A pelican painted on an electrical box. Photo taken on Mission Boulevard in Mission Beach.
Enjoy these photos of street art finds in Mission Beach!
I saw lots of cool artwork while walking along Mission Boulevard from Pacific Beach Drive south to the Giant Dipper roller coaster at Belmont Park. Almost every electrical box along the sidewalk had been painted with a lively beach or ocean theme!
A sailfish swims above the sidewalk.These fish in some kelp appear to be made of a hand and two feet dipped in paint!A transformer box with a small beach scene wrapping around it.Close look at one part of the impressionistic painting of the beach.A typical beach scene with sand, palm tree and surfer.Someone with a pail and someone walking a dog.Three orange garibaldis in the Pacific Ocean.A traffic sign warns of surfers crossing!A red, white and blue fish above a garage door.Some fun surfer street art in Mission Beach.And right next to it is another colorful, psychedelic panel of street art. Find it near Mission Blvd. and San Rafael Pl.A tropical scene on a wall.Perhaps take some gyros out on the boat when you go sport fishing.A goose is loose!One of several cool, nostalgic beach images on one parking lot fence. A surfer girl and a woodie overlooking the ocean.Another cool Southern California image on the parking lot wall.A youth with a surfboard looks out at the beach and sandstone cliffs.There seems to be a large hole in this wall. I see ocean waves through it!We must take care of our land and sea. Live aloha.A wacky Deadhead tiki character at the corner of a Mission Beach shop.Another painted scene shows natural beauty along San Diego’s coastline.Another cool woodie with surfboards on the roof.Whales and seals and fish on one watery wall.And a dolphin, too!The most important things in life . . . aren’t things.Two sailboats painted on an electrical box.Another underwater scene on a utility box, faded by the sun.A ringed planet appears to be surfing! Cosmic, dude!Urban art celebrates the Mission Beach Centennial, 1914-2014. The Giant Dipper roller coaster, the main attraction of Belmont Park, is in both the artwork and the photograph’s background.More garibaldis on a large electrical box near Mission Beach’s famous roller coaster.A migrating gray whale and pod of dolphins are part of the previously shown underwater mural.
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Worker inside the processing window at Chesapeake Fish Company packages fresh fish. Their seafood products are used by nearby restaurants and shipped around the world.
Millons of pounds of fish are processed at San Diego’s Chesapeake Fish Company every year. The dock where local fishermen unload their fresh catch is just steps away.
Most visitors to San Diego’s Embarcadero don’t realize they can actually watch freshly caught fish being processed. Just north of Seaport Village, a window invites tourists and passersby to watch the fish cleaning and packaging operation. The friendly workers will even hold up the fish for photographs and sometimes wave!
The processing room is refrigerated, but this morning I still managed to get some decent photos through the thick, fogged, drippy glass window…
If you see this sign just north of Seaport Village, take a look into the big window. Workers inside might be cleaning fish caught in the ocean off San Diego!Near the processing window of Chesapeake Fish Co. is the small dock where fishermen unload their catch. Beyond is Tuna Harbor, full of commercial fishing boats.A worker holds up a de-boned fish for my camera!I believe these are the bones, heads and inedible parts that are removed from the fish during the cleaning operation.Two workers get dinner ready for seafood lovers!
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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!
Electrical box on North Torrey Pines Road near the Gliderport intersection features colorful fish with huge eyeballs!
I walked around both the University of California San Diego and the Salk Institute in La Jolla this morning. Stay tuned to my blog and you’ll see why. (The next two posts are going to be very cool!)
As I headed up the sidewalk along North Torrey Pines Road back to my car, I spied all sorts of creative street art painted on utility boxes and transformers. In many instances, I believe, the art was produced by students at the university.
