The northwest corner of Town and Country’s new river park is under construction. The public park will be directly across Riverwalk Drive from the Fashion Valley Transit Center.
A new linear river park is under construction near Fashion Valley!
An ugly old parking lot of the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center is being converted into park space. And the north side of the San Diego River, directly adjacent to the Fashion Valley Transit Center, will be part of this new public park, too!
The project, which includes almost 8 acres of restored natural habitat, and beautiful new pathways along the San Diego River, is part of the Town and Country hotel’s extensive property-wide renovation.
Today I found myself standing high up on the Fashion Valley trolley station platform. I looked down to see how the northwest corner of the new park is taking shape.
Because I frequently use this station, I’ll continue to monitor developments!
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Kid meets Gold Zeo Power Ranger in front of the San Diego Museum of Art!
I have a few odd photos to share. Problem is, I’m not really sure what to do with them. So I’ve posted them here, together!
The first three photos were snapped in Balboa Park over the weekend; the final two were taken during my commute home today.
Behold: two valiant superheroes and ducks waiting for a bus!
Gold Zeo Power Ranger, Trey of Triforiaz, cosplay in Balboa Park.Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) stands guard inside the House of Israel in Balboa Park.A flock of ducks waits for a bus at the Fashion Valley Transit Center.Ducks prepare to board an arriving bus.
These silly ducks, unfortunately, forgot their bus passes.
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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!
Yellow mustard is blooming across San Diego’s hillsides, and other early spring flowers are thriving, too! The rainy winter has produced a cheerful show of bright color all around the city.
I walked near the San Diego River by Fashion Valley this morning and found many patches of sunflowers.
UPDATE!
I goofed! Most of these flowers are actually garland chrysanthemums (also called crown daisies), which aren’t native to our region. But these invasive plants do flourish in San Diego now.
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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!
Beautiful roses planted between the Town and Country Hotel and busy Fashion Valley Road in Mission Valley.
This morning, after I took photos of the funny sign at the Town and Country Hotel (see my previous post), I walked north up Fashion Valley Road and turned east on Riverwalk Drive, following the San Diego River. I then passed under Highway 163 via the San Diego River Trail, and arrived at the Hazard Center shopping mall. From there I followed several streets to work.
During my walk between the Town and Country and Hazard Center I took a series of interesting photographs. When I reviewed my photos this evening, I realized they presented complex and thought-provoking contrasts.
Morning sprinklers have irrigated another perfect rose.A duck in the San Diego River, as seen from the pedestrian bridge between the Town and Country and the Fashion Valley Transit Center.Dozens of tame river ducks like to gather by the bus station to eat crumbs offered by humans.Continuing east along Riverwalk Drive, looking at native greenery by the San Diego River.Wild, ragged sunflower blossoms ablaze in morning light.Fresh green sycamore leaves by the walking path.I’m approaching some major construction near the place where Highway 163 passes under Friars Road north of the river. The project is calculated to ease traffic flow.Wild grass and urban development.Heavy machinery sculpting the Earth.Construction worker by stacked security fencing.Ants work busily on a nearby native flower.A perfect bloom planted near the Hazard Center shopping center, contrasted with bare concrete.A mural on the south side of Hazard Center shows people flocking to the mall.Bronze sculpture at Hazard Center of Bruce R. Hazard – Everyone’s Friend. For almost a century R.E. Hazard Contracting Company has helped build many of San Diego’s freeway, road, commercial and subdivision projects.Another nearby sculpture of Bruce’s father features this plaque. “Pappy” R.E. Hazard, Sr. 1880-1975. A man’s man, paper boy, businessman, horseman, hunter, fisherman.Be Just and Fear Not. Pappy Hazard, founder of a major construction firm in San Diego, collected old wagons and stagecoaches. Today you can find much of his collection at Seeley Stable, a museum in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
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The swollen San Diego River after three winter storms in six days. A gauge beside the water shows the river has subsided to about the 8 foot mark, after reaching a high level–I believe–of around 11 feet.
