Japanese drummers add rhythm to the San Diego Multicultural Festival.
Today I directed my feet toward the Embarcadero, where the 17th Annual San Diego Sheila Hardin Multicultural Festival took place.
In partnership with the Port of San Diego, the World Beat Cultural Center, and other community organizations, the Multicultural Festival featured lots of diverse music, culture and perfect Southern California sunshine.
This annual festival used to take place along the narrow Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade, which is dedicated to the great civil rights leader. This year it was moved to Ruocco Park to provide more space. The relatively new park, just north of Seaport Village, seems like an ideal location, with lots of grass for kids to play on, throw a ball and just have fun. Personally, I love this park and often sit on one of the benches near the water to read and watch people.
Here are a few photos that I captured…
The annual festival took place this year in Ruocco Park, just north of Seaport Village.Lots of local organizations and vendors had cool stuff on display and for sale.Young lady with awesome smiling painted face was decorating other folks!A bubble blower floated globes of color across the grass, all the way to the stage!This nice lady from nearby USS Midway Museum helped me sit in this ejection seat!Among cool things on display were two gravity cars from the Soap Box Derby.A big pile of drums wait to make music in the waterfront park!Serviceman with child enjoys a sunny day at the Multicultural Festival in San Diego.
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Lanefield Park under construction at corner of Broadway and Harbor Drive.
This morning I walked past a huge project under construction at the corner of Broadway and Harbor Drive. I’m a tall guy, so I could easily peer over the surrounding fence.
The site of historic Lane Field is green with beautiful new grass!
It’s been many years since this hallowed spot in downtown San Diego needed a periodic mowing. I don’t recall ever seeing anything here but a large ugly asphalt parking lot. But once upon a time, half a century ago, this corner on San Diego’s waterfront featured a ballpark where the Pacific Coast League Padres played to large, enthusiastic crowds.
In 1925 the site was established as a Navy athletic field; it was also used for motorcycle and auto races. In 1936 the Works Progress Administration rebuilt the field to accommodate baseball. On March 31 of that year the first game was played, and the Padres beat Seattle 6-2. Lane Field would remain open for 22 exciting seasons.
Today, the old location of Lane Field is undergoing another transformation. It soon will feature a new hotel and public park. The 2-acre Lanefield Park includes a small grassy area shaped like a baseball diamond. As I gazed and took photos over the fence, I also noted a monument at home plate and a nearby plaque. Check out the above pic!
Here are two more pics I snapped early this morning…
New grassy park at site of Lane Field, where Pacific Coast League baseball Padres played.Hotel being built next to Lanefield Park on San Diego’s Embarcadero.
Lastly, here’s a pic of a cool mural on 11th Avenue not far from Petco Park, the present home of the Padres. The photo mural shows the construction of Lane Field in 1936. As you can see, the ballfield was located right next to the bay!
East Village street mural shows photo of Lane Field under construction in 1936.
UPDATE! The park, which now seems to be officially called Lane Field Park, is open! Here are some pics…
Lane Field Park is now open on San Diego’s Embarcadero.A small part of the park resembles a baseball diamond with flat pitcher’s mound.Monument and plaque commemorate original Lane Field in downtown San Diego.Legendary player Ted Williams of the Padres advises hitters to get mad.Lane Field Ballpark Site 1936-1957. First home of the PCL San Diego Padres.
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Images around a new pavilion near Broadway Pier show history of the Embarcadero.
San Diego’s Embarcadero has undergone some major renovations. One of the new pavilions still under construction near the Broadway Pier features a large display that provides a timeline of the area’s history. Notable developments along the waterfront through the passing years are documented with historical photographs.
While many of these images concern more recent events, it still makes a fascinating visual time capsule. Here are some pics that I took!
1542: Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo claims San Diego Bay for Spain. He named it San Miguel Bay.1913: San Diego’s Broadway Pier makes its debut. It certainly looks different today!1930s: Baseball played across street. Lane Field was home of Pacific Coast League Padres.1962: San Diego Unified Port District is established.1970: Broadway Pier gets a makeover. A cruise ship terminal is added.1976: North and South Embarcadero Marina Parks are dedicated.1980: Seaport Village becomes the newest San Diego attraction.1985: North Embarcadero’s Crescent area renovated.1985: Princess Cruises bases its “Love Boat” in San Diego.1988: San Diego Yacht Club successfully defends America’s Cup.1989: San Diego Convention Center opens.2003: First of six Urban Trees art exhibits along the Embarcadero.2007: Seward Johnson’s Unconditional Surrender statue goes on display near USS Midway.2009: A record-breaking cruise ship season!2010: Port Pavilion opens on Broadway Pier. It’s been over four years already? Time flies!2011: America’s Cup World Series regatta takes place on San Diego Bay.2011: North Embarcadero Project (Phase 1) passes.2012: North Embarcadero Visionary Plan breaks ground nearby.2012: Ruocco Park immediately north of Seaport Village is dedicated.2012: Port of San Diego is 50 years old.2013: San Diego’s historic Star of India tall ship turns 150 years old.2014: Lots of cool waterfront improvements opened, including this pavilion!
