipped Model Makers Workshop.

What interested me most was how the modeler’s guild has been repairing and restoring an increasing number of model ships of late. Many are family heirlooms passed down from previous generations, and are treasured for the memories and special meaning they embody.

If you have any sort of model ship that needs expert repair, check out the San Diego Ship Modelers Guild website by clicking here! Send them an email! I met a couple of the members and all were really nice guys!

I took some photos of a display for today’s meeting. You can see examples of model ships that have undergone restoration.

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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!

Cool photos of Portside Pier construction.

The construction of the new Portside Pier on the Embarcadero is well advanced, and the new structure is beginning to look really cool!

This morning I walked along the Embarcadero near the Cruise Ship Terminal and Star of India. As I approached the Portside Pier’s over-the-water construction site, I was so intrigued by what I saw I decided to take these photos. I was particularly fascinated by the work being done from a floating platform beneath the building!

This project of the Brigantine Restaurant will eventually replace the demolished Anthony’s Fish Grotto, a San Diego landmark that produced many fond memories in the minds of locals and tourists alike. I’m hopeful the new two-story Portside Pier, with its multiple eateries and public observation deck, will produce many more such great memories in the not-too-distant future.

Check out my super cool last photo! I took it through a convenient hole in the surrounding fence!

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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!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

Help build the San Diego River Discovery Center!

Look what I discovered today!

While driving down Qualcomm Way, I noticed a couple of new signs by the San Diego River indicating that “The San Diego River Discovery Center at Grant Park” is coming to Mission Valley!

The San Diego River Discovery Center at Grant Park is a project of the San Diego River Park Foundation. The following is an overview taken from their website:

“Imagine a place that provides hands-on science based nature education and experiences to 25,000 kids each year! For many of these kids, it will be their very first experience!

Imagine a place which celebrates the San Diego River as an important ecological resource and inspires the next generation of River and nature stewards.

In May 2009, this vision of a new place where people could enjoy and connect with the San Diego River took a major step forward when the San Diego River Park Foundation signed a donation agreement with a remarkable family, the Grants. This longstanding San Diegan family decided to donate their 17-acre river-fronting property to benefit the community of Mission Valley and San Diego in general.

With this inspiring action, the San Diego River Discovery Center at Grant Park was born.

This 17-acre site is in the heart of Mission Valley. Prominently located at the northeast corner of Qualcomm Way and Camino del Rio North, the site is easily accessible by foot, bicycle, trolley, bus and automobile.

Grant Park is being designed to serve as a nature-based park, learning center and a gateway to exploring our San Diego River.”

All the legal hurdles to begin grading have been cleared–now the San Diego River Park Foundation just needs to raise some additional funds.

After work I walked around the general area where the park and nature center will be built and took photos.

To learn how you can make a donation, click here!

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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 small walking adventure on an ordinary day.

Every day in any life promises adventure. Even ordinary days.

Today, before and after work, I walked semi-randomly around downtown San Diego. New sights awaited around each corner.

I took a few photos of my small walking adventure.

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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 morning walk before Comic-Con Preview Night!

Here come loads of photos from my morning walk around 2019 San Diego Comic-Con before Preview Night. It’s Wednesday, and everyone is working furiously to get wraps and offsites ready!

I walked everywhere: through East Village, the Gaslamp Quarter, around the San Diego Convention Center and Marriott Marquis, and down MLK Promenade.

Among other things I observed . . . the Nerdist offsite has received Museum of Mayhem window wraps. The Watchmen offsite had barely even begun their construction. The Syfy wrap is finished. The entrance of the Star Trek: Picard offsite appears ready, with the words Jean-Luc Picard: The First Duty and Starfleet Museum. DeadQuarters is a radioactive zone, and that airplane appears to have crash landed. The South Park miniature golf is about ready. The Marriott appears ready to host the Esports Lounge. One or two people walking about are already engaging in cosplay. The Dragon Ball Z activation looks really cool now. The IMDb yacht appears about ready. The Adult Swim and FX offsites are both looking pretty awesome, with some mysterious objects that make me wonder what they are. The Petco Park wraps are done, including one for ABC’s Emergence. A gigantic The Twilight Zone wrap is on the brand new Park 12 high-rise near Petco Park. The Interactive Zone at Petco Park is still setting up, and will include a Ripley’s Believe It or Not “Car Lot” with various unusual vehicles. The Chilladelphia activation has carnival games including a Shazam ring toss. I’m starting to see people hauling swag bags about. The Star Trek: Discovery wrap on the Omni is done. So are all the wraps on the Hard Rock Hotel, where IGN will be filming live on a balcony.

And if you’re tired after all this, have a seat on the Seinfeld couch!

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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!

Stay tuned for lots more 2019 Comic-Con photos!

