Tag: food

Fun at Padres Annual Opening Weekend Block Party!

The San Diego Padres 11th Annual Opening Weekend Block Party is going on as I type this!

Head over to J Street between 7th & 10th Avenue (north of Petco Park) and partake of food, drink, live music, fun games, and the fellowship of other Padres fans! Hurry though! It continues today, Saturday, through 4:00 pm.

As I walked the three blocks, I saw booths and food trucks galore. Many of San Diego’s local professional teams were present, as were MTS, the San Diego Library and other good people!

And there’s a big screen where they’ll be showing the SDSU Aztecs men’s basketball team competing in the Final Four!

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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 Twitter!

Good times at 25th Annual Rolando Street Fair!

Spring must be here, because community festivals have begun to “spring up” around San Diego!

The 25th Annual Rolando Street Fair was held today, and because I’ve never experienced this event, I had to check it out!

What a cool neighborhood street festival!

Lots of families were enjoying a huge kids play zone, plus there were many booths that focused on youth education. There was a stage with live music, tons of food, the expected rows of vendors, and artists were showing their work, too!

A good crowd had already gathered in the Rolando Street Fair’s first hour.
It’s Odi from the San Diego Public Library!
Crawford High School has many notable graduates. I was told half a dozen major league baseball catchers have come from this local school!
If you want music lessons, this is the man to see!
The youthful @kidTRIBUTES were covering classic rock hits.
There’s a College Area Community Garden near SDSU. I think I’ve seen these guys at another event.
Colorful artwork by Bianca Marcellous (@Blancbyrd).
The artist smiled for a photo!
This cool guy was displaying some wood art. He represented Old Fashioned Lumber, a San Diego custom design and fabrication shop.
This is a time traveling character, by @zander6comix.
And here’s the artist!
Lots to do along Rolando Boulevard during the street fair.
Lots to eat, too!
A bunch of jumpers ahead await fun-loving kids.
Yes, it’s the 25th Annual Rolando Street Fair!

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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 Twitter!

House of Ireland celebration in Balboa Park!

You know St. Patrick’s Day is coming up in San Diego, because the House of Ireland had their big lawn program this afternoon in Balboa Park!

What did I see?

Smiles throughout the big crowd! Lots of green! Irish coffee! Irish stew! Traditional baked goods! A rousing opening parade involving all of the event participants! The Cameron Highlanders with bagpipes and drums! Sprightly tunes! Energetic step dancing! Reels and jigs! The audience clapping along to the music!

If you missed it, I suggest you catch the House of Ireland lawn program next year!

I learned that San Diego Comhaltas is looking for new members. This group loves to perform Irish music and dance! Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of traditional Irish culture!

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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 Twitter!

House of India energizes Balboa Park!

Wow! The House of India in Balboa Park put on one of the most colorful, dynamic events today that you’ll likely to ever experience!

Their cultural lawn program at the International Cottages was jam-packed with dance groups leaping and twirling to upbeat music, much of it inspired by Bollywood.

A large crowd watched the entertainment while sitting on the grass and eating traditional Indian food, like tandoori and, my favorite, samosas.

When each dance number concluded, there was enthusiastic cheering!

I took a couple of photos at the House of India cottage, checked out an art creation station and a game of carrom, then sat down on a bench by the International Cottages stage just before two-o’clock to capture some of the fun!

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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 Twitter!

Mushrooms become popular in San Diego!

The 25th Annual Fungus Fair of the San Diego Mycological Society was held today in Balboa Park. I’ve checked out this event in past years, but I’d never seen such enormous crowds before. The popularity of mushrooms in San Diego appears to have greatly . . . mushroomed!

Not only was Room 101 of the Casa del Prado jammed with people gazing at informative exhibits, but numerous vendors were displaying mushroom art and crafts and edible concoctions in the building’s outdoor courtyard.

I wandered about amazed by all the varieties and apparent benefits of fungi. Mycophiles in attendance could learn how to grow and forage mushrooms. Curious people like me could learn about the characteristics, medicinal uses and dangers of different types.

Check out some fun fungus photography!

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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 Twitter!

Baking pizza wings in Chula Vista!

What could possibly be better than pizza and wings? Pizza wings!

The painting of new murals is underway in Chula Vista! One, near the corner of Third Avenue and G Street, promotes La Bella Pizza. It depicts an angelic statue with pizza wings. I took a photo a couple weeks ago and then another a few days ago, so you can see the mural’s tasty progress!

The artists call themselves Arte Atolondrada (@arteatolondrada). I’ve learned another much larger mural will soon be painted nearby, on the east side of La Bella Cafe and Games. This fun project is being undertaken with help from a Create Chula Vista Art Grant.

Downtown Chula Vista continues to grow more colorful and dynamic!

