Tag: embarcadero

Preserving a world treasure in San Diego.

San Diego is home of a world treasure. Star of India is one of the most important historic ships in the entire world.

The Maritime Museum of San Diego maintains 1863 tall ship Star of India, which is not only the oldest active ship in the world, but a United States National Historic Landmark. The beautiful sailing ship, an iconic sight on the Embarcadero, is one of our city’s brightest crown jewels.

Local museums are facing a future of difficult funding. Now imagine a maritime museum that must care for and preserve historic ships that are outdoors in the weather and on the water, including Star of India. Ships are expensive to maintain. To preserve a world treasure like Star of India takes a lot of funds, volunteer work, and love.

A few days ago I noticed one volunteer working on the wood deck, repairing the inevitable cracks that come from exposure to sun, rain and changing temperatures. He explained that he was sealing cracks with a special marine sealant and adhesive. I also learned the expansive main deck of the Star will have to be replaced in the future. No small or inexpensive task!

If you take pride in Star of India, why not help her by becoming a member of the Maritime Museum of San Diego like myself? Or you can become a volunteer, or make a donation!

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Checking out Top Secret exhibit on USS Midway!

Top Secret: Inside the High-Stakes World of Naval Intelligence is a fantastic exhibit that opened on the USS Midway Museum last year. I finally checked it out a few days ago.

The exhibit takes visitors through the Carrier Intelligence Center, which is contained in a surprisingly large area (1,500 square feet) under the USS Midway aircraft carrier’s flight deck, spanning its entire width. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the Carrier Intelligence Center served as the nerve center for intelligence gathering and analysis, mission planning, and strategic decision-making.

Today visitors can enjoy interactive displays that demonstrate how, years ago, in a less technologically advanced era, naval intelligence was gathered and analyzed, to aid combat operations, search and rescue, and humanitarian missions.

Walking through the exhibit, I observed how Intelligence Specialists worked like detectives. It was interesting to see how analog instruments were used to analyze gathered information. Imagine my surprise seeing an old-fashioned slide rule, which was used to calculate the size of structures in photos taken from a great distance! Some of the original, restored equipment includes teletypes and radio receivers.

I learned that specialists who gathered, analyzed and acted upon critical information included Air Intelligence Officers, Aerographer’s Mates, Photographers Mates, Cryptologic Technicians, Squadron Aviation Intelligence Officers… In combat, when every moment might mean life or death, everyone must work quickly and efficiently as a team to achieve success.

Top Secret: Inside the High-Stakes World of Naval Intelligence is so amazing it earned the MUSE Gold Award in the Experiential and Immersive Exhibition category!

If all this sounds interesting to you, head over the USS Midway Museum in downtown San Diego and check it out!

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Brilliant Lady arrives in San Diego!

Brilliant Lady has made her debut in San Diego!

The impressive 17 deck, 2770 passenger cruise ship, which launched in September last year, arrived in San Diego this month to begin operations on the West Coast. The adults only Virgin Voyages ship will be cruising down to Mexico and up to Alaska. It’s the fourth ship in the Virgin Voyages fleet.

I saw the new cruise ship this morning docked at San Diego’s Broadway Pier.

A mystery behind the San Diego Convention Center!

These metal benches line the boardwalk behind the San Diego Convention Center. They face San Diego Bay. They were commissioned in 2008 and created by noted artist Nance O’Banion.

As her website explains: Nance produced 13 original designs, each of which was fabricated, once in its original form and once as a ‘mirror image’, in plasma-cut powder-coated steel. The installation of 26 art benches was titled Reverie.

I took these photos yesterday…

Today, a plaque can be seen embedded in the boardwalk near the benches, very close to the entrance to the Fifth Avenue Landing Superyacht Marina. It resembles the Reverie plaque shown in the gallery on Nance O’Banion’s website. The plaque includes her name and the same 2008 year.

But the title of the current plaque is different!

Why is the title Caesure, and not the original Reverie?

At some point, was the name of the installation changed to Caesure? The Latin word caesūra means “a cutting” or “a separation,” which might apply to the mirrored bench designs, or possibly how these benches were made.

Or . . . does Caesure concern another work of public art somewhere nearby? If so, what and where?

It’s a mystery with no solution that I can find!

If you know more about the history of this art bench installation, and why there have been different plaques with two different titles, please leave a comment!

UPDATE!

During a later walk along the boardwalk, I spotted a plaque titled Reverie. So that leaves the question: What was/is the public art titled Caesure?

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Reinforcing Navy Pier for Freedom Park.