I was a student at UCSD’s Muir College decades ago. Wandering around the campus was like a brief voyage back in time. The years have gone by so very quickly…
Across from the North Campus of UCSD, this octopus carrying a book and donning a graduation cap is also riding a surfboard!Another nearby box features street art in the form of a breaking ocean wave. Excellent surfing can be found nearby at Black’s Beach.Another side of the big utility box has yellow fish forming a triangle as they swim above seaweed.And lastly we see a purple seal on a surfboard!Another corner of the same intersection has a utility box with four cool images. This side shows a golfer taking a swing at the nearby Torrey Pines Golf Course.On this side we see the interior of a biotechnology lab. Of course, the internationally famous Salk Institute building is about a 30 second walk from here! You can just glimpse a part of the parking lot in this photo. Stay tuned to this blog for more!Also nearby is the Torrey Pines Gliderport. This fun street art depicts a couple of paragliders soaring above the Pacific Ocean! The Gliderport is one of my favorite places.The fourth side of the box shows the natural beauty along the coast of La Jolla. Pine trees rise atop eroded sandstone cliffs.Now for some more street art along North Torrey Pines Road. I took this photo while walking along the sidewalk.This urban art looks to me like a city inside the outline of a Christmas tree.More great urban street art on a utility box.Wisdom written for all to see. Make time to make art and make love.On the next side of this box we see a hand with brush, making beautiful art.A transformer box with fish and whales swimming among trees and flowers!Human creativity expressed in public with paint.A bucket for cigarette butts next to the sidewalk. Fish! Don’t Smoke! Now that was an unexpected discovery!One side of a box near an entrance to UCSD. Hands of La Jolla by Rebecca Asch. It’s holding food.Another hand. A broken pencil and perhaps caffeine for those late nights of studying.An underwater guy in scuba gear and a pink mermaid seem to be in love. The spray painted words Silence is Violence probably was applied later, or perhaps not.Colorful blooms on branches. I think those might be Japanese cherry blossoms on the right.There are many crows (and seagulls) that flock in this coastal cliff area near UCSD. They perch on lampposts all over the place. Crows are taking flight right here, as well!More cool street art. Two crows fly across the angled sides of a utility box on North Torrey Pines Road.
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Shoppers at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market learn about whelks and other food from the sea.
Late yesterday morning I revisited the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. It’s a place whirling with human activity, fascinating sights, and fishy, oceany smells. The fresh seafood market spontaneously appears on the pier between Seaport Village and Tuna Harbor every Saturday morning. It features the catch of local fishermen. And lots of shoppers, should you arrive early.
During my casual visit I noticed some interesting information on a table that described what our local fishermen catch. So I took some pics. I also enjoyed being shown various species of edible sea creatures by a few of the friendly vendors, though I’m afraid I purchased nothing. My cooking skills amount to pushing buttons on the microwave. I admit it.
If you’d like to read some of the literature I spotted on a table, click the images.
Sidewalk signs try to lure people out onto a pier near Seaport Village. Fresh seafood caught by local fishermen is sold here every Saturday morning.I arrived at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market at about eleven o’clock, after the usual early morning crowd of fresh fish shoppers had departed.Some freshly caught silvery Pacific bluefin tuna on ice for sale. That’s a lot of eating!I noticed people by the edge of the pier looking across the water toward downtown San Diego.Something below in the water has caught their attention…It’s a sea lion just hanging out, probably hoping for a handout!The Mary Beth docked nearby appears equipped and ready to go out for more fish.Some colorful artwork at the fresh fish market depicts a fisherman and scenes from above and beneath the ocean.Meet your meal! At one table I discovered some interesting photos and literature, including a diagram of deep-set buoy gear used to catch swordfish.This poster shows the most common seafood commercially harvested in California. Many of these species can be purchased at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market.More info on the table describes the wavy turban snail and Kellet’s whelk, which I’m told make for good eating.I believe I’ve seen brown box crabs, Pacific rock crabs, and red sea urchins at this very market! The latter can live up to 200 years, and is considered a delicacy.Some guys cut up a huge fish, making steaks. Customers can have their purchase cleaned on the pier.A big pile of whelks. To cook these, boil!Look at all the seafood one can choose from at this one tent. The Tuna Harbor Dockside Market continues to grow and now occupies about half of the pier.Fresh fish! Lots of tuna!I’m shown a spiky sea urchin. The kelp and starfish are just for show–they aren’t normally eaten!
