A completely new beach has opened in National City!
Fine white sand and shady umbrellas now await beach lovers at Pepper Park, on the edge of the Sweetwater River near San Diego Bay!
The perched beach might be relatively small, but it’s the perfect place for a picnic, a spread blanket, a comfy lounge chair or a sandcastle. The beach is one of many improvements presently being made to Pepper Park.
One major improvement on the way is a new pirate-themed playground that kids will love. A hillside play area, a splash pad and a new entrance plaza are also coming.
According to this Port of San Diego web page, which includes conceptual renderings of the project, Pepper Park could eventually be expanded by 2.5 acres, adding even more features.
Pepper Park has historically been a venue for festivals in San Diego’s South Bay, such as the Mariachi Festival. These big improvements should make this great public park even more awesome!
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That’s exactly what I encountered during a long walk today!
Several people were testing their colorful paragliders in a steady wind. The large fabrics opened like bright flowers suddenly blooming.
At first glance, I thought they might be kiteboarders. But the equipment indicated otherwise.
I didn’t intrude to ask, but I concluded this was practice. With trees all around and no serious updraft, it wasn’t surprising that no paragliders lifted off.
I stepped off the path and took a few photographs…
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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.
The newly opened Sweetwater Park on Chula Vista’s bayfront has a very unique architectural feature.
At one end of the public restrooms a sheltering roof contains an oculus. What’s an oculus? It’s a circular opening that allows natural sunlight to shine through.
During the day, the oculus casts a circle of light on bands in the concrete underfoot. You can see those curving bands in the above photograph.
By observing the light’s movement along the bands, Earth’s rotation can be tracked, as the sun “rises” in the east and “sets” in the west. Depending on the season of year, and the angle of the sun’s path through the sky, the projected light will follow a particular band.
On the wall is an explanation…
The Theory of the Seasons.
The Earth’s rotation axis is tilted by 23.5 degrees with respect to the ecliptic and is always pointed to the celestial poles as the Earth moves around the Sun. Sometimes the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun and the Sun’s rays hit the Northern Hemisphere at a shallow angle.
The Summer Solstice marks the beginning of Summer and is the longest day of the year, just as the Winter Solstice marks the beginning of Winter and is the shortest day of the year.
The Equinoxes; Equi meaning Equal, and Nox meaning Night, telling you that the day and the night are of equal length. This occurs when the Sun is directly over the Equator, in between the two Tropics and occurs around March 21st and September 23rd marking the beginning of Spring and Autumn.
If this sounds like a whole bunch of mumbo-jumbo, fortunately there’s an illustration to help one visualize the concept…
Now consider my next photograph.
On June 21, as the summer begins, the sun will be at its highest in San Diego, here in the Northern Hemisphere.
Because of this, the sun’s light projected through the oculus will come from a high angle, and follow the lower band as Earth turns and the day progresses.
It just so happened that I visited Sweetwater Park on June 18. I arrived at the oculus a little after noon.
You can see the circle of light is almost atop the June 21 band, and is now to the right of the central drain, past the 12 PM mark.
The light would continue to move right along the same band as the sun descends in the sky toward the horizon.
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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 X.
A plaque honoring San Diego’s underwater pioneers is embedded in a boulder a short distance west of La Jolla Cove. It was placed above Boomer Beach next to Ellen Browning Scripps Park last year.
People walking beside the ocean on the scenic boardwalk might see the bronze plaque near a bench.
The plaque reads:
Since 1933, offshore from this beach access, the seafloor bears memorial markers to name and honor San Diego’s most heralded underwater pioneers. The San Diego Bottom Scratchers Dive Club.
The Bottom Scratchers dedicated every dive to preventing the waste of sea life and to helping others appreciate the wonders of the sea. All who enter here fall under oath to do the same.
Plaque donated by San Diego Freedivers.
Here’s a great article about the Bottom Scratchers Dive Club, which began almost a century ago. It explains: The name “Scratchers” came from the members’ habit of scouring the ocean bottom for food… The Bottom Scratchers either invented or were the first to use the basic freediving spearfishing gear still employed today… Soon club members became local legends… Everything the explorers experienced was new…
There are some great old photographs in the article, 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.
Many San Diego families were out having fun today at a special event in Barrio Logan. Day at the Park was being presented by the Port of San Diego at César Chávez Park!
The community festival attracted an ever growing crowd as the day progressed. The public could freely enjoy multicultural entertainment at the main stage, plus free bags of kettle corn and other food! The warm San Diego sun was shining and everyone was smiling.
