Fans of the original Top Gun movie would love visiting the recently restored Top Gun House near the foot of the Oceanside Pier.
The historic old Victorian beach house, an 1887 Queen Anne Cottage that was featured in the popular movie, has been turned into an ice cream shop filled with sweet Top Gun memories!
The first thing visitors to the Top Gun House might see is a motorcycle by the front porch steps. It’s a replica of the motorcycle ridden by Maverick when he visited his love interest Charlie at the house.
A plaque a few steps away describes the house’s history in Oceanside, its architectural importance, and its role in the movie.
Step inside the beautiful little cottage and you’ll discover movie posters, photographs and other memories from Top Gun. I thought you might enjoy a look…
The 1887 Top Gun House was built by Dr. Henry Graves as a vacation home. Scenes from Top Gun were filmed around the house in 1985. In 2022 the house was fully restored.The Kawasaki Ninja ZX900 is a replica of the motorcycle made famous in the movie Top Gun. Actor Tom Cruise, playing lead character Maverick, rode it to this house.It was cool to see the work of an artist I often encounter while walking. Paul Strahm has a painting inside the Top Gun House!Memories of Goose, Maverick and Iceman.A sweet smile!
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The San Diego Automotive Museum is an incredible place every auto enthusiast must visit. In addition to unique and rare cars they have lots of great motorcycles, too!
One motorcycle now on display is Evel Knievel’s “Stratocycle” from the 1977 movie Viva Knievel!
The uniquely modified motorcycle–a Harley Davidson XLCH Custom Sportster–has wings and a rocket-shaped exhaust. The Stratocycle is so cool it was adapted for a popular toy!
It had been several years since I last experienced the San Diego Automotive Museum. The current displays are more awesome than ever. Walking around, your eyes will pop out of your head!
1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster.
You might notice I’ve been visiting many local museums the last couple of weeks. I’m taking advantage of the San Diego Museum Council’s “The Big Exchange” reciprocal free admission program. It lasts through May 18, 2022. Learn more here!
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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!
During my walk in El Cajon today, I wandered into the Arts Alley to see what I might see. I last checked out the Arts Alley a couple years ago. I posted those photos and a brief description of the alley here.
What I found today were more cats!
I don’t know whether the frame full of kittens mounted up on a building wall was there last time–I don’t recall seeing it. The painted tree blossoms are definitely new. But I think I might’ve missed the thrill-seeking cat on a motorcycle during my last visit.
It seems with every walk, curious eyes discover new things!
UPDATE!
I saw these butterfly wings in late 2022…
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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!
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 photos for you to enjoy!
Check out these photos of cool artwork spotted today at the Summer Madness By the Bay Car Show!
The big free public event, which draws car clubs from all over Southern California, was held in downtown San Diego at Embarcadero Marina Park North. I was told over four hundred vehicles were on display.
In addition to artistically decorated motorcycles and hot rods, I saw row after row of mind-blowing lowriders.
Super creative artwork could be found on hoods, under hoods, on roofs, on panels, doors, bumpers, engines . . . pretty much anywhere you can add paint or chrome!
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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!
Enjoy these additional photographs from my walk last weekend in Solana Beach. These were taken along the west side of Highway 101, heading north from a spot just south of Plaza Street/Lomas Santa Fe Drive.
It appears some of this public art was the created for a City of Solana Beach Highway 101 beautification project in 2013.
If you recognize a couple of the incredible mosaics (the cool woodie and the fishes on a column), you might have seen my photos from a previous Solana Beach walk here. That old blog post also includes some interesting history of the city.
I love the next mosaic bench, and its beautifully creative symbolism.
LOVE ENDURES FOREVER
MIND OVER MATTER
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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!
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 photos for you to enjoy!
The Rolling Stones are returning to San Diego this year!
Monster Jam is coming to Petco Park next weekend!
The Shell, the San Diego Symphony’s new performance stage at Embarcadero Marina Park South, will be completed in time for this year’s Bayside Summer Nights!
I saw evidence of all this during my morning walk near Petco Park and behind the San Diego Convention Center…
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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!
Check out this fun mural that was painted on the side of Vespa Motorsport on Pacific Highway this year!
The creator is Nicholas McPherson, a local artist who signs his work Nicholas Danger. His cool, often whimsical street art can be found all around San Diego!
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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!
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 photos for you to enjoy!
Mural by artist Jonny Alexander at El Cajon Boulevard and Winona Avenue remembers old U.S. Highway 80.
A cool mural in San Diego celebrates old U.S. Highway 80. The street art reads “Cruise Historic Highway 80” and features an image of a motorcyclist crossing desert and mountains to reach the Pacific Ocean. The mural was painted near the intersection of El Cajon Boulevard and Winona Avenue in 2015 by Jonny Alexander.
U.S. Highway 80 was a legendary cross-country route that at one time ran 2671 miles from U.S. Route 101 in San Diego, California east all the way to Georgia. The segment through San Diego was eventually decommissioned in favor of a newly built Interstate 8.
