Photographs of Old Town’s history slowly fade with the passage of time.
I recently walked down a few streets in Old Town that are seldom visited by tourists. After taking photographs of the Old Adobe Chapel, I noticed that across Conde Street there was some sort of structure containing glass display cases.
Upon closer inspection, I saw this was an outdoor exhibit concerning San Diego’s early history. And that its contents were in a sad state of decay.
No one seemed to know who’d created this exhibit until I spoke to a cashier in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park’s visitor center, inside the Robinson Rose House. She told me the structure had been built decades ago for the Old Town Mexican Cafe and that the displays had been designed by a woman who loved history. But she had gone blind.
Time moves incessantly forward.
You can find this fascinating but faded exhibit on Conde Street, behind Cafe Coyote.
Displays behind glass windows include old photos and historical artifacts. This was created many years ago, I was told, for the nearby Old Town Mexican Cafe.It is silks, satin and fancy soaps, blue jackets, denims and bear grease… It is Richard Henry Dana visiting the pulperia…rowdy sailors, soldiers; gambling and vigilantes…Early residents of Old Town, fading away.A collection of photos show life as it was in Old Town San Diego.It is chocolate cups, gunpowder, Louis Rose’s seaweed mattresses… Spinning wool, Juanita’s cactus garden…a game of basketball behind Seeley Stable…More old photos. Life remembered here as it once was…A few household objects in one display case. Perhaps life those many years ago wasn’t so very different…Youthful faces.Faded by time, now ghostlike.Memories of days gone by can be traced now only by adobe hummocks that the yearly rains are slowly beating down.History captured, for those who might pass down the sidewalk.Palms grow. Some words fade.Wooden boxes were sunk in the center of Fitch Street from the river bank to the post office for sewage.Photo of the Old Adobe Chapel. In November when it was complete, the little church could be seen for miles around…By 1866, the little adobe chapel was enclosed in clapboard and a new roof was installed. It served the community of Old Town for decades…The Old Adobe Chapel has been preserved. Now a historical landmark, it stands across Conde Street.Decayed flag, and old photos of flagpole at center of La Plaza de Las Armas.Old photos of the Campo Santo Cemetery. Words describe: A mingling of men, women, and children from places and lives so different…One empty display case, graffiti and a hard place for the homeless.A monument to the human desire to remember.Many years, many faces.
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Amazing, brightly glowing clouds filled the sky this morning above San Diego’s beautiful Cortez Hill neighborhood.
The first thing I noticed upon stepping outside this morning was the amazing sky above Cortez Hill. The clouds were glowing and so beautiful and complex that I almost got a kink in my neck.
I took lots of photos as I walked. As it turns out, my most incredible images all seem to include the handsome El Cortez building–so the subject of this blog post became obvious!
A crescent moon is just visible to the left of the landmark El Cortez sign.A street lamp is still on. Another fantastic morning in downtown San Diego for a pleasant walk.Amazing clouds paint the blue sky above the historic El Cortez and other nearby, more modern high-rises!
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Founder of the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, Dr. Alexander Chuang, prepares one of two stone lions for their unveiling ceremony.
This morning a ceremony was held in front of the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum. Two large stone lions were unveiled at the intersection of J Street and Third Avenue. That’s in the very heart of downtown’s Asian Pacific Historic District.
I missed the unveiling, because I had a long-reserved ticket for another nearby event which took place at the exact same time. But I did get photos of the two amazing sculptures being prepared!
The founder of the Chinese Historical Museum, Dr. Alexander Chuang, had the two beautiful lions made in China then brought to the City of San Diego. It was a generous gift and a wonderful addition to our diverse city. I was told Dr. Chuang spent 7 or 8 years on this project. The lions are carved from stone taken from Mount Tai, which is said to be the holiest mountain in China. Now I have yet another reason to look forward to walks through this fascinating part of downtown San Diego!
