The silvery curving towers of the Marriott Marquis as seen from across Harbor Drive. The cluster of trees on the right contains a wonderful secret.
I’ve lived in downtown San Diego for years and years. But apparently I still have much to discover. Because I had no idea that the Marriott Marquis on our waterfront has a hidden parklike hollow, in a place where seemingly few people venture.
The quiet green space, with a beautiful lawn, fountain, waterfalls, koi and ducks is partially concealed in an island of trees. You’ll find it set back a short distance from Harbor Drive, at the center of the looping driveway that leads to the Marriott’s front entrance.
There’s no clear footpath to the hollow. But there is a fish food dispenser and a couple of stone benches, and plenty of tranquil beauty. Hotel guests who’d like to unwind and quietly relax have their own secret garden, a place for meditation in the middle of bustling San Diego!
We’ve crossed Harbor Drive and are walking on the driveway, carefully watching for cars and buses.Within the trees there’s a tranquil, inviting green space.Grass, rippling water, and a mixture of shade and sunshine fill a parklike hollow in front of the Marriott Marquis in San Diego.These ducks are enjoying a small artificial stream among some rocks.Two beautiful stone benches invite meditation.The koi wouldn’t mind a bit of food tossed their way!A shining pond reflects the nearby hotel and flagpoles on another pleasant San Diego day.
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Close-up photo of one tile panel in a long mural, which is located on a wall near the Cesar Chavez Park playground in Barrio Logan.
Relatively few people know about a fascinating mural in Barrio Logan. Dedicated art and history lovers can find it at the very edge of San Diego’s beautiful bay, between the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and the base of the Coronado Bridge.
The mural is located in Cesar Chavez Park, on a long wall just north of the playground. Created by Dale Marsh/Tile Artisans, it consists of eleven ceramic tile panels depicting half a century of local history–from the 1900s to the 1950s–through the use of vintage photographs. Images fondly remember the day-to-day life many San Diegans in this predominantly Mexican American neighborhood experienced while growing up and working on our busy waterfront.
A brief description of each panel is contained in a nearby plaque also composed of tiles. I’ve transcribed most of the words and have used them in my photo captions.
Looking north past the Cesar Chavez Park playground at an interesting public mural that depicts local history.Descriptions of the eleven panels in the mural, which depicts Logan Heights in its Golden Years, 1900 through 1959.Aztec Brewery Art Ensemble adorned the ceiling and walls of the Rathskeller and Beer Tasting Room of the brewery in the early to mid 1900s on Main Street.Hoop skirts, 1932 Model T car with rumble seat and white 1936 Ford, Metro Theater usherette twins, model parents of the era, neighborhood Rhythm and Blues bands and their followers.Papa Chuey founding proprietor of Chuey’s Restaurant cashed checks and provided credit accounts for fishermen and cannery workers in hard times.Nifty Fifties teen scene in “The Heights” spotlights Physical Education class, jitterbug dancing and positive socialization. Friendship was a true binding factor among teenagers.Tuna boats filled with tired fishermen arrived at the tuna canneries bringing work for hopeful dockworkers and cannery workers. Their arrival meant livelihood for countless families.This 1948 Cannery Workers group photo depicts the numbers and spirit of the work force of the various canneries of San Diego’s Cannery Row.The “Leona C – San Diego” fishing crew portray the faces of the hard working men who in turn provided for numerous jobs for entire communities.Logan Heights landmarks include the street car at 5 cents per ride . . . the beautiful earlier architecture of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and Las Palmas nightclub . . .Community social groups fostered a healthy and happy neighborhood where age gaps did not exist. Neighbors watched out for each other and provided a safety net for the youth.Teen social clubs such as Los Gallos, Los Chicanos and the Drifters comprised the Southeast Youth Council, which was sponsored by the Old Neighborhood House.Neighborhood House provided many community programs including Rondalla musical groups for women. Lupita, far right first row, is a legend in Logan Heights.
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Looking north at steps that lead down from the quiet, stately Balboa Park Administrative Courtyard.
A few weeks ago I meandered about Inspiration Point in Balboa Park. Walking slowly, pausing often, going nowhere in particular. Just seeing what I might see.
At the south edge of the Balboa Park Administrative Courtyard, I stood and gazed down the hill toward a corner of downtown San Diego. You might remember my blog about the courtyard. It’s a place that very few people know about. It’s peaceful, green, a bit of heaven. A place of solitude.
