A fourth trolley wrap for 2017 San Diego Comic-Con promotes The Crossing, a new television series that will debut later this year on ABC.
Look what I spied a short while ago! A fourth trolley wrap for 2017 San Diego Comic-Con!
This one promotes a new television show that’s coming to ABC. The Crossing will be about refugees from a war-torn future in America–refugees who have traveled back in time 250 years. Sounds like an intriguing idea!
From the network that brought you Lost. The future is coming on ABC.The Crossing wrap on a San Diego trolley is spied downtown several weeks before 2017 Comic-Con.
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Banner for 2017 San Diego Comic-Con promotes the upcoming Marvel movie Black Panther.
Another cool discovery! A few banners for 2017 San Diego Comic-Con have already been hung along Harbor Drive near the convention center. For 2017, the promotional banners depict Thor and Black Panther, Marvel superheroes who have highly-anticipated movies coming up!
Thor, one of Marvel Comics’ Mighty Avengers, appears on a banner for 2017 San Diego Comic-Con. It depicts a scene from the upcoming movie Thor: Ragnarok.
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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 fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
The very first trolley wrap for 2017 San Diego Comic-Con has appeared! The Orville is a funny new science fiction show coming to FOX!
The very first trolley wrap for 2017 San Diego Comic-Con has appeared! Here are a bunch of photos!
Characters from the upcoming FOX television show The Orville appear on this cool wrap. The humorous science fiction series is created by and stars Seth MacFarlane, so chances are it’s going to be really good.
I spoke to various people who work for MTS–a couple of trolley drivers and others–and learned the wraps are being applied to many cars right now. I can’t wait to see what else materializes!
I’m going to blog about downtown San Diego during Comic-Con like crazy this year. So follow along if you’d like! It should be a lot of fun!
400 years in the future, technology has changed. Relationships? Not so much.Seth MacFarlane, as Ed Mercer, captain of the Orville.Adrianne Lee Palicki, as Kelly Grayson, first officer and the captain’s ex-wife.With a cranium like that, sure you guys don’t exist in the Star Trek universe? Should Kirk or Picard be worried?Orville looks like it will probably be a great new television comedy. From the trolley wrap, it does kind of look like a spoof of Star Trek.Of course you have to have an artificial lifeform. It’s 400 years in the future, right?The human and non-human relationships are already scrambled on the trolley when its doors open. 2017 San Diego Comic-Con will soon have these trolleys bursting with all sorts of unusual, surprising sights!The first new trolley wrap has appeared for 2017 San Diego Comic-Con!
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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 explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands of fun photographs (including lots of photos of cosplay and past Comic-Cons) for you to share and enjoy!
Cowboys on horseback drive cattle down Harbor Drive in downtown San Diego. They are promoting this year’s San Diego County Fair.
This morning there was a big cattle drive through downtown San Diego!
Huh? What?
It’s true! About 200 head of cattle were driven by cowboys on horseback and herding dogs down Harbor Drive, then up Fifth Avenue, then back west along Market Street. The intention of this unusual spectacle was to promote the San Diego County Fair, whose theme this year is How the West is Fun!
I followed along much of the way! Here are some photos!
At Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway, police escorts gets ready for the big cattle drive!The 2017 theme for the San Diego County Fair, which opened yesterday at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, is Where the West is Fun.Excitement mounts nearby as the cattle drive is about to get underway.A temporary corral set up by Ruocco Park contained about 200 head of cattle.Here they go, starting down Harbor Drive!Lots of cowboys on horses and some excited herding dogs start the cows along the street.Hundreds of people lined the sidewalk to watch the unusual spectacle. It seemed like the Old West was being relived in San Diego!The downtown cattle drive will head along Harbor Drive, turn north up Fifth Avenue, then head back west along Market Street.You don’t see this every day!Neither does this city dog! What is going on?A guy in a crazy cow costume gets a photograph of the cattle drive.Cowboys keep a close eye on the cattle as they head along San Diego’s waterfront.Not your ordinary Saturday morning in the big city!Skyscrapers in the background. The cows didn’t seem to notice.The cattle drive heads past the San Diego Convention Center. So does a jogger.The downtown cattle drive has turned onto Fifth Avenue. Here they come!Cowboys ride under the famous Gaslamp Quarter landmark sign.The Gaslamp hasn’t seen so many cowboys on horseback in a good century and a half!The cattle are driven up Fifth Avenue into the heart of San Diego.Folks ride in a wagon that promotes the 2017 San Diego County Fair – Where the West is Fun!A rather unusual sight proceeds north up through San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter.The Old West has come back to life in downtown San Diego!
