Join me, says Darth Vader. Never, replies Luke Skywalker. An epic lightsaber battle commences.
Here’s more super cool street art! A classic battle between the dark and the light, and iconic movie characters recognized around the world are painted on two utility boxes in National City! You can spot them near the intersection of 8th Street and National City Boulevard.
This bold street art is an homage to the original Star Wars trilogy. The final four images might make you laugh!
Like a comic book or graphic novel, the right side of this utility box is painted with two more panels of Star Wars street art. I see good old R2-D2 and the white helmet of an Imperial Stormtrooper.Bounty hunter Boba Fett, a popular Star Wars character, makes for some super cool street art! I photographed this image on the left side of the same utility box.Pop culture icon C-3PO from Star Wars movies, television and other media has also been painted on the side of this utility box.Wannabe Stormtrooper on a second National City utility box seems to idolize Darth Vader and his mastery of the Dark Force.Live Set Stormtrooper likes listening to tunes while battling the Rebel Alliance. Perhaps that’s why those lasers never seem to hit anything.Poker Face Stormtrooper has beer hoses entering his helmet and a hand of cards.Selfie Stormtrooper thinks he looks good. Some funny Star Wars street art in National City!
…
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 fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
Just like last summer, 2016 San Diego Comic-Con trolley wraps sponsored by TBS feature Conan O’Brien turned into crazy Funko Pop! characters.
Here are photos of what will probably be the final trolley wrap for 2016 San Diego Comic-Con. I hope I’m proven wrong!
Today a number of trolleys cars featuring brand new Conan O’Brien Funko Pop! figures began heading up and down the Green Line; I counted at least five cars so far. The wrap is quite similar to last year’s TBS Comic-Con offering, but this time Conan has been transformed into four completely different pop culture characters.
In 2016 Conan is Superman, a Stormtrooper, a Ghostbuster and Joker. Of course, movies involving these characters are either imminent or on the way, so the wraps work as advertisements for those movies, for Funko Pop! vinyl figure toys, for San Diego Comic-Con, and lastly for Conan O’Brien’s talk show on TBS.
I’ve heard that like last year, Conan will be performing live at the Spreckels Theater on Broadway in downtown San Diego. Catch him and his inimitable humor starting July 20!
Conan O’Brien will be Live From Comic-Con starting July 20. His talk show antics will be enjoyed in the Spreckels Theater in downtown San Diego.Here Conan is turned into the Joker from the upcoming Suicide Squad movie. He might be damaged, but he has nowhere near enough tattoos.Looks to me as if Conan is a Star Wars Stormtrooper here. He must’ve lost his helmet.Yes, here’s Conan as a Ghostbuster, trying not to be slimed. Even though those black eyes make him look possessed and evil.And finally Conan O’Brien has been turned into good old Superman. Not sure if this is the cranky good old Superman who sometimes kills his enemies.
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! If all goes well, I’m gonna have a ton of Comic-Con photos on my blog this year! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Elegant stern of HMS Surprise, one of many fascinating ships owned by the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
It’s Christmas. I wasn’t planning to blog today. But this afternoon I became a new member of the Maritime Museum of San Diego! (Having lived for 15 years just a short walk from the museum, it’s about time!)
Naturally, I couldn’t wait to visit several of the amazing ships. The Maritime Museum of San Diego has one of the finest and largest collections of historical ships in the world!
If you’ve ever watched the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, then you’ll probably recognize the HMS Surprise. The beautiful tall ship, upon which many scenes were filmed, is in the museum’s collection. And I took a bunch of photos today!
Becoming a member of the Maritime Museum of San Diego is going to be awesome. Among other great perks, I can visit any of the ships free for an entire year. I can sit in the elegant enclosed passenger deck of the Steam Ferry Berkeley and read and write whenever I please! Right out on beautiful San Diego Bay! How cool is that?
I bet some of you might really enjoy membership, too! I’m told they are looking for volunteers to help sail their new Spanish galleon replica San Salvador!
