A “live steam” enthusiast watches families ride a small train through Rohr Park, in San Diego’s South Bay.
This is beyond cool!
The Chula Vista Live Steamers is a club in San Diego’s South Bay. Members build and operate their own small “live steam” trains that people can actually ride!
These friendly hobbyists utilize an elaborate network of miniature train tracks in a public park; the layout is called the Sweetwater and Rohr Park Railroad. During public run days, which take place in Bonita’s grassy Rohr Park one Saturday and Sunday of each month, anyone can watch or ride the small trains! Or if you’re inclined, join and become a member! If you have kids, visit their website, and you can schedule birthday parties!
Today I spotted one steam and one diesel locomotive (which is actually powered by gasoline). It’s winter, so things are bit slow. On Labor Day, I was told, a gigantic railroading extravaganza takes places, with many different trains running simultaneously! If you’re a kid (or a kid at heart), I can only imagine how utterly fantastic it would be!
Whether you’re a railfan, a model train enthusiast, a maker, a dreamer, or just like to see something really unique and fun, head down to join in the action and you’ll have a great time!
Should you walk down this path through Rohr Park in Bonita, you’ll eventually come upon something really cool and amazing.Run days for The Chula Vista Live Steamers are usually the 2nd Saturday and Sunday of each month. On Labor Day there’s a huge event with many trains operating.Adults love riding the trains just as much as kids. Hobbyists build and maintain the rail cars and working locomotives, and haul them to the park for some fun.Thrilled kids ride behind a small “diesel locomotive”, which is actually powered by gasoline. The tracks looping through the park provide a fun, scenic ride.Here comes the same train. The Bonita Golf Course is in the distance, beyond the tracks.This working steam locomotive is a very cool sight. But it’s so small that folks at a nearby picnic table seem to be giants.This tiny train is part of the National City and Otay Railway!A close-up photo of the live steam locomotive. In every detail, it seems a perfect reproduction of a full-size engine.Dedicated train hobbyists have gathered on the surprisingly large rail yard to enjoy the steam locomotive.This caboose in the rail yard seems to be occupied by the Creature from the Black Lagoon!A pair of tracks head for a good quarter mile along the edge of the Bonita Golf Course. You can see railroad crossings and a few small bridges!Occasionally, trains will run down the side of the golf course to another loop.An actual working railway turntable! This area is where steam locomotives build up steam pressure before running. The turntable is very busy on Labor Day!Checking out a super cool locomotive operated by a member of the Chula Vista Live Steamers!
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The delightfully unusual Beaumont Building rises in Little Italy at 434 West Cedar Street.
In my opinion, the most delightfully unusual building in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood is the Beaumont Building. The design–especially the two cylindrical towers–is both visually distinctive and impressive. Those mysterious-looking towers make me look up with fresh surprise whenever I see them.
The Beaumont Building was built in 1988. It was designed by Rob Wellington Quigley, whose architectural work can be seen in various places around San Diego. The lattice-domed San Diego Central Library and The New Children’s Museum are two well-known examples.
I often walk past this building, and have taken many photographs over the years. But none of my photos fully capture this very unique structure’s truly amazing presence.
Looking upward near the front entrance to the unique Beaumont Building.Another photo on a different day of this very cool building in San Diego’s always interesting Little Italy neighborhood.The two high towers of the Beaumont Building almost appear like antennas, or an over-sized science experiment.An eye-catching sight during a morning walk!
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Mitchell, an incredible musician, plays one of his didgeridoos in Balboa Park on a beautiful San Diego day.
Please meet Mitchell, the self-named Didgeridude! For many years I’ve seen him playing his collection of cool didgeridoos in public around San Diego. I’ve often walked past him performing in Balboa Park or Seaport Village, and have paused to listen to his incredible, resonating music. But I’d never spoken to him at length until last weekend.
Mitchell is not only a really great musician, but he’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever be pleased to meet. His spirit is a big as the universe; perhaps that’s why his music sounds like emanations and echoes from a place deep in the heart of the cosmos.
It brought a smile to my face when I heard he first took an interest in the didgeridoo after watching the movie Crocodile Dundee. This ancient musical instrument of the Australian Aborigines requires a special circular breathing technique, and it’s plain to see that playing the didgeridoo continuously is a labor of love that requires dedication and great effort. Mitchell told me he loses about a pound on those days he comes out to perform in public.