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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!
Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts. If you’re using a small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!
To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
Skateboarder at end of G Street Pier looks out at Red Bull Air Race course about an hour before the cool event begins on Saturday in San Diego.
Have fun checking out these photos! I took them during a long walk up and down the Embarcadero, before and during today’s Red Bull Air Race.
What did I see? Read the captions!
And if you happen to be in San Diego, the event continues tomorrow! There’s lots of cool sights to see!
Smart people grabbed seats on the Seaport Village wall by the water before the air race began. The guys on the boat are there to rescue pilots should they crash into the water.Some aerial entertainment starts early! It appeared several pilots were practicing the course before the official time trials would begin.The little airplanes are awfully fast and super maneuverable. The pilots had to steer a twisty course between those inflatable pylons and avoid losing points.A crowd is gathering by my friend Mitchell’s spot–he plays didgeridoo. I held the fort while he bought a pretzel. That ice cream passing by looks pretty good.Near one paid entrance, at Embarcadero Marina Park North, a sign shows the event schedule and provided info about the Red Bull race planes and pilots.The public could purchase all sorts of Red Bull merchandise and souvenirs at a trailer by the boardwalk.And at nearby Seaport Village, kids could visit the Easter Bunny!These poor guys had to work during the big event. Superyachts docked behind the convention center need constant maintenance!I saw this below in the water and had to take a photo. Love the color.Then I had to climb to the top of the San Diego Convention Center……where I discovered a great view of the Marriott Marina and a good portion of the Red Bull Air Race course out on beautiful San Diego Bay!As I walked south toward the Hilton, more pilots were practicing out on the bay. Zoom! I see the Coronado Ferry Landing across the water.Lots of people were finding spots along the water to watch the action.Another guy who had to work today. But one couldn’t find a better workplace!A Red Bull pilot rolls in the blue sky high above marina masts!Meanwhile, this guy was testing out a water jetpack. A bunch of these daredevils entertained the crowd later, as you’ll see.Almost time to start the official racing! Lots of people got free seats on the grass. The Embarcadero was jammed with spectators!This line contained folks who paid to get an up close view. The paid area also featured videoboards, exhibits and special refreshments.Here’s that sign again. I’ve been walking my way back north.The San Diego course map for the Red Bull Air Race.The racing has officially begun! Those pilots are fast and super skilled! They probably drank some Red Bull, too! Because you need to be on edge!Planes make multiple passes through the difficult course.Just cleared that pylon!Uh, oh. One pylon deflated for some reason. Sometimes pilots would clip them and lose points. Anyway, now it’s being refilled with air.All of San Diego seems present for the big international race!Look at them go.This pair of pylons at the north end seemed the most difficult to clear. Pilots had to make a hairpin turn through them.Made it!Young flying enthusiast has pins from many aviation events and air shows.These kids simply like ice cream.Now I’m out on the pier just north of Seaport Village. A great view of the race can be enjoyed here, and for free!A big wake made this fishing vessel bob by the pier like crazy, causing a moment of excitement!During a lull in the aerial action, which allowed ships and boats to pass through the course, the paying crowd was entertained by a bunch of water jetpack guys.Coast Guard guys check with pilot rescue guys during a break in the action. The rescue guys had wetsuits and fins on, ready to be on the scene of a crash in seconds.The dog was enjoying the sunny San Diego day as much as the humans.The Red Bull Air Race has resumed! A pilot descends toward the starting pylons!Here he goes!Now to bank rapidly around a couple of single pylons…That’s pretty darn fast!
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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 fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
Photograph in lobby of Symphony Towers shows the old downtown Fox Theatre, today’s surprising home of the San Diego Symphony.
Today I enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of Copley Symphony Hall, home of the San Diego Symphony. The tour was part of the big OPEN HOUSE 2017 event that is being staged this weekend by the San Diego Architectural Foundation. An amazing 47 buildings featuring diverse architectural styles are being showcased around downtown, from Bankers Hill to Barrio Logan.
Copley Symphony Hall was originally built as the Fox Theatre in 1929, an excellent example of the famous chain of Fox movie palaces. Highly ornate Gothic Revival touches can be seen in the preserved lobby and inside the opulent theatre itself. Should you stand outside on the city street today, all you’d see is a tall skyscraper: Symphony Towers. The modern 34-story skyscraper was built literally over and around the historic Fox Theatre in 1989!
Stepping into Copley Symphony Hall is like being suddenly transported back in time. Take a look at some photos and read the captions for more info!