HMS Surprise in some morning sunlight.The ship you are about to board was originally built as a replica of the British 24-gun frigate Rose of 1757. HMS Rose played a role in the American Revolution and was sunk in Savanna harbor in 1779.Detailed model of the HMS Surprise, which is the only operating replica of an 18th century frigate in the world. The ship was used in the filming of Master and Commander, starring Russell Crowe.Visitor to the San Diego Maritime Museum pretends to steer the tall ship HMS Surprise, which is docked on the Embarcadero near the historic Star of India, in the background.View of the ship’s main deck and lower rigging from the quarterdeck. A portion of San Diego’s skyline and the County Administration Building are visible.Cannon projects from hull of HMS Surprise, which is a replica of a 24-gun frigate of the Royal Navy, based on 18th century British Admiralty drawings.Looking upward at the three masts, furled sails and other complicated rigging.Photo through ropes of the nearby Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing ship, also part of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.The ship’s bell. Originally named the HMS Rose, the ship was re-registered as HMS Surprise because of her starring role in the film Master and Commander.Below deck there are many fascinating exhibits, which show what life was like aboard a frigate. Other displays recall the filming of Master and Commander.Pick the right kind of shot. The Surprise carried a variety of projectiles, each suited for different purposes.Artistic depiction of activity below deck during an engagement with the enemy. Operating the cannons was a complicated, dangerous duty.Feeling seasick? Visit the surgeon. Getting sick at sea was very serious not only for the ill sailor, but also for the entire crew.Exhibit inside HMS Surprise recalls the ship’s doctor in the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. The fictional Dr. Stephen Maturin was also a scientist and naturalist.Most of the crew slept below the gun deck in hammocks. Tightly-packed swinging hammocks figured memorably in the visuals of the movie Master and Commander.Ship’s Biscuit, also known as Hard Tack, was easy to make and preserve, and became part of the staple diet for British and Spanish mariners on their long voyages in the Pacific.Chickens, geese and ducks were carried on board as live food. Officers enjoyed eggs. Fresh meat was reserved for the officers and those sick with scurvy.A remote station used for steering the ship when she is propelled by her twin diesel engines. In 2007, HMS Surprise was restored to sailing condition.One of several photos on display from the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Famous actor Russell Crowe played the role of Captain Jack Aubrey.Distinctive figurehead representing the Greek goddess Athena often seen in the popular movie. It now graces San Diego’s waterfront. UPDATE! I’ve been told it actually represents Boadicea, queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire.Photograph of the HMS Surprise as evening approaches. One of many wonderful ships that visitors can board at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
UPDATE!
A new exhibit called Man-of-War opened on HMS Surprise in May, 2018. There are many new signs around the ship, and the captain’s great cabin is now open to the public. (I intend to blog about the great cabin separately.)
Here are additional photos. Read the captions for explanations about life aboard British fighting ships from that fascinating era.
A new exhibit called Man-of-War aboard the HMS Surprise features new signs describing life aboard an 18th century British frigate. Prepare for Battle!The ship was built as replica of the HMS Rose in 1970. It was purchased by Twentieth Century Fox to be used in the movie Master and Commander, starring Russell Crowe, and was subsequently renamed HMS Surprise.Following maritime tradition, the ship has retained its original bell.Looking at the newly redecked quarterdeck of the HMS Surprise. The rest of the main deck will be restored as well.An officer on the quarterdeck would issue commands to the sailor manning the wheel, which controlled the rudder at the ship’s stern.The Disney Wonder cruise ship is seen docked in San Diego beyond the capstan. HMS Surprise was used in the filming of Disney’s movie Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.Many hands turned the capstan to raise or lower the anchor.Ordinary sailors relieved themselves at the ship’s bow. Hence the name head.This was a sailor’s bathroom!A man-of-war could remain at sea for many months and travel more than 150 miles per day.On the gun deck of HMS Surprise, replica twenty-four-pound cannons have names like Spit Fire, Beelzebub and Bulldog. Larger than what a frigate would carry, these were used for dramatic effect in the movie.A display demonstrates aspects of a warship’s gun and its operation.Diagram depicts how a six-man gun crew would load, aim and fire different types of shot.Sailors lived in their own specialized world, with familiar customs, rules, routines and expectations.The complex often stressful operation of a man-of-war required strict discipline. Punishments included flogging and gagging.The English diet at sea was rather simple and predictable. Lots of biscuit, beer, pease, oatmeal and butter. Pork and cheese, too.Cooking in the galley was done in calm weather. The Brodie Stove was designed for use on crowded wooden ships where dangerous fire must be avoided at all costs.A rat has found its way into a ship’s food barrel.The Royal Navy issued hard biscuits made of flour and water that were stored in sacks for months at a time. Weevils and maggots were a constant problem.Costume worn by character Midshipman Lord William Blakeney in the movie Master and Commander.Unlike the captain who in his great cabin as a gentleman lived in comparative luxury, lesser officers, like the crew, made due with cramped quarters.Midshipmen who sought to become officers learned seamanship and navigation. They had to master many skills required to operate and command a ship.Instruments used to navigate a ship included the octant and sand glass.The doctor’s quarters on the HMS Surprise. A photo shows actor Paul Bettany as the film’s character Dr. Stephen Maturin.Hammocks were often used by sailors to store clothing and personal items.A suspended mess table where sailors would eat together next to a hammock on the gun deck of museum ship HMS Surprise.