I did some walking in a drizzle this morning before work.
I got off the trolley at the Fashion Valley station and proceeded to investigate the San Diego River in a section of Mission Valley that is often hit with flooding. Three very rainy winter storms were finally coming to an end. What did I see?
Palm trees surrounded by flowing river water. Photo taken from the pedestrian bridge between the Fashion Valley Transit Center and the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center.A tall, shallow-rooted eucalyptus tree knocked over by the gusty winter storms. A common sight around San Diego.Fashion Valley Road this morning was still blocked off from traffic, even though the San Diego River’s water had subsided to street level.A friendly San Diego Lifeguard makes the rounds to make sure nobody needs a swift water rescue. My photo just missed his wave!The parking structures at Fashion Valley Mall that are susceptible to flooding were definitely well underwater. Thank goodness, I saw no submerged cars.Bright green grass and dark clouds. I was sheltered from raindrops by the trolley tracks overhead.As usual, the San Diego River was flooding Avenida del Rio just south of the mall. The short, dipping street is appropriately named!Yesterday someone foolishly trying to walk through this powerful moving water had to be rescued. They got washed away. A helicopter was even brought in.No worries about flooding for the trolley–at least right here!The Highway 163 underpass was flooded and muddy. I had to walk another way around to reach work. Good thing I got an early start!Sign by the San Diego River. The low rainfall and the geologic composition historically allowed the river to run below ground much of the year, hence the nickname: the Upside Down River.The beautiful river this morning through leaves.Morning sky and clouds through bare winter trees.The San Diego River is unusually wide in its swollen state after the storms. It looks like an honest-to-goodness actual river!Walking along Mission Center Road in the rain by the San Diego River.
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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 flock of San Diego River ducks. The curious birds seem to wait for a morning bus at the Fashion Valley Transit Center.
Just a quick, fun post!
This morning, a flock of San Diego River ducks were happily waddling about the Fashion Valley Transit Center. They fearlessly mingled with the humans, who watched the proceedings with amusement. Perhaps those curious feathered friends were also waiting for a bus!
Car deep in the water. The flooded lower level of a Fashion Valley mall parking garage in San Diego’s Mission Valley.
Occasionally I post not-so-cool photos on my blog. Here are some that are noteworthy. I took these this morning while walking through a section of Mission Valley on my way to work. Because it lies right next to the San Diego River, the area is notorious for catastrophic flooding.
Yesterday we had a storm that brought intense rain to our region. It was the second winter storm of this El Nino year. Today we’re having our third storm, and it looks to be fairly rainy for many days to come.
Of course, after California’s long drought, we need the water. Unfortunately, the rain that falls in Mission Valley and many other parts of San Diego isn’t captured–it simply runs off into the ocean. I hope there isn’t too much damage caused this winter by El Nino. To my blog’s followers who are affected, take care!
The morning after an early winter storm during an El Nino year. The sun is out as people cross the San Diego River near the Fashion Valley Transit Center.Areas along the San Diego River are notorious for flooding. Yesterday a long deluge raised the water to an unusually high level.A couple dozen cars were spotted flooded at the Fashion Valley shopping mall. This one was stranded not far from Macy’s, which also suffered some flooding inside the store.More cars abandoned in the flood. Many storms are in line to strike San Diego in the coming days during this El Nino year.The bike and pedestrian pathway beneath Highway 163 flooded and was impassable. The nearby river was swollen with the recent rain.A beautiful morning photo of the San Diego River taken from Mission Center Road. This spot floods during severe storms and traffic must be diverted.A barrier stands ready for the next storm. It looks to be a long, watery winter!
This giant, mischievous Pinocchio dangles a yo-yo and winks while sitting atop a red tile roof. This fun sight can be found at the Geppetto’s toy store in the Fashion Valley shopping mall, in Mission Valley.
Cool San Diego Sights! 