If you’ve driven into downtown Escondido from Interstate 15, there’s a chance you’ve spotted these two fun sculptures on West Grand Avenue.
The first, a red, white and blue rooster, stands at the end of Hawthorne Country Store’s lot.
The second sculpture is located a very short distance away, in front of Raining Cats & Dogs. This one is covered with colorful mosaics depicting sea life.
I can’t tell you a thing about either sculpture–apart from the fact I love them.
Know anything? Leave a comment!
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Driving into Escondido on West Grand Avenue, it’s possible you glimpsed this mural on the side of Hawthorne Country Store.
The last time I enjoyed a long walk in Escondido, I made it a point to have a look at the mural and take several photographs.
The colorful artwork seems a bit faded, so I increased the contrast for my first and third photos. The artist is Tristan Pittard (@taggtristan). I see he has worked with Esco Alley Art.
Five words in the mural form the trunk of a tree: History, Diversity, Identity, Pride, Community. From the upper left corner of the mural sunshine beams down. Written inside the bright sun is the phrase: Community creates the future.
I love the fun image of a child and happy dog!
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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.
Imagine my own surprise today when I discovered guys building an old-fashioned chuck wagon at the history center’s Bandy Blacksmith & Wheelwright Shop!
The retired volunteers, working on the project, let me step into the wheelwright shop to see exactly what they’re up to.
Check it out! The chuck wagon is being built from scratch and will be faithful to designs used over a century ago in the Old West. They hope to have it ready in time for Escondido’s 2025 Grape Day Festival, which will take place this September in Grape Day Park.
A chuck wagon is a horse-drawn wagon operating as a mobile field kitchen….They were included in wagon trains for settlers and traveling workers such as cowboys or loggers…
As you can see from my photos, this wagon is going to be awesome when finally completed!
First, here’s the old blacksmith and wagonworks building on the Escondido History Center‘s Heritage Walk, where the chuck wagon is being built…
Next is an old photo of a typical chuck wagon (without its cloth covering).
The guys working in Escondido will create a covering for their chuck wagon using duck cloth. You can see how the rear of the old chuck wagon in the photo has compartments used for storing food and cooking materials.
Now, inside the busy wheelwright shop today…
In the next photo, the wooden section that folds down near the front of the wagon is the foot board. The wagon’s seat will be mounted there behind it.
Next is the chuck box, which will be mounted to the rear of the chuck wagon. The combined cupboard and fold-down workspace stores cooking utensils, spices, and essential ingredients for cooking out in the field.
(Think of an old-fashioned tailgate party–featuring baked beans!)
The box-like pan boot is mounted under the chuck box. It typically held pots and pans and other cooking necessities such as a Dutch oven…
The opposite side of the chuck wagon under construction appears slightly different…
A barrel for water or other “liquid refreshment” will be mounted to this side!
The adjacent Penner Barn had its door opened by one of the friendly guys so I could take a peek inside…
The chuck wagon’s undercarriage is ready to go!
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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.
This very beautiful and inspiring mural debuted in an Escondido alley last April, during Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month. Titled Community Unity, it was created by twelve students from Calvin Christian School.
I saw the mural for the first time today during a long-overdue walk around downtown Escondido!
This webpage describes the public art and its origin.
The mural contains colorful imagery representing Escondido and people in the local community. It was printed on large panels and placed in the alley that runs half a block south of Grand Avenue. Walk west down the alley from Broadway and you’ll come to it. The mural stands as a joyful reminder that unity is possible when all voices are welcomed and celebrated.
When you see the bright artwork, your day will be brightened, too!
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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.
A beautiful native plant garden can be enjoyed at the Sikes Adobe Farmhouse in Escondido. The garden is on the grounds of the historic farmstead, directly next to the San Dieguito River Park’s long Coast to Crest Trail.
I visited the native plant garden during a walk today and took these photographs. I noticed a sign indicating it was an Eagle Scout Service Project, undertaken in 2021 by Matthew VanderVorst of Escondido Troop 668.