As I stood, I glanced down some steps leading toward a seemingly unremarkable patch of trees. A dusty lot next to the trees contained dozens of parked city Park and Recreation trucks. I wondered to myself if the public was permitted to walk down those steps, into what appeared to be a city work area.
This mysterious path seems to lead to a jumble of trees and a dusty parking lot full of city Park and Recreation trucks.
Then I saw the blue among the trees. Was that water?
No sign indicated I couldn’t investigate. So I did.
And what I found took my breath away.
Beautiful Bird of Paradise in a section of Balboa Park where the public almost never goes.Entering a magical hollow in the trees, where a shining blue pool and small fountain await.
The trees seemed a forgotten oasis. At their center shined a lonely pool and a small fountain in the form of a child. The cherub seemed to be holding open the mouth of a carp, or perhaps reading a book–I don’t know.
The strange fountain appeared to occupy a magical place, entirely removed from the surrounding world.
What was it?
An email to the Friends of Balboa Park, an organization whose office is in the nearby Balboa Park Administration Building, provided a bit of information.
The person who replied parks her car in the lot not far from the pool and fountain, and she was completely amazed. She’d didn’t know of its existence.
Ranger Kim, who also works in the building, and who knows volumes about the history of Balboa Park, indicated that the fountain was left over from the 1920’s when the U.S. Navy built a large hospital campus in the immediate area.
In the 1980’s, the land was given to the city in exchange for acreage in Florida Canyon, where the new Naval Medical Center San Diego was built. The buildings from the 1920’s were eventually demolished, except for a Navy chapel, the administration building and its stately courtyard, and a nearby medical library and auditorium building. Today the chapel contains the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center; the administration building contains Balboa Park’s headquarters.
And, of course, magic remains where very few people go: a small fountain that healed spirits at the old Navy complex. A beautiful, hidden fountain forgotten by time.
The lonely fountain is in the form of a child. A few empty benches surround the tiled pool.This fountain is left over from the Navy hospital campus built in this area in the 1920’s.The figure seems to be holding open the jaws of a fish, or perhaps reading a book.A beautiful, hidden fountain forgotten by time.
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The sun glows behind a pair of palm trees at the edge of Mission Bay.
Late this morning I headed to the Pacific Islander Festival, which took place in the grassy Ski Beach Park near the center of Mission Bay. I’ll get my photos ready and blog about it shortly!
On the way to the festival and afterward, I took a long, leisurely walk. Mission Bay might be the best place in San Diego for an easy saunter through sunshiny paradise.
When I say Mission Bay Park is a paradise, that’s no exaggeration. Grassy parkland, beaches, islands, resorts and marinas are found everywhere you go, whether by foot, bicycle, roller skate, car or boat. Its 4,235 acres make it the largest man-made aquatic park in the nation. Roughly half land and half water, what was originally a lagoon at the mouth of the San Diego River has been transformed into one of our city’s most popular destinations. Especially during the summer.
But summer is over and the crowds have thinned. Perfect for a quiet, thoughtful walk.
Here are a few random pics…
A fisherman rows a kayak near sailboats docked at Paradise Point Resort on Vacation Isle.Mission Bay Park is the largest man-made aquatic park in the United States. Its 4,235 acres is a wonderland of blue water, islands, beaches, resorts, marinas, and tree-shaded grass.Skateboarding over the Ingraham Street bridge between Vacation Isle and Dana Landing. A seagull on every lamp post!Looking down from the bridge. It’s a quiet Sunday after Labor Day, and many benches are empty. Mission Bay is a perfect place for a long, sunny walk in San Diego!Light reflected on water contrasted with shore rocks.A small pleasure boat glides through South Cove and is ready to pass under the Ingraham Street bridge.A colorful sail and reflection on smooth water at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Marina.Fishing on a Sunday by the bridge north of Quivira Basin. It crosses over Mission Bay Channel and leads to nearby Mission Beach.Broad blue water and folks recreating on Mission Bay. Kayaks, paddle boards, peddle boats, sailboats, windsurfers and fishing boats can be spotted on any given day.
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Dancers in the fountain at San Diego’s Waterfront Park reach skyward during the Trolley Dances.
This morning I caught the very first performance of the Trolley Dances. The venue for the first stage of the Trolley Dances in 2015 is the County Administration Center Waterfront Park–to be exact, the long fountain on the north side of the County Administration Building.
