Enjoy this collection of photographs. They were taken today around sunset from the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum aircraft carrier.
Yes, the sunset was rather dramatic this evening on San Diego Bay!
Many of these pictures were taken up near the horns of the historic aircraft carrier. You can see North Island and two active carriers across the bay: the Carl Vinson and Abraham Lincoln.
A couple of my photos show aircraft on the flight deck in the foreground.
Here we go…
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The Mexican tall ship Cuauhtémoc arrived in San Diego this morning. It has docked on the North Embarcadero not far from the Maritime Museum of San Diego!
The beautiful ship is used as a training vessel for the Mexican Navy. When I walked by, sailors were busy preparing the tall ship for visitors all this weekend.
The public will be able to freely step aboard Cuauhtémoc tomorrow until October 4, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
I toured the amazing tall ship back in 2014 and 2024. See the photos I took here and here!
Here’s what I saw today…
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Navy SEAL Museum San Diego opened late last year, but I visited it for the first time a couple weeks ago. What was it like?
The museum at 1001 Kettner Boulevard occupies a very small section of downtown’s America Plaza, right next to the trolley station. It serves as the West Coast wing of the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Florida.
Even though the museum space is somewhat limited (there are plans to move to a location closer to San Diego’s waterfront with much more square footage), I was truly impressed by the depth and extent of its displays–particularly those on the second floor.
One begins on the first floor walking past biographical tributes to notable Navy SEALs, a room showing fascinating videos, and a digital Memorial Wall. There is also a display concerning the work of the SEALs with NASA, helping to recover space capsules and astronauts that returned to Earth.
Once you step out of the elevator on the second floor, the displays become really impressive. Words, photographs and artifacts show how the Navy SEALs operated in different eras, from their origin during World War II scoping out invasion beaches, to Korea, Vietnam and the War on Terror. Visitors can see how the SEALs operate on and under the water (two submersibles hang from the ceiling), the sort of equipment they’ve used over the years, how they’ve rescued hostages, and how they took out Osama bin Laden.
There’s so much to read about and experience, one could spend a good hour slowly moving through the museum, absorbing every detail. You can purchase a virtual reality experience, too, that allows you to carry out a short mission!
When visitors return downstairs, there’s a very extensive gift shop. And, of course, there’s the frogman statue to check out just outside the entrance, next to the America Plaza trolley station. (I took photographs of the statue being erected last year. See those here.)
If the history of the United States Navy SEALs or military matters interest you, this is an absolutely must see. The curtain is pulled back a bit on the secretive elite maritime force, whose premier training ground and primary home base is across San Diego Bay in Coronado!
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Top Secret: Inside the High-Stakes World of Naval Intelligence is a fantastic exhibit that opened on the USS Midway Museum last year. I finally checked it out a few days ago.
The exhibit takes visitors through the Carrier Intelligence Center, which is contained in a surprisingly large area (1,500 square feet) under the USS Midway aircraft carrier’s flight deck, spanning its entire width. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the Carrier Intelligence Center served as the nerve center for intelligence gathering and analysis, mission planning, and strategic decision-making.
Today visitors can enjoy interactive displays that demonstrate how, years ago, in a less technologically advanced era, naval intelligence was gathered and analyzed, to aid combat operations, search and rescue, and humanitarian missions.
Walking through the exhibit, I observed how Intelligence Specialists worked like detectives. It was interesting to see how analog instruments were used to analyze gathered information. Imagine my surprise seeing an old-fashioned slide rule, which was used to calculate the size of structures in photos taken from a great distance! Some of the original, restored equipment includes teletypes and radio receivers.
I learned that specialists who gathered, analyzed and acted upon critical information included Air Intelligence Officers, Aerographer’s Mates, Photographers Mates, Cryptologic Technicians, Squadron Aviation Intelligence Officers… In combat, when every moment might mean life or death, everyone must work quickly and efficiently as a team to achieve success.
Top Secret: Inside the High-Stakes World of Naval Intelligence is so amazing it earned the MUSE Gold Award in the Experiential and Immersive Exhibition category!
If all this sounds interesting to you, head over the USS Midway Museum in downtown San Diego and check it out!
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The historic tall ship Bill of Rights makes its home in Chula Vista Marina. Launched in 1971, today it offers charters, tours and, perhaps most importantly, it is an asset used for training youth interested in careers at sea. Bill of Rights is used by the U.S. Navy Sea Cadets, Navy Junior ROTC, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and others.
The all-volunteer South Bayfront Sailing Association owns and operates Bill of Rights. An over half-century-old wooden schooner needs a lot of maintenance. Right now the original decking is being replaced. Captain Don Johnson is an expert carpenter, fortunately, but to redeck the beautiful, historic yacht in the most economical way practical still takes significant money.
Lately, the youth organizations that train on Bill of Rights have seen a significant reduction in their own funds. That has placed the South Bayfront Sailing Association in a position of needing donations from local businesses and generous individuals to continue the programs.