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Last chance to enjoy Anthony’s at the waterfront. 70 years of great memories and seafood at Anthony’s Fish Grotto, which will close on January 31, 2017.
Time is running out. Anthony’s Fish Grotto on San Diego’s waterfront will be closing at the end of next January. The restaurant has produced fond memories for millions of people over the course of its 70 year history. You have one last chance to enjoy this wonderful, unique place before it’s torn down.
Next year, the Brigantine will introduce a new restaurant at this scenic location, right next to the Star of India. I was told by a gentleman who sells art on the sidewalk nearby that the new Brigantine building is now under construction, and will be brought in across San Diego Bay on a ship or barge. That would certainly be a sight to behold!
Late yesterday morning I walked down to the Embarcadero to devour some french fries and a yummy tuna melt at Anthony’s outdoor Fishette. I sat on the wood deck dipping my fries in tartar sauce and breathing in the fresh air. I simply gazed out at the water. Pleasant visions floated on the sparkling blue, including a visiting cruise ship and San Diego Yacht Club sailboats. Between licking my fingers, I took a few photos.
Anthony’s has been a fixture on San Diego’s Embarcadero for 70 years. But their lease ran out and the Brigantine will soon build a new restaurant at this location.I’ve stood in this line many times. This is a favorite spot for tourists and locals alike.Eating seafood on benches inside a protected area of the informal outdoor Fishette, over the gently lapping water of San Diego Bay.Funny sign over the Fishette soda machine shows two fish in love.I’ll attest that Mama Ghio’s secret tartar sauce is a tasty concoction!Anthony’s Fish Grotto opened in 1946, right after World War II. I remember eating here many times as a child.Another photo of the small casual Fishette. I prefer dining outside, but many enjoy the more formal Fish Grotto restaurant, which occupies the interior of the building.In my opinion, some of the best seats in San Diego.A gull was patiently watching my fries.Activity on San Diego Bay included a refueling cruise ship. Those guys in the boat fishing were being watched by a circling sea lion.Here comes the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s historic Pilot boat, out on a harbor tour. Those sailboats racing in the distance belong to the San Diego Yacht Club.I love this place. It will be sad to see it go. (In this photo you can see the concrete posts where the Fish Grotto’s boat dock used to be. It was destroyed in that ferocious El Nino windstorm that I blogged about in early February.)Another beautiful day on the Embarcadero. Time marches on.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! 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 enjoy!
People enjoy unusual aquarium displays at the San Diego Tropical Fish Society Annual Show in Balboa Park.
Time for a laugh! Here are some weird, funny, and wonderfully creative fish aquariums!
Today I photographed some of the most humorous aquariums on display at the San Diego Tropical Fish Society Annual Show in Balboa Park. I was delighted to see so much unleashed craziness and imagination. Looks like this fishy hobby can be a lot of fun. Check these out!
A very unique aquarium contains two upside down goblets and one upside down glass fish bowl. The latter acts as a sort of sky observatory for the finny inhabitants.Star Wars characters stand atop an aquarium from a galaxy far, far away. The space-like interior features a duel between a randomly drifting TIE fighter and X-Wing, while darting red fish appear to be laser blasts.Doctor Who and a companion have traveled by TARDIS into the strange, unearthly interior of this humorous aquarium.An old blender or coffee maker makes a fine tropical fish aquarium, I suppose. Just don’t turn them on.I’m sure a fish was hiding somewhere in the ruins of the lost city of Atlantis.Who said bonsai plants couldn’t be submerged? Makes for a lovely but rather fishy garden.And an underwater Buddha, too! These fish must be on the watery path to nirvana.An aquarium alive with silly Minions and Lego creations and jumbled color. Oh, and some shy fish, too.A yellow submarine in a Beatles-themed tropical fish aquarium. Another fun photo taken in Balboa Park during the San Diego Tropical Fish Society Annual Show!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! 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 enjoy!