When I arrived, a group of dancers was rehearsing and a videographer was setting up near the end of the fountain where the audience would watch. After a few minutes, the first mobile audience arrived, and I enjoyed a cool performance. And I mean cool. It was a water dance! On a very warm and muggy morning, I wouldn’t have minded rolling through and leaping about the refreshing water, either! But, alas, nobody who is sane would pay even a nickel to watch me dance.
The Trolley Dances is a unique tradition in San Diego. Put on by the San Diego Dance Theater, the outdoor performances occur in often surprising public places. Those who watch get started every 45 minutes, traveling from one site to the next on foot and by public transit. This year, groups travel from the Waterfront Park to Balboa Park, taking one of the new MTS Rapid buses from Santa Fe Depot.
Anyone in San Diego who loves dance must check out the Trolley Dances. Performances continue throughout the day on Saturdays and Sundays, September 26 – 27 and October 3 – 4. More info can be found on their website.
Rehearsing and getting the video camera ready before the first Trolley Dances mobile audience arrives at 10 o’clock.A beautiful venue for a dance. Palm trees along the Embarcadero and San Diego Bay provide a perfect stage.Dancers rehearse the very beginning of the performance, which involves rolling out through the shallow fountain.They’re rolling! During the summer, many tourists and visitors love running through the water. On such a warm morning, I almost jumped in myself!This nice lady saw my camera and provided a super smile!Stephan Koplowitz, an award-winning director and choreographer provides the dancers with some final advice before the first audience arrives.And here they come! Guides with Trolley Dances signs lead the way to the first unusual outdoor dance site.The dancers are lying in the water as everyone trickles in and finds a place to sit or stand.The first audience is ready! Here we go!Slowly rolling…OH, NO!!! A child playing in the park nearby is heading out to join the dancers! Horrors!The young child is intercepted. I’m sorry, but this to me was the highlight of the performance!The dancers rise up as individuals, like living things emerging from primordial waters.Some still lay flat on their backs, moving their feet as if coming to life. The dance was very organic, and very watery!Rising up from the liquid into freedom and boundless space.The free form dance was a very cool spectacle that everyone should enjoy.Now the dancers rise in unison, plunging forward, swirling, alive!Dancers from San Diego Dance Theater provide wonderful entertainment on a sunny weekend day!Clusters of dancers merge, writhe, change shape, like strange newborn beings experiencing life for the first time.This artistic group seemed to be evolving, ascending into the world.Flying skyward through the fountain!More beauty and mystery, as the dancers slowly spread south, away from the seated audience.Another dynamic photo.The dancers are now clearly moving away from the audience, pushing out into the broader world, over this bridge.It is a shining, watery path that passes through many splashing fountains.Moving outward, away, slowly, with poise.Beyond white curtains of water, away, into the unknown future…And the stunning performance is over. The dancers paused and bowed, as the mobile audience drew up beside them and applauded.
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Creepy skulls await visitors near entrance to The Haunted Trail. Many visitors will scream this coming Halloween season.
Is it nearly Autumn? That means Halloween is quickly approaching! And so are the usual nightmarish horrors!
I saw during a walk through Balboa Park’s west end that The Haunted Trail is under construction. Around Halloween, the annual outdoor “haunted house” scares even the bravest living residents of San Diego. Passing through the dark, ghostly trees at night might be scary enough, but imagine being surrounded by legions of hellish ghouls and flesh-eating zombies!
I conquered my own fear and poked my camera over a fence to record the coming terror…
The Haunted Trail is under construction on the west end of Balboa Park. Workers seem to be just getting started.Bloody decapitated heads on pikes will scare thrill-seekers in the dark of night!Various dummies arranged on the leafy ground. Like the undead, they will soon rise!What would Halloween be without a pumpkin head? And some ghouls, ghosts, specters and miscellaneous whatnot.That’s one big pile of terribly mangled bodies. It almost looks like what happens during a fumble in football.I thought one grim reaper was quite enough, thank you!And to top it all off, a good old spooky demon with horns. October must be approaching!
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Morning photo of the new Fault Line Park in San Diego’s East Village. The Central Library’s dome is visible in the background.
An incredibly cool new public park opened in East Village a couple weeks ago. It’s called Fault Line Park, and is located south of Island Avenue between 14th and 15th Street. The park is situated directly above a shallow rupture of the Rose Canyon Fault System, which stretches through downtown San Diego.