I briefly spoke to Dr. Alexander Chuang while he prepared the statues, and to other members of the museum. They were so very gracious! One day I’ll venture into the museum–it’s on my list of things to do. When I do, I’ll definitely share the experience.
Plaque describes pair of large stone lions made of granite from Mount Tai, considered the holiest mountain in China. They will be a landmark of the Asian Pacific Historic District of San Diego.Final preparations are made about an hour before the unveiling. I got a sneak peek just by walking around with my camera!Members of the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum drape one of the two stone lions. I got my early photos just in time!On the opposite side of Third Avenue, the second lion stands guard. Another very cool sight has been added to the city of San Diego!
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The new Horton Plaza Park in downtown San Diego makes history in 2016, just over a century after this important civic gathering place originated.
Early this morning I enjoyed a bit of history. During my walk, I paused to check out downtown San Diego’s brand new Horton Plaza Park!
The new park, located in the heart of our city, is just as fantastic as I anticipated. It contains cool public artwork, garden-like beauty, and loads of great modern features. But what I appreciated most, as I strolled through the park this morning, was its tangible sense of history.
Horton Plaza Park not only highlights the iconic Broadway Fountain, a true San Diego landmark, but preserves a number of fascinating historical markers and plaques that remember aspects of our city’s unique history.
Please read the photo captions, where I provide more information. I’ve also included three photographs taken about a week before the park opened, as last-minute preparations were being made.
People walk near west entrance of a greatly enlarged Horton Plaza Park the morning after its grand opening celebration. Historically the small city park was simply called Horton Plaza. (When people say “Horton Plaza” today, they are usually referring to the popular shopping mall located directly to the south.)About a week before the grand opening of the new Horton Plaza Park, many workers were applying the final touches.The historic 1910 Broadway Fountain, designed by Irving Gill, is being renovated about a week before the amazing new Horton Plaza Park’s grand opening.The modern, expansive Horton Plaza Park is a fantastic addition to downtown San Diego, but its creation took many years of planning and hard work. One last photo that was taken about a week prior to the grand opening.The morning after the park’s grand opening. A tile walkway along the north edge of Horton Plaza Park preserves a century of history in San Diego.One plaque, dated 1985, in the walkway at the north entrance to the park. It was laid down to mark Horton Plaza’s 75th anniversary.San Diego’s iconic Broadway Fountain, with the equally famous U.S. Grant Hotel in the background. The hotel was built by the son of President Ulysses S. Grant and opened in 1910.One of four plaques near base of the Broadway Fountain. It reads Presented to The City of San Diego by Louis J. Wilde, 1909 A.D. Wilde was a banker, businessman and San Diego mayor.Plaque near base of Broadway Fountain depicts Father Junipero Serra, founder of the first Spanish missions in California, including Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá.Plaque near base of Broadway Fountain depicts Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who discovered San Diego Bay during an expedition for Spain in 1542.Plaque near base of Broadway Fountain depicts Alonzo E. Horton. He created and promoted New Town, where downtown San Diego exists today. Before being sold to the city in 1895, the Horton Plaza park was originally used by guests staying at his Horton House Hotel.A proud eagle perched within the elegant columns of San Diego’s Broadway Fountain.Looking east from the Broadway Fountain toward an historical marker: The Pacific Milestone.The citizens of San Diego in dedicating this Pacific Milestone, November 17, 1923, hereby gratefully acknowledge the untiring efforts of Col. Ed Fletcher in the construction of a Southern Transcontinental Highway.Points of the compass cap the Pacific Milestone.Pacific Milestone dedicated by our beloved President Calvin Coolidge November 17, 1923.The Pacific Milestone in today’s Horton Plaza Park marks the western terminus of The Old Spanish Trail, which traversed the American continent and ended in St. Augustine, Florida.Old Spanish Trail. St. Augustine, Florida to San Diego, California.A familiar El Camino Real bell in Horton Plaza Park. It was donated by the San Diego Woman’s Club.Small plaque beneath the El Camino Real bell in Horton Plaza Park.Another historical plaque in the tile walkway. First Pacific Terminal Jefferson Davis Highway. Presented to the City of San Diego May 12, 1926…Starbucks occupies one of three food pavilions at the new Horton Plaza Park. The morning after the park’s grand opening, this Starbucks is already busy.People who enjoy a morning coffee can sit at tables above Horton Plaza Park’s outdoor amphitheater. A cool new mural serves as a distinctive urban backdrop.A better look at the central part of the park. This broad, shallow amphitheater will be the site of many concerts and civic events in downtown San Diego. It also contains an interactive fountain (off at the moment).Walking along Fourth Avenue, viewing the new park through several 23-foot high metal sculptures. These luminaries have lights that change colors at night.Rounding a corner, I see some workers are removing fencing and tables that were used for the park’s big grand opening yesterday evening.South side of the huge public art mural in Horton Plaza Park.A cool public space that is sure to become one of San Diego’s most popular gathering places.The morning after San Diego’s amazing new Horton Plaza Park has opened. History is being made, and one gentleman takes it all in.
