Every Saturday thousands of people converge on Date Street to take a stroll through Little Italy’s Mercato, an amazing Farmers Market that stretches half a dozen city blocks! Residents of downtown San Diego and the surrounding communities mingle in the sunshine, checking out an amazing variety of organic produce, freshly cut flowers, unique arts and crafts, tasty food and live music.
I took a walk through Little Italy’s Mercato this morning and was struck by the many vivid colors. There were over 150 booths to check out. I hardly knew which direction to point my camera!
I hope you enjoy these cool pics.
A variety of fresh produce at Little Italy’s Mercato.These brilliant colors are ready to eat!Hand-crafted pizza at Little Italy’s farmers market.Colorful crafts line Date Street in Little Italy.Purses of every hue at one of over 150 booths!Checking out crafts for sale near Amici Park.Lots of colorful tiny cacti and succulents.Endless bright flowers can be found at the Mercato.More tasty food in Little Italy!Smiling lady sells a bunch of organic preserves.Saturdays in Little Italy are brimming with color.
I enjoyed a stroll through East Village this morning. It was my opportunity to take a few pics of the Padres Opening Day Block Party just north of Petco Park.
Dozens of tents and booths were lined up on either side of J Street. Kettle corn, barbeque on the grill, baseball souvenirs, assorted nonprofits and salespeople and radio shows…all the usual suspects were there. And, of course, baseball fans!
Baseball’s Opening Day celebrated in East Village by Petco Park.San Diego Padres fan tests his pitching arm.Dodgers fans might require a security blanket.People relax and enjoy live music on Padres Opening Day.
Baard Kolstad drums like crazy near the Pier Cafe.
This afternoon I checked out the Spring Busker Festival at Seaport Village. A huge crowd turned out to enjoy the sunny day and some amazing street performers! Enjoy a few cool pics!
Aerial silks dancer performs near Seaport Village carousel.Crowd gathers at West Plaza for a Busker Festival magic show.Funny magician wows kids at Seaport Village.Folks head toward busker stage in Embarcadero Marina Park North.The crazy Skip Banks prepares to enter a huge balloon.Skip Banks’ head pops out of big balloon at Busker Festival.
Skip Banks was absolutely hilarious. His hyperactive routine, celebrating silly slices of our pop culture, was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long while! His website has some great videos.
Acrobatic juggler entertains crowd with spectator’s help.Baard Kolstad, of Norway, sets up in East Plaza at Seaport Village.
Baard Kolstad came all the way from Norway to participate in the Seaport Village Busker Festival. With his dazzling skills, he seems destined to be the next big rock drummer!
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San Diego’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held this morning. It ran along Fifth and Sixth Avenue, on Bankers Hill just west of Balboa Park.
I captured a whole bunch of fun pics just prior to the parade’s start. There’s no shortage of the color green! All sorts of people and pets were gathering and preparing and positioning themselves for the exciting event!
People head up Sixth Avenue to watch the big annual parade.Bagpipers in kilts assemble for the parade near Balboa Park.A colorful calliope stands by near start of parade route.Mounted participants in San Diego’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.Cal Fire stands at the ready for the big event.Girls anticipate marching on a sunny Saturday morning.Junior Achievement kids hold THANK YOU spelled out for a photo.Hanging some Irish green tinsel.Last minute preparations on a School of Irish Dance float.Another Smiling Irishman.Gentlemen in capes and plumed hats hold flags.A band was playing on a float even before the parade started.Kermit the Frog is proud to be green!Big American Flag is ready on Sixth Avenue.Another half hour until things really get rolling.Clown’s tie indicates Irish For a Day.Green-antlered hood ornament.Even dogs are wearing the green.San Diego Elks Lodge No. 168 and lots of shamrocks.A funny little wooden vehicle in line to start the parade.Lincoln High School band members in green.St. Patrick’s Day Parade in San Diego is a wonderful tradition.
This morning around seven I walked over to the grassy park just south of the USS Midway Museum. I wanted to see The Wall That Heals.
A half-scale traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the black wall is inscribed with over 58,000 names. Each name belongs to a serviceman who made the ultimate sacrifice during that war.
I’m sure the weekend crowds will be huge, but early on a Friday morning very few people were about.
The Wall That Heals and several thought-provoking displays that accompany it will remain in San Diego through Sunday.
If all of the names could be in one place…Helmet and boots from Vietnam War era.Friends of the Forgotten, remembering those who sacrificed.The Gold Star Bike on public display.Welcome to The Wall That Heals.Flowers and the names of over 58,000 who gave their lives.