More cool activity before 2019 Comic-Con!

A building wrap near the Gaslamp Quarter sign promotes Amazon Prime's original series and their nearby offsite during 2019 Comic-Con.
A building wrap on the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter facing Fifth Avenue. The cool graphic promotes Amazon Prime’s original series and their nearby offsite during 2019 Comic-Con.

Lots of new developments today, three days before 2019 San Diego Comic-Con!

One benefit of living downtown is I can watch the world’s most stupendous pop culture convention slowly taking shape! The event seems to grow bigger and bigger every year, with more offsite activities and huge building wraps everywhere you turn!

Today is Sunday, and Comic-Con preparations are now in high gear. Here are photos of new things I saw as I walked about the Gaslamp Quarter, MLK Promenade, and around the back of the San Diego Convention Center…

The word REVOLT appears in the Snowpiercer wrap on the Marriott Marquis.
The word REVOLT appears in the Snowpiercer wrap on the Marriott Marquis.
Workers apply large format printed wrap material to the side of one tower.
Workers apply large format printed wrap material to the side of one tower.
At Deadquarters, a helicopter has appeared. Can rampaging zombies be far away now?
At DeadQuarters, a helicopter has appeared. Can rampaging zombies be far away now?
A platform is being built at Deadquarters, perhaps for a Walking Dead fan activity.
A platform is being built at DeadQuarters, perhaps for a Walking Dead fan activity.
The Star Trek: Picard wrap is nearing completion.
The Star Trek: Picard building wrap facing MLK Promenade is nearing completion.
At the Amazon offsite, a spooky old building is being prepared. Perhaps for their upcoming show The Boys.
At the Amazon offsite, a spooky old building is being prepared. Perhaps for their upcoming show The Boys.
Another photo of the Amazon offsite being readied, three days before 2019 Comic-Con.
Another photo of the Amazon offsite being readied, three days before 2019 Comic-Con.
At the Brooklyn Nine-Nine offsite, fans of the show can take a selfie in a lineup with various characters.
At the Brooklyn Nine-Nine offsite, fans of the show can take a selfie in a lineup with various characters.
The big Animation Domination wrap on the Omni is almost half done.
The big Animation Domination wrap on the Omni is almost half done.
At the Warner Bros. Pictures offsite, it appears Billy Batson and Shazam have been captured by a villain with some plastic.
At the Warner Bros. Pictures offsite, it appears Freddy Freeman and his pal Shazam have been captured by a diabolical villain in some plastic.
As I walked over the Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge, I noticed another new building wrap on the Hilton.
As I walked over the Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge, I noticed another new building wrap on the Hilton.
Carnival Row is replacing a banner from ESRI, which just finished their big convention.
Carnival Row is replacing a wrap from ESRI, which just finished their big annual convention.
A photo from the bridge toward the San Diego Convention Center.
A photo from the bridge toward the San Diego Convention Center. (I added a little bit of contrast to bring out the Snowpiercer graphic.)
Coming down the steps from the pedestrian bridge, I saw a huge FX.
Coming down the steps from the pedestrian bridge, I saw a huge FX.
The FX Fearless Forum is being readied as I type this.
The FX Fearless Forum is being readied behind the San Diego Convention Center as I type this.
The big Hilton wrap promotes upcoming science fiction/technology show Devs on FX.
The big Hilton wrap promotes upcoming science fiction/technology show Devs on FX.
Looks like Adult Swim on the Green will have a huge stage.
Looks like Adult Swim on the Green will have a huge stage. No wacky canoe races this year, I believe.
Getting ready for 2019 Comic-Con!
Getting ready for 2019 Comic-Con!

Stand by for updates!

UPDATE!

I walked around in the late afternoon and saw more stuff.

I noticed Conan’s production people are ready to move their equipment into the Spreckels Theatre. I noticed that super cool Gundam wrap is now completed. I saw a tall wrap being applied to a narrow side of the Marriott promoting Amazon’s show The Boys. I saw many more booths being set up in Childrens Park for the FOX Fan Fair. I noticed that there’s a knotted rope dangling from that raised platform at DeadQuarters–presumably fans will climb down (or up) it. Finally, the Amazon wraps on Fifth Avenue across from the Hard Rock Hotel continue to be applied.

It’s obvious this year Amazon Prime is promoting its new shows Carnival Row, The Boys and The Expanse in a very big way!

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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!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

Photos of 2019 Comic-Con preparation!

A wrap on the Marriott Marquis' meeting space windows promotes Gundam 40th "Beyond" for 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.
A building wrap on the Marriott Marquis’ meeting space windows promotes Gundam 40th “Beyond” for 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.

Late this morning I took photos all around the Gaslamp Quarter and San Diego Convention Center of cool stuff being readied for 2019 Comic-Con!