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One of San Diego’s oldest surviving landmarks, the 1910 Broadway Fountain, designed by Irving Gill, will be an iconic part of the new Horton Plaza Park.
I walked by the Horton Plaza Park construction site this morning. The huge project appears to be almost finished!
Horton Plaza Park’s Grand Opening Celebration will be held on May 4, 2016, from 6:30pm to 10:00pm. Located at the center of downtown San Diego, on the south side of Broadway between the historic U.S. Grant Hotel and the popular Westfield Horton Plaza shopping mall, the park will surely be jammed that evening with people wanting to check things out!
Cool features of the new urban park include a large amphitheater, three pavilions featuring food and beverages, an interactive fountain that folks are welcome to splash in, and some very unique 23-foot high luminaries–cool metal sculptures with lights that change colors!
There are plans to host hundreds of events at this large outdoor venue every year, including concerts, civic celebrations and gatherings, and even special movie screenings.
As a downtown resident, I can’t wait!
The elaborate Horton Plaza Park will celebrate its Grand Opening on the evening of May 4, 2016.Construction of this new downtown San Diego park has been ongoing for a couple years. The original public plaza on this city block dates from 1895.The cool 23-foot tall luminary sculptures are visible rising behind the construction fence. The NBC building reflects the morning sun in the background.Workers are getting the new park ready for its early May opening. There will be an amphitheater, food pavilions and an interactive water fountain that people can splash in!The walkway next to the Balboa Theatre leading from Fourth Avenue to the Westfield Horton Plaza shopping mall is also being improved, with many new trees and benches.Horton Plaza Park in downtown San Diego promises to be a fun and spectacular urban gathering place!
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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 unique photos for you to enjoy!
Photo of a unique downtown landmark. The shining lattice dome of the San Diego Central Library, as seen from the ninth floor’s outside deck.
Many old redundant photos are being purged from my computer this weekend. But I had to definitely share these!
I’ve blogged about San Diego’s relatively new downtown library several times. I’ve posted more than a few pics of its unique lattice dome. You might recall some weirdly halo-like photos I took in the darkness early one night last year.
Well, check these out! The curving lines of steel reflected in the building’s windows look like a lesson in complex geometry. You know, in a strange way the dome reminds me of a graph or diagram demonstrating how time and space can be warped by gravity! Am I crazy? What does it look like to you?
A collection of rare books is housed in a room on the ninth floor of San Diego’s public library.The visually impressive steel lattice dome tops an airy two-story high library reading room. An architectural marvel.Reflections in the windows create a fantastic, mysterious image.Looking upward at the metal dome and blue sky. Amazing views can be had of downtown from the library’s ninth floor.Lots of geometric complexity and dazzling light for my camera’s lens.Peering down into the spacious reading room on a bright sunshiny day.Filtered light and shadows form unusual grid-like patterns inside the reading room. The perfect place to study a math book, maybe.A three-dimensional delight. Intersecting lines fascinate the eye.One last cool photo. I feel like I’m floating through some sort of mathematical dreamscape.