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A big crowd gathers for the 2014 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals in San Diego!
Breaking news! Wienerschnitzel’s 2014 Wiener Nationals were held today on San Diego’s beautiful Embarcadero! The big race was witnessed by thousands just prior to the Holiday Bowl-related Big Bay Balloon Parade. This year’s wiener dog champ was none other than fan favorite Mr. Schnitzel!
I did my very best to cover the action. Unfortunately, mere bloggers like me had to witness the wonderfully funny dog race from a bit of a distance.
This dachshund participant seems very shy when faced with a news camera.A huge silver championship trophy awaits the winner of this race!One dog during the practice session limbers up by chasing a bouncing ball.This highly-trained wiener dog race contestant is ready to roll!Mr. Schnitzel had a fan with signs. He’s going to kick buns!Furthermore, Mr. Schnitzel cuts the mustard! He must be quite a hot dog.This sign accurately foretold the race results. No other wieners could ketchup!And here’s the start to the final race that determined the four-legged national champ!his little guy is doggone tired after that big important race.Time to clear stuff away to prepare for the Big Bay Balloon Parade down Harbor Drive!
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Roving lady stilt walker with parasol welcomes people to Broadway Pier celebration.
I really enjoyed checking out a special event around the Broadway Pier today. San Diego’s bayfront is in the middle of a very large-scale multi-year renovation, and the completion of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan Phase I was marked this afternoon with a public celebration!
The big Port Pavilion on the pier itself and various improvements and new structures around the foot of the pier have added color, new life and functionality to an area popular with both tourists and locals. A once narrow sidewalk is now a broad promenade, with lots of fun and exciting new features. There are new benches, shady pavilions, beautiful landscaping and other welcome amenities.
I’ll post some of my better photos, and you can enjoy a bit of what I saw…
San Diegans check out the newly revamped section of the North Embarcadero.New benches along Harbor Drive are festive today for the celebrationMusicians near entrance to Broadway Pier entertain folks for the Port of San Diego.A crazy magician wowed young and old on the action-packed pier today.Exactly who are you pointing at?New tables and chairs provide great view of the bay at end of Broadway Pier.Brave souls soar down a zip-line with a docked cruise ship in background.A kids fun zone near the pier featured a very cool Seal Tours amphibious vehicle.Chalk art created on the pier beneath the zip-line celebrates San Diego sights and tourism.Artist of Mexikota Art works on a canvas south of the pier near Harbor Drive.Folks check out a new sign which features nearby places on the Embarcadero.The unique design on this restroom was created by renowned artist Pae White. This artwork is titled Birds’ Words.Art for the North Embarcadero improvement was created by Pae White. The pavilion buildings’ glass colors were selected based on how sunlight affects the bay.Mariachis take a break between performances near one new colorful pavilion.Mural around walls of a pavilion shows timeline of this bustling stretch of San Diego Bay.Both North and South Embarcadero have seen dramatic changes over the decades.More colorful glass artwork incorporated into a new pavilion along Harbor Drive.San Diego’s waterfront has become more beautiful, user-friendly and interesting!
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Mirabella V is the largest single-masted yacht in the world! It’s gigantic!
I had to blink my eyes a couple times during my walk today. I was behind the San Diego Convention Center, where lots of visiting super yachts are docked, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
That huge ship in front of me looked like the largest sailboat on planet Earth!
As it turned out, my first impression wasn’t far from the truth!
A little searching on the internet proved that I had spotted the Mirabella V (today more commonly called M5), a sloop-rigged super yacht launched in 2003. Registered in the Isle of Man, it’s the largest single-masted yacht ever built. It’s 292 feet high! That’s almost the height of a 30-story skyscraper! It’s so tall, it won’t fit under any bridge accessible from the ocean. Not even the Golden Gate Bridge!