UPDATE…
I took the following photos Sunday afternoon around one o’clock.
Half-size replica of Vietnam Veterans Memorial in San Diego.People read names inscribed on The Wall That Heals.
Dogs and humans head toward the 2014 Bark in Balboa Park.
The Eighth Annual Bark in Balboa Park was a triumphant success this afternoon. Hundreds of furry, tail-wagging best friends got to join in the festivities, and nearly all become instantly famous. How does an ordinary, easy-going, everyday dog get 15 seconds of fame? You’re about to find out!
A few early arrivals at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.Friendly pooch near Spreckels Organ Society donation box.Some furry attendees await the free dog-themed organ concert.San Diego Humane Society has volunteers at the event.Lovable dogs await adoption at Bark in the Park.Great Dane takes a nap while a huge crowd gathers.People and pooches enjoy the organ concert from the colonnade.A baby stroller makes a prime seat for the big event.Activity is non-stop even during the fun concert.The unconditional love that dogs give.Spreckels Organ Society photographer hard at work.The eighth annual parade of dogs in front of the organ begins!Dr. Carol Williams plays a rousing Sousa march as pooches pass by.This funny beagle was a real crowd pleaser.A dainty dog in pink enjoys momentary fame on the big stage.
A big crowd turned out for the 2014 Padres FanFest!
This morning I spent a little time at this year’s Padres FanFest. Wow! I’d never been to this event before, and it was bigger and more exciting than I expected! Padres fans could engage in all sorts of fun activities throughout Petco Park, and I took photos everywhere I turned. Here are a few good ones…
Padres fans stream up the stairs at Petco Park.People enjoy themselves on the baseball field at Padres FanFest.Posing for photos at home plate at Padres FanFest.Padres fans could either walk or run the bases.Small girl with a big pink baseball bat.Padres ball girl reaches into bucket just before throwing to a fan.A vendor with cotton candy moves through the crowd on the field.Small girl heads toward a big pretzel.Padres fan gets to throw a pitch in the Petco bullpen!Fans wait in line to field balls in Petco’s outfield.Padres manager Bud Black speaks to FanFest crowd.Kids check out the big display on the outfield wall.Looking from The Beach through the outfield fence at lots of fans.Fans stream up from The Beach to the Park at the Park.Inflatable Friar stands atop hill overlooking the KidsFest.Padres fan does chin-ups at Marines booth at FanFest.A military robot fascinates kids at Padres FanFest.Kids play at base of Tony Gwynn statue.Padres KidsFest featured lots of games and happy families.Boy gets ready to swing a bat.Pets available for adoption from Helen Woodward Animal Center.People watch kids playing baseball during Padres FanFest.Kids play in the tiny baseball field at the Park at the Park.
This afternoon I enjoyed watching a good portion of San Diego’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade. Every January, MLK’s dream of racial equality is celebrated downtown in one of the largest parades of its kind in the United States. The parade route runs down Harbor Drive on San Diego’s waterfront.
I got a whole lot of photos. Please feel free to share and enjoy them!
Crowd gathers for annual San Diego MLK parade.MLK Parade kicks off with many local politicians.A cool police car fitted with hydraulics.A vintage fire truck rolls down Harbor Drive.This cute little dog is a member of law enforcement.Watching the parade from the announcer platform.Goodies are handed out by an MLK Parade participant.Candidate for San Diego Mayor, David Alvarez.A huge Homeland Security armored vehicle.Border Patrol agents on all-terrain vehicles.Coast Guard patrol boat towed along parade route.Patriotic colors precede bagpipes.Attending to sound board beside the announcers.People watch parade from hotel balconies across the street.Here comes the Gadsden Elementary School marching band.Tuba players march in the San Diego MLK parade.Gecko celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. birthday.Crowd enthused by a great parade performance.A dance routine on Harbor Drive.Kids perform a fun routine for MLK Parade onlookers.Looking very elegant.The UCSD band passes by.Young kids have difficulty with SDSU letters.SDSU Aztec Warrior at MLK Parade in San Diego.Veterans for Peace parade a drone.Members of a lodge parade on by to loud cheers.Marchers honor the Martin Luther King Jr. dream.Colorful dancers from the House of Panama.Drummers perform with pride on parade route.Poster on side of truck shows historic MLK speech.Some guys having fun in yellow mini cars.Inflatable float from USS Midway Museum.Children determined to achieve great things.Another fun performance by kids for the parade announcers.Banner holders stand up for human dignity.Music and youthful energy on parade.Folks in back of a truck celebrate MLK and his dream.King and Queen of San Diego MLK Parade.A beautiful parade queen waves to the large crowd.Pooches with American flag bandanas.Mr. Black San Diego greets the crowd.Inspirational messages head down the Embarcadero.Students from City College are agents of change.A smiling beauty perched high atop a parade float.MLK impersonator recreates famous speech at Lincoln Memorial.
