Tag: events

After the riot, the bright green of Spring.

This morning, during my walk to work, I witnessed a strange contrast.

I began by walking through downtown, heading down the length of the Gaslamp Quarter. I saw a few broken windows, many boarded up businesses, much graffiti.

After a crowd of thousands gathered downtown on Sunday, peacefully protesting the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers, a few hundred rioters brought chaos to our city after dark. These people moved at random down streets and around corners, vandalizing businesses and looting. A peaceful and quite powerful protest had been hijacked by a relative few and made ugly.

Later this morning, as I neared work, I walked a short distance along the San Diego River. The sun was up, illuminating the bright green growths of Spring.

A thought-provoking morning experience.

…

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!

Help others! Join virtual Red Shoe Day online!

The 11th Annual Red Shoe Day is almost here! But this year it will be different. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the gathering of donations for Ronald McDonald House in San Diego will be entirely online!

Instead of plunking your spare change into a big red Ronald McDonald shoe held by a volunteer at a busy intersection, there’s going to be a virtual Red Shoe Day on June 4, 2020 that everyone can safely take part in and share online with others!

Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego, according to their mission statement: provides a “home-away-from-home” for families with children being treated for serious, often life-threatening conditions at local hospitals.

Put yourself in the shoes of a family with a seriously ill child and imagine how important this would be. You could spend much more time with your child as they undergo super scary medical treatment at a big, scary hospital. Read more about what Ronald McDonald House Charities does here.

And here is what you can do!

Click here and join this year’s virtual Red Shoe Day!

Recruit friends, coworkers and family members! Form a winning team!

Look at all the smiling volunteers I photographed in past years, before the coronavirus pandemic…

Click here to join Red Shoe Day and make a huge difference in people’s lives!

You’ll feel good, too!

Memories of summers, the Padres, Petco Park.

Padres fans enter the stands before Tony Gwynn memorial begins.

What would Memorial Day weekend be without baseball? Unfortunately, it would be this Memorial Day weekend.

The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has put a temporary hold on sports in San Diego.

For those of you who miss heading down to East Village for baseball games, I thought now would be a good time to relive some memories of baseball in San Diego, the Padres and Petco Park.

I’ve looked through my blog and found posts that might interest Padres fans and rekindle strong memories. Over the past half dozen years there have been many emotional moments, including the passing of beloved Padres players and broadcasters.

I haven’t included posts concerning past FanFests, Opening Day block parties, the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and various other events at Petco Park like the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering, but more stuff can be found by surfing about Cool San Diego Sights or performing a search.

Click the following links to see lots of photographs!

A very cool tour of Petco Park in San Diego!

Padres military heroes honored at Petco Park.

San Diego Padres Hall of Fame players at Petco Park.

Baseball history at San Diego Padres Hall of Fame.

Trevor Time returns to Petco Park!

Petco’s “San Diego Section” honors local teams!

The San Diego Padres happy mascot, the Swinging Friar, greets visitors to the big local sports teams event.

Fans celebrate local sports teams in San Diego!

Fun pics from World Baseball Classic in San Diego!

USS Midway model in Petco Park’s Power Alley.

Model of Lane Field stadium at Petco Park.

Local history excavated, displayed at Petco Park.

Biggest baseball library west of Cooperstown in San Diego!

Padres fans check out lots of photos and cool artifacts which recall the history of baseball in San Diego. On the left are photos of the first Padres team in 1936, and Lane Field.

Baseball flags debut at historic Lane Field Park!

Celebrating Dick Enberg at his final Padres home game.

Photos of Jerry Coleman public memorial service.

Photos of Tony Gwynn statue at Lake Poway.

Tony Gwynn’s Memorial Tribute at Petco Park.

Quotes from the Tony Gwynn public memorial.

Tony Gwynn is remembered as a great player and great man.

…

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 photos for you to enjoy!

A live stream event celebrating Memorial Day.

Love and respect are shown for those in the military who pledged to protect their countrymen, and defend freedom. They are honored on Memorial Day.
Love and respect are shown for those in the military who pledged to protect their countrymen, and defend freedom. They are honored on Memorial Day.

This coming Memorial Day will be very different. The coronavirus pandemic has caused public events around San Diego to be cancelled.

But I’ve learned there will be a live stream over the internet that celebrates Memorial Day this year, and the virtual event will feature four locations: the USS Midway Museum, Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, and Miramar National Cemetery. Those who perished serving in the United States Armed Forces will be honored and remembered.

If you’d like to learn more, or view the live stream online this Memorial Day starting at 9 am click here!

More signs expressing unity and thankfulness.

We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.

In San Diego we are proceeding with the gradual reopening of society as the coronavirus pandemic seems to slowly subside. Today restaurants were allowed to open for dining. Strict guidelines must be followed such as maintaining super sanitary conditions and safe social distancing.

Some say the reopening of society is proceeding too quickly; others say not quickly enough. But the future is a tricky thing to predict. There are so many variables. So many different risks. All I know is that at some point we’ll look back and see what actions in the final analysis were most wise. And our knowledge will increase.

On another hopeful note, during my walks in the past couple weeks I’ve observed more signs around town celebrating unity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other signs express thankfulness to essential workers. You’ll see that one billboard I photographed about a week ago concerning restaurants now seems dated, but no matter.

That so many people have demonstrated an urge to stay positive during this terrible crisis seems a good sign for the future of humanity in general.

At least, it appears that way to me. I’m an optimist.

San Diego strong.
San Diego strong.
To restaurants still delivering meals, thank you.
To restaurants still delivering meals, thank you.
Thanks transit driver heroes.
Thanks (transit driver) heroes.

…

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!

