Tag: fun

New model train fun at the La Mesa Depot!

Look what has arrived at the old La Mesa Depot. A super cool model train layout!

During my last visit to the La Mesa Depot several years ago, Station Master Timothy was building a new layout in the historic depot’s baggage room. It has been replaced by a detailed, fully functioning HO scale layout with small town charm and mountain scenery!

Will kids love it?

Yes!

The La Mesa Depot, which can’t be missed at the corner of Spring Street and La Mesa Boulevard, is free to the public. Its doors open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, and on Saturdays from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

There’s plenty to explore inside the depot, including an old telegraph, ticket window and the passenger waiting room. Outside, visitors can walk around the depot’s steam locomotive, refrigerator (reefer) car and caboose at any time.

Many years ago I walked around the La Mesa Depot and took photographs. Apart from the cool new model train layout, it appears little has changed. You can see my past photos of the depot here.

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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.

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Funky sculpture in Carlsbad overlooks Pacific Ocean.

A funky sculpture has been erected in Carlsbad overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean. I thought you might enjoy seeing it.

As I walked along a dirt path atop the bluffs near Carlsbad Boulevard, a bit north of Cerezo Drive, I stumbled upon this fun artistic creation. Painted scenes, palm frond faces, a colorful heart, flags.

Who made it?

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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.

Feel free to share!

Sunday walk around San Diego Comic-Con!

Enjoy another collection of cool photographs. I took these while walking around downtown San Diego on Sunday morning, the final day of Comic-Con 2025.

Yes, Comic-Con on a Sunday begins to wind down. I noticed this year that an offsite activation or two had already disappeared overnight. The remaining offsites close earlier on Sunday. Time for many out-of-towners to call it a Con and start heading home.

The cool thing is, local San Diego families love to come out on Sunday to enjoy the fun sights, cosplay and remaining offsites. It’s like a free visit to a sprawling amusement park. There’s still is a whole bunch of excitement!

Anyone at all can participate. That makes Comic-Con very special. It’s one big reason why so many in San Diego love Comic-Con.

You might notice from my photos I circled the San Diego Convention Center a couple times. As always, I’m reluctant to see another Comic-Con vanish. It goes by much too quickly. But there’s always next year to look forward to, right?

To everyone I met, you were awesome! Perhaps I’ll see you next year!

Now it’s time for a few days rest–then onward to more Cool San Diego Sights! Stay tuned!

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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.

Feel free to share!

Lightsabers light the night in Balboa Park!

Hundreds of Star Wars fans gathered in Balboa Park this evening to light the night with uplifted and dueling lightsabers. It’s an annual tradition during San Diego Comic-Con, organized by the Underground Lightsaber Fighters of San Diego.

The family-friendly event was billed as the Light Saber World Championship, but the competition seemed entirely informal. As far as I could see, it was mostly parents and kids having a blast.

After dark, near the fountain by Park Boulevard, simulated lightsaber battles would begin. First it was kids against a gentle “master” lightsaber fighter. Then the masters faced each other. The roar of the crowd determined the winner!

Two rules were announced. Be safe. Have fun!

I could clearly see there was a ton of fun!

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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.

Feel free to share!

Weird, wonderful Saturday in San Diego!

You gotta love it!

It’s Saturday in San Diego–but not just any Saturday.

It’s the Saturday of Comic-Con 2025!

The crowds have grown larger and larger. Cosplay is absolutely everywhere. Huge lines have formed outdoors at the various offsite activations. (Wait up to four hours? No thanks! I’ll wait until Sunday.)

The endless weird and wonderful sights around downtown San Diego were more than enough for me!

I should probably think up clever captions for these photos. But it’s lunchtime. And I really need to take a quick nap before heading out again!

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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.

Feel free to share!

Fun, craziness, cosplay: it’s Comic-Con!

Just another collection of fun photos. I took these on the second day of Comic-Con 2025. Walking around San Diego during Comic-Con is like moving through a fantastic, improbable dream.

Imagination, creativity, cosplay, sudden surprises at every turn! As they say in one movie, Everything Is AWESOME!!!

I feel like a wide-eyed child again. Comic-Con never gets old!

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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.

Feel free to share!

Fun in San Diego at Crunchyroll Anime FanFest!

The two day Crunchyroll Anime FanFest in San Diego began this afternoon. The huge event takes place during Comic-Con 2025.

Fun, sunshine and live entertainment can be freely enjoyed by all comers at the Rady Shell, on San Diego Bay behind the convention center!

I showed up today–Friday–shortly after the family-friendly Anime FanFest opened at 1 pm. Everyone was admitted into the spacious outdoor venue quickly. Fans of anime–particularly entertainment streamed on Crunchyroll–will love the photo ops, exclusive merchandise, food, free swag, and a fan-fueled happy atmosphere.