Beautiful ceramic mosaic artwork at Fletcher Cove Park in Solana Beach. The orange Garibaldi. By artist Betsy Schulz.
During my walk last weekend I headed from the Solana Beach Coaster station west a couple of blocks to Fletcher Cove Park. It was my intention to walk north along the ocean, then back east to Pacific Coast Highway. What I discovered as I neared the beach was incredibly cool.
The ceramic sea-themed mosaics you see in my photos were created by artist Betsy Schulz. I’ve documented another installation of her public art near the Santa Fe Depot. To see that, click here.
From the bluff at Overlook Park there’s a good view of Fletcher Cove and the blue Pacific Ocean. There are also four tables with more cool tile artwork by Betsy Schulz. The beautiful mosaics below in Fletcher Cove Park are found along the walkway that leads down to the beach.
Picnic tables along a path leading up through Overlook Park in Solana Beach feature more beautiful, sea-themed tile mosaics.A spiny lobster embedded in a picnic table at Overlook Park.Two beautiful fish are part of some sea-themed art in Solana Beach, created by artist Betsy Schulz.A crab is featured in this colorful mosaic of small ceramic tiles.Sculpture of a seagull near entrance to Fletcher Cove Park. According to one article I read, the sculpture was created in the 1940s, and the artist doesn’t seem to be known.Fletcher Cove Park, dedicated this day, June 16, 2007.An octopus on a low wall embraces citizens and businesses in Solana Beach who are part of this coastal community.Wonderful tile artwork includes shells, stones and a school of small silvery fish.Barred Surfperch.More ceramic fish along the public walkway that heads down through Fletcher Cove Park to the small beach.Red Octopus.A work of art depicting a few of nature’s wonders and human creativity.This oval seat is right next to the beach. We know a mermaid who lives here in the sea…And here is the mermaid. The stunning mosaic artwork has been worn by sand, wind and time.In a tide pool one might discover a Brittle Star.Upon the rocky ocean bottom, one might find Green Abalone.Brown Tube Snail and California Spiny Lobster.Shore birds one might see nearby include the Whimbrel and Marbled Godwit.Thousands of shells, waves rush to our shore, Search high and low tides, you’re bound to find more.White Amiantis.Many small sea creatures appear in amazing tile artwork in Solana Beach’s Fletcher Cove Park.This lifelike Cabezon seems to be looking directly at you!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! 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 enjoy!
Diners sit at tables on the waterfront. An Italian fish market, colorful buildings and clouds.
I really like this mural. You’ll find it near the corner of Grape Street and Kettner Boulevard in Little Italy. It was painted by San Diego artist Stephanie Clair. Her art is modern, romantic and overflowing with the simple pleasures of life. Please enjoy a few colorful photos!
Little Italy mural painted by artist Stephanie Clair shows the life of a fishing town. Perhaps it resembles San Diego’s past.Fishermen in their boats working the sea. The water is blue and green.Lovers drink wine as they sit by the water, gazing out at the sunset.A streetcar among buildings that seem to pulse with life.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! 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 enjoy!
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s old Coast Guard patrol boat, renamed M/V Farley Mowat, is docked this weekend on San Diego’s Embarcadero.
Yesterday after work, I noticed that an unusually decorated old U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat was docked along the Embarcadero, just north of the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Naturally, I had to investigate!
Turns out the renamed boat, M/V Farley Mowat, is now owned and operated by an organization called the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, whose stated mission is to defend, conserve and protect marine ecosystems and species. They use direct-action tactics to expose and confront the illegal slaughter of marine wildlife at sea. I’d seen their exhibit aboard the steam ferry Berkeley during Earth Day on the Bay, where their representative explained that Sea Shepherd was like Greenpeace on steroids.
