Today, after I checked out the San Diego Cup racing at Mission Bay, I headed to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park to see if anything interesting was going on. Somehow I’d forgotten that Stagecoach Days are celebrated in Old Town on summer Saturdays, and so I was surprised and happy to stumble upon Days of the Vaqueros!
I blogged about this exact same event last year, and took lots of photos and provided a fair amount of description and background. I saw many of the same participants again this year, and debated whether I should take more photos.
I love Old Town so much I couldn’t resist. If you want to learn more about life in San Diego when Southern California was a part of Spain, then Mexico, and large ranches employed the original cowboys, or vaqueros, then visit my blog from last summer’s event here.
You might also enjoy reading my blog post about Old Town’s McCoy House Museum, which includes many displays that concern San Diego’s fascinating early history.
Meanwhile, here are a few uncaptioned photographs of what I experienced today…
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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!
Cheerful flowers decorate the back of a wooden chair at Fiesta de Reyes in Old Town San Diego.
Look at all the beautiful flowers!
I found these while walking randomly around Old Town San Diego State Historic Park on Sunday!
Red geraniums flourish at the rear of San Diego House.A bee visits a prickly pear blossom near the Old Town Blacksmith Shop.Bouquet of flowers painted on a panel in the entry to the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant.Visitors enjoy the lush, sunny courtyard of Casa de Estudillo.Beautiful pottery with floral designs can be found throughout Old Town.A red hibiscus behind the Fiesta de Reyes stage where visitors can watch colorful Mexican baile folklórico dancing.Flowery design on one bench by the Fiesta de Reyes stage.Wouldn’t you like to sit on this bench?Yellow blooms near the Racine and Laramie Tobacconist building.Blue Buddha among flowers outside the entrance to Gum Saan.Many flowers fill a garden that few visitors see behind La Casa de Machado y Stewart.A tree has beautiful blooms near the historic Mason Street Schoolhouse.Flowers adorn pottery at El Centro Artesano.A bag with floral design at Old Town Market.There seem to be flowers everywhere you turn in Old Town San Diego!
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Photo of the Spanish Revival Sessions Building in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
Yesterday morning I took some photos of the 1929 Sessions Building in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. The handsome stucco building was designed by renowned San Diego architect Richard Requa, who was the Master Architect for the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition held in Balboa Park.
Other buildings that reveal Requa’s unique vision have appeared on my blog. He was one of the architects responsible for the downtown County Administration Building; he also designed the old lodge at Torrey Pines State Reserve.
The Sessions Building in Old Town was built for nurseryman Milton P. Sessions, who used it to operate a plant and ceramic shop until 1942. Today it is home to Toby’s Candle & Soap Shop, where tourists can make their own candles.
The historic Sessions Building was constructed in 1929 in the Spanish-Colonial style, designed by renowned architect Richard Requa.Sign describes history of the Milton P. Sessions Nursery building in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. For many years it served as the State Park’s Visitor Center.
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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego! Are you curious? There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!
Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts. If you’re using a phone or small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!
To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
Early this morning I saw on the news that many parts of San Diego were experiencing fog. So I thought it would be interesting to head to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park for some mysterious fog photos.
Well, one end of nearby Lindbergh Field was lost in a bank of fog–but not Old Town!
I got some wonderful morning photos anyway. It was quiet, just after sunrise, nothing open, very few people around…
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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!
Gazing down at San Diego Bay from Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma.
Here is a modest gift for my readers, and for the city I love.
This small taste of San Diego has been assembled from a variety of photos. A few are recent; others are from the past couple years.
Walk around San Diego and you will never go hungry. Every day presents a new feast for the eyes!
