A lot of stuff was going on along San Diego’s Embarcadero today, this Saturday in early November!
I enjoyed another fine walk along downtown San Diego’s waterfront. Yes, the day started off gray and overcast, but in the early afternoon the sunshine would break through a bit.
During my walk I observed a whole lot of interesting activity. I’ll post my photos in the order in which they were taken. Read the captions to understand what I was seeing.
The beautiful Colombian tall ship ARC Gloria is docked in downtown San Diego at the Broadway Pier. The public can go aboard and tour it through Sunday, November 9, 2025.Some vessels were alongside the huge cruise ship Norwegian Jade, presumably fueling it.The Cruise Ship Terminal was abuzz with activity. Two ships were in!The Nieuw Amsterdam cruise ship docked in San Diego.The usual vendors along the Embarcadero.Here’s world-famous tall ship Star of India of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
I’m a member of the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Members get free tickets for a harbor tour on the Pilot boat. That’s what I did!
Hello Kiki, our tour guide! She’s funny, informative and awesome!
Ready for the harbor tour!And away we go. That’s San Salvador, the museum’s seaworthy Spanish galleon replica.Along the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal I spotted two ships of the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions Fleet: the Sea Bird and the Sea Lion. They tour Baja California and Alaska.Rowing along San Diego Bay, with the convention center and a couple of superyachts in the background.The San Diego Food and Wine Festival is going on this weekend at Embarcadero Marina Park North.The Tuna Harbor Dockside Market always attracts a crowd on Saturdays.Looks like the ferry is returning from Coronado.There’s the Colombian tall ship ARC Gloria, seen from the water.As the Pilot boat returned to the museum, Californian, official tall ship of California, was departing for a Saturday sail.
After the harbor tour, I headed south along the Embarcadero’s boardwalk. Here I am approaching the USS Midway Museum…
I see the pedicabs are out today.Always many vendors near the USS Midway Museum.Some characters I spotted as I walked along the Embarcadero.Now I’m on the pier near Tuna Harbor. The Tuna Harbor Dockside Market is winding down a little after noontime.A kid was helping out on fishing boat Jonny D. Fishing families are always friendly people.Some people enjoy Fish and Chips on the pier.Looking back along the pier toward downtown San Diego.I think these umbrellas at Seaport Village are new.People were given wine glasses when they checked into the Food and Wine Festival.A balloon twister and kids near Seaport Village.
Yes, San Diego is wonderful.
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Interesting activity could be observed today around the USS Midway aircraft carrier, which operates as a popular San Diego museum.
I noticed during my walk along the Embarcadero that divers were in the water near the USS Midway’s hull. In addition, there was a large section of scaffolding erected against the bow on the massive ship’s port side.
My initial assumption was the hull was being cleaned underwater. I was wrong. I was told the scuba divers in the water were Navy personnel training to do security sweeps.
Someone with the USS Midway Museum told me that Navy SEALs often train near the inactive aircraft carrier, learning how to maneuver underwater. (Years ago I saw them operate in the night near the Star of India.)
As for the scaffolding–I learned the hull of the famous old aircraft carrier is being restored. Removing rust, painting and such. It’s a monumental undertaking!
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If you’ve seen the USS Midway Museum in the past few days, you’ll notice the historic aircraft carrier is covered with yellow ribbons.
I learned today that the approximately 60,000 ribbons honor the same number of members of the United States Armed Forces who were killed in action during the Vietnam War.
The ribbons, tied several days ago around the edge of the aircraft carrier, will remain in place through Memorial Day. Visitors who go to the flight deck’s information stand can ask to tie their own yellow ribbon.
I notice some of the ribbons have messages written upon them. Loved ones can be remembered in this way.
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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 X.
The Holiday Bowl was played yesterday in San Diego. It’s a time for family vacations–the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Passengers with rolling suitcases were boarding a cruise ship. No wonder so many people were walking along the Embarcadero this morning.
Wouldn’t you know, I took these photos under a gray overcast sky, and just as my walk ended the sun broke out and the sky turned bright blue. Not unusual in San Diego. Even in winter.
I began by walking north from the Broadway Pier…
I returned from the Star of India to the Broadway Pier, and will now proceed south…
The last old building at Navy Pier is being demolished, making way for Freedom Park. The almost 10-acre public park will be developed on the historic pier next to the USS Midway Museum.
New trees have been planted on the grassy lawn between the USS San Diego Memorial and the Embracing Peace statue of the Greatest Generation Walk.
Late Saturday morning, and the weekly Tuna Harbor Dockside Market was winding down.
A commercial fishing boat loads boxes of frozen bait.
This holiday season’s first ever “Downtown Skate” roller skating rink wasn’t open yet. The action would begin at noon behind the Marriott Marquis and Marina hotel.
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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.
Lately, if you’ve walked along San Diego’s Embarcadero past the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum, you’ve probably noticed heavy machinery and a pile of rubble near Navy Pier!
The old Naval Supply Depot headhouse is being torn down, to make way for the future Freedom Park!
I took these photographs on Sunday after jumping off the Coronado ferry. Having walked past the old headhouse hundreds of times over many, many years, seeing its destruction in progress is a trifle jarring.
Early this summer I shared photos when the demolition had barely begun. If you want to see those previous photos and find more information about the landmark Freedom Park project, click 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!