I spoke to a friendly crewmember near the Farley Mowat and learned they would be offering the public free tours on Saturday. The vessel has just returned from its second mission in the Sea of Cortez off Baja California–the wildlife defense campaign was titled Operation Milagro II. For a number of months, Sea Shepherd worked with the Mexican government in a marine refuge near San Felipe to identify and intercept illegal gillnet fishing which has reduced the population of the rare Vaquita Porpoise over the decades to just about 100 animals. This is commendable work! Sea Shepherd not only has permission from the Mexican government to patrol for poachers and pull up illegal fishing nets when encountered, but they are making observations concerning this endangered marine species. They are doing similar work to protect another rare fish in the region: the Totoaba Bass.
Working within the law in a positive way to protect these species is commendable and extraordinary! After doing some research at home, however, I learned that the organization is quite controversial. Some say they go too far. Some, including other environmental activists and organizations, have called them eco-terrorists. I don’t know enough to comment, but I do know that sometimes people with enthusiastic agendas and a sense of urgent purpose can lose their sense of humanity. The people I met yesterday and this morning when I walked again along the Embarcadero seemed like very nice people. I will say no more.
A very friendly, informative crewmember of Farley Mowat explained their recently completed mission, which was to defend the Vaquita Porpoise in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez.Photograph of M/V Farley Mowat the following cloudy morning. Visitors were being given tours aboard the vessel.Interested people and crew mingle before boarding the Sea Shepherd’s cool boat. Public tours of M/V Farley Mowat are being offered this weekend in San Diego.Looks like kids made some Thank You signs for Sea Shepherd!A tent near the boat featured gifts and information in support of Sea Shepherd. Defending Ocean Wildlife Worldwide.A detailed poster explains why sea turtles should be defended. Click to enlarge. San Diego’s South Bay has its own small group of migratory green sea turtles.Sea Shepherd stops in San Diego. They were featured in Animal Planet’s television show Whale Wars. M/V Farley Mowat will soon be on its way to another location on the high seas.
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Do you like to read short pieces of thought-provoking fiction? You might enjoy checking out Short Stories by Richard.
Today I saw a new canopy and sign at the ever-expanding Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. It’s a food tent called Loaf and Fish! They’ve got one of my favorite things!
I’m not really a food blogger, but I have a terrible weakness for fish sandwiches, fish tacos and fish burritos. So when I saw a new food vendor was selling fresh fish sandwiches this weekend at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, of course I had to try one!
A bit down the pier you’ll find the sign that reads Loaf and Fish. Those are the nice folks you need to see. My grilled fish sandwich was really good! I was told they don’t have a website yet, but they’ll be there on the pier every Saturday morning, a tasty addition to the constantly growing Dockside Market!
(You can visit San Diego’s new outdoor fish market every Saturday morning on the pier just north of Seaport Village, next to Tuna Harbor.)
Loaf and Fish. Built, helmed and crewed by fishing families. The tasty yellowtail in my sandwich was caught by the fishing vessel Wild West!Oh, man! My fish sandwich is getting ready! Some tomatoes, avocado (yum), red onions, chipotle mayo, lettuce, all on a fresh bolillo roll. And, of course, grilled fresh fish!And here it is, with a smile! You know what? It was pretty darn good. I recommend devouring these!Everyone at Loaf and Fish was super nice to some strange blogger guy walking around with a camera. Good luck guys!
UPDATE!
Loaf and Fish has added a couple of items to their menu. You can now enjoy fish tacos and tasty fish soup!
The fish tacos are just as yummy as any you’ll find in San Diego. And keep in mind our city has the best fish tacos in the entire world.
I’ve also tried the fish soup and it’s really tasty! In addition to big chunks of freshly caught fish, there are fresh vegetables and slices of avocado floating on top! On chilly mornings this hot soup really hits the spot!
To top it all off, eating on the pier by the water–with the bustle of activity all around, including friendly fishermen and local fishing boats and the seagulls and playful sea lions barking nearby–it’s a feast for the senses that can’t be beat!
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