A couple rides bicycles along the Mission Beach boardwalk on a perfect day.Someone reads daily information posted on Mission Beach’s lifeguard station.A big peace sign atop the roof of USA Hostels Ocean Beach.Walking slowly near the surf along Torrey Pines State Beach.A bicycle, a fine way to travel through a sunny city.Diners sit outside the West Coast Tavern in North Park. The building is a former movie theater.Fun street art in North Park, one of many cool neighborhoods in San Diego.Visitors on a tour in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park learn about our city’s unique origin and early years.Colorful, festive Mexican-themed artwork adorns a gift shop in Old Town.A small memorial among fallen blooms on Presidio Hill above Old Town.Guns once used to train Navy sailors. Relics from military history at Liberty Station, site of the former Naval Training Center San Diego.Visitors to Balboa Park enjoy a walk along El Prado, near the Casa de Balboa and House of Hospitality.People play Jenga on the grass near Sefton Plaza in Balboa Park.The iconic El Cortez rises in the blue San Diego sky. I feel very fortunate to live on Cortez Hill, a beautiful corner of downtown.A small produce business in East Village.The historic Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Little Italy.A fountain on the east side of the County Administration Building.Volunteers work on the Star of India, world-famous tall ship of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.A busker and bicycle near the USS Midway Museum and Greatest Generation Walk.Sunset and sailboats on San Diego Bay.People have fun boating out on the water.Feet dangle over the water at Embarcadero Marina Park North.The classic Broadway Fountain and nearby downtown buildings. Photo taken one morning in Horton Plaza Park.The moon in the sky above a historic building in the Gaslamp Quarter.Life and color at Lane Field Park on San Diego’s Embarcadero.Riding recreational watercraft past the beautiful downtown San Diego skyline.
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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!
The Dickens Carolers sing during the annual Las Posadas event in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
This afternoon I headed to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park to experience the annual Las Posadas Celebration. There were many families in the park enjoying all sorts of holiday activities, gazing at beautiful decorations, and preparing to witness the reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter before the birth of Jesus.
Las Posadas is a Christmas tradition cherished by many Latinos and Spaniards. A candlelight procession after nightfall by members of the community symbolizes the Nativity. Angels and shepherds join along the way. Mary rides a live donkey. There is much joyful singing.
My camera is inadequate after dark. To see (and hear) tonight’s procession in Old Town, you’ll have to use your imagination.
The 67th Annual Las Posadas Celebration in Old Town celebrated a rich holiday tradition. A candlelight procession after dark reenacted the journey of Mary and Joseph in search of shelter before the birth of Jesus.As evening approaches, paper bag luminaries containing candles are placed around the central Plaza de las Armas.A big festive Christmas tree stands near the plaza’s center, beside the tall flagpole.Looking out the front door of the Casa de Estudillo at Old Town San Diego’s big Christmas tree.A shiny star-like pinata hangs in front of the Colorado House. This is where the holiday celebration would reach its joyful climax.Santa wishes everyone a Merry little Christmas inside Toby’s Candle and Soap Shop.A colorful holiday wagon containing red poinsettias is parked outside Toby’s Candle and Soap Shop.Kids activities during Las Posadas included making Christmas tree ornaments.This holiday wreath is decorated with spools of thread! It hangs on a door at Threads of the Past.A big wreath adds holiday cheer to the sunlit Seeley Stable Museum barn.As daylight wanes, families congregate around a campfire and roast marshmallows for s’mores.A special display inside the Robinson-Rose Visitor Center describes the life of Louis Rose, the first Jewish person to settle in San Diego.Reenacting a Hanukkah Candle Lighting Blessing inside the historic Robinson-Rose Visitor 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!
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 annual Mormon Battalion Commemoration Day is coming to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park on January 27, 2018.
Anyone interested in the long march of the Mormon Battalion from Council Bluffs, Iowa to San Diego and their important contributions to our city’s early history should put the event on their calendar!
I’ve been informed by the commemoration day organizer that entertainment will include a Native American dance group featuring drums and singers, some colorful ballet folklorico dancers, and an old time fiddler’s group!
To get a taste of the many interesting things you might see, view photos of past Mormon Battalion Commemoration Days here and here!
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I recently finished writing a short story about generosity and the true spirit of Christmas. To read it, click here!
The names of loved ones. Spiritual bonds link the living with the dead during Dia de los Muertos.
Many generations came together in Old Town this evening during Dia de los Muertos.