It’s hard to appreciate the mind-boggling immensity of this amazing vessel with these quick pics, but I thought they were worth sharing anyway.
You never know what extraordinary thing you’ll encounter during an ordinary stroll!
People walk past huge boat docked behind convention center.An unexpected sight. Mirabella V is visiting San Diego on a sunny October day.
Here are a couple more pics I snapped on October 19…
People walk toward Hilton hotel and giant mast of a world-record super yacht.Mirabella V has a mast that is higher than nearby San Diego buildings!
Here’s another pic I took in March 2015…
People enjoying a day on San Diego Bay return to sailing super-yacht M5.
Check out what I saw on April 12, as I was walking along!
During another walk I noticed an airplane in the water beside M5.The super-yacht’s crane lifts the small seaplane from San Diego Bay into the air!Crew members pull on ropes to swing the airplane toward the ship’s deck.This tiny seaplane is about to be set on a super gigantic single-masted sailing yacht!The plane is secured to the rear deck of the amazing M5 yacht.
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New public art being applied to building on San Diego’s waterfront.
Early yesterday morning, I strolled for a few minutes along San Diego’s beautiful Embarcadero. I wanted to get some photographs to update last year’s blog post about the Star of India’s tattered sails.
While heading back east on Beech Street, I noticed some gigantic public art is being applied to the west side of the relatively new Ariel Luxury Apartments building. This high-rise stands between Santa Fe Depot and the Little Italy trolley station.
I’ve found no info on the internet about this new artwork. Here are some pics!
A red San Diego trolley passes fishermen catching a huge fish!This new artwork is on the side of the Ariel Luxury Apartments in downtown San Diego.
Half a century ago, San Diego was home to the world’s largest tuna fishing fleet! This image of fishermen working together is very similar to a sculpture on Shelter Island, which I have yet to blog about!
Workers on platform mount a gigantic trophy fish to a high-rise building!
I’m not sure what the white stuff is running down the building’s side. I suppose that will be removed when all is done!
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I just received an email from the Port of San Diego. It concerns a blog post I wrote last month about a mysterious Navy plaque on the Embarcadero. The plaque stands near the USS Midway Museum, among other military monuments and works of art on the Greatest Generation Walk.
Here’s the body of the reply, which provides a little more of the history of two interesting plaques:
“The plaque in question, which is on the Harbor Drive side of the stone, is a 30” x 22” cast bronze bas relief that commemorates the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Navy – 1773 to 1973. We don’t have information on the exact date it was created and installed but it was most likely cast and mounted around the time of the anniversary in 1973. The sponsor of this plaque was the U.S. Navy. The images in the plaque include representative ships and planes used by the Navy during its first 200 years. From left to right they include: (1) a sailing warship, probably a frigate; (2) a Civil War era ironclad monitor; (3) a pre-World War I battleship or armored cruiser; (4) a modern (circa 1973) aircraft carrier; (5) a nuclear powered submarine; and (6) two F-4 Phantom jet fighter planes. The plaque also includes a circular rendering of the U.S. Navy emblem showing an anchor and eagle and the words “United States Navy”. There is also an oval shaped emblem that includes an anchor superimposed by the dates 1773 and 1973 and the words “United States Navy – Building on a Proud Tradition.” (See image below, which is also attached.) This plaque was originally located on Broadway Pier at a bench and planter area. After the extensive renovation of Broadway Pier some years ago, the plaque was remounted in its current location near the USS Midway by the Port of San Diego’s General Services department.”
Photo of Navy 200 year commemoration plaque courtesy the Port of San Diego.
“The Pearl Harbor Survivors plaque, which you mentioned, was also originally displayed on Broadway Pier prior to the above-mentioned renovations. This plaque was sponsored by the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Carnation Chapter, San Diego, and dedicated during the Chapter’s annual remembrance ceremony on December 7, 1984. From the image attached and shown below, you can read the inscription on the plaque. The five circular emblems are those of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.”
Photo of Pearl Harbor Survivors plaque courtesy the Port of San Diego.
The exact origin of the first plaque still seems a bit mysterious to me. Was it unique to the Broadway Pier? Were more of these plaques created?
Thanks go to the Port of San Diego, who provided the above descriptions and the photographs!
Thanks also go to gpcox, who spent a good bit of time searching for answers to this fascinating mystery!
