Tag: cool

This freeway bridge is a musical instrument!

Did you know there’s a bridge over a freeway in San Diego that is also a musical instrument?

Drivers passing over State Route 94 on the 25th Street bridge might not realize they are traveling beside an interactive chime rail that pedestrians with a good stick or (better yet) metal rod can play!

Called the Crab Carillon, this musical feature of a very unique bridge is part of the City of San Diego’s Civic Art Collection. The Crab Carillon, created by artist Roman de Salvo in 2003, features 488 individually tuned chimes spanning the full length of the bridge, which can be played by passersby.

De Salvo commissioned Joseph Waters to compose a short, sophisticated palindrome, which sounds the same played forward or backward. The title refers to the way that crabs scuttle from side to side, similar to the movement of those who interact with the artwork.

As I walked south down 25th Street from Golden Hill toward Sherman Heights, I happened to find a piece of broken wood on the sidewalk. Perfect! I thought. Up ahead is San Diego’s musical bridge! Now I’m ready to play the Crab Carillon!

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I post new blogs pretty often, so you might want to bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and check back from time to time.

You can explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!

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!

Concert and art to help Save Starlight!

A multi-band rock concert and fun mini-festival was held at the historic Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park this afternoon!

The objective of the event was to raise money, public awareness, and help the organization Save Starlight in their effort to receive a long-term operating lease from the City of San Diego.

There was wine tasting, an opportunity drawing, clothes for sale, and even some cool artwork! When I came by, I was glad to see a fair number of people had turned out.

I learned how major renovations to the 1935 Starlight Bowl have recently been completed, including sewer repair and the installation of a new hot water heater. Before too long, hopefully, the 4000-seat amphitheater’s Beyond Starlight healthy foods café, operating out of the old box office, should be up and running!

The cool artwork is by @holdenfrey.

And here’s some cool art by @ilovegaba.

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Thank you for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often, so you might want to bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and check back from time to time.

You can explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!

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!

Giant squid attacks flying saucers in North Park!

A giant space squid has attacked several flying saucers on a street in North Park!

Don’t believe me? I offer evidence!

It seems every time I walk around North Park I see some new street art. I saw these newly painted electrical boxes on 30th Street south of University Avenue and I absolutely had to take photos.

Sometimes street art can seem a bit tired, presenting identical styles or themes.

At other times street art can be wildly different and imaginative! Like this!

I see the rampaging space squid emerged from the mind of @DuderDesigns. It was finished a couple of weeks ago!

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Thank you for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often, so you might want to bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and check back from time to time.

You can explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!

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!

San Diego cosplay group poses in Balboa Park!

Members of the San Diego cosplay group Science Fiction Coalition assembled today in Balboa Park for a photoshoot. And I happened to run into them as I walked around with my own camera!

I first encountered this awesome group several years ago in Balboa Park. Back then they were posing as members of the Justice League (with a few supervillains mixed in). Since then I’ve encountered the Science Fiction Coalition several times, mostly during Comic-Con and at the Comic-Con Museum.

If you’re into cosplay–costume play–and you live around San Diego, you probably want to check this group out. They have numerous members belonging to many diverse fandoms. Here’s their website!

Today I recognized the Addams Family, Phantom of the Opera, She-Hulk, Elvira and Chainsaw Man. There were a few others, too!

Very cool!

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Thank you for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often, so you might want to bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and check back from time to time.

You can explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!

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 photo memories from October 2017.

A gigantic fire-breathing robot! Strange theatrics inside miniature houses! Extreme sailboats flying on San Diego Bay! A Day of the Dead altar for Shakespeare! Breeders’ Cup horses running loose down sidewalks!

Back in October 2017, I spied all sorts of cool stuff around San Diego!

Yes, it’s time for another “five years ago” blog, so I’ve assembled a handful of past posts that feature all sorts of fun, inspiring or unusual photographs!

Without further ado, here come the links…

Cool robots invade Maker Faire San Diego!

