Employees and volunteers at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park have posed for old-fashioned tintype photographs, while dressed in period attire!
I spotted this display recently in front of the Robinson-Rose House Visitors Center. The “nineteenth century reproduction clothing” in these photographs reflects Old Town’s interpretive period, which is between 1821 and 1872.
If you want to see more photos of California State Park folks in period attire, click here. Or head over to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and simply walk around. You’ll likely meet staff and volunteers who appear to have emerged from our city’s early history!
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Old Town San Diego became even more beautiful today because of the work of about 60 volunteers during the 2024 Community Clean Up!
As I walked today, I noticed dozens of orange trash bags near a parking lot in Old Town. The bags were filled with litter, weeds and trimmed tree branches. I had stumbled upon an annual clean up organized by the Old Town San Diego Chamber of Commerce. Volunteers from Caltrans District 11 and the Mormon Battalion were pitching in, too!
A huge area was beautified–the entire Old Town community–from the entrance of Presidio Park, through the State Park, and all through the business district.
Thank you to everyone!
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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)!
Don, a male donkey at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, passed away two weeks ago. The beloved animal is believed to have had a stroke. He leaves a second donkey, Dulce, by herself in the corral beside Seeley Stable.
I was very saddened to hear the news today during my walk through Old Town.
Don and Dulce have been loved by kids and families for many years in this California State Park. I first blogged about Don and Dulce almost nine years ago here. I took the above photograph of Don back then.
Don is believed to have been in his mid to late 30s. Dulce is a couple years younger. Both were rescued from the wild many years ago.
I was told Dulce cried and wouldn’t eat for some time after Don’s death. She was quietly eating when I came by today. The following three photographs are from today’s walk.
I asked several State Park employees: What will become of Dulce now that her companion is gone? From what I could gather, her future is presently undecided–she might go to an animal rescue organization, or might get a new companion donkey.
If I learn more in the future, I’ll be sure to blog it.
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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)!
A little-seen plaque in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park marks the original site of the San Diego Peace Memorial. The bronze plaque is located near the corner of San Diego Avenue and Twiggs Street, in an unobtrusive spot behind the Old Town Trolley Tours ticket booth.
The plaque reads: Honoring San Diego’s sons and daughters who lost their lives in the Vietnam War, and remembering those who remain missing. 1964-1975. First dedicated on this site in 1969. Relocated to the Veterans Memorial Center, Balboa Park, 2115 Park Boulevard, San Diego, in 1996.
Back in 1969, volunteers created two concrete monuments on Roman Catholic Diocese land here in Old Town. Plaques listed those from San Diego County who were killed or designated missing in action during the Vietnam War. Two more plaques full of names were added to the San Diego Peace Memorial in 1974. It was one of the first Vietnam War memorials in the United States.
In 1994 the diocese sold the property and the memorial was moved to the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center in Balboa Park.
In 2014, on New Year’s Eve, I visited the the renamed Vietnam Veterans Peace Memorial in Balboa Park.
You can revisit that old blog post by clicking 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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
The historic Whaley House in Old Town San Diego is widely considered to be the most haunted house in America. So it’s possible that what you see in these photographs (which I took today) is America’s most haunted Christmas tree!
When you think of Christmas ghosts you probably conjure up Ebenezer Scrooge’s visitation by Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. While those are literary creations, ghosts believed to have been observed at the Whaley House have many real life witnesses.
Over the years, I’ve been told about ghostly presences in the Whaley House’s small upstairs theater. The theater is located behind those balcony windows.
I spoke to several Whaley House Museum tour guides today and asked if there have been any strange incidents concerning their Christmas tree. They did say that the ornaments are securely fashioned, but one was found on the ground beside the street below.
Did a Christmas tree hating Scrooge-like ghost utter bah humbug and toss the ornament from the balcony?
You decide!
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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)!
Christmas decorations have already popped up all around Old Town San Diego State Historic Park! I took a short walk through the historic park today and snapped these photos.
As you can see, three very colorful wise men have arrived at the Fiesta de Reyes stage. And a couple of jolly Santas have arrived elsewhere in the park, too!
I learned that the Casa de Estudillo will be putting up their Christmas decorations after Thanksgiving. I suspect even more holiday decorations will be appearing at various museums and shops.
What free holiday activities can be enjoyed in Old Town San Diego this year? The following will take place outside of the State Park:
A festive Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held beside the Whaley House on December 7, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
The 65th Annual Las Posadas procession will take place in Heritage County Park on Friday, December 8, 2023, starting at 7:00 pm.