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Today, an estimated 5000 people turned out for the public memorial service celebrating the life of the late Jerry Coleman. The service took place at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. “The Colonel” had been the central figure in the Padres baseball organization for over four decades. Jerry’s broadcasting voice will be missed by generations of fans. An excellent argument can be made that he was the most loved public figure in the history of our city.
I apologize that my camera isn’t of the highest quality. I do hope you enjoy a few images that I captured.
Crowd enters Petco Park for Jerry Coleman memorial service.Petco Park screens show photos of Colonel Coleman.San Diegans fill Petco to demonstrate their love for Jerry.The colors are presented while everyone stands.Dick Enberg remembers the late Jerry Coleman.
Dick Enberg noted that the stage was located on Jerry’s favorite spot: second base. After the playing of the National Anthem by the Marine Band, F-18 fighter jets roared overhead in the missing man formation.
Fan holds up a star to honor Jerry Coleman.Tim Flannery sings his own composition about Jerry Coleman.
After speeches by Randy Jones, Bob Chandler, Ron Fowler and Ron Roberts, fan-favorite former Padres player Tim Flannery sang his own stirring composition about Jerry Coleman, the man who hung the stars.
Padres fan reads about a hero’s many accomplishments.JC in a star on the scoreboard, and on next year’s uniforms.Joe Torre represents Major League Baseball at Coleman memorial.
Joe Torre received great applause when he related a few humorous and touching old Yankees stories, and spoke of Jerry Coleman’s heroism and humility.
Ted Leitner, Jerry’s broadcast partner for many years, brought laughter and tears with his intimate accounts of a baseball legend’s modest personality and funny quirks. He concluded that Jerry Coleman was the best man he’d ever known.
Marines fire guns to salute a true hero.
After a salute by the Marine Corps, a T-6 SNJ aircraft from 1942, similar to the one Coleman flew in World War II passed overhead to honor the former Marine.
Jerry’s daughter Chelsea then spoke about her dad. She said that all he really lived for was his country, the game of baseball, and the people he loved. Dick Enberg concluded the memorial by saying that we all were fortunate to be part of the legacy of Jerry Coleman.
People near Visitor Center enjoy Cabrillo National Monument’s centennial.
Here are some pics I took Sunday during the second day of Cabrillo National Monument’s centennial celebration.
Cabrillo National Monument is located at the tip of the Point Loma peninsula. The hilly peninsula helps to enclose San Diego Bay and is a perfect lookout over both the ocean and harbor. The park includes most notably the historic Old Point Loma Lighthouse and a 1988 replica of the original statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo that was commissioned by the Portuguese government in 1935. It also includes military bunkers that were used to protect the bay during World War II, and a very popular whale-watching lookout.
The park this year turned one hundred years old. In 1913 Woodrow Wilson reserved a portion of Fort Rosecrans on the Point Loma peninsula for a statue of Cabrillo. Unfortunately, a statue was not immediately forthcoming, and the park’s development became the work of many decades.
The work in progress continues today. My last visit was a few years ago, and this time I noticed many big changes and improvements!
The first photo shows a bunch of people near the Visitor Center, on the walkway that leads out to the Cabrillo statue.
Various informative displays in front of Visitor Center for the centennial event.
For the centennial event, many community and government organizations had exhibits near the entrance to the Visitor Center. This pic shows what appeared to be the most popular table. The friendly lady had numerous snakes that fascinated young and old alike.
Yummy centennial cake was served to all park visitors.
Everybody enjoyed a small slice of birthday cake!
Statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo overlooks the ocean.
Here’s the iconic statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the Portuguese explorer who sailed into San Diego Bay on behalf of Spain nearly five hundred years ago. It stands not far from the Visitor Center overlooking both the bay and Pacific Ocean.
Park sign shows where Cabrillo entered San Diego Bay in 1542.Distant view of Cabrillo statue and Coronado Island.
As I walked up the hill to observe a reenacted air raid drill from World War II, I looked back at this beautiful view. Great views can be had at Cabrillo National Monument looking in almost any direction!