Love and memory were written on so many smiling faces as people celebrated their departed loved ones. Chalk memorials and scattered marigolds lined San Diego Avenue. And the evening ended with a candlelight procession from Old Town San Diego State Historic Park to the small El Campo Santo cemetery. A walk of several blocks in the growing darkness . . . a short walk down a road brightly lit by love.
My poor camera failed to capture the candlelight procession as night descended. But your heart and mind might imagine it.
An abundance of music, humor and life on stage during the Dia de los Muertos celebration in Old Town San Diego!People could pose for photos with two giant skeleton puppets!An artist paints two large skulls–calaveras–in Old Town’s Plaza de las Armas during Dia de los Muertos.Children decorate traditional sugar skulls.Some around the park wore fancy dresses and hats for the day, recreating the iconic Mexican image of La Calavera Catrina. I saw many faces painted like fantastic skulls.Some of the shops in Old Town had a mix of decorations for both Halloween and Dia de los Muertos.A large, colorful calavera above a restaurant inside Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.Face painting and a youthful smile.Hundreds of tributes and sentiments for departed loved ones were written in chalk on a long stretch of San Diego Avenue, inside Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.Lanterns among the many Dia de los Muertos chalk memorials.Te amo–I love you–and a marigold.Love and memory connect many generations as the years roll on.
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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!
A covered wagon in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is decorated with autumn colors.
After walking a bit downtown, I took the trolley up to Old Town to enjoy the colorful Fall Festival!
I never tire of the wonderful events that can be found almost every weekend at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park!
Kids at the Old Town Fall Festival learn to make art with colored beans!Later in the day folks at this table would demonstrate how to make applesauce.Making environmentally friendly bird feeders using corn cobs, peanut butter and seeds.Folks young and old were trying their hand at making corn husk dolls.Lady with old-fashioned parasol walks through Old Town San Diego State Historic Park’s central Plaza de las Armas.Colorful leaves and a bountiful harvest frame the Welcome in an Old Town shop window.A smiling señorita walks near some pumpkins.An elaborate Día de los Muertos decoration standing beside the Fiesta de Reyes stage is bright with fall colors.A flower-filled wheelbarrow in front of Seeley Stable.Ceramic pumpkins line shelves at an outdoor Old Town marketplace.Ladies work on a quilt inside the Threads of the Past Living History Activity Center.Kid learns how to plant seeds in front of the Wells Fargo History Museum.A Wells Fargo chest full of golden treasure!
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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 fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
Fred Grand, President of the Old Town Chamber of Commerce, reads a proclamation during a special Constitution Day ceremony.
Bells rang in San Diego at exactly one o’clock this Sunday afternoon to celebrate Constitution Day. A special ceremony took place on the steps of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Old Town, where a gathering of people rang bells they had brought for the occasion.
The patriotic ceremony was organized by the San Diego Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and featured a proclamation by Fred Grand, President of the Old Town Chamber of Commerce. Attendees also sang the Star-Spangled Banner, America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee), America the Beautiful, and God Bless America.
To celebrate the United States Constitution and the freedoms the document guarantees all citizens, many bells rang today simultaneously all across America. Bells pealed in Pennsylvania, where the United States Constitution was signed by delegates to the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787.
The Daughters of the American Revolution supports Old Town and have for almost 100 years. You can see their historical markers on the big rock in the southeast corner of the grassy Plaza de las Armas, at the Casa de Estudillo, the Cosmopolitan Hotel, the San Diego Union print shop, the Rockin Baja restaurant (over their front doorway), and another on Taylor Street near Presidio Drive. The DAR will soon be placing another marker at the site of the First San Diego Courthouse.
Priest of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Old Town talks to people in front of the historic church after Sunday Mass.At one o’clock, people of many backgrounds and beliefs gather on the church steps to celebrate the United States Constitution, which enshrines individual human liberty.This old bell of the Daughters of the American Revolution features an inscription from the United States Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.One historical plaque, which marks the end of the Kearney Trail in Old Town San Diego, was placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1920.Another historical marker placed by the DAR can be found inside Old Town’s Casa de Estudillo.Kathleen Winchester, historian of the San Diego Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, is presented with an official proclamation on Constitution Day.The patriotic gathering sings The Star-Spangled Banner.
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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 fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
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