Do you know any military veterans who could use some help? Perhaps they are struggling financially. Perhaps they need a little boost. Perhaps they are homeless.
There’s a four day event next month in Vista, in San Diego’s North County, that wants to help. The North County Veterans Stand Down welcomes all veterans and their families to free meals, accommodations, hot showers and haircuts. Veterans are given new or gently used clothing and shoes, prescription glasses, dental services, medical services, legal services, and simple rest, support and friendship.
Do you know someone who might benefit? Even you, perhaps?
I learned about the North County Veterans Stand Down during my visit to the Escondido Grape Day Festival last Saturday. Good people who know how life can be difficult want to help. I thought I’d pass this information along.
To go to the North County Veterans Stand Down website to learn more and perhaps register, click here!
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Enjoy this fun collection of photographs taken during yesterday’s big Grape Day Festival in Escondido!
The family-friendly event, which is held in downtown’s grassy Grape Day Park, celebrates Escondido history and this North County city’s reputation for grape growing. The festival originated way back in 1908 and for the first half of the 20th century it rivaled Pasadena’s Festival of Roses in popularity.
Following the COVID pandemic of a few years ago, the Grape Day Festival is now back in full swing, with a large crowd enjoying grape stomping, historical displays and lots of old-fashioned entertainment!
I wandered about taking it all in. One could listen to jazz, bluegrass and mariachi music, explore exhibits along the park’s History Center, check out old vehicles and farm machinery, observe a milking demonstration, and meet lots of cool people who are involved throughout the community! Plenty of tasty food and games for kids and pony rides, too!
If you love nostalgia and a generous slice of Americana, this festival is for you!
Anybody could stomp some grapes provided by the Bernardo Winery.Yummy food by the Wine and Beer Tasting Garden!I learned there is an Old Escondido Historic District. It is the only residential Historic District in North San Diego County. Visit their website here.Several antique vehicles on display.A very cool 1949 Ford woodie.Kids learn how to dust for fingerprints behind a Crime Scene Investigation vehicle.Smiles at the Vietnam Veterans of America booth.Kids learn about native snakes at the San Dieguito River Park booth.The Escondido Public Library features a Pioneer Room, where anyone can search a local history archive for old documents, photographs and more. Go to their website here.Brightly smiling Escondido royalty pose for a photo.The San Diego Archaeological Center was on hand for the festival. I still haven’t visited their museum in nearby San Pasqual Valley. Check out their website here.The Wa$xayam Pomki Museum of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians had cultural displays at their booth. They are one of the Grape Day Festival sponsors. Their website is here.Lots of demonstrations could be viewed along the Escondido History Center’s Heritage Walk.A family learning about blacksmithing at the Tom Bandy Blacksmith Shop.Pre-Columbian methods for preparing corn.Antique machines used to grind corn.I placed a dried corn cob in here and turned the crank!Grape Day banners on the fence in front of the History Center’s Victorian House.Hollandia dairy, based in San Diego’s North County, brought two cows and a goat for milking demonstrations.Beautiful color at a wonderful community festival.
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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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!
This afternoon a wonderful event in downtown Escondido celebrated the debut of new public art. The 2023 season of the Esco Alley Art project unveiled twelve colorful new murals by local artists! These new outdoor murals can be found in the alley just south of Grand Avenue, between Juniper and Kalmia Streets.
A good crowd turned out to see the new artwork and meet the artists. Many activities were enjoyed by families, including a photo booth, music and a kids art station. The event also celebrated Escondido Mayor Dane White’s birthday!
It was thrilling to see so many people excited by these new additions to the long alley. Earlier seasons of Esco Alley Art placed dozens of other murals in the same alley, starting two blocks to the west of these. Unfortunately, the murals of the 2021 season will soon be removed, as the renovation of a building at that location gets underway.
I learned all of the artwork is donated freely to the Esco Alley Art project by the artists. The murals depict many different subjects, reflecting the diversity of Escondido itself. In this one magical alley the visions of many inspired people come together.
There are plans for many new seasons of art, with future murals perhaps filling other alleys!
Learn about all of the murals created so far by checking out the Esco Alley Art gallery page here. Better yet, head to downtown Escondido to experience all of this amazing creativity with your own eyes!
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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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!
It seems new public art keeps appearing non-stop in Escondido!
This Saturday, a dozen brand new Esco Alley Art murals will debut at 4:00 pm in the alley south of Grand Avenue between Kalmia and Juniper. The public is invited!
And, of course, this same Saturday the big Grape Day Festival will take place in Grape Day Park near the Escondido Civic Center. I’m sure lots of art will be on display. I plan to be there, too!
I still have some photographs on my computer from my last Escondido adventure about a month ago. They are of murals that were painted on two walls bordering the walkway between the California Center for the Arts, Escondido and a parking lot to the north. The murals were created by @LovePaperPaint. The artwork celebrates many things one can experience at this regional cultural center.
