A giant smiling lemon greets me at the 22nd Annual Lemon Festival in Chula Vista!
I’ve never been to Chula Vista’s Lemon Festival before. So this year I thought I’d take the trolley down to the South Bay to experience this big annual event!
Not only is the Lemon Festival, which takes place along a stretch of Third Avenue, a whole lot of fun, but visitors have the opportunity to learn about the history of Chula Vista and how it once was a major center of the Southern California citrus industry.
With construction of the Sweetwater Dam completed in 1888, and the arrival of the railroad in the South Bay, Chula Vista became the perfect place to grow sun-loving lemons. At one point in the early 20th century there were nearly two thousand acres of lemon groves in the area. Chula Vista even called itself the Lemon Capital of the World.
Today lemon trees are chiefly found in backyards. After World War II, the large groves began to make way for houses. Some of the developers would leave one lemon tree in the backyard of new homes.
I did see loads of lemons during the 22nd Annual Lemon Festival: lemon art, lemon costumes, lemons in treats, lemonade . . . Lemon yellow everywhere!
See for yourself!
About 50,000 people would turn out for the yearly lemon-themed event.These ladies had all sorts of sweet lemon treats for sale.Some friendly people from the Restored Church posed so that a blogger could take a funny photo at their Lemon Festival booth.Artists at the Lemon Festival had all sorts of colorful artwork for sale that contained bright yellow.This lady registering people to vote had a cool lemon slice umbrella hat and smile.More ice cold lemonade! Sounds good on a hot summer day in San Diego’s South Bay.Even this funny pooch in a wagon was selling lemonade!The Chula Vista Historical Society had a booth with books and fascinating information.Their display showed Chula Vista’s agricultural past. Many growers and packing companies once exported lemons around the world. Some of the beautiful old crate labels have become valuable collectibles.The display explains different grades of lemons, including culls, which were blemished, and used to make juice, furniture polish, and other lemon by-products.The festival had just started and these ladies with the Third Avenue Village Association, that puts on the popular event, were almost done decorating their booth.Another booth at the Chula Vista Lemon Festival featured lots of interesting historical photographs.Someone points to a photo of workers in a lemon grove at the Higgins Ranch in Keen Valley, 1901.Aerial photo of the Boltz lemon ranch in the mid 1920’s.Typical Chula Vista lemon packing plant, circa 1920’s.Old photos of Chula Vista streetcar and train at Third Avenue.Bonita lemon pickers, 1913.Meanwhile, people spin a lemon-themed prize wheel at the festival.At the Lemonade Bandstand, entertainment included live music, a largest lemon and lemon peel contest, a lemon costume contest, and lemon pie eating contest.People watch the Lemon Squeezers play rock and roll music with a twist!Cool local band, the Lemon Squeezers, at the Chula Vista Lemon Festival.That great music has people smiling and dancing!Batman and Wonder Woman dropped on by and posed for a photo by the Lemon Bar sign.All that fun has made me thirsty for some lemonade!
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Completed model of Lane Field stadium in the garage of baseball historian Bill Swank. Photo courtesy Bill Swank.
A fascinating scale model of the Lane Field stadium, home of the Pacific Coast League Padres from 1936 to 1957, is now located inside the front lobby of the San Diego Padres business office. The model was built by baseball historian Bill Swank, author of several books, including Echoes from Lane Field : A History of the San Diego Padres 1936-1957.
Fans of the early Padres used to head to Lane Field to see their favorite team in action. Many fond baseball memories were made in downtown San Diego near the waterfront, at the end of West Broadway between Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway. Today the area is occupied by two hotel buildings and Lane Field Park, which features a small baseball diamond, plaques that honor an era of local baseball history, and three colorful banners that celebrate former players at Lane Field, including legendary hitter Ted Williams.
Bill Swank created the detailed model of long-vanished Lane Field to preserve a bit of San Diego history for the enjoyment of Padres fans. The model is in 1:128 scale and made out of basswood. Care was taken during its construction to maintain a high degree of accuracy.
According to Bill Swank, the model is “so accurate to scale that it’s even 87’ from home to first base. It wasn’t until the 1950s that a groundskeeper measured the distance and discovered it was only 87 feet… and had been 87 feet since 1936! I believe the mistake was made by taking the measurement off the hastily drawn blueprint.”