It’s late Spring, so many flowers are in bloom. Signs identify the plants, which include Monkey Flower, Deerweed, Bladder Pod, Black Sage, White Sage, California Buckwheat, Shaw’s Agave, Coastal Prickly Pear, and others.
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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.
The Escondido Public Library had their official Grand Opening inside North County Mall this morning! The library has temporarily relocated to the shopping mall as their main downtown building undergoes renovation.
The Library at the Mall is inviting and substantial. Several past store spaces are now filled with shelves, and constitute the General Library, Children’s Library, and a Book Store, which is operated by the Friends of the Escondido Public Library.
You can find details about the library’s temporary mall location, including hours, by clicking here.
Funny thing is, I had no idea this was happening today. I arrived at North County Mall after a nearby hike and learned I’d missed the Grand Opening ceremony, which included Escondido’s mayor, by about an hour!
The Escondido Public Library will be found inside North County Mall until Spring 2026, when they’ll return downtown to their renovated building. I was told there’s a good possibility some sort of library presence will remain at the mall after the move.
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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.
What’s that star-like sculpture sitting on the grass near the box office of California Center for the Arts, Escondido?
It’s *!
The cool creation, named * (pronounced star), is a 30 foot diameter great stellated dodecahedron created by Escondido’s own Glass House Arts. According to posts on their Instagram page, * appeared at Burning Man last year! If I understand correctly, the sculpture was called MOOT (Matter Out of Time) back then, and said to be a time machine!
By night, 30 programmable LED floodlights illuminate the fabric sails, transforming the piece into a glowing beacon. I saw * in the daytime during my visit to the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, and thought it was pretty cool as it was!
The sculpture will be on view through May 17, 2025. It celebrates Escondido Arts, Culture & Creativity Month!
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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.
Self-Portraits with Underwear Pulled Too High, Matthew Freedman, 1995. Acrylic on plaster.
Today a new exhibition opened at the museum of the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. Everything in Its Place: Selections from the Permanent Collection features a surprising variety of pieces.
The museum’s webpage explains how these works explore the shifting relationships between abstraction, the human form, and the environments we inhabit. In other words, the art explores just about everything and anything.
I found myself pausing before certain complex pieces, enthralled. And so many different materials! One unusual sculpture is made almost entirely of glass. There are creations on cardboard and on linen. One piece, created during the museum’s inaugural artist-in-residence program, is a ten-foot wall of open wooden boxes containing found objects–like thoughts or memories in the compartments of one’s mind.
I took photos of a few examples.
There’s humor, too. Look closely at my first photograph!
Untitled, Mark Jackson, 1983. Oil on cardboard.In the Sun’s Blood, Doris Bittar, 1997. Oil on linen.
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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.
Tomorrow, Saturday, April 19, 2025, a free, live glassblowing extravaganza continues at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido! The special event is being held outdoors in the Cal Club Courtyard between noon and 6 pm. Look for the signs! You can check out the event webpage by clicking here.
The two day event began today. I swung by as everything got underway. In addition to a very cool glassblowing demonstration, various San Diego County glass artists have tables with some of their fantastic creations for sale.
The artists have also created a bunch of beautiful glasses (see my final photograph) which are for sale for $25 each. Funds raised through the sale of these stunning glasses (and the sale of beer, too) benefit the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.
I sat and watched as expert glassblower James Stone created an elegant wine glass. He has years and years of practice, and you can see the excellence of his work. He’s a friendly guy who likes to explain what he’s doing.
James Stone demonstrates glassblowing work in progress. The glass changes color when it is heated.An amazing iridescent bowl created by James Stone.These extraordinary glass cubes were created by Tom Marosz.These fantastic glass sea shells were created by Mariah Armstrong Conner.
Amazing blacksmithing work was displayed as well! A representative from Vista Forge showed me some cool creations.
Blacksmithing and Glass Art classes can be found here. They’re held on the grounds of the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum in Vista.
Purchase one of these colorful glasses, blown by a local artist, and you benefit the California Center for the Arts, Escondido!
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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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