Tag: parks

History at Mission Valley river park.

History is being made in Mission Valley. Two massive projects are being developed along the San Diego River: SDSU Mission Valley and Riverwalk San Diego.

The river park at SDSU Mission Valley is mostly complete, and large areas are now accessible to the public during its soft opening.

I walked around the river park the other day and found a number of fascinating information signs. One shows birds that might be found along the San Diego River. Another concerns stormwater management and the creation of bioretention basins. The largest such basin is located near the Stadium trolley station.

The signs that interested me most concern the history of Mission Valley and the San Diego River.

I took photos of several signs, which you can enlarge for easier reading…

The Native American Kumeyaay historically used plants along the river for food, tools and construction materials. They sustainably managed the land. Before World War II and the subsequent boom in urban development, Mission Valley was largely farmland. At one point there were 20 dairy farms in Mission Valley. Several Japanese American families operated vegetable farms.

Early 1900s postcards of Mission Valley show large areas of green farmland on either side of the San Diego River.

New plants for the new river park at SDSU Mission Valley.

The San Diego River begins in the Cuyamaca Mountains and flows west to the Pacific Ocean. It is the source of important biodiversity. In 1971, plans to replace the sometimes flooding river with a concrete channel were thwarted by intense public opposition. The vision of a more natural San Diego River, with innovative safeguards against flooding, would eventually prevail.

Photo of damaging flooding in Mission Valley circa 1980, before the adoption in 1982 of FSDRIP–the First San Diego River Improvement Project.

The Kumeyaay were the first people to live in this region. This sign explains they understood the importance of caring for the land, water, flora and fauna that are all a part of this intricate ecological system that relates and sustains all life in balance and harmony. A map of Kumeyaay territory includes San Diego County and the northern portion of Baja California.

A field without farms–playing soccer near Snapdragon Stadium at SDSU Mission Valley.

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Hubbell art at new SDSU Mission Valley river park!

Nine beautiful works of art by world-renowned sculptor James Hubbell can now be enjoyed by those visiting SDSU Mission Valley and its newly opened river park!

A soft opening of the river park at SDSU Mission Valley includes portions of the two-mile pedestrian and bike pathway that circles Snapdragon Stadium. Every quarter mile, medallions fashioned by James Hubbell and Emilie Ledieu (artist in residence at Hubbell’s Ilan-Lael Foundation) are embedded in the path marking the distance. Each mosaic medallion depicts a significant plant in local Native American Kumeyaay culture.

The first medallion you see in the above photograph can be found a very short distance west of the Stadium trolley station. The image represents Basket rush (Juncus textilis). It’s where our two mile walk will begin.

Here’s a map that shows exactly where each bit of Hubbell art can be found…

A sign in the nearby trolley plaza explains Ethnobotany and describes what each medallion represents…

Okay! Let’s go for the walk (late yesterday afternoon) and take a look at these small but very beautiful works of art, beginning at the Start medallion…

1/4 mile marker. Desert agave (Agave deserti).

1/2 mile marker. Coffeeberry (Frangula californica).

3/4 mile marker. Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera).

1 mile marker. Wild rose (Rosa californica).

1 1/4 mile marker. Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia).

1 1/2 mile marker. Elderberry (Sambucus nigra).

1 3/4 mile marker. White sage (Salvia apiana).

2 mile marker. Eastwood manzanita (Arctostaphylos gladulosa).

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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)!

Wetland restored at Cottonwood Creek in Encinitas.

Cottonwood Creek Park in Encinitas is a place to play, picnic, relax and enjoy nature. A beautiful walkway crosses over Cottonwood Creek and leads to leafy overlooks.

At one overlook, a sign lures inquisitive eyes. It describes how the nearby wetland was re-created, where for many years the water had been piped underground directly to the portion of the creek that lies west of the Pacific Coast Highway. The park and its restored wetland lie immediately east of Vulcan Avenue (a short distance east of Coast Highway 101).

The benefit of water filtration by plants (such as bulrushes and sedges) and plant litter (decomposing vegetation) is explained. Water that eventually flows into the ocean at Moonlight Beach is naturally cleaned of contaminants like heavy metals, nitrates and phosphorus.

The reclaimed riparian habitat also supports many native species. Trees, frogs and butterflies that benefit are depicted on a second sign.

To read more, enlarge the two sign images.

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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)!

Boston Tea Party to be reenacted in Chula Vista!

A very unique event is coming to Chula Vista. On Saturday, December 16th, there will be a reenactment of the Boston Tea Party in San Diego’s South Bay!

The event, marking the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, will be held at Chula Vista Bayfront Park, beside the marina. The event runs from noon to 4 pm, with the historical reenactment starting at 1 pm.

The event is free and open to all. It will be a great opportunity for young people to learn a little about our country’s history. You can read more about this special event and view a map showing where it is taking place exactly by clicking here.

I was told Chula Vista based tall ship Bill of Rights will take part in the reenactment. By sheer coincidence, I spotted the Bill of Rights last weekend at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, where it was docked for a Tall Ships America Pacific Coast community muster. That’s when I snapped these photos!