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Do you like to read short pieces of thought-provoking fiction? You might enjoy checking out Short Stories by Richard.
The delightfully unusual Beaumont Building rises in Little Italy at 434 West Cedar Street.
In my opinion, the most delightfully unusual building in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood is the Beaumont Building. The design–especially the two cylindrical towers–is both visually distinctive and impressive. Those mysterious-looking towers make me look up with fresh surprise whenever I see them.
The Beaumont Building was built in 1988. It was designed by Rob Wellington Quigley, whose architectural work can be seen in various places around San Diego. The lattice-domed San Diego Central Library and The New Children’s Museum are two well-known examples.
I often walk past this building, and have taken many photographs over the years. But none of my photos fully capture this very unique structure’s truly amazing presence.
Looking upward near the front entrance to the unique Beaumont Building.Another photo on a different day of this very cool building in San Diego’s always interesting Little Italy neighborhood.The two high towers of the Beaumont Building almost appear like antennas, or an over-sized science experiment.An eye-catching sight during a morning walk!
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Decks don’t last forever. Our Star’s decks have reached the end of their lifetime and now Star of India is in need of YOUR help.
The Star of India is one of the most famous and important historic ships afloat. Built in 1863, she’s the oldest active sailing vessel in the world and the oldest iron-hulled merchant ship still on the water. She has sailed twenty-one times around the world, surviving the tempests of Cape Horn. She has been caught in a devastating cyclone, trapped in Alaskan ice, and even went aground in Hawaii. She still plies the Pacific Ocean with a volunteer crew. And her hull, cabins and equipment are almost completely original.
So it isn’t surprising the deck needs a bit of help.
“…Our museum is working as part of an international effort to see Star of India inscribed, along with other great historic ships, by UNESCO as a multi-national world heritage site. Like the Parthenon, the Pyramids, and the Great Wall of China, such a distinction would…see that she lives forever.”
Wow!
Right now, the main deck and poop deck need replacing. The wooden decks have come to the end of their lifetime. The Star of India “was recently awarded a $192,000 National Parks Service Maritime Heritage Grant, one of very few such awards and a testimony to both her historical significance and to the viability of the project for extending her life. However, these funds are available to Star of India only if they are matched by an equal amount contributed by those who love her and want to see her sail for generations to come.”
With YOUR contribution, you can become part of an eternal legacy and help to preserve an important part of world (and San Diego) history. That’s big, very important stuff!
Looking along the length of the main deck of Star of India. Deck replacement is needed and so is the generous help of the public.Parts of the wooden deck are in pretty bad shape. Feet, salt, sun and rain have taken their toll.The Star of India is a National Historic Landmark. The oldest active sailing ship in the world, it’s a treasured part of San Diego and world history.Visitors descend from the poop deck. Beautiful woodwork is found all about the ship. But the elements can be harsh.A very old photo of Star of India’s launching day in 1863. Originally it was named Euterpe.Photo of Euterpe, later renamed Star of India, docked at Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand in 1883.Exquisite section of the stained glass skylight in the teak and oak paneled saloon of the Star of India.Peeking into Star of India’s forward house, which contains ropes, tools and instruments which were necessary to maintain and operate the tall ship.I believe that long timber supported by the forward house and forecastle is the top section of the foremast, which is being refurbished. But I might be mistaken.The Star of India’s steering wheel and binnacle on the poop deck.The Star of India needs YOUR help! Donate today to help replace the deck, and to preserve this amazing ship for generations to come.
Five church bells hang in the distinctive facade of the historic Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded by Junipero Serra.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that our lives will soon become history. And that the lives of people, no matter how imperfect, create a rich, varied tapestry that reaches centuries back in time, and forward into the future.