Bill Swank has provided the following additional information concerning his model:
January 1997: Because I had blueprints for Lane Field, San Diego Hall of Champions Historian Don King asked if I would like to participate in building a scale model of the original home of the San Diego Padres to be displayed at the Hall of Champions.
May 1997: It took me longer to finish the model than it took the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to build the actual ballpark. Bill Lane signed an agreement to relocate his Pacific Coast League Hollywood Stars to San Diego on January 28, 1936. A ballpark had to be built at the northwest corner of Broadway and Pacific Highway in less than two months, because the renamed “Padres” first game was scheduled for March 31, 1936. The cost of construction was approximately $25,000. (San Diego beat the Seattle Indians, 6-2, on Opening Day.)
July 1997: My Lane Field model was unveiled at the San Diego Hall of Champions on the Prado.
September 2000: The model was transported to the remodeled Federal Building after the Hall of Champions moved from the Prado.
April 2017: When the Hall of Champions closed in 2017, a new home was found for the model at Petco Park.
February 2018: The Lane Field model went on display in the front lobby of the Padres business office.
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I have enjoyed an up-close and personal look at this very cool model. Here are several historical photographs of Lane Field, followed by a few photos of the model beneath glass that my camera captured.
With a little imagination one can almost see fans in the stands, players on the field, and hear the crack of a batted home run…
Lane Field (1936) before the grandstand roof was added. Photo from the Bill Swank collection.Panoramic view of Lane Field includes long ticket line for 1954 PCL Championship game with the Hollywood Stars (Padres won, 7-2). Photo by Ray Hacecky, Sr.Opening Day, March 30, 1940. Southpaw Wally “Preacher” Hebert took the mound and beat the Los Angeles Angels, 5-1. Photo from the Hebert Family.A new attendance record (13,466) was set on May 2, 1948 for a game with the San Francisco Seals. During the game, fans stood and sat in the outfield against the fence. A ball that went into the crowd was a ground rule double. Photo from the Bill Swank collection.Scale model of Lane Field stadium, displayed in lobby of the Padres business office.
This model was built to honor the men who played baseball at Lane Field and the fans who loved them.
Memories from San Diego’s baseball past live on at Petco Park.
Many thanks to the San Diego Padres, the super friendly Petco Park Navigators and Bill Swank who made this fun post possible!
Go Pads!
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The Centre City Building, which rises just north of Civic Center Plaza in San Diego, was built in 1927. The fourteen story office building was designed by noted architect Frank W. Stevenson, and once was the tallest building in all of downtown. Today the historical landmark can seem lost among dozens of more recent high-rises.
Whenever I walk pass this building to the east or north, I like to look up at the elegant decorative brick and granite facade. The much more plain and faded west and south sides of the building provide a fascinating visual contrast.
Light at different times of the day can either make the building seem golden and regal, or like a gradually vanishing page from San Diego’s history.
Here are a variety of photos that I’ve taken during several walks.
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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!
I love to watch sailboats out on San Diego Bay before sunset.
Sails stretch in the wind and capture the late sun.
Turning, fluttering, then swelling again, the dreamlike sails glide through their radiant dance. A ballet of light between the water and sky. And then the curtain closes.
Here I go again posting more photographs of sailboats.
I took these today from the end of Broadway Pier.
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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!
Late yesterday I sat for a spell on the poop deck of Star of India, gazing out across San Diego Bay. The cool sea breeze felt so refreshing after a day of summer heat. White sails traversing the sparkling water gave my eyes a welcome rest.
As my attention shifted, I became aware of the tall ship’s ropes that rose in a web all around me. Many were fastened to a row of wooden belaying pins along the ship’s rail.
Those beautiful ropes seemed like magic. Silent and unbreakable, coiled and knotted–twisted, mysterious, purposeful. Threading together a small wind-tossed world.
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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!
Fun palm frond art. I recognize Ronald McDonald and Batman.
Here’s one last batch of fun and funny photos from 2018 San Diego Comic-Con, including more great examples of cosplay.
I confess I didn’t stand in long lines for some of the more popular offsite attractions–I mainly just walked around. Watching people. Taking it all in. That’s what I love to do.