Give Love event adds kindness to San Diego!

Colorful photos of the Old Town Fall Festival!

La Jolla Playhouse enlivens Horton Plaza Park!

Photos of Extreme Sailing on San Diego Bay!

Breeders’ Cup horses race on a Del Mar street!

Tijuana Zine Fest at Museum of Contemporary Art.

Day of the Dead celebration at the Old Globe.

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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego! Are you curious? There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!

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Three cool murals during an Ocean Beach walk.

Enjoy photos of three cool murals I spotted during a recent Ocean Beach walk.

The above mural must be relatively new. It’s by Cong Nguyen (@KINGNCONG). You can find it on the side of the OB Noodle House and Sake Bar on Cable Street. This mural replaced a long-time OB girl mural that I photographed here. (It’s the first photo you’ll see in that old blog post.)

The next mural with a big colorful parrot was painted last year on the Ocean Beach Hotel by the amazing local artist team of Carly Ealey and Christopher Konecki.

Finally, check out this cool alley mural I must’ve missed back when I photographed the “Hippie Dog” here. It’s on another side of the same building!

This awesome bee lady artwork was painted by Celeste Byers back in 2017.

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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!

One very cool place on a very hot day!

This Labor Day weekend we’re experiencing a big heat wave in San Diego.

Many are taking refuge indoors, relying on air-conditioning or fans. Others, who’d rather be outside, are heading to the beaches.

But there’s one outdoor place that’s even cooler than a beach. A pier! Particularly the always very “cool” Ocean Beach Pier!

Walk along the OB Pier’s nearly 2000 foot length and feel the refreshing sea breeze. Perhaps stop halfway out at the Walking On Water Cafe to grab a lemonade or ice cream.

Look at the banners flutter in the wind as gulls wheel overhead!

At the Ocean Beach pier’s end you are well out over the water. The ocean-cooled air is inviting, invigorating. The one cooler spot would be straight down, surfing or swimming.

And to think those people on the beach are practically frying on the sand!

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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!

Drive Your Pantera Day in San Diego!

Look what I stumbled upon this morning!

I was walking through Balboa Park near the San Diego Automotive Museum when I spied a bunch of Pantera sports cars. And the proud owners were taking a group photograph.

What was going on?

Today, August 27th, is Drive Your Pantera Day!

From what I could gather, these were all members of the San Diego Panteras club.

Considering the fact that only about 7,000 Panteras were manufactured, it was awesome to see about a dozen of these cool cars collected in one spot!

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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 cars on a Thursday in La Mesa!

It’s summer. It’s a Thursday.

That, of course, means the weekly La Mesa Classic Car Show was held this evening in the Village of La Mesa!

A large crowd was sitting along La Mesa Boulevard east of Spring Street, on sidewalk benches, on lawn chairs, or at tables outside restaurants, looking at cars as families passed by.

There were classic cars, lowriders, hot rods . . . cars that were perfectly restored or partially restored–it didn’t matter. And there were trucks, and vans, and uniquely modified vehicles that were one-of-a-kind. All were admired as works of art.

What an awesome event!

A community drawn together. Generations sharing one passion.

Voices sharing stories. . . the smell of food . . . the sound of a band playing nearby . . .

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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!

The cool Dragon Ball activation at Comic-Con!

If you’re into Dragon Ball, but not in San Diego, you’ll probably like these photos. I took them today at the Bandai Namco activation that is outside at Comic-Con 2022.

If you are in San Diego, head behind the Marriott Marquis hotel to the large outdoor plaza near the Marina Office (the Marriott Hotel Marina Terrace). Once you see the big statues and flashy photo op panels, you’ll know you’ve arrived.

The public is welcome, I found no lines, and no Comic-Con badge is required! There are card and video games to play, lots of figurines to check out, and more. If you get there early in the day–they open at 10 am–swag is handed out!

As promised, here are my photos. The experience is as fun as it looks!

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, 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!