Tag: downtown

Parrots appear in San Diego for Margaritaville Hotel!

Two enormous parrots are now being painted outside downtown’s Solamar hotel. Why? The property will soon become Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter!

I spotted the new artwork this morning, then returned in the afternoon for more photographs. Several painters were on two suspended platforms creating the huge, colorful murals.

The new Margaritaville Hotel will have a Jimmy Buffett theme. Sunny and laid back. Just like San Diego.

According to its website, the converted hotel will debut this July.

Parrotheads rejoice!

UPDATE!

A week and a half later, this is what I saw…

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Nation’s oldest active pilot boat resumes tours!

Our nation’s oldest active pilot boat is back in action on San Diego Bay!

Pilot belongs to the Maritime Museum of San Diego and provides harbor tours. For about half a year Pilot has been out of service. Until several days ago.

Its engine has been completely replaced. Newly painted, the historically important boat is again providing tours!

Like all members of the museum, I get a couple of free tickets for the Pilot every year. I took advantage of the opportunity today!

This might be my favorite harbor tour. Not only is the pilot boat a lot of fun to ride on a sunny day, but Kiki, the usual tour guide, is the best! She’s super knowledgeable and funny and quickly has everyone smiling.

Read about Pilot and its history by clicking here. You’ll learn how it was launched in 1914 and was in regular service, helping large ships to safely enter and leave San Diego Bay, until 1996.

History buffs will be interested to learn that Pilot was built at a location not far from the present museum. It was also used by the military during World War II to serve as a patrol boat.

I took a few photos during our pleasant tour of the bay…

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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 Twitter!

Trees cut down by Seaport Village, kites fly.

Many of those big, beautiful old coral trees at Embarcadero Marina Park North near Seaport Village have been cut down. I was startled to see this development today during a sunny afternoon walk.

According to Rockman, the street performer who stacks rocks near Seaport Village, the Port of San Diego cut them down on February 25th.

According to this article, coral trees are not well-suited for the marine environment. That’s because the soil in the area around the bayfront is high in salt content, which causes the trees to dry out and potentially fall… The article also states new trees will be planted in the Fall.

Well, if there’s any positive side to be found, perhaps it’s that kite-flyers no longer have large hungry kite-eating trees to deal with. I saw many colorful kites today flying above the grass and the sad, strange sawdusty stumps.

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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 Twitter!

Old Spaghetti Factory and a famous architect.

Over the decades, countless diners have enjoyed meals at downtown San Diego’s beloved Old Spaghetti Factory. I remember eating here back in the 1980s!

Did you know the Old Spaghetti Factory’s beautiful brick building was designed by a world-famous architect?

The Buel-Town Building dates from the late 19th century. Its principal designer was internationally renowned architect Irving Gill, considered a pioneer of the modern movement in architecture. It’s one of his earliest projects.

To see a list of Irving Gill’s other works in San Diego and Southern California, visit his Wikipedia page here.

The Buel-Town Building, 1898.

With its arched corner entrance, bay window, and corbelled brick cornice, this building reflects the originality of the architects Hebbard and Gill. Gill, the principal designer, had a preference for natural forms, over the highly ornate European styles common of his era. This is evident in this structure, which was one of his earliest works. After serving tenants such as the Western Metal Company and Buel-Town Chemicals, the building was converted for use as The Old Spaghetti Factory Restaurant in 1974.

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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 Twitter!

Fun at Padres Annual Opening Weekend Block Party!

The San Diego Padres 11th Annual Opening Weekend Block Party is going on as I type this!

Head over to J Street between 7th & 10th Avenue (north of Petco Park) and partake of food, drink, live music, fun games, and the fellowship of other Padres fans! Hurry though! It continues today, Saturday, through 4:00 pm.

As I walked the three blocks, I saw booths and food trucks galore. Many of San Diego’s local professional teams were present, as were MTS, the San Diego Library and other good people!

And there’s a big screen where they’ll be showing the SDSU Aztecs men’s basketball team competing in the Final Four!