If you’ve walked past the USS Midway Museum lately, you might wonder about that construction activity on Navy Pier. What you’ve observed are workers reinforcing the old pier, site of future Freedom Park, which is scheduled to open in 2028.

The Navy Pier Freedom Park Structural Pier Reinforcement–as a nearby sign proclaims–is being undertaken by the Port of San Diego and the USS Midway Museum.

The old Navy headhouse on the pier’s east end was demolished about a year ago. Now the work is to reinforce the pier with concrete by jet grouting along approximately 380 linear feet of retaining wall. What, you ask, is jet grouting? Here’s the Wikipedia page that explains.

According to a press release from last summer, this reinforcement phase is scheduled to be completed by February 2026.

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Big dreams at 2026 Holiday Bowl Parade!

Dreams were absolutely gigantic this morning in San Diego. That’s always the case during the annual Holiday Bowl Parade. In 2026, those watching the balloon parade along Harbor Drive were dreaming very big things.

There were the dreams of college football fans, who’d gathered in San Diego for the evening game between the Arizona Wildcats and SMU Mustangs. The booming sound of their marching bands would stir dreams of a victory at Snapdragon Stadium.

There were the dreams of young and old, viewing beloved characters soaring overhead. Garfield, Mr. Potato Head, Horton the elephant, the Grinch, Mother Goose and Humpty Dumpty were like marvelous visions, parading past the eyes of thousands as the sun broke through morning clouds.

There were the dreams, as well, of those who are more philosophical. If so many different people can gather together for a fun and harmonious celebration, why can’t the people of the world live together this way?

I walked around and took photos before the Holiday Bowl Parade began, then positioned myself on San Diego’s iconic tall ship Star of India, to enjoy the “best seat in the house” for the big parade!

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Photos at San Diego Bay Parade of Lights!

Enjoy a collection of fun photographs taken this evening before and during the 55th Annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights!

Thousands lined San Diego Bay as boats strung with lights and decorations for the holidays floated by in a festive procession. The theme for 2025 was An “Out of this World” Christmas!

I took photos before the boat parade began while I walked along the Embarcadero. I started near the Maritime Museum of San Diego, headed south past the USS Midway Museum and Seaport Village, then back, with a brief stop at the end of Broadway Pier. As I walked along the sun set and the evening grew darker.

Parents were buying lighted bubble balloons and whirly wands for their excited kids from boardwalk vendors. A bunch of lighted bicycles went by! Out on the pier food trucks were parked behind a small grandstand from which the crowd could watch the parade.

By the time I returned to the Maritime Museum it was night. The brightly lit parade boats, after coming down from Shelter and Harbor Islands, were beginning to pass by!

The USS Midway and its aircraft were illuminated colorfully, as was the exterior of the County Administration Building and other bayside landmarks.

Christmas is now only four days away!

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Holiday decorations appear at Maritime Museum!

The folks at the Maritime Museum of San Diego have begun decorating for the holidays!

A beautiful Christmas tree sparkles in their gift shop, and the elegant passenger deck of historic steam ferry Berkeley appears even more amazing than usual. The handsome wooden benches bathed with the light from art glass windows now look upon green wreaths, red ribbons, and Christmas trees large and small!

And I’m told much more holiday decoration is coming!

I know the museum’s Pilot boat is being strung with lights for the 55th annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights, and a small Christmas tree will soon be hoisted to the top of Star of India’s mainmast!

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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!

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Star of India at sunset from Waterfront Park.

Enjoy a few photographs. They were taken today in San Diego a few minutes after sunset.

The western sky was fiery orange and red, making an incredible backdrop for Star of India, docked at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. The world-famous tall ship was strung with magical lights.

The sunset’s colors reflected brilliantly from the park’s watery fountain and a slice of San Diego Bay in the distance.

Truly awesome!

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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 X.

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Working high in the sky above Statsraad Lehmkuhl!

Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl is now docked in downtown San Diego at Broadway Pier. It will be visiting our city through Sunday.

This morning, as I walked out on the pier, I noticed crew members high in the sky, preparing a huge banner that would hang like a sail from one of the ship’s yards. I sat down on a bench and watched the action! And took some photos!

Would you dare work so high above the ship’s deck, clinging like a spider to a windswept web? I don’t think I’d have the courage! Or agility!

To the crew member who waved down at me: Hello!

The public will be able to step aboard Statsraad Lehmkuhl this Saturday, November 15, 2025, between noon and 3 pm. It’s free!

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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 X.

Feel free to share!