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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 Twitter!

Ghostbusters capture Slimer in University Heights!

When there’s something strange in the University Heights neighborhood, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!

Slimer was observed passing through the walls of Gnarly Girl Pizza at 2302 El Cajon Boulevard, so the original Ghostbusters crew–Egon Spengler, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore and Peter Venkman–were promptly summoned. Using their proton packs, careful to not cross the radially polarized electrostatic beams, they successfully captured the hungry green ectoplasmic imp!

A weird creature that devours its own pizza head was also spotted. The pepperoni freckled monster is still at large.

This very cool art was painted last year by Alex Julian (@alexfizix). His style is unmistakable. You’ve possibly seen his comic-inspired murals elsewhere in San Diego!

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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 Twitter!

Saturday morning at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market.

Look at all the activity today at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market!

Every Saturday morning, local fishermen bring their fresh catches to the pier between Seaport Village and Tuna Harbor, and lovers of seafood line up to buy fish and crabs and sea urchins and other edibles found in the ocean off San Diego.

I walked out on the pier this morning, marveling at how this outdoor fish market has grown. Can you believe it? Eight years have already passed since Tuna Harbor Dockside Market’s grand opening.

Anyone into photography would love strolling through this market with camera in hand.

There’s the whirl of life all around: diverse people from every walk of life rubbing elbows; families at tables devouring fish and chips; the picturesque commercial fishing boats; the human ebb and flow of commerce; circling gulls; playful sea lions barking down in the bay (I observed none today); and all those different species of fish, some of which can appear quite strange…

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I post fresh blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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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!

San Diego Sister Cities 65 Year Celebration!

A fun special event was held today at the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages in Balboa Park. It was the San Diego Sister Cities 65 Year Celebration!

Music, food and dance was provided by various hosts, who represented some of San Diego’s sixteen Sister Cities. San Diego’s oldest Sister City partnership is with Yokohama, Japan. That relationship was established 65 years ago!

At information tables visitors to the event could learn about the history of different Sister Cities, and see how mutual programs, such as student and cultural exchanges, help create peace and understanding between nations.

I stayed for a bit and watched several dances while eating very tasty West African Ghana sambusa. I also asked a few questions at the tables, and learned much!

(By the way, there are signs in downtown’s Civic Center Plaza pointing to San Diego’s Sister Cities. I took photos of the signs years ago and posted them here!)

Alcalá de Henares, Spain has been a San Diego Sister City since 1982. It is the birthplace of Cervantes, author of Don Quixote!

Tema, Ghana, has been Sister City to San Diego since 1976. The “Peace and Unity Wall” mosaic mural in Tema was made from supplies donated from San Diego.

Crafts and cultural artifacts from Ghana.

Jeonju, South Korea has been a San Diego Sister City since 1983. The San Diego-Jeonju Society introduces local students to Korean culture.

Did you know Carlsbad, California has two Sister Cities? Kalovy Vary (Karlsbad), Czech Republic’s famed mineral springs inspired the naming of Carlsbad, whose artesian mineral water is nearly identical. Futtsu, Japan is the other Sister City.

Images from the long history of San Diego and Yokohama, Japan’s deep Sister City ties. In the center is the Japanese Friendship Bell, which now stands on Shelter Island. See more about it here!

Where there is friendship, there is much hope.

A nice smile!

Flamenco dancing to guitar celebrates Spain’s culture.

Lunch! Yummy!

Dancers representing Panama take the stage!

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Thank you for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often, so you might want to bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and check back from time to time.

You can explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!

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!

Chow: Feeding a Navy in San Diego.

The old Naval Training Center San Diego had a reputation for serving sailors and recruits some pretty good chow. But providing over 30,000 meals every day took a lot of work!

Inside the Dick Laub NTC Command Center at Liberty Station in Point Loma, visitors can view the fascinating exhibit Chow: Feeding a Navy.

NTC had one of the finest mess and galley programs in the nation. Many sailors with chef and mess service school command training were sought after by the White House kitchen…

Each recipe contained large amounts of ingredients not found in the family kitchen…

The galleys at NTC offered buffet-style metal partition trays for many years. Later ceramic plates and plastic trays were used… Having plates gave the sailors a feeling of home.

Chow included a main course, sides, and often a dessert…

Many recruits recall their favorite part of the chef and mess school was the bakery. Bread or cake, the bakery at NTC was renowned…

The daily operations…trained sailors to cook for thousands aboard ships, submarines and on land…

By 1990, a few years before decommissioning, the three NTC galleys averaged 6,445,000 meals per year.

Cakes were included in every celebration and prominent in many official photographs. Cake was a staple for Pass In Review with dignitaries and guests presiding.

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Thank you for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often, so you might want to bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and check back from time to time.

You can explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!

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!