During Day at the Park, the Port of San Diego also sought feedback about possible improvements to César Chávez Park. If you have any ideas, go to their online survey by clicking here!
I enjoyed my hot dog and kettle corn while watching some of the colorful entertainment. Enjoy my photos!
Many vendors and community organizations were present during the event.
The Living Coast Discovery Center had a chuckwalla that people could touch! I learned these lizards can inflate their body in their burrow to prevent predators from pulling them out!
There it is! I suggested a chuckwalla, with its odd name, must be mix between a woodchuck and walrus.
The Port of San Diego was gathering info about potential improvements to this bayside park in Barrio Logan.
These ladies smiled for a photo before the event officially began. They gave out the free food tickets. Yes, I arrived early.
Kids love the Rad Hatter! I see them at many San Diego events. Make your own crazy hat!
Here’s the free kettle corn. Super yummy! Thank you.
First up on the stage was Soaring Eagles, with Native American dance…
Meanwhile, look how the crowd has grown! Lots of food trucks, in addition to the freebies.
Next up the stage was R:TYME Band, playing happy classics perfect for dancing. One kid was even breakdancing!
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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.
The Port of San Diego is seeking public feedback concerning César Chávez Park in Barrio Logan. Port representatives were at the Day at the Park event today held in the bayside public park.
Have you ever visited César Chávez Park? What ideas for improvement might you have? Click here to take a community input survey being conducted by the Port of San Diego.
Would it be great to have a beach? Pier improvements? More community events? More shade trees? A water feature? An expanded playground? Exercise equipment? More signage? More interactive art? More security features? Something else?
Anyone having a bad day should step into Dave’s Rock Garden in Encinitas.
Thousands of colorfully painted stones in the garden radiate with happiness and positivity. For those with an open heart, it’s an awesome, uplifting experience.
Dave’s Rock Garden can be found at the corner of B Street and 2nd Street, a short distance from Moonlight State Beach. Paths into the garden invite people who might be walking down the nearby sidewalk.
“Bringing Unity to our Community” states the website that describes Dave’s Rock Garden. Bringing unbounded creativity and joy would also be appropriate!
The garden had a humble beginning. In 2015 David Dean picked up trash and pulled weeds on this sliver of abandoned public property. A painted stone that he discovered led to inspired efforts that have resulted in what visitors see today.
What did I see when I visited earlier this year? I took photos…
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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.
By strolling around Collier Park, you can also discover a bit of history.
As the city of La Mesa’s first park, Collier Park has long served as a community gathering space.
Kumeyaay – The Kumeyaay Tribe of Indigenous peoples have a rich history in the area, harnessing nature’s local resources. The natural spring in the park once served as a seasonal stopping place for the local Kumeyaay.
David C. Collier – Colonel David Charles (D.C.) Collier, a pioneer community developer in La Mesa and throughout San Diego County, was responsible for donating the land to the community for what would become the City’s first public park after incorporation in 1912.
In the next photograph, you can spot La Mesa’s historical Spring House. Curious? I blogged about it here.
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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.
This coming Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 11 am to 3 pm, the Port of San Diego is hosting a free event at César Chávez Park (in Barrio Logan next to San Diego Bay). A Day at the Park will feature multicultural entertainment, fun kids activities and food trucks!
I see performers include Soaring Eagles Native American Indian Cultural Dance Group, Polynesian Dancers, Mariachi Victoria de San Diego, and Ballet Folklorico Ti Pa.
Sounds like a great lineup! I put it on my calendar!
In addition, the Port of San Diego will be gathering public input at the event concerning improvements to the southeastern, waterfront area of the park.
If you want to learn about this event hosted by the Port of San Diego, check out their website by clicking here!
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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.
A little over two years ago I posted a blog about a project that was being undertaken in Coronado. A bronze statue was to be created by artists Chris Slatoff and Elisabeth Pollnow that honors military spouses.
Yesterday, as I walked into Star Park for the Coronado Memorial Day Service, I was excited to see the finished League of Wives Memorial Statue!
The beautiful sculpture was surrounded by chairs for the Memorial Day ceremony and a few people were already sitting nearby, so I self-consciously, very quickly took only three photographs.
You can learn more about the project by revisiting my old blog post here. It includes the statue’s plaque verbiage.
Here’s from March 2023, when money was being raised for the project:
And here’s the finished sculpture, from yesterday:
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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.
Cool San Diego Sights! 