In addition to a children’s playground and places to sit and walk, the 1.3 acre Fault Line Park contains a really unique feature. A public art installation, titled Fault Whisper, by artist Po Shu Wang of Living Lenses, allows visitors to monitor our active planet. Large, shining spheres stand on either side of the fault line. At the west sphere, curious ears can listen to the Earth’s subterranean movements, which are recorded by a seismometer embedded below in the actual fault! They can also look through an eyepiece toward the opposite sphere, to see whether the Earth has shifted!
What brilliant, interesting artwork!
Even though I listened intently, I couldn’t hear the Earth whispering early this morning when I took these pics. Perhaps old Mother Earth was still sleeping!
This line marks where a part of the Rose Canyon Fault System has ruptured, just 14 feet below the surface. According to geologists, there’s no great earthquake danger here.Photographer records cool reflections in one of the large stainless steel spheres in Fault Line Park.Plaque describes Fault Whisper public art, created by Po Shu Wang in 2014. Two spheres stand on either side of the fault line. From one you can listen to the Earth and monitor movement.Here’s the opening where you can press your ear to listen. There’s a speaker just inside. The Earth’s movements are translated into musical notes.Looking through eyepiece at the opposing sphere. If the Pacific and North American tectonic plates have shifted since the art’s installation, it isn’t very noticeable.Stella Public House restaurant in East Village is located right next to the cool new Fault Line Park.If Stella Public House is as awesome as the super friendly employee I met, you’d better head over there at once!View of Fault Line Park in East Village from outdoor patio shared by Stella Public House and Halcyon coffeehouse and cocktail lounge.
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At the southwest end of Shelter Island, near the end of Shoreline Park, are some works of art. The female life-size bronze sculpture is Pacific Spirit, by James Hubbell, 2002.
I was off from work yesterday. In the late morning I headed down to Shelter Island. It’s another of my favorite places. After a bite to eat, I enjoyed an easy, peaceful walk while gathering photos for future blog posts. Expect some cool sights in the coming weeks!
The path that extends the length of narrow Shoreline Park is just about perfect. The park itself is located at the very edge of the bay, stretching from one end of Shelter Island to the other. In one place the path traverses what seems to be more of a large parking lot than a park, but no matter. I love the place. It’s relaxed, usually non-crowded, and just beautiful. There are amazing views of San Diego Bay, sailboats and a large variety of ships, scenic Point Loma, a slice of ocean horizon, the distant Coronado Islands (when it isn’t hazy), busy Naval Air Station North Island and the skyline of downtown San Diego. I often see people sitting on lawn chairs with binoculars, just watching boats pass by, jets take off from North Island, and birds that wheel and dive through the blue sky.
People walk along the pathway which stretches down narrow Shoreline Park. Grass, benches and picnic tables invite both locals and tourists.Bougainvillea and lath provide shade on a sunny warm summer morning. Several of these structures are found along the park.Bicyclist cruises past a raised Osprey nesting platform. A sign nearby provides an explanation.A large Navy warship entering San Diego harbor is seen beyond the Shelter Island pier. Downtown skyscrapers appear misty in the background.Fathom Bistro, Bait and Tackle sign at foot of Shelter Island fishing pier. They’ve been open a couple years now.Someone next to the pathway along Shoreline Park balanced a bunch of rocks up on top of each other. Perhaps it was someone who was fishing.Another cool photo of Shelter Island’s dinghy landing. I published a post with similar photos a year or two ago.Huge swaths of sand along the water are simply covered with gull tracks.Someone spreads a big bag of old bread along the small Shelter Island beach, sending the seagulls into a wild feeding frenzy!It’s a quiet weekday morning outside the Outboard Boating Club of San Diego’s building near the Shelter Island boat ramp. A nearby flagpole is empty.At the base of the flagpole: The Holiday Express. This plaque cast of brass from the aircraft carrier USS Bunkerhill CV-17 is dedicated to that gallant ship and her courageous crew.Perhaps you remember my fun blog post “Wally the sociable sea lion greets boaters.” I saw him again during another walk at the same boat launching area!Floating peacefully along the edge of San Diego Bay, enjoying the calm water and bright sunshine.Someone is ready to row off Shelter Island’s dinghy landing, perhaps heading to a boat moored nearby.
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Kid enters an inflatable floating cylinder walk-inside thingy on a narrow beach on San Diego Bay.
Shame on me. After all these years, I’d never once visited Chula Vista’s Bayside Park, down in San Diego’s South Bay. When I saw that HarborFest would be held there today, I instantly decided to go. I’m glad that I did!