A bunch of Comic-Con offsites and building wraps are now appearing!

The big international pop culture event gets started in just four days!

The right part of the cool Gundam wrap is being applied four days before Comic-Con.
The right part of the cool Gundam wrap is being applied four days before Comic-Con.
Another building wrap is just starting to appear. This one is on the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. I guess it will promote a show on FX.
Another building wrap is just starting to appear. This one is on the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. I guess that, like in past years, it will promote a show on FX.
The grassy area behind the San Diego Convention Center is now buzzing with Comic-Con offsite construction.
The grassy area behind the San Diego Convention Center is now buzzing with Comic-Con offsite construction.
Adult Swim on the Green will return in 2019 for Comic-Con.
Adult Swim on the Green will return in 2019 for Comic-Con.
The FX Fearless Forum appears quite a bit different from their offsite last year.
The FX Fearless Forum appears quite a bit different from their offsite here last year.
Workers start to set up the FX Fearless Forum in front of the Hilton.
Workers start to set up the FX Fearless Forum in front of the Hilton.
Looking across Harbor Drive, one can see the Animation Domination wrap, which is being applied on the Omni.
Looking across Harbor Drive, one can see the Animation Domination wrap, which is being applied on the Omni.
As I walked past the Hilton parking structure, I aimed my camera up at one of the big Marvel's Avengers video game banners.
As I walked past the Hilton parking structure, I aimed my camera up at one of the big Marvel’s Avengers video game banners.
Harbor Drive and the convention center viewed from the pedestrian bridge, with four day to go until 2019 Comic-Con! Looks pretty quiet right now.
Harbor Drive and the convention center viewed from the pedestrian bridge, with four day to go until 2019 Comic-Con! Looks pretty quiet right now.
This offsite will feature two recent movies from Warner Bros. Pictures. People will walk through a large tent and see cool stuff concerning Detective Pikachu and Shazam!
This offsite will feature two recent movies from Warner Bros. Pictures. People will walk through a large tent and see cool stuff concerning Detective Pikachu and Shazam!
The Brooklyn Nine-Nine offsite is also under construction in Gaslamp Square.
The Brooklyn Nine-Nine offsite is also under construction in Gaslamp Square. NBC has their offsite in this prime location every year, it seems.
Part of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine activation for 2019 Comic-Con.
Part of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine activation for 2019 Comic-Con.
A cool Statue of Liberty will appear about here!
A cool Statue of Liberty will appear about here!
I turned my camera in time to get a photo of a FOX Animation Domination trolley wrap at the Gaslamp station.
I turned my camera in time to get a photo of a FOX Animation Domination trolley wrap at the Gaslamp station.
A mysterious wrap was going up late this morning near the Gaslamp Quarter landmark sign.
A mysterious wrap was going up around noontime near the Gaslamp Quarter landmark sign.
I spotted a free FRED electric vehicle promoting WEBTOON.
I spotted a free ride FRED electric vehicle promoting WEBTOON.
No parking signs are up in areas of the Gaslamp for Comic-Con week.
No parking signs are up in areas of the Gaslamp for Comic-Con week.
This wrap on the Hilton Gaslamp is indeed for Star Trek: Picard, as I surmised in a past blog post. It features Patrick Stewart.
This wrap on the Hilton Gaslamp is indeed for Star Trek: Picard, as I surmised in a past blog post. It features Patrick Stewart.
AMC's popular DeadQuarters fan zone is returning for 2019 Comic-Con, and they just started building their offsite this morning.
AMC’s popular DeadQuarters fan zone is returning for 2019 Comic-Con, and they just started building their offsite this morning.
Preparing for an invasion of zombies.
Preparing for an invasion of zombies.
Another part of DeadQuarters.
Another part of DeadQuarters.
Videoboards have been installed high above Amazon's big offsite. Explore the shows...
Videoboards have been installed high above Amazon’s big, colorful offsite. Explore the shows…
Carnival Row.
Carnival Row.
The Boys.
The Boys.
The Expanse.
The Expanse.
The fun Ferris wheel appears ready to go at the FOX Fan Fair!
The Ferris wheel appears ready to go at the FOX Fan Fair. A ride on this should provide a good view of Comic-Con action along MLK Promenade!
A shot of the FOX Fan Fair preparations in Childrens Park.
A shot of FOX Fan Fair preparations in Childrens Park.
The familiar old Welcome to Comic-Con International banner is now on the San Diego Convention Center.
The familiar old Welcome to Comic-Con International banner is now on the San Diego Convention Center.
The big TBS Snowpiercer building wrap on the Marriott Marquis should soon be completed.
The big TBS Snowpiercer building wrap on the Marriott Marquis should soon be completed.

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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!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!