Check out his cool website, which is called Didjetellus. “Did I tell you” that his website has cool samples of didgeridoo music and MP3 files you can download? Mitchell does school presentations and can be booked for private concerts.
Mitchell has given me so much pleasure over the years, I feel privileged to have finally met him. If you want to hear something really cool and unusual, click the many MP3 samples on his website!
The Didgeridude is one very cool dude!This didgeridoo features a snake! Mitchell told me it would be fun if he could somehow devise a way to make a mechanical tongue come out of the snake.
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Exotic elephant on wall of the Crest Cafe in Hillcrest, created by San Diego artist Cody Griffith in 2012.
Here are two of my favorite street murals in San Diego. The colorful elephant appears on the outside west wall of the Crest Cafe in Hillcrest. It was painted by local artist Cody Griffith in 2012. The monstrous Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur with a funny fuzzy rider can be seen in North Park, at the corner of University Avenue and Ray Street. This cool urban artwork was created by Mark Paul Deren, who also goes by the name Madsteez.
It’s a street art battle of monstrous proportions!
Funny urban art in North Park. A cool T. rex and rider rise high above a concrete mixer truck. Created by artist Mark Paul Deren, also known as Madsteez.Another fun example of creativity in the diverse and wonderful city of San Diego.
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Neighbors gather in San Diego’s East Village to learn how to make cool mosaic planters!
This morning, residents of San Diego gathered at Fault Line Park in East Village to learn how to make mosaic planters! The neighborhood event was put together by the Downtown San Diego Partnership and Home Depot.
To make your own cool mosaic planter, you need a clay pot, ceramic tile adhesive, and broken bits of tile, colored glass or mirror. Apply a generous coat of adhesive to the outside of the pot, then press in the colorful, shiny mosaic bits! I was told it takes a good 24 hours for the white adhesive to thoroughly dry and harden.
What a fun DIY gift idea! Or a cool craft project for a downtown apartment or condo!
I think I heard that events like this will be happening at different parks around downtown San Diego every first Saturday of the month!
An event held Saturday morning at Fault Line Park taught participants how to produce an easy, artistic craft.Home Depot sponsored the Do-it-Yourself Workshop. Everyone learned how to piece together beautiful mosaics!A layer of ceramic tile adhesive is applied to the exterior of clay pots.Lots of broken bits of tile are spread out on the table like jigsaw puzzle pieces!Art is easy! You just gotta do it!
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A special House of China lawn program at Balboa Park’s International Cottages celebrates the Chinese Lunar New Year with food, music and dance.
Today I headed to Balboa Park hoping to catch part of the House of China’s lawn program at the International Cottages. The cultural event celebrates the Chinese Lunar New Year, which occurs on February 8. It’s the Year of the Monkey!
I wasn’t the only one who thought of attending! An unusually big crowd turned out for the colorful festivities.
Here come a few cool pics!
Several fascinating displays were at the Chinese New Year event in Balboa Park. This gentleman wrote people’s names using Mandarin characters.Lots of authentic Chinese food was being gobbled up, including these Green Onion Pancakes!Many Balboa Park visitors were heading into the House of China cottage today.Fine exhibits inside the House of China include this interesting carp made of animal horn.Kids look into a display case containing many porcelain dolls.A colorful collection of beautiful porcelain dolls inside the House of China in San Diego’s always wonderful Balboa Park!
Let’s be friends. Two cool faces on a utility box in North Park.
I’ve got so many fun pics from a walk around North Park that I need to break them up into separate blog posts. Here’s a collection of cool street art faces! I took these photos as I strolled along University Avenue and 30th Street.
Hey dude, don’t trip! More fun artwork on two other sides of the box.A happy sun shines on a sidewalk in San Diego’s hip North Park neighborhood.Two faces rise from one neck in this unusual utility box street art.Cool people wait in line. This graphic can be found outside Lucha Libre, a popular gourmet taco shop.More colorful urban art featuring several unique characters.Abstract faces look at each other.It’s hot! A warm welcome on a sign at North Park’s Cardamom Cafe and Bakery.Lurking in a North Park alley–it’s a graffiti SpongeBob SquarePants! He seems to be blowing a jellyfish bubble!