I’ll let the captions of these photographs tell the story of what I saw…
So much was going on at 2015 HarborFest at Chula Vista’s Bayside Park, a really big sign was required!Thousands turned out to just chill, enjoy the sunshine, devour food, listen to live music and have fun at HarborFest.The big annual South Bay event had lots of fun activities on the water, including paddleboarding, kayaking and Seal and Swift Boat tours of the bay.These gents in festive old-fashioned costumes were providing music in one corner of the park by the water.Colorful canopies with vendors, community organizations and businesses attracted attention up and down the Chula Vista public park’s walkways.The Birch Aquarium, of Scripps Institution of Oceanography up in La Jolla, had lots of marine exhibits for folks to explore.This tiny but proud Burrowing Owl was greeting humans over at the Living Coast Discovery Center tent. I’ve yet to go to the nature refuge, which is nearby. One day soon…A boy helps slice lemons at one food vendor’s tent.And this kid is flying high courtesy of some bungee cords!I walked to the extreme north end of Bayside Park, where nobody else was. I took this photo of a massive travelift which hoists ships out of the water at Marine Group Boat Works.I could glimpse the masts of the San Salvador and HMS Surprise, two ships of the Maritime Museum of San Diego, which are being worked on at this Chula Vista shipyard.Adults were sampling tacos and spirits in one area of the festival.I didn’t know Rockin’ Baja had a mascot!Live music could be heard from several stages scattered along the length of HarborFest.A BMX stunt bike guy with Wheels in Motion went upside down to the delight of many onlookers!A cool car show had a bunch of hot rods and vintage automobiles out on display.Walking happily along, checking out some awesome cars.Kids could practice casting a fishing rod from the pier at the south end of Bayside Park.A little guy lets the line fly!These young fishermen are enjoying the water and a view of the Chula Vista Marina.This great egret sculpture at Bayside Park is titled The Fisherman, by Stephen Fairfield. It was originally part of the Embarcadero’s third Urban Trees art exhibition.Youth, grown-ups, or anybody at all was invited to paint on this canvas!On the Community Stage, a bunch of kids competed in a cooking contest hosted by SeaWorld’s Executive Chef Axel Dirolf.The most fun, in my opinion, was to be had by the water. It’s HarborFest, after all!I really am glad I went down to Chula Vista’s HarborFest and finally explored the very cool Bayside Park.
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Conceptual art displayed by County of San Diego Supervisor Ron Roberts at CityFest shows proposed aerial skyway from downtown to Balboa Park.
I just got back from walking through CityFest in Hillcrest. Lots of cool pics are coming! But first, I saw some conceptual artwork being displayed by San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts that has renewed my enthusiasm for a proposed transportation project.
The proposal, which I read about months ago, is for an aerial tramway, or skyway, which would connect downtown San Diego to Balboa Park. It’s an idea that’s both visionary and practical!
San Diego is an extremely popular tourist destination. There are many great things to see, including beautiful, amazing, enormous Balboa Park. Balboa Park, over a mile (to its center) from downtown, is often said to be one of the two best urban parks in America, along with New York City’s Central Park. But there’s one problem. If you don’t have a rental car, you must reach it on foot, by rented bicycle, taxi, or by city or tour bus. For some tourists this might be impractical, too time consuming, or unappealing. A skyway linking downtown’s many hotels, attractions and convenient trolley network to Balboa Park, I believe, would be wildly successful.
Can you imagine all the folks who work in offices downtown, easily heading up to Balboa Park during lunchtime? Can you imagine how visually unique and appealing such a project, tastefully designed, might be? Forget a Ferris wheel or tower on the waterfront, I say. That’s been done elsewhere. Let’s create something that’s both fun and extremely useful!
Living atop Cortez Hill, directly between downtown and Balboa Park, I can’t tell you how often I’ve given directions to lost San Diego visitors. They drive north only to reach a dead end at Tweet Street Park. They have to navigate confusing one way streets to find their way across Interstate 5, then figure out how to enter Balboa Park and locate a parking place. An aerial tram would help solve that problem, as well!
According to some literature I picked up from Ron Roberts, the San Diego Bay to Balboa Park Skyway, powered by a 500 horsepower electric engine, could carry up to 2400 people per hour.
The views of downtown, San Diego Bay and Balboa Park would be breathtaking. The ride itself would almost certainly become one of San Diego’s top tourist attractions.
From what I’ve heard so far, the idea is awesome!
The cool San Diego Bay to Balboa Park Skyway would travel from the Gaslamp up Sixth Avenue, covering two miles in 12 minutes.
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Cool San Diego Sights! 