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A fire erupts on the USS Midway while at sea! What might happen? Who would respond?
In a major new exhibit aboard the USS Midway Museum, you’ll learn this and more. The service, sacrifice and everyday life of Midway’s engineers is celebrated below decks. Visitors to the aircraft carrier museum tour the hot, loud and crowded spaces where Navy engineers kept the gigantic ship running, while ready to respond to almost any emergency.
You’ll learn about the hard work done by Hull Maintenance Technicians, Enginemen, and Damage Controlmen. You learn that the Boiler Technicians who created steam on the ship had to regularly endure 150 degree temperatures as they oversaw 2 million gallons of boiler fuel and 166,000 gallons of water. And there are the Machinery Repairmen, Machinist’s Mates and others.
You’ll see where the engineers slept, where they worked, and even experience a simulated fire aboard ship that shows the extreme danger their fellow sailors faced.
If you’ve never visited the USS Midway Museum, it is one of San Diego’s must-see attractions. If you haven’t yet experienced this exciting new exhibit, head on down to San Diego Bay and enjoy the newly expanded self-guided tour! (A second new exhibit concerns the USS Midway Marine Detachment!)
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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Near the center of the hangar deck of the USS Midway Museum, there’s a scale model of Freedom Park at Navy Pier. When completed, this large, new public park will occupy the historic pier that the USS Midway aircraft carrier has called home now for 20 years.
One can walk around the model and visualize in three dimensions how Freedom Park will appear when it has its Grand Opening, which is scheduled for Spring 2028. The park will include a formal parade ground, plenty of grass for recreation, gardens, benches, play structures, trees and winding walkways, and a monumental flag at the pier’s end which will be visible from downtown and across San Diego Bay.
This informative presentation provides an excellent overview of the plans for Freedom Park, including a detailed map and timeline for completion.
The parade ground will feature a central statue of John William Finn, San Diego area resident and last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the attack on Pearl Harbor. The park will also feature a Family and Sacrifice Monument, honoring the sacrifices thousands of military families have made, telling their stories. Navy Pier was once where many families waved goodbye to departing sailors.
A Footsteps of Freedom interpretive path will follow the length of Navy Pier and circle around the USS Midway, connecting with the present-day Greatest Generation Walk, where many military monuments exist today. (Including this Navy plaque, whose exact origin was a mystery, until some of this blog’s readers provided amazing information!)
Other features will enhance the new Freedom Park, such as a Digital Journey that people can follow with their smartphones.
Today, after viewing the model and taking a few photos, I asked a docent at the Midway Museum: where will visitors park their cars? (Most of the parking lot now atop the pier will be vanishing.) He informed me there is underground parking at the new RaDD complex across Harbor Drive. A small parking lot will remain near the entrance of the museum.
Of course, a project of this magnitude requires a lot of funding. There’s more money to be raised. If you’d like to buy a Freedom Park Legacy Brick and help with this effort, click here.
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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 X.
A very young boy came with his family and sat in the plastic chair beside my own this morning. The family had arrived for the Memorial Day ceremony, held on the flight deck of the USS Midway.
The small child was very fidgety. As speakers spoke solemnly of the sacrifice of others, and of very serious things like honor, duty, courage and dedication, the little boy wiggled about at the edge of my vision.
Lt. Col. Lynda Hilliard, an Army nurse, gave the keynote speech. As she talked about two wars and the sacrifice of other nurses who desired only to heal, the little boy thrust his arm in front of my face.
I was immediately irritated. Oh, come on, I thought to myself.
The boy was pointing toward something off to the right.
Then I heard the bird chirping. (Did you hear it, too?) I had been concentrating on the powerful words of the speech.
A small bird, perched atop a nearby helicopter, was just visible to the eye. The young boy had heard and seen it, and was taking joy in pointing it out to the world.
The boy was happy, living without a care in a world where he was free.
And it occurred to me: that Security, Freedom and its Happiness, in this old world filled with everlasting trouble, is a gift from those who have unselfishly sacrificed.
I gazed in wonder at that small chirping bird for a few moments, too.
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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.
Demolition has begun of the crumbling structure on the east end of Navy Pier. The old building is the last remnant of San Diego’s historic Naval Supply Depot, which grew over the years into a major complex. You can read the fascinating history here.
Over the next few years, the surface of Navy Pier, including the large parking lot next to the USS Midway, will be converted into beautiful Freedom Park! The project is a partnership between the Port of San Diego and the USS Midway Museum.
Today I learned from a museum employee that before the walls of the old headhouse are torn down, workers are busy removing asbestos and doing the preliminary things that are necessary.
You can visualize how Freedom Park at Navy Pier will appear when completed by visiting this web page. I was told the park, which will honor “ordinary” heroes, will likely be finished in 2027.
When I was a young man I observed dozens of Army tanks parked inside this building and lined up along the pier. I wish I’d taken photographs. I believe that was back in the 1980s.
UPDATE!
The exterior demolition had begun in August…
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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 X.
Why is the towering island of the USS Midway aircraft carrier wrapped up?
To protect San Diego Bay and the environment as the historic aircraft carrier (now a popular tourist destination) receives a new coat of paint! That’s what I was told a couple days ago by a USS Midway Museum employee.
But how strange it appears!
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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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Cool San Diego Sights! 