A carefree girl rides a scooter on one side of the North Park parking garage.
Here are some fun images I photographed during my recent walk through North Park. A number of murals decorate the multi-level parking garage located just south of University Avenue, between 29th and 30th Streets.
I performed all sorts of internet searches to learn more about this artwork, but have come up with nothing. Perhaps someone out there knows something.
Anyway, I really like these simple, light-hearted graphics! They definitely add to the cool vibe of North Park. It looks to me like a very imaginative artist had lots of fun creating them!
Because these photos were taken from a bit of a distance (and some were faint), I had to adjust their brightness and contrast quite a bit.
UPDATE!
Silly me. The artist’s name is on one of the images.
These were created by Blair Thornley. Sponsored by the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Diego.
A couple of unique characters out for a drive. Fun murals decorate the sides of North Park’s multi-level parking garage.This cool guy is riding in some sort of vehicle painted with the word Paradigm. If it’s a manual transmission, I suppose he must engage in paradigm shifting.Looks like some sort of hip creature carrying a tray of glasses, and some spoons. I like the style of this artwork.This one seems to depict a restaurant hostess taking a call while sitting atop her workplace.Three more fun murals. If I recall, these are on the north-facing side of the garage.A bird in a bib ready to chow down.An amusing box-dog about to eat some letters in a bowl. I love it!
At the Meshuggah Shack in Mission Hills, they thank you for making it weird.
Today I went on yet another long walk. This time through Mission Hills and Presidio Park. I’ve managed to collect so many photographs in the past couple weeks that there are about a dozen blog posts waiting to be written! Good grief!
Better get to it!
Check this out! I was walking through Mission Hills at the intersection of Goldfinch and Ft. Stockton when I realized I simply HAD to blog about the Meshuggah Shack.
This crazy cool shack is where folks in the neighborhood can grab espressos, lattes, teas and miscellaneous yummy noshes. Their website proclaims: Welcome to the insane asylum . . . Enter at your own risk! Their motto is No Kvetching! Some of their crazy offerings include Crackhead Chai Latte, Ian’s Make You Wanna Hula, and Teresa’s Sin and Salvation. I think maybe by now you get the idea.
Meshuggah Shack has proven to be so popular, they’ve opened a second location in East Village in the Quartyard project. But the original in Mission Hills is WAY cooler!
The Meshuggah Shack in Mission Hills is celebrating 5 years of completely unabashed zaniness.There are all sorts of odd things dangling from the ceiling, clinging to the walls, and cluttering shelves.Crazy stuff includes bizarre knickknacks, dolls, a disco ball, a dinosaur, and almost anything that seems absurd, irreverent or just funny.More odd, fun objects.Enjoy your snack or beverage outside at this cool corner of Goldfinch and Ft. Stockton.Pillars supporting the crazy shack’s roof are covered with a mosaic of tiles, mirrors, mugs, shells, you name it. As you can see from the lights, it was around Christmas when I took my photos.The Meshuggah Shack in Mission Hills is very hard to miss! Hungry?
Architectural details on several of the Egyptian Quarter’s buildings include pharaohs, scarabs and other exotic designs. This photo was taken at the Pharaoh’s Court Apartments.
Last weekend I took a long looping walk through North Park. Many cool images are coming soon!
To reach North Park from downtown, I walked through a corner of Hillcrest called the Egyptian Quarter. When you take a look at the following photos, you’ll understand the origin of the unusual name.
These several blocks in San Diego were heavily influenced by the Egyptian Revival and Art Nouveau styles, which where very popular back in the 1920s. In recent years, businesses in the area have banded together to re-emphasize this neighborhood’s exotic identity. Walk anywhere near the corner of Park Boulevard and University Avenue, and you’re bound to think you’ve traveled back in time to ancient Egypt!
An ancient pharaoh seems to look over the Egyptian Quarter. One almost expects to see a pyramid nearby!One of several trashcans on Park Boulevard and University Avenue painted with colorful Egyptian motifs.Cool Egyptian-themed street mural recently painted by local graffiti artist Fizix.A stylish stained glass door at the Nile Apartments in San Diego’s unique Egyptian Quarter.Unexpected cool sights abound in the Egyptian Quarter, located in Hillcrest at the geographic edge of North Park.
Cool San Diego Sights! 