Later on during the festival, some super popular musical acts would take the stage. Big names include SPYAIR, yama, Denzel Curry and INIKO. To see the lineup and for more details, check out the Crunchyroll website here.

I must admit, I simply love hanging out at the Rady Shell on San Diego Bay, whatever the reason. To get away from it all, for relaxation, I love to walk out on the nearby pier. I’m an older guy, so I like that sort of thing.

The Crunchyroll Anime FanFest continues tomorrow, Saturday July 26. If you want to have a relaxed chill experience, or party it up, head on over to the Rady Shell!

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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.

Feel free to share!

Creative fun at San Diego Comic-Con!

San Diego Comic-Con in 2025 is just as fun and amazing as ever. Everywhere you go, unbounded creativity. That’s probably what I love most about it.

Human creativity absolutely blooms at Comic-Con. Cosplayers imagine what they can be and become it. Actors play roles that can be utterly crazy. Visitors easily step into fantastic, imaginary worlds. Artists imagine what might be and make it real, right before our eyes.

Walk around downtown San Diego during Comic-Con and expect the unexpected!

I really get excited when I encounter artists who are striving to make their mark in the world. They put their art out there fearlessly. And the cool thing is, everyone loves it.

Local San Diego anime and digital artist Phil produces Umbridled Ambition!

Check out his cool comic by clicking here! Check out his Instagram here!

Manga and anime artist Thomas Fates is a Sketchin Hero! His goal is to have a career as an artist, to create and tell stories full time to give people something to look forward to!

Check out his work by clicking here!

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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.

Feel free to share!

Fun activities at Comic-Con’s Interactive Zone!

As it turned out, the Comic-Con Interactive Zone at Petco Park has a fair number of cool activities for 2025. When I looked down at the parking lot yesterday, I was wondering what all might appear.

Well, apart from the great food trucks and a first aid station (where you can get free water), there are several activations that will thrill kids (and adults) and those who love collectibles.

I visited the free to the public Interactive Zone in the afternoon, and there was no wait to get in. Lining up in the morning and waiting in my opinion is a waste of time. Once that initial line goes away, it’s a breeze to walk in.

So what did I see?

I had camera, phone, keys, etc. and I passed right through the metal detectors without removing them, no problem…

The various sides of this activation promote video games by ARC System Works…

People at the ARC System Works activation loved playing Hunter × Hunter: Nen × Impact. It appeared one could grab cool swag, too…

I see Marge Simpson at one picnic bench!

(I bought a pulled pork dish but found nowhere to sit, so I took it outside and sat in some shade at nearby quiet Petco Park.)

Check out this awesome Winx Club chalk art!

Pose with cabbages for a fun photo at the Magic: The Gathering x Avatar activation! I believe I saw those who participated getting a swag bag…

Kids will love this Winx Club photo op…

eBay has a large activation with different activities and winnable stuff…

eBay Live podcast concerning collectibles was drawing a lot of attention…

This photo op aimed to get people across the street to The Labu’Tique Pop-Up Shop…

Food, fun and fascination for your family!

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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.

Feel free to share!

Thursday fun begins at Comic-Con 2025!

The fun has officially begun this Thursday morning at Comic-Con 2025!

Fans are streaming into the San Diego Convention Center, long lines have formed at the many offsite activations, and cosplay has appeared everywhere downtown!

That’s Mario and Donkey Kong in the above photograph riding through the Gaslamp Quarter!

There was a Thursday morning line at the Pendry Hotel for the Donut Bar’s special donuts…

A line outside the Hard Rock Hotel for Spider-Man Magic: the Gathering.

People head toward the San Diego Convention Center past the Percy Jackson offsite in Gaslamp Square.

Check out this cool Code Vein II motorcycle!

Hot dogs!

Friendly masked Green Lantern had some cool comic books on a table along MLK Promenade.

A line of Abbott Elementary fans wait for the Block Party to open!

The line ends way over here!

Super Toucan chalk art on the bayside boardwalk!

The center of excitement: the San Diego Convention Center.

A steady stream of fans were arriving from their hotels by bus.

Get your 2025 San Diego Comic-Con shirt near the Interactive Zone at Petco Park.

Yes, there will be lots of trash.

The Thunderbolts ice cream truck would begin serving at 10 am.

A fun Phineas and Ferb photo op tucked away near the Percy Jackson offsite.

On the other side…

The Gray Sisters taxi outside the Percy Jackson offsite…

An example of cool cosplay on Thursday morning, back on MLK Promenade…

San Diego Comic-Con sights everywhere you turn! I love it!

C-3PO occupies the Coca Cola Star Wars box office!

Now that’s scary!

Heading back up Fifth Avenue. Another long offsite line. This is for The Lodge, promoting Paramount+ shows.

Hello there. This must be San Diego Comic-Con!

King of the Hill graphic at BAIT in the Gaslamp Quarter. Drinking in public gets one behind bars…

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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.

Feel free to share!