Pandemic heroes thanked at Petco Park.

A large building wrap thanking heroes during the coronavirus pandemic has appeared on Petco Park in San Diego.
A large building wrap thanking heroes during the coronavirus pandemic has appeared on Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.

A large building wrap has appeared on Petco Park thanking heroes during the coronavirus pandemic. The huge graphic expresses gratitude to essential workers, firefighters, healthcare professionals and law enforcement who sacrifice to keep the public fed and safe.

It’s a wonderful sight.

We in San Diego are accustomed to seeing huge, colorful building wraps affixed to Petco Park and buildings surrounding the convention center during Comic-Con. But this wrap doesn’t promote popular entertainment. It’s simply a heartfelt Thank You.

Know what would be really cool? If Comic-Con followed suit with their own Thank You wrap! Having multiple wraps around downtown would be a little like Comic-Con, even though the world-famous pop culture event has been cancelled this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

San Diego could have a visual Thank-You-Con for the real superheroes.

We need you. We thank you.
We need you. We thank you.
San Diego frontline heroes... Thank You.
San Diego frontline heroes… Thank You.

…

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!

Photos for a very Happy Mother’s Day!

With these flower-filled photographs from all around San Diego, I wish all the Moms out there a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Hummingbird and flowers.

Field of Diamonds quilt, about 1860. The design is achieved by creatively combining hexagons.

Lady of the Garden, Veronica McFarland, acrylic. San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts.

…

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!

Learn about Maritime Month in San Diego.

A water taxi comes in from Coronado. That huge yellow Dole Atlantic ship is loading containers at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.
The massive yellow Dole Atlantic cargo ship loads containers at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.

May is Maritime Month. In past years, the Port of San Diego has offered public tours of important maritime facilities in San Diego Bay. By observing the massive scale of port operations firsthand, anyone can fully appreciate the waterfront’s economic importance to San Diego and the surrounding region.

Three years ago I went on one such harbor tour. It was narrated by knowledgeable representatives of the Port of San Diego. We got a close look at several large facilities, including the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, probably best known as the place where Dole delivers 3.9 billion bananas each year. We also saw the enormous National City Marine Terminal, where thousands upon thousands of imported cars arrive from Asia.

If you want to learn more about that amazing tour, and see photos of other facilities in San Diego Bay such as our three major shipyards, you can visit my old blog post by clicking here.

Unfortunately, this year is very different. There’s the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Most public events, including any tours that were planned by the Port of San Diego, have been cancelled in the interest of everyone’s safety.

But there’s still an opportunity for the curious to learn all about the Port of San Diego. They are celebrating Maritime Month online. They explain: “This year, we pay special tribute to the men and women of our Working Waterfront who continue to work hard to ensure the safe and timely delivery of essential goods, providing crucial services in these difficult times.”

By visiting the Port of San Diego’s special Maritime Month web page, which is here, you can: “Meet our dedicated maritime industry employees…Explore our terminals…Become familiar with our specialty cargo and trade…Learn how goods move globally through the supply chain…Read about our environmental initiatives…Plus more!”

Curious? Check out that special web page here!

Vehicles of all type arrive here by huge roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ships, including trucks and tractors.
New vehicles parked at the National City Marine Terminal. They arrive on enormous roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ships, which are often seen moving through San Diego Bay.

…

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!

Colorful photos of historic Old Poway Park!

A couple years ago I headed up to the annual Rendezvous in Poway. The event is held in historic Old Poway Park.

The Rendezvous in Poway is a reenactment that includes many elements of the 19th century Old West, including costumed vaqueros, mountain men, cowboys, pioneers, and soldiers from the Civil War.

I blogged about the event here. I also blogged about a beautiful bronze sculpture that I came across while walking through the park. It’s titled The Pioneers. See it here.

This morning, as I went through some folders in my computer, I found one that I had named Old Poway Park. In it were various photos of the park.

Uh, oh! Yikes!

I had intended to blog those photos a day or two after the event!

My lousy memory being what it is, I thought it would be best to merely share a few photos I took of this very colorful historic park–I don’t recall most of the precise details.

I do remember that there was grass and picnic benches and shady trees, and excited kids waving as they rode along the short, looping track of the Poway-Midland Railroad, and that the Heritage Museum contained a great collection of artifacts and displays concerning Poway’s history. But I’m afraid these almost forgotten photos will simply provide a taste of my visit that day.

If you want to learn more about family-friendly Old Poway Park, its history, museum, fascinating buildings and railroad operations, visit their website here!

One day I’ll return to ride that steam locomotive train you see in the barn. The little kid in me cannot be denied.

…

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 photos for you to enjoy!

Cool photo memories from May 2015.

Well, May is here already. Hard to believe. The coronavirus pandemic continues, as do the government mandated lockdowns, which makes it difficult for a photo blogger who explores the city to find fresh material. Nearly all events are cancelled, many places are closed.

So what is one to do? I thought now would be a good time to once again go back five years!

What was happening on Cool San Diego Sights back in May 2015? Lot’s of amazing stuff! One thing you might notice is that Balboa Park’s big year-long Centennial Celebration was underway!

Click the following links to enjoy lots of photos…

Art made of coins helps Rady Children’s Hospital!

Photos of Old Town’s folklorico dance competition!

Pics of Garden Party of the Century in Balboa Park!

Fun sculptures debut at San Diego waterfront park!

Crossing the cool Spruce Street Suspension Bridge.

Fun photos of Explore Mission Trails Day!

Cool Corvette car show benefits San Diego USO.

An amazing walk from Point La Jolla to Cuvier Park.

World War II vets honored on USS Midway.

San Diego walking superheroes fight brain tumors!

…

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 phone or 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.