Visitors check out historical photos of the Fox Theatre movie palace on a wall near the San Diego Symphony box office.Guide from the San Diego Symphony provides some background before a behind-the-scenes tour of Copley Symphony Hall.How the Fox Theatre appeared almost a century ago. A modern 34-story skyscraper, Symphony Towers, was built around it in 1989. The new building’s parking levels were constructed directly above the old theatre!The Fox Theatre was the most elegant place to enjoy culture in San Diego for decades. Countless concerts, shows and movies have been enjoyed here by many generations.Our tour group has entered the theatre’s main lobby. Movie executive William Fox developed a popular chain of theaters in the 1920s. They featured many styles of dazzling ornamentation. At one time this was a working fountain!I learned the central face above the old fountain represents William Fox himself. Fox was born in Hungary and his parents emigrated to America. He eventually created a vast entertainment empire.A look at one amazing corner of the lobby’s dramatic ceiling.The elegant main lobby of Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego.A bust at one end of the main lobby is of the beloved German composer Beethoven.We step through a door to see what few see. We will file down through the empty theatre and through another door that connects to backstage.Heading toward backstage. I believe those stairs lead up to the rear stage door on Eighth Avenue.Behind the scenes! All sorts of interesting equipment could be glimpsed in the darkness behind the stage.I believe I see a xylophone tucked in this closet-like space!Through that rather unimpressive door is the San Diego Symphony’s elegant stage! Beautiful music requires hard work done by those who toil unseen.This is part of a comfortable rest area behind the stage for San Diego Symphony musicians. Visiting entertainers also enjoy an opportunity for relaxation.We’ve left backstage and are heading up some stairs to Copley Symphony Hall’s upper level, whose entrance is on hilly Seventh Avenue.Some rather fancy decorative artwork can be seen above the doorway that leads to Aisle 5.The interior of the theatre was too dark for my old camera to capture many good photos. After listening to a brief organ concert, our tour group prepares to exit Copley Symphony Hall’s upper seating level.One of several smaller chandeliers in the spectacular ceiling.The huge, resplendent central chandelier and those around it can be lowered on cables. This is helpful when a thousand light bulbs need replacement! In the olden days, dancing girls performed for the audience from atop this chandelier!One last glimpse. Some fun detail near the ceiling of the historic Fox Theatre, now home to the world-class San Diego Symphony.
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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 fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
People watch the 5th Annual International Mariachi Festival in National City’s Pepper Park.
I took a bunch of colorful photos today at one of San Diego’s most wonderful festivals! The 5th Annual International Mariachi Festival was held today at Pepper Park in National City. (Actually, as I post this blog, the event still has about an hour to go.)
So what does one see at a Mariachi Festival? Read the captions!
The first performance featured the colorful Azteca Dancers – Danza Mexi’cayotl.The Azteca Dancers file onto the stage to the beat of drums.The audience watches the dancers perform on the Main Stage of the National City International Mariachi Festival.Dancers of all ages participate in several ancient Aztec dances, including a Rain Dance.Energy and joy are expressed as cultural traditions live on.The first of many wonderful performances at the Mariachi Festival!Now here comes Danza Folklorica Las Florecitas!Another amazing dance begins!Smiles and brightly colorful dresses are both big parts of Mexican culture.Dizzily spinning color and pure joy.Life as it should be.The happy, rhythmic music had lots of people in the audience clapping along.Here come some youthful musicians! I believe this is Mariachi Maya de Southwest Middle School. You wouldn’t believe the lung power and vocal range of that gifted young singer!Watching from the side of the Main Stage.Meanwhile lots of other fun stuff was going on at the festival, including this guy creating cool spray paint art.Vendors had all sorts of stuff for sale, including colorful Mexican dresses and fierce lucha libre masks.Speaking of lucha libre, there was some of that as well. (The blindfolded guy somehow won!)Wrestlers entertain a small crowd at the International Mariachi Festival.My favorite photo of the family event!And the event this year was very big! More people kept on arriving right into the afternoon.The excellent entertainment continued non-stop at the Main Stage.Many great mariachi groups would perform from around San Diego, Southern California and Mexico. Many middle school and high school groups participated.At the opposite end of Pepper Park, on the Port Stage, kids of all ages performed.On the grass off to the side of the Port Stage a bunch of young performers awaited their turn in the spotlight.Now I’m back at the Main Stage one last time. The crowd has grown!Rousing, emotional, much-loved mariachi music brought loud applause throughout the event.This young man sang several songs, and finished with an exciting mariachi version of Sinatra’s New York, New York!Here come some young couples dancing! I’m not sure who these performers are.A dance filled with life.Youthful energy at the Mariachi Festival in National City.And now–I believe–Danza Folklorico Nanahuatzin.Colorful skirts whirling like kaleidoscopes.A traditional Mexican folk dance delighting both eyes and ears.Pure joy.Many wonderful performances could be enjoyed at the 5th Annual International Mariachi Festival!