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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 Twitter!

Craziness downtown on Padres Opening Day!

Is Opening Day for the San Diego Padres crazier and more exciting this year than ever?

Check out these photos and tell me what you think!

Look at the huge crowds that were already lined up outside Petco Park a couple hours before the season’s first baseball game would begin!

The atmosphere around the ballpark and in the Gaslamp is electric. Very, very big things are expected of the Padres in 2023!

Go Pads!

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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 Twitter!

Petco Park readies for big Opening Day!

Can you believe it? Opening Day for the San Diego Padres is only two days away!

It seems 2023 is the most anticipated season in the history of Padres baseball. The team roster is loaded with superstars, and many fans expect a trip to the World Series!

Every game at Petco Park is likely to be well attended, and workers have been busy getting the ballpark ready for action.

I walked around Petco Park this morning to see what I might see.

First, I noticed the newly improved miniature baseball diamond in Gallagher Square was being readied. Kids are going to have a blast!

I then noticed new street banners featuring star players, new graphics behind the right field scoreboard, and newly planted beds of flowers along Petco Park’s east side.

Then I saw the big banner: BRING THE GOLD!

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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 Twitter!

Walking east from Broadway Pier before sunset.

Enjoy a dozen photographs I took late this afternoon, about an hour before sunset.

I started at Broadway Pier and walked east into the heart of downtown San Diego.

I always enjoy this time of day. Light is reflected from many windows, creating a magical effect.

Tall ship Exy Johnson, docked at the Broadway Pier, is visiting San Diego.

The buildings of the Research And Development District (RADD) are under construction where much of the old Navy Broadway Complex used to be.

Looking north along the Embarcadero. Those clouds are left over from our most recent storm.

Walking east down Broadway. Sunlight shines from the silvery Pacific Gate high-rise.

More late sunshine on the tops of downtown skyscrapers.

West Downtown San Diego is under construction in . . . west downtown San Diego!

I love reflections like these.

The late afternoon light is beautiful on the Balboa Theatre.

The watery dome of the Broadway Fountain shines with different colors like the scales of a fish.

A corridor of waning light downtown.

Another fine downtown walk.

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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 Twitter!

San Diego Memories at the Civic Center.

A large colorful mural greets people walking into Civic Center Plaza from A Street in downtown San Diego. The mural is titled What Do You Want to Remember About Our City?

This public art, commissioned in 2020 by the City of San Diego, was created by local artist MR (Melinda) Barnadas with input from members of the community. Near the center of the mural is a list of unique San Diego Memories contributed by many.

I saw the mural for the first time today. I hadn’t walked this way in a while…

What do you want to remember about San Diego…

Someone walks down the outdoor passageway that leads south from A Street into Civic Center Plaza. They pass by a large list of San Diego memories.

People dancing here in the Civic Center… a city bus… the sea… seeing a play as a little girl… fishing off the docks… surfing… Horton Plaza…

…submarines… Hillcrest… the trolley… Chicano Park… becoming a citizen… getting ice cream with a friend… lowriders in National City…

…Barrio Logan… Balboa Park… an outpouring of solidarity… Charles Lewis III Memorial Park… seeing John Lewis at Oak Park Library… the San Diego Zoo… OB Pier…

…watching planes in Point Loma… dancing in North Park… Old Town… trips to Tijuana… the world’s best tacos… seeing whales and dolphins… palm trees… the lighthouse at Cabrillo…

What Do You Want to Remember About Our City? By artist MR (Melinda) Barnadas.

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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 Twitter!

Donate online to help burn victims!

San Diego firefighters are out at busy intersections today collecting donations for the Burn Institute. Drivers roll down windows and place a bill or two into a firefighter’s boot! The annual event is called Fill the Boot!

The Burn Institute, serving San Diego and Imperial County, provides important services for those who’ve suffered from burns, and they provide fire safety education in the community.

Would you like to make a donation? Haven’t passed through an intersection with friendly firefighters this morning? Then donate online!

Make your online donation at the Burn Institute website 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 Twitter!