Would you like to help preserve both history and education in Chula Vista?
Please visit the South Bayfront Sailing Association website by clicking here. Consider volunteering or making a donation. Simply visiting the tall ship and its nearby gift shop kiosk makes for a fun excursion. They’ll gladly give you a tour, too!
Everything you do helps a lot!
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Every time I visit Balboa Park, I poke my nose into the San Diego History Center. It seems there’s always something new to experience!
In the atrium today I noticed a small, new exhibit titled San Diego Takes Flight! Several displays concern the Curtiss School of Aviation, established in 1911 at North Island, Coronado.
Photographs accompany descriptions of Glenn Curtiss and his students learning about the characteristics of flight on newly invented airplanes, including hydroplanes that took off from San Diego Bay. In that early era, most aviation exhibitions in the United States featured Curtiss graduates flying his planes.
Curtiss’ collaboration with the U.S. Navy in San Diego would be instrumental in the birth of naval aviation.
This exhibit at the San Diego History Center includes the participation of women at the Curtiss School of Aviation and their historic accomplishments.
Years ago, during a walk in Coronado near the Ferry Landing, I photographed a historical plaque marking the birthplace of naval aviation.
To see those photos and read the words on that plaque, click here.
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Perhaps you’ve driven through Gate One while arriving at or departing from Liberty Station. It’s the old Navy base entrance at the northeast end of Liberty Station, where Lytton Street and Barnett Avenue meet.
You might have noticed plaques on the two old guard buildings.
Curiosity getting the best of me, the last time I was in the neighborhood I walked around both historical buildings for a closer look.
Gate One was the main entrance to Naval Training Center San Diego, and the grassy area with an anchor behind it is Sellers Plaza. As this webpage explains: Named for the base’s first commander, Sellers Plaza serves as the Naval Training Center’s front door.
You can see Gate One in the center of this postcard:
Image courtesy Libery Station.
Here are photographs I recently took in front of Gate One…
Identical plaques are mounted to the front of both buildings near the arch. The steel arch was added in 1932.
I’m now standing by Building 20. There across the road is Building 21.
The plaques summarize the history of the San Diego Naval Training Station, which opened in 1923 and was finally decommissioned in 1997. Over 1.75 million sailor recruits would receive training here.
Now I’ve walked behind Building 20…
A plaque by the door to Building 20 identifies it as Gatehouse #1, constructed 1923.
Dodging a car or two, I’m now behind Building 21…
The rear of both buildings feature these beautiful tile fountains.
A plaque by the door of Building 21 identifies it as the Pass/Decal Office, constructed 1922.
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If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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Many public Fleet Week events have been cancelled in San Diego for 2025 because of the ongoing federal government shutdown. Fleet Week activities were scheduled to begin in earnest this weekend.
Unfortunately, the usual, very popular events at the Broadway Pier have been cancelled, including U.S. Navy demonstrations, STEM exhibits and public tours of ships.
Over the years, I’ve taken photographs at a variety of public Fleet Week events. I thought I share a few of them. Those events have included the Sea and Air Parade, a Veterans Art Exhibit, the Fleet Week Innovation Zone in the Port Pavilion, and a Military & Veteran Appreciation Concert in Balboa Park. That first photo above, taken near the USS Midway, is of cool cars promoting the Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival at Naval Air Station North Island.
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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.
Today is officially the 250th birthday of the United States Navy. On October 13, 2025, the U.S. Navy was established by the Continental Congress.
Needless to say, the Navy has a very large presence in San Diego, with important bases that include Naval Base San Diego, Naval Base Point Loma, Naval Air Station North Island (where naval aviation was born), and Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. Over the years, countless sailors trained at the old Naval Training Center San Diego, and have deployed from San Diego’s harbor on ships in both wartime and peacetime. Until 1997, Top Gun pilots trained at Naval Air Station Miramar.
I’ve published a wide variety of blogs concerning the U.S. Navy in San Diego. Given today’s 250th anniversary, I thought this would be a good time to revisit some of those past blog posts.
Click the following links to bring back some U.S. Navy memories…
Today Alex “Teddy” Blanco pulled a 7,000 pound truck over 2 miles through Liberty Station in San Diego. His strenuous physical effort would raise money for the EOD Warrior Foundation.
I happened to stumble upon this amazing 12th Annual Truck Pull as it progressed down Cushing Road. Teddy Blanco has been doing this every year!
EOD stands for Explosive Ordnance Disposal. The EOD Warrior Foundation website explains: EOD technicians are highly-trained military members serving in the Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force who are responsible for disarming, rendering safe, and disposing of explosive hazards.
The EOD Warrior Foundation (EODWF) serves the EOD community by providing financial assistance and support to Active-Duty, Guard, Reserve, Retired, and Veteran EOD technicians and their families.
Additional info importantly explains: This event is to raise awareness and funds for injured service members and their families.
To learn more about the organization, visit the EOD Warrior Foundation website by clicking here. (You can find a donation button on their website, 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.
