You can still sign up for tomorrow’s Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk! I was told this today as I walked through Balboa Park. The headquarters for the big event is being set up along Sixth Avenue, south of Laurel Street, in its usual spot.
If you’d like to help researchers find a cure for breast cancer, and help those who’ve been diagnosed with the disease, check out this website. You can join the 5k walk tomorrow morning (Sunday), become a team member or a sponsor, join the pre-walk festivities, and more! Or you can simply make a donation to Susan G. Komen on their website and help them with their important work.
Tomorrow’s weather in San Diego will be perfect for a walk. Why not join?
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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)!
A crowd of thousands gathered this evening in Old Town San Diego for the annual Día de los Muertos procession.
The candlelight procession would begin around sundown in front of the Immaculate Conception Church and move slowly down San Diego Avenue to the historic El Campo Santo cemetery.
I walked from Old Town San Diego State Historic Park to the cemetery and back again as people were still gathering for this very popular event.
What did my camera find?
Face painting at many stations, as living faces were decorated to look like colorful sugar skulls. And beautiful chalk art in the State Park left over from last weekend’s Day of the Dead event. And many costumes, elegant Catrinas and walking skeletons.
An altar was set up in the El Campo Santo cemetery, and there was the old wall and a special board where people could draw hearts and write messages for deceased loved ones. The graves were joyfully decorated, too.
As I returned toward the State Park, people had already begun to line San Diego Avenue to view the coming procession. But it was rapidly becoming too dark for my camera. So this series of photographs ends with a smile at Fiesta de Reyes in the State Park.
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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 Saturday, November 4, visitors to Balboa Park can pick up a free tree sapling to plant at home. The distribution of free trees is part of Forever Balboa Park’s two-day event Plant It Forward 2023: Growing Our Urban Forest.
Forever Balboa Park will be handing out 100 tree saplings in the Plaza de Panama from 9 am to noon. (First come first served, one sapling per household.) In the afternoon there will be a park cleanup that you can join, if you’d like.
Learn about the Plant It Forward event, the free trees and park cleanup by visiting this website. (You’ll also find videos about tree planting, choosing the appropriate tree, and more.)
Help grow San Diego’s urban forest! Plant your own shady, beautiful tree!
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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)!
November has arrived. Time to post another five-years-ago blog!
November 2018 was the last time Star of India sailed. I captured photos back then of the historic tall ship heading out into the ocean. (The Star of India is sailing again this November 11th and 12th!)
There were several Veterans Day events, too, including the annual parade. (This year the parade is on the 12th.)
I also enjoyed a variety of adventures, including a visit to the Cabrillo National Monument tide pools and a peek inside a World War II bunker.
Here come links to past blog posts for you to explore!
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)!
You’ll find many smiles this weekend in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park during their big Día de los Muertos celebration!
I walked through the State Park yesterday as the event was ready to open and found artists painting colorful murals, an arriving chalk artist, a sugar skull creation station and more. I watched as the big Community Altar was set up at one end of Old Town’s historic plaza.
There are forty Day of the Dead altars in all–most inside the State Park. Others can be enjoyed along San Diego Avenue and elsewhere around Old Town. There’s face painting everywhere you turn, live music at several restaurants, and even a 19th century magic lantern show at Seeley Stable!
The big event continues today–Sunday–so head on down to Old Town if you can!
In addition, there will be a candlelit procession this Thursday, November 2, starting at the Immaculate Conception Church just outside the State Park. At 6 pm the procession will head down San Diego Avenue toward El Campo Santo cemetery. That event will include blessings and traditional dances by Danza Azteca Atlachinolli.
Enjoy these photographs taken inside Old Town San Diego State Historic Park yesterday as Día de los Muertos got underway…
Old Town San Diego Boosters raise money by selling gifts in front of the Robinson-Rose House Visitors Center.Canopies set up on the grassy plaza offer several Day of the Dead activities.State Park employees get the big Community Altar ready in Old Town.Spreading marigold petals, to lead departed souls toward the Day of the Dead altar.The beautiful Community Altar.Smiling muralist Belen Islas was working on her beautiful canvas.Artist Juliet Elise Rodriguez paints many colors into her mural.Symbolic marigolds for sale.The San Diego Public Library was there with fun for the family!Color your own skull mask!Kids love painting small sugar skulls.Here are three finished ones!It’s a smiling Isabel Garcia! You’ve seen some of her beautiful murals on Cool San Diego Sights!