Finn, heroic character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, holds a lightsaber. Cool spray paint art by William J. Dorsett.
Check out these super cool Star Wars images! They were created by a talented guy named William J. Dorsett. He’s a great spray paint artist and busker who is frequently seen on San Diego’s Embarcadero, in front of Anthony’s Fish Grotto.
William also happens to be a really nice guy. I’ve seen him working his magic for years during my walks. Not only does he create very unique spray paint artwork, but he also fashions amazing small works of sculpture using corn husks.
And, as you can plainly see, he’s a huge fan of Star Wars!
William loves to demonstrate his unbounded creativity, and did so recently at a local school for excited students. Check out his website to learn more!
William J. Dorsett is a talented busker who often displays his cool artwork on San Diego’s Embarcadero. In this photo he’s handing a corn husk rose to a passerby!Small, colorful spray paint images include a Darth Vader helmet, an Imperial Stormtrooper, R2-D2 and Yoda.It’s Chewbacca with his Bowcaster blaster under a distant galaxy’s stars and a colorful planet.More cosmic, bold spray paint artwork depicts popular Star Wars characters.C-3PO and Han Solo in classic Star Wars poses! Awesome!
The von Trapp family sings live on stage at San Diego’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
This afternoon in Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion, a very large crowd of people heard the singing of angels.
The great grandchildren of Captain and Maria von Trapp were live on stage, performing beautiful, exquisitely harmonized vocals during this Sunday’s free organ concert. Almost everyone loves the classic film The Sound of Music, which was based on the real life musical family’s escape from Nazi occupied Austria. Sofi, Melanie, Amanda, and August von Trapp are the grandchildren of Werner von Trapp, who was portrayed in the movie as Kurt, the youngest child. The four young musicians have obviously inherited the von Trapp magic.
The quartet of siblings have performed around the world to critical acclaim, appearing in the world’s top concert venues and on many major television shows. We in San Diego were truly fortunate to be graced with their music…and on a sunny, perfect day!
The von Trapps performed eight incredible numbers: Dream a Little Dream of Me; the old German folk song Die Dorfmusik (which was made famous by the German group Comedian Harmonists before being disbanded by the Nazis, because some members were Jewish); Storm, an original composition written by the group while living in Portland, Oregon and performed a cappella ; French pop musician Françoise Madeleine Hardy’s well known Le Premier Bonheur du Jour; The Sound of Music, by Rodgers & Hammerstein; Hushabye Mountain from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; a new piece (I missed the name) sung with ukelele from their upcoming album, due to be released on April 14; and, of course, Edelweiss. The four voices were so pure, so buoyant, so uplifting, and melded so deliciously, a standing ovation erupted.
Wow!
A huge crowd gathered as the incredible family quartet warmed up.Today’s Sunday afternoon concert included Dr. Carol Williams, San Diego’s Civic Organist.Youthful singers have inherited the von Trapp vocal magic.Almost all of the benches in the large Spreckels Organ Pavilion were full.The von Trapps sing on stage on a sunny San Diego afternoon!
…
To enjoy future posts, you can “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
Over the decades, many of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars have stayed at the world famous Hotel Del Coronado. Most checked in for personal pleasure; others were working. The Hotel Del Coronado has been used in the filming of over a dozen movies.
Outside the hotel, a few steps from the sidewalk, you’ll find a glass display containing photos of movie superstar guests. I tried to take a bunch of photos, but most didn’t come out so great.
In my first decent pic, you see a photo with the caption: Screen legend Clark Gable stayed at the Del during the filming of Hell Divers, shot in 1931.
I also recorded a photograph from 1958 of the acting trio starring in Some Like It Hot. The caption reads: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe proved to be a winning combination for Billy Wilder’s romantic comedy.
And here’s a third photo (which I took on a later date) with the caption: Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe’s steamy love scenes still heat up the screen more than fifty years after the 1959 film was released.
Photo of Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe movie love scene.
Here come even more pics!
Esther Williams and sons on the beach.Rosalind Russell out in the water.Kirk Douglas seems to have quite an appetite!
Cool San Diego Sights! 