Young and old–representatives from several generations–came together this weekend in San Diego to again celebrate the Festival of the Bells. The annual event is held at Mission San Diego de Alcalá, the first Spanish mission to be built in California. Food, song and dancing accompanied colorful religious rituals such as the Blessing of the Bells and the Blessing of the Animals. Everyone was welcome to enjoy the free festival.
The original San Diego del Alcala was founded in 1769–almost 250 years ago–at the site of the old Spanish presidio, near the edge of San Diego Bay. The current mission building was erected by Father Serra in 1774, a few miles up the San Diego River where the land was more fertile.
The distinctive facade and bells of this historical landmark are often used as a symbol for our city, and the ringing of the bells are like echoes from a complex, often strife-filled, but fascinating past. The youngest generation, seeing this old world with fresh, optimistic eyes, jumping free and loving life in the festival’s bounce house, will remember today decades in the future as just another small moment in the journey of history. Hopefully that memory is good.
The Festival of the Bells is an annual celebration which memorializes the establishment and long history of California’s first Spanish mission.Young people provide family entertainment free to the public at the 2015 Festival of the Bells.A large audience had gathered in the mission’s spacious courtyard-like quadrangle, even as rain threatened on Sunday afternoon.Folks hang out around the central fountain, eating food and taking in sights, smells and sounds during a lively San Diego tradition.Proceeds from sales of food, crafts and gifts benefited Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, which is an active Catholic church.Who can resist root beer floats?Put a friend in the jailhouse to raise some money!San Diego de Alcalá was the first of 21 Spanish missions in California, established by Father Junipero Serra in 1769.Small statues along walkway at front of San Diego de Alcala depict Saints who inspired California mission names. This is for Mission Santa Clara de Asis, founded 1777.Sign in the mission’s garden explains The Campanario. (Click to enlarge.)
The campanario is 46 feet high and holds the Mission bells. The crown-topped bell on the lower right is named Ave Maria Purisima–Immaculate Mary. It weights 805 pounds and was cast in 1802 . . . The bells played an important role in the everyday life of the Mission . . . They were used to announce times for Mass, work, meals and siestas. The bells signaled danger, rang solemnly to honor the dead, and pealed joyously to celebrate feast days, weddings and fiestas.
Of the five church bells, one original bell dates back to 1802.
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This is one of the most amazing trees you’re likely to ever see.
Have you visited Balboa Park? Perhaps you’ve seen an incredibly enormous tree standing between the San Diego Natural History Museum and Spanish Village. It’s impossible to miss! That’s the over 100 year old Moreton Bay Fig!
Sign in Balboa Park describes Ficus macrophylla, the Moreton Bay Fig.
Ficus macrophylla
“Moreton Bay Fig”
Native to East Australia
This tree was planted prior to the 1915 Panama-California International Exposition and was the focus of a Formal Garden located at this site. Because of its large size, it is listed as a co-champion with the Santa Barbara Fig in the California Dept. of Forestry Registry of Big Trees.
Age: over 100 years (now)
Height: 80 feet
Trunk Girth: 42 feet
Canopy width: 145 feet
Trunk and roots of a tree once climbed by kids, but now fenced off for its protection.Huge Moreton Bay Fig tree and the San Diego Natural History Museum.A big tree is a rare and valuable part of the ecosystem.
The Value of a Big Tree
Trees contribute to our environment by producing oxygen; reducing temperature, carbon-dioxide and stormwater runoff; improving property value and providing wildlife habitat.
Scientists have developed a value formula to determine the cost benefit of trees. The Center for Urban Forest Research states that trees over 50 feet tall contribute about $65.00/year back to the environment. Smaller trees contribute $18-36.00/year. There are about 20,000 trees in Balboa Park which contribute a value of one million dollars per year back to our environment.
Beyond dollars, Big Trees like the Moreton Bay Fig enhance the park, provide a sense of history to our community and a legacy for our children.
Someone gazes at the hundred year old leafy giant in Balboa Park.
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