My name is William Abell and I was an ML3 aboard the USS Ajax AR6 and I helped create this plaque in the ship’s foundry in 1975. I have a certificate from Admiral J L Holloway III commemorating the plaque’s creation and my part in its creation. The date on the certificate is Oct 13, 1975. The plaque was to be a gift to the City of San Diego. I am now a retired police commander living in Monroe WA.
UPDATE!
A subsequent comment has directed my attention to the following information:
I am Molder Chief Petty Officer Jesse G. Lopez USN Ret. The foundry crew from Navy Repair Ship USS Ajax AR-6, created the pattern which was made by Patternmaker Chief Carlos De Santiago USN RET and molded by myself when I was a MLFN. Petty Officer Abell was our Third Class in charge of the molders.
AMAZING UPDATE!
I’ve received detailed information about the plaque, including photographs of its creation and creators! Click here!
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Volunteers help clean up our San Diego Bay near the Star of India.
The annual San Diego Bay Downtown Cleanup was held this morning! Local scuba divers cleaned up underwater garbage at the edge of our beautiful waterfront, while other volunteers assisted gathering trash above water.
I walked along the Embarcadero from the San Diego Maritime Museum down to Tuna Harbor and took a bunch of cool photographs. Hopefully these pics provide a little inspiration! Let’s make the world more clean and beautiful!
This guy was assisting divers removing trash along the Embarcadero.Power Scuba and Control Group teamed up for downtown waterfront cleanup event.Looking out at dive boat from inside Anthony’s Fishette.Many San Diegans assisted in various ways, or just watched with curiosity.Bags of garbage were gathered throughout the morning to be hauled away later.A participant checks out what’s going on in the water below.The boardwalk near the USS Midway was full of activity.New trash compacting and recycling cans along the Embarcadero are solar powered.Old and young were helping out the environment, making our fine city even better.Scuba divers checked in here before beginning their underwater mission.Piles of garbage found in the bay include construction cones and a shopping cart.Bags of trash are collected as the morning progresses.Pool skimming nets were handy for removing floating litter and debris.Port of San Diego’s boat Tsunami II is used to help clean the bay.Scuba diver gets hosed off on Tuna Harbor dock after gathering trash.
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Corroded plaque shows tallship, ironclad, early warship, aircraft carrier and jets.
I’ve wondered for a long time about this mysterious plaque on San Diego’s Embarcadero. It’s located on the Greatest Generation Walk, right next to the USS Midway Museum, and stands back-to-back with a Pearl Harbor Survivors Plaque which I blogged about here.
Thousands of people walk by this old, corroded plaque every day, but I can find absolutely nothing on the internet about its origin. An image framed by rope includes several vessels, including a tall ship (perhaps the USS Constitution), an ironclad (perhaps the USS Monitor), an old warship with a side-mounted gun, an aircraft carrier, and some jets flying overhead. Words indicate the plaque commemorates the United States Navy’s 200 years of Building on a Proud Tradition. The United States Navy began in 1775 and celebrated its bicentennial in 1975.
Obviously, whoever placed the plaque at this location must know something about its history. But even the Port of San Diego website, where the other monuments on the Greatest Generation Walk are listed and described, says nothing about it!
The slab that it’s embedded in appears very similar to the slab right next to it, containing the Pearl Harbor Survivors Plaque. But I’ve found nothing specific about that plaque, either!
Perhaps someone out there can identify this mystery plaque! What the heck is it? Where did it come from? Help solve this mystery!
Mysterious plaque by Midway Museum commemorates Navy’s 200 year anniversary.
UPDATE!
I received more information about this plaque from the Port of San Diego. Please visit this blog post!
UPDATE!
William Abell wrote the following in the comment section:
My name is William Abell and I was an ML3 aboard the USS Ajax AR6 and I helped create this plaque in the ship’s foundry in 1975. I have a certificate from Admiral J L Holloway III commemorating the plaque’s creation and my part in its creation. The date on the certificate is Oct 13, 1975. The plaque was to be a gift to the City of San Diego. I am now a retired police commander living in Monroe WA.
UPDATE!
A subsequent comment directed me to the following information:
I am Molder Chief Petty Officer Jesse G. Lopez USN Ret. The foundry crew from Navy Repair Ship USS Ajax AR-6, created the pattern which was made by Patternmaker Chief Carlos De Santiago USN RET and molded by myself when I was a MLFN. Petty Officer Abell was our Third Class in charge of the molders.
AMAZING UPDATE!
I’ve received detailed information about the plaque, including photographs of its creation and creators! Click here!
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Cool San Diego Sights! 