Tents of Army camp set up as historical reenactment.
These tents and some nearby vehicles were on display for the centennial. During World War II, after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, many feared an attack on San Diego. So defenses were quickly erected. In addition to a number of observation bunkers, a few gun emplacements were situated along the end of Point Loma to defend the mainland and bay.
A small museum nearby includes many photographs, recordings and artifacts from that period in San Diego’s history.
Mock air raid drill recalls duties during World War II.
At eleven o’clock, a mock air raid was staged! An aircraft from nearby Naval Air Station North Island swept over the bluffs as World War II veterans and enthusiasts looked on from the hilltop near some old bunkers.
Visitors head into Battery E bunker used during World War II.
After the air raid, we all took turns going down into Battery E.
A look inside Battery E and equipment to sight enemy ships.
We were surprised at what we found! The flash of my camera illuminated the small semi-dark bunker, capturing this instrument used to scan the horizon for Japanese warships during World War II.
A chart inside the bunker identifies Japanese warships.
Down a nearby ladder was a second small room containing beds for those who stood watch at all hours.
People walk toward the old Cabrillo lighthouse.
A short distance from Battery E is the historic Old Point Loma Lighthouse. From 1855 to 1891 it stood as a beacon for those entering San Diego Bay, before being replaced by an automated lighthouse down near the water. This old lighthouse is one of San Diego’s most well-known sights!
A museum by the old lighthouse includes the first Fresnel lens to be used by the automated New Point Loma Lighthouse.
A small museum near the lighthouse’s entrance is worth a quick look. It includes an amazing Fresnel lens that magnified light to help sailors out at sea.
Front of the historic lighthouse and its large rainwater basin.
A large flat area in front of the lighthouse was used by the keeper and his family to capture rainwater. Back then this lighthouse stood isolated, far from the small town across the water that grew into metropolitan San Diego.
Recreated family room in Cabrillo lighthouse includes Christmas tree.
Several furnished rooms in the lighthouse are on display behind glass. Very little space was available to accommodate the keeper and his family. In addition to this main room, there’s a kitchen area, closet, and two bedrooms up the winding stairs.
Looking down winding stairs from top of Cabrillo lighthouse.
Speaking of the stairs, I couldn’t resist taking this pic!
Another view of Point Loma’s historic old lighthouse.
Another great look.
Grey whale sculpture near Pacific Ocean overlook.
Interesting sculptures, artwork and signs can be found at the Pacific Ocean overlook. During the winter months, you can see gray whales spouting as they travel between the Arctic and Baja California.
A good place to spot migrating gray whales during the winter months.
You can see where the tidepools are below. I didn’t go down to the water on this trip, but it’s a fun place to see all sorts of sea creatures!
Walking down to Bayside Trail and folks who will talk about history.
At noon there was a guided hike down the Bayside Trail. We walked down a short road to the trailhead, where an old military truck waited with some folks dressed in historic uniforms. They would show us some interesting stuff down the trail.
Group walks down Cabrillo Bayside Trail on a December day.
Here we go down the Bayside Trail. The lady park ranger showed us a large number of native plants, including Coastal Sage, Lemonade Berry, Prickly Pear and more. The flora you see here is what is natural to the area. San Diego is located in a semi-arid zone, with very little precipitation. Most of the trees and other plants you see around town are not native.
A spotlight protected San Diego Bay during World War II.
We’ve come to a small structure built into the hillside that houses an old electric spotlight. The huge lamp was used to watch the San Diego Bay’s entrance during World War II. It rolled out on a pair of tracks and plugged into an outlet that you can see by the trail.
Inside the small structure we look at the huge wartime spotlight.
My camera’s flash brightly illuminated the old spotlight inside.
Further down the trail is the spotlight’s generator building.
Now we’ve walked down to the electrical generator building–really just two small empty rooms. Usually these structures are closed to the public.
Rounding a corner of the sandstone cliff San Diego comes into view.
The group turned back, but I walked on…
America’s Cup boat Abracadabra sails down the San Diego channel.
And I was rewarded with this view. Having lived in San Diego a good many years, I recognized the large sailboat leaving San Diego Bay. It’s the Abracadabra, a boat used in a past America’s Cup. I also spotted the Stars and Stripes, just out of this picture.
Beyond downtown San Diego I could see numerous mountains, from Cuyamaca on down to Otay. When it snows in the mountains, San Diego has a snow-capped backdrop viewed from here!
One last fond look at the beautiful Cabrillo National Monument lighthouse.
Cool San Diego Sights! 