Here are the mural photos:
You can see the murals that previously decorated these same two walls 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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Earlier this year, stunning public art debuted in Escondido. You can find this tile mosaic mural near Maple Street Plaza, on an outdoor wall west of the John Paul the Great Catholic University building.
The amazing “America Connects West Region Mural Mosaic” unites small works of tile art painted by over 1500 participants, ages 7 to 97, representing America’s Western States.
According to the official website, Mural Mosaic’s Global Roots is a unique initiative that aims to bring people from around the world together through the power of art. Each collaborative Mural Mosaic production invites people from communities everywhere to connect and celebrate their unity through their diverse expressions of art. With each tile placed in a mural, Global Roots is reconnecting the world through the joy of art – one tile, one mural mosaic, one country at a time.
Not only is this a very cool concept, but the finished Global Roots murals, which often depict beautiful trees and landscapes, are spectacular!
This particular West Region project was finished in collaboration with Esco Alley Art in Escondido. You can see other Esco Alley Art murals here and here.
I took these photographs yesterday…
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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!
A variety of antique wagons that have survived for over a century are being restored in Escondido!
During my walk late this morning through Grape Day Park, I noticed several gentlemen hovering about the wagonworks and wheelwright shop, which is located on the Escondido History Center’s Heritage Walk. They were working with the restored undercarriage of an old delivery wagon, and painting its wagon wheels.
I was informed that, over the years, many different carts and wagons have been restored by skilled volunteers at the Bandy Blacksmith & Wheelwright Shop. Brought in from many places, these horse-drawn vehicles from the Old West have been saved from the decay caused by time and weather.
A friendly gentleman showed me photos of wagons that have been restored. He then opened the nearby Penner Barn to show me the rebuilt body of the old delivery wagon, that will be fitted with the red undercarriage and wheels.
A year ago I peered into the working blacksmith and wheelwright shop and posted that blog here.
As I regarded the interesting operations around me, a pick-up truck approached, hauling an antique spring wagon! The spring wagon will become a new outdoor exhibit, to be enjoyed by visitors exploring the Heritage 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!
Over the years, I’ve photographed a variety of outdoor murals in Escondido. During my latest walk through downtown Escondido, I took pictures of more cool murals that I hadn’t previously seen!
All four of these colorful murals can be viewed from the alley between Grand Avenue and East 2nd Avenue, a few steps on either side of Juniper Street. Walk about with curious eyes and you’ll find them, too!
The first mural on the rear of the ArtHatch Arts Complex building appears to be titled Pieces Of Us. It’s by local artist Zane Kingcade, 2014:
On another wall of the same building is a big amazing mural called Seasons of Change. It’s by artist Amanda Lynn, painted in 2016:
The third mural I spotted is on one side of Best Little Hair House, by artist Zane in 2013:
Finally, I really like this fun mural painted on one side of Mexico Lindo restaurant. It appears to be signed Flores:
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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!
Xebeche the skywhale has soared and swum inland to Escondido. That’s Xebeche hovering by the side of a building.
You can find this colorful sky whale mural near the corner of Grand Avenue and Juniper Street, just south of the 7-Eleven.
The whale’s name is Xebeche. He was created last year by artist Tristan Pittard.
A strange conversation with the skywhale is written on the wall:
What is your name? My name is Nobody. Excuse me? My name is Xebeche. He who talks loud, say nothing. I thought you said your name was Nobody? I prefer to be called Nobody.
I’m just a skywhale, but you, Human, are the caretaker of this world.A peculiar conversation around an impassable doorway.
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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!
Greetings From Escondido, The Beautiful Hidden Valley. This cool postcard-like mural was painted a number of years ago, but I photographed it for the first time during my most recent Escondido walk.
The artist is Zane Kingcade. He has painted a number of colorful murals around Escondido.
The “Postcard From Escondido” mural contains images that represent this city in sunny North County. There are oranges, avocados and grapes. There’s the dome of Escondido’s distinctive Civic Center, and a rhinoceros at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. There’s Dixon Lake, a popular fishing spot.
The Spanish word escondido means hidden. Keep your eyes peeled! If you drive west down Valley Parkway, you might spy this easily missed mural on the side of King’s Pawn.
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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!
Almost two years ago I took photographs of the Esco Alley Art project in Escondido. Dozens of murals painted by local artists had been placed in the alley south of Grand Avenue, between Maple Street and Broadway.
Since then, the project has expanded, advancing several phases. About a week ago I revisited the same alley and enjoyed more murals that now appear between Broadway and Kalmia Street! These newer works of art were revealed last year. As before, many of the colorful murals are inspired by life in Escondido.
The Esco Alley Art project, presented by the Escondido Downtown Business Association, has its own dedicated website. There you’ll finds more information, including the artists. Check it out here!
Let’s start walking east from Broadway…
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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!
Cool San Diego Sights! 