Six years ago I stepped aboard Bill of Rights during the Festival of Sail. See those photographs 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 re-opening of downtown’s Children’s Park!

Children’s Park in downtown San Diego will celebrate its Grand Re-opening early next week, on November 14th at 9 am. Finally!

The major redesign of the park is going to make this space much more fun and community friendly. A huge playground is perhaps the upgraded park’s centerpiece, but there will also be exercise equipment, a leash-free dog area complete with obstacle course, and, eventually, an open concession shack offering food and refreshments.

As you can see in these photographs, which I took this morning, the familiar pool near Harbor Drive still features sprinkling fountains that attract seagulls and the eyes of convention-goers and passing trolleys.

The last time I took photos of Children’s Park the renovation had just begun. This blog post from May 2022 provides more information concerning this project.

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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)!

Altars for Day of the Dead in City Heights.

Many beautiful altars for Day of the Dead were set up today in Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park for the 26th Annual City Heights Día de los Muertos.

The altars (ofrendas) were the centerpiece of the community event, which also included entertainment on a main stage, tasty food, and crafts and play activities for kids. Lots of smiling families were out enjoying the sunny San Diego day!

Neighbors circulated through the park, viewing the altars, reliving precious memories. Departed loved ones looked out from photographs. There was the traditional pan de muerto, papel picado, favorite objects of those who’ve passed, candles and crosses.

Even cool lowriders parked along the nearby sidewalk contained altars!

You can learn more about the ofrenda and its traditions here.

According to cultural descriptions of the celebration, the smell from the Marigolds helps guide the dead to the ofrenda, and the petals are often picked and spread in a pathway to lead the way.

The thought occurred to me that perhaps it’s the other way around. The altars with their many marigolds lead us who are alive to the dead.

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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)!

An autumn hike in San Diego’s Tecolote Canyon.

A special Autumn hike was enjoyed this Sunday in San Diego’s beautiful Tecolote Canyon Natural Open Space Park.

The hikers, equipped with plenty of water and sturdy shoes, started at the Tecolote Canyon Nature Center and proceeded north up the main trail.

The dirt trail passed under sycamores whose leaves were beginning to turn; it proceeded under ancient coast live oaks, past bright yellow bush sunflowers, and roller coastered up and down sun-drenched hills and through shady tunnels of wrinkled gray willows.

Much of this special hike skirted the narrow Tecolote Canyon Golf Course, whose green fairways could be viewed from above.

A southern alligator lizard with a very long tail sunned at the edge of the path. Birds flitted nearby. As the hikers approached the Genesee Avenue trailhead, an impassable stream forced the half dozen adventurers to turn back. And then we saw three amazing, perfect spider webs suspended up there above our heads.

Those webs made this hike special. As did the San Diego sunshine and a cool October breeze. And the fluttering leaves. And footbridges and wooden fences. And aromatic sage, and monkey flowers, and the call of a red-tailed hawk, and hikers and mountain bikers who passed by smiling. And, of course, the fact that the hikers with me were friends.

Trailside sign explains: This area is being filled with plants native to this canyon. Plants such as toyon, California wild rose, blue elderberry, black sage and others will increase not just plant biodiversity but also animal diversity…

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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)!

New park at SDSU Mission Valley turns green!

Large sections of the new river park at SDSU Mission Valley appear to be almost finished!

Not only are there wide fields of new green grass, and newly planted trees, but basketball courts have been installed, along with climbing and other exercise equipment, a big playground for the kids and restrooms.

I stepped off the trolley at the Stadium station today and walked around. The area north of the station, where people can relax on benches on their way to and from Snapdragon Stadium (or future SDSU classrooms and dorms), is now open, green and inviting. You can see how this area looked when I took photographs back in March. Click here.

The wide grassy area that is mostly south of the trolley tracks is still fenced off, but one can walk along the fence and imagine how awesome this public park will be when it finally opens.

Kicking a soccer ball, picnics, kites, playing with a Frisbee, talking with friends, reading a book, completing a class assignment, going for a sunny walk–this will be the place to go!

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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 short walk at Moonlight Beach Overlook.

There’s more than a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean at the Moonlight Beach Overlook in Encinitas. There are a few bits of art, too!

Two trashcans are decorated with colorful tiles painted by youth.

The parklike Moonlight Beach Overlook isn’t large, but it’s a great place to relax, gaze down at the beach below, or perhaps enjoy a picnic on the grass.

The following overlook sign can be spotted just south of the main Moonlight Beach parking lot.

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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)!

Wildlife street art on electrical boxes.

I spotted this great street art during my recent walk through the new Creekside Park in Mission Valley.

Depicted are wild animals, birds and insects that one can find in San Diego County’s vast backcountry. Mountain and desert habitats appear to be well represented.

I’m not sure who the artist is, but the artwork appears to be fairly new. I didn’t notice a signature.

These electrical boxes are located about halfway along linear Creekside Park, inside the Civita residential development. Look for them where the park’s main path intersects Westside Drive.

If you’d like to see more street art in Civita painted on electrical boxes, 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 (formerly known as Twitter)!