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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)!
A big, colorful Día de los Muertos Celebration was held today in downtown Chula Vista!
The event stretched along Third Avenue, with a variety of activations set up along several blocks, but the center of activity was Memorial Park, where I took these photographs.
In addition to many traditional Day of the Dead altars, there were quite a few people dressed for the occasion. Catrinas moved through the crowd, wearing elegant dresses, their faces painted elaborately like sugar skulls.
A large audience gathered for entertainment on the Papel Picado Stage. A group of mariachis smiled for my camera. Between towering skeletons, baile folklórico dancers swirled!
It was very cool how students of Chula Vista Learning Community Charter School helped to create their own special display. They paid tribute to people who’ve worked to make this world a better place.
What a wonderful family event for the Chula Vista community.
I hope you enjoy these photographs…
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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)!
Many beautiful altars for Day of the Dead were set up today in Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park for the 26th Annual City Heights Día de los Muertos.
The altars (ofrendas) were the centerpiece of the community event, which also included entertainment on a main stage, tasty food, and crafts and play activities for kids. Lots of smiling families were out enjoying the sunny San Diego day!
Neighbors circulated through the park, viewing the altars, reliving precious memories. Departed loved ones looked out from photographs. There was the traditional pan de muerto, papel picado, favorite objects of those who’ve passed, candles and crosses.
Even cool lowriders parked along the nearby sidewalk contained altars!
You can learn more about the ofrenda and its traditions here.
According to cultural descriptions of the celebration, the smell from the Marigolds helps guide the dead to the ofrenda, and the petals are often picked and spread in a pathway to lead the way.
The thought occurred to me that perhaps it’s the other way around. The altars with their many marigolds lead us who are alive to the dead.
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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)!
An extraordinary event was enjoyed by a good crowd today at the Hotel del Coronado! The Seaside Victorian Carnival entertained hotel guests and the public with old-fashioned carnival games, food, jugglers, magicians, plate spinning, aerial silks, tightrope and other circus acts!
Tents on the beach featured nostalgic games like ring toss and penny pitch. Kids were having a blast trying to win a prize. Funds raised benefited a variety of charitable organizations in Coronado.
Several sand sculptures could also be enjoyed. And flying high above the sand were students from San Diego State University. Check out my photos of their amazing feats!
On the boardwalk, people lined up for caramel apples, chocolate kettle corn, giant pretzels and other yummy treats!
The main attraction was a slate of circus acts. I stayed awhile, watched several jugglers (one on stilts), an amazing chair stacker/balancer/juggler, and an aerialist smiling and spinning above a rapt audience!
Another perfect day at Coronado’s world-famous Victorian beach resort!
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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)!
Has someone cast a magic spell on the Balboa Park Carousel in time for Halloween?
Most of the carved wooden animals are suddenly wearing witch hats!
I’m wondering… Was this beautiful menagerie cursed by a jealous witch? Horse, ostrich, giraffe, chicken, cat and dog–they’ve turned into witches, too!
There seems to be no horrible after effect, however. Everyone riding the carousel was laughing, smiling and having a splendid time!
Perhaps that’s the magic of Balboa Park!
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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)!
The 67th Annual Massing of the Colors and Service of Remembrance was held today in San Diego’s Balboa Park.
The patriotic ceremony featured a procession of color guards through the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. In addition to military color guards, participants represented dozens of schools, organizations and agencies from throughout San Diego County.
The event was presented by the San Diego Chapter of Military Order of the World Wars, whose mission includes instilling love of country by honoring our nation’s flag and the liberty it promises. For a writer like myself, freedom is precious.
As I sat in the front row waiting for the event to begin, a gust of wind on the stage blew over our nation’s flag. Several people immediately rushed forward to raise Old Glory again.
The Massing of the Colors this year was co-sponsored by the Spreckels Organ Society. Patriotic music, including an Armed Forces Medley, was provided by San Diego Civic Organist extraordinaire Raúl Prieto Ramírez!
A special mention in the ceremony and program acknowledged Vietnam Veterans and their sacrifices. Fifty years ago, that terrible war ended.
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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)!
Cool San Diego Sights! 