Much of old U.S. Route 80 ran through San Diego where El Cajon Boulevard is today.
A motorcyclist riding west has reached the Pacific Ocean after crossing desert and mountains.
Much of Historic Route US 80 ran where El Cajon Boulevard is today.
Cruise Historic Highway 80. A celebration of the old days depicted in a cool mural in San Diego.
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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!
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 photos for you to enjoy!
Strange, bizarre vehicles are displayed by Ripley’s Believe It or Not in the Interactive Zone at Petco Park during 2019 San Diego Comic-Con!
Ripley’s Believe It or Not has a really great display at 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. A bunch of strange, bizarre cars can be viewed in the Interactive Zone at Petco Park in Ripley’s fun Car Lot!
It’s Ripley’s Believe It or Not’s very first time exhibiting at Comic-Con, and I hope they return in future years! I was told they have numerous very odd vehicles in their museums around the country, and even more in storage at their Orlando warehouse.
Check out these photos!
The Peel P-50 is the smallest assembly-line manufactured road-legal car ever. It’s 54 inches long and goes 15 mph!
A Mercedes Benz and fire truck coffin. Fantasy coffins are often used by the Ga people of Ghana, Africa to reflect the occupation or status of the deceased.
A look inside the Fire Truck Fantasy Coffin.
This amazing, functioning Austin Mini is covered with over 10,000 Canadian pennies, each plated with 24 karat gold!
A full-size working replica of Luke Skywalker’s X-34 Landspeeder!
This replica of a Hummer H-3 is covered with over 39,000 lottery tickets!
A closer look at the Lottery Ticket Hummer.
Bad to the Bone is a one-of-a-kind model of a motorcycle made of animal bones from dead cows and road kill.
A wood-carved Ferrari F-50 took five months to create for Venice’s annual Lenten carnival.
This cool Wooden Ferrari also functions as a boat!
The bizarre High Heel Car has a dragster-style frame in the shape of a large high heel shoe!
The Spirit of LeMons was built with a Cessna 310 fuselage!
Photo of the airplane cockpit where the driver operates Spirit of LeMons.
Another look at the Spirit of LeMons!
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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!
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 photos for you to enjoy!
One of many cool vehicles you’ll see at the San Diego Automotive Museum during their show Steampunk: The Exhibit.
There’s an amazing show that just opened yesterday at the San Diego Automotive Museum. It’s called Steampunk: The Exhibit. About half of the museum’s large floor is now occupied by mind-blowing steampunk vehicles and fantastic works of art!
Before I show you some cool photographs, let me introduce you to a friendly artist who I happened to meet as I walked about the museum. His name is Jeff Steorts. He creates all sort of Medieval-like artwork using wood, metal and a variety of found objects. As a young man, he attempted to create a suit of armor out of aluminum. Today he writes poetry and produces sculptural objects that take one back to the Age of Chivalry. He showed me his many gleaming works that are on display. Most of his pieces are symbolic. Some have keys that unlock a deeper meaning. Each piece contains a bit of himself.
Jeff has had his fantastic creations displayed in many places–even at San Diego International Airport! Check out his Facebook page here!
Now on to the exhibition! Once you see these photos, I think you’ll want to head over to the San Diego Automotive Museum in beautiful Balboa Park. Do so before September 30th when Steampunk: The Exhibit comes to an end!
The museum floor is filled with every sort of cool steampunk and unusual, retro-looking vehicle you might imagine!
The Cyclops, a steampunk trike with a 3-cylinder Triumph Daytona engine, by artists Baron Margo and Jaime Martinez.
Time Machine, by artist Richard P. Ingalls. This was commissioned in 2014 by the Salk Institute of Biological Studies for its annual staff service awards program!
Assemblage artist Dan Jones created this cool little robot sculpture. He exhibits his work at San Diego Comic-Con, as well as many galleries, steampunk and sci-fi conventions.
Another cool work of art by Dan Jones.
Artist Ken Whitney created these body-like Hardware Sculptures out of metal washers, gears and other similar material.
Jeff Steorts poses for a photo. Some of his symbolic objects are clocks or resemble them. He explores many themes, including Time and Space.
Jeff shows me some of his fantastic art.
Many of Jeff’s creations resemble lockets, or golden hearts with keys. Others resemble shining boxes or religious relics.
One of the many super cool vehicles you’ll see when you visit the San Diego Automotive Museum during Steampunk: The Exhibit.
I failed to note what this is exactly. But it’s definitely awesome!
Loki, a custom 1981 Harley Davidson Ironhead Sportster, by metal artisan Marko Djoric.
1929 Dodge Brothers Copper Rat, by Jeff Jones. This amazing car has been on the cover of Ol’ Skool Rods.
The car’s interior is all hand-built copper and aluminum. 10,000 rivets were hammered into place!
The Rocket Roadster, a driveway build by Baron Margo.
The Metamorphosis, a Moderne Nautilus co-created by Baron Margo and Jaime Martinez. A Jules Verne inspired cross between an airplane and submarine!
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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!
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 photos for you to enjoy!
Cool San Diego Sights! 