A couple of large wreaths welcome everyone to Fiesta de Reyes.A wreath with Mexican flavor hangs by a shop window.Many holiday wreaths along the balcony of the Cosmopolitan Hotel.Santa Claus welcomes visitors to Toby’s Candle & Soap Shop in Old Town.Moon and sun kiss behind a wreath’s red ribbon in front of El Centro Artesano.Merry Christmas! Good old Santa has returned to Old Town Market on his wagon!
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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)!
A crowd of thousands gathered this evening in Old Town San Diego for the annual Día de los Muertos procession.
The candlelight procession would begin around sundown in front of the Immaculate Conception Church and move slowly down San Diego Avenue to the historic El Campo Santo cemetery.
I walked from Old Town San Diego State Historic Park to the cemetery and back again as people were still gathering for this very popular event.
What did my camera find?
Face painting at many stations, as living faces were decorated to look like colorful sugar skulls. And beautiful chalk art in the State Park left over from last weekend’s Day of the Dead event. And many costumes, elegant Catrinas and walking skeletons.
An altar was set up in the El Campo Santo cemetery, and there was the old wall and a special board where people could draw hearts and write messages for deceased loved ones. The graves were joyfully decorated, too.
As I returned toward the State Park, people had already begun to line San Diego Avenue to view the coming procession. But it was rapidly becoming too dark for my camera. So this series of photographs ends with a smile at Fiesta de Reyes in the State Park.
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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)!
You’ll find many smiles this weekend in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park during their big Día de los Muertos celebration!
I walked through the State Park yesterday as the event was ready to open and found artists painting colorful murals, an arriving chalk artist, a sugar skull creation station and more. I watched as the big Community Altar was set up at one end of Old Town’s historic plaza.
There are forty Day of the Dead altars in all–most inside the State Park. Others can be enjoyed along San Diego Avenue and elsewhere around Old Town. There’s face painting everywhere you turn, live music at several restaurants, and even a 19th century magic lantern show at Seeley Stable!
The big event continues today–Sunday–so head on down to Old Town if you can!
In addition, there will be a candlelit procession this Thursday, November 2, starting at the Immaculate Conception Church just outside the State Park. At 6 pm the procession will head down San Diego Avenue toward El Campo Santo cemetery. That event will include blessings and traditional dances by Danza Azteca Atlachinolli.
Enjoy these photographs taken inside Old Town San Diego State Historic Park yesterday as Día de los Muertos got underway…
Old Town San Diego Boosters raise money by selling gifts in front of the Robinson-Rose House Visitors Center.Canopies set up on the grassy plaza offer several Day of the Dead activities.State Park employees get the big Community Altar ready in Old Town.Spreading marigold petals, to lead departed souls toward the Day of the Dead altar.The beautiful Community Altar.Smiling muralist Belen Islas was working on her beautiful canvas.Artist Juliet Elise Rodriguez paints many colors into her mural.Symbolic marigolds for sale.The San Diego Public Library was there with fun for the family!Color your own skull mask!Kids love painting small sugar skulls.Here are three finished ones!It’s a smiling Isabel Garcia! You’ve seen some of her beautiful murals on Cool San Diego Sights!
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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)!
The Old Town San Diego Foundation is a non profit that supports school field trips to Old Town–a program that is available to over 11,000 students each year.
Perhaps you remember your own 4th Grade field trip to Old Town, and how your eyes opened wide to San Diego’s rich history and the many cultures that come together where we live.
The State of California has brought back in-person school field trips and educational tours to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park after the disruption caused by COVID. So it’s time to get those awesome school trips back in gear!
Thank you for helping our fourth grade class go on an awesome, wonderful, super fun field trip! All of us fourth graders had an amazing time. My favorite part was going to see the amazing things the blacksmiths made. I also learn a lot from the Mormon Battalion!
Sincerely,
Elliott
Bay Park Elementary
And below are some of the awesome people I met at Old Town’s Dia de los Muertos event who are helping to make this all happen!
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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)!
Spider webs, skeletons, monsters, pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns!
Signs have popped up around San Diego indicating Halloween is around the corner!
I took these photos during a very long walk today. I wandered through downtown, Little Italy, Old Town and Bay Park…
A community pumpkin patch in Waterfront Park is readied by Parks and Recreation.An ornate ceramic jack-o’-lantern in Old Town San Diego.Sign promotes special event in Little Italy: Trick or Treat on India Street!These horrific creatures appear a bit sleepy. I spotted them inside a window of the San Diego Visitor Information Center near Broadway Pier.Yes! Halloween lights are right here. Get your black lights, fog machines and mirror balls!Will the firefighters at Bayside Fire Station No. 2 use their ladder to save this dangling skeleton?
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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! 