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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!
Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts. If you’re using a small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!
To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
Fiesta de Reyes in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park features a stage with live folklorico dancing!
Whenever I visit Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, I poke my head into Fiesta de Reyes. The Mexican-themed shops and restaurants are always lively and cheerful, but what I really hope to see is the folklorico dancing!
The colorful dancing takes place daily. Take a look at these photos and smile!
The outdoor stage is located near the Mexican-themed shops and restaurants of Fiesta de Reyes. Daily dancing is a popular attraction.Traditional Mexican dance includes colorful dresses and big smiles.Outdoor benches at Fiesta de Reyes allow visitors to relax and watch the free entertainment.Some performers in costume wait off to the side of the stage.Colorful banners behind the stage.A joyful scene of traditional Mexican folk dance.Between the stage and nearby outdoor restaurant is this stunning dancer. Art made entirely of succulents.Benches facing the stage include bits of cheerful folk art.An image of two smiling youth, holding hands.Fun mariachi sculptures on a wagon just inside the entrance to Fiesta de Reyes.Mexican culture on a sunny San Diego day.
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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 fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
Fast Heart Mart sings smart, memorable music on San Diego’s Embarcadero.
For a few minutes this afternoon, during my walk along the Embarcadero, I relaxed on a bench with a smile on my face. I was tapping my toes listening to some really smart, folksy, bluesy, heartfelt singing accompanied by banjo and harmonica. I was enjoying a performance by Fast Heart Mart!
Please check out Martin’s website. He’s toured all over the world and has opened concerts for a wide variety of musical acts. He has ten albums!
I listened to his original composition titled “Good Lordy, I’m Forty” and laughed out loud. The lyrics are intelligent, humorous and strike a chord! And his voice has a distinctive, edgy but pleasingly authentic sound that I could listen to all day.
You can find many samples of his music on his website. I urge you to pay a visit!
Fast Heart Mart strikes a chord and produces smiles!
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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 jaw-dropping night scene of a gigantic model train layout in Old Town San Diego!
During my walk through Old Town San Diego today, I stepped through an ordinary door into a fantastic dream! Before me stretched a positively enormous model train layout!
The Old Town Model Railroad Depot is a truly amazing attraction that anyone would enjoy seeing. The gigantic layout features O-Scale model trains, and as you can see in these photos, just lots of fun buildings, landscapes, moving figures and special effects.
I must say, in my opinion this layout even beats the two awesome O-Scale layouts at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park. Now that really took some doing!
And the two guys I spoke to at the Old Town Model Railroad Depot were really friendly! Next time I walk past, you can be sure I’ll venture inside again!
The Old Town Model Railroad Depot is a cool attraction featuring a gigantic room full of working model trains! It’s one of the largest O-Scale layouts in the country!Fun gifts, artwork and items for model train hobbyists can also be purchased at San Diego’s unique Old Town Model Railroad Depot.A locomotive for sale among other unique and fascinating stuff.Lots of nostalgic historical railway posters decorate one wall.The huge train layout has two halves–one represents daytime, the other night. Kids can stand on platforms to see–and hear–all of the exciting action.Many model buildings populate the O-Scale train layout. It’s the same scale used by classic Lionel Trains.Tiny human figures and vehicles can be spotted everywhere one looks on the realistic layout.I really enjoyed the night side of the layout. It seemed even more realistic and dynamic. Special lighting effects include fireworks bursting over a stadium and lightning stabbing down from clouds!A tiny mechanic works in a tiny garage at night on a tiny truck.A detailed scene recreates firemen fighting a fire at night. I see miniature police, an ambulance, reporters and a small crowd of evacuated people!Your kids will go crazy. You have to see it to believe it. And it’s free! But leave a donation!
UPDATE!
I stepped into the Old Town Model Railroad Depot a second time! And I loved it even more than my first visit!
I met Gary Hickok, the creator of this stupendous layout, and learned he has been collecting the various pieces you see for 15 years. There are hundreds of tiny unique human figures, and they all seem to tell a story. Their unique poses are all part of a huge, bustling scene. The stories are often humorous!
Here are some more random photos that came out okay. These were all taken on the “day side” of the O-Scale model train layout. I hope you enjoy them!
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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!
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