I hope you had as much fun as I did!
Now I’ll probably take a rest from blogging until next weekend. On Saturday, I’m going on a special tour at the San Diego Museum of Art.
Have a great week!
They never showed it in the Star Wars movies, but Darth Vader likes to wear sunglasses.Why would an astronaut in an airless environment need camouflage?I’m Single. Free Drinks If You Find Me.Stay Puft has a Mini-Marshmallow-Me!Shouldn’t that guy be in his containment bubble?It’s a Harley-cycle and a Bat-cycle!I know San Diego gets a lot of tourists, but Spiderman?The gentleman on the right goes by the name Colorful Guy.Cosplay of Jinx from Teen Titans. Now that’s some big hair.I believe I recognize Aladdin and Tinker Bell.I was interested to learn that the rather unusual character on the right is named Bananapool.A zombie’s about to have lunch at Dead Quarters.Thank goodness for that fence!This is what Comic-Con is really all about. This is how it started.Frozone strikes his action pose.At San Diego Comic-Con, you’re never quite sure what you will see next.Azog and Nazgul cosplay.A sidewalk artist creating a fun cartoon.A very cool LEGO Cyborg cosplay made out of cardboard.A small version of the Guardians of the Galaxy!This guy said his unique cosplay is a combination of the Old West and Mad Max.Spock enters a scene featuring Boba Fett. I’m detecting a bit of franchise confusion.A dog in a tiny police car meets a real officer of the SDPD. Thanks to police heroes everyone was safe during Comic-Con.Three peculiar versions of Deadpool. Take your pick.Spock is now back where he belongs.This guy is called One Punch Man. One is all it takes!I see some Speed Racer characters!Cosplay of Rocksteady and Bebop from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
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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!
A fan at 2018 Comic-Con receives an award from Syfy in the Gaslamp on Saturday afternoon!
Breaking News!
I was going to post photos from my late morning walk through The Experience at 2018 Comic-Con, but an unforeseen event this afternoon has disrupted my plans!
In the mid-afternoon Syfy arrived in the Gaslamp Quarter to award medals to winners of their fan art competition, and . . . you’ll have to see what happened! Read the captions!
On Saturday afternoon at 2018 Comic-Con, the craziness gets underway.Waiting for a trolley with a shark fin hat.Bumblebee had a tough time squeezing into this trolley, but made it!Pikachu was making a new friend.Someone appeared to be really hungry.What planet is this? What’s going on here?It seems to be a planet that’s packed with crazy, fun-loving Comic-Con fans!I don’t know if these guys were making a political statement, or just looking a bit silly.Speaking of silly, here’s a super fantastic Batman photo op!Where did he come from? I barely got away in time.Everyone’s a kid during Comic-Con.Everyone likes posing with superheroes.Kids liked this colorful robot.Will these guys pose for a group cosplay photo?Of course! It’s Comic-Con!This guy clearly has issues.It’s a Comic-Con exclusive life-size Star Trek Barbee, mint in box!A great Ming the Merciless cosplay!Aquaman is being pursued by a toothy sea creature.Someone went to the Gaslamp Quarter for a martini, and look what they saw.I see Other Mother in front of LAIKA LIVE San Diego!And here’s Logan in padding. Perhaps his healing factor isn’t what it used to be.Instead of breaking Batman’s back, Bane goes after the neck of an innocent bystander.Look what’s coming down Fifth Avenue! It’s the Syfy Fan Creator Award show for Comic-Con 2018!The Syfy drum line gets the crowd in an even more excited mood.Time for another selfie.A Syfy fan who made some super cool art gets a medal, then speaks a few words to the gathered crowd.Everyone’s having a great–if wacky–time.The Syfy band played the theme from Ghostbusters. A kid wearing a Ghostbusters t-shirt receives a medal and a high five!Let sheer insanity resume.Deadpool makes some gyrating moves.Apparently his dance worked. He attracted a rainbow unicorn!Members of the Justice League of America have descended into the Gaslamp Quarter. Have no fear, good citizens!Another photo that says it all.A fuzzy pic. I feel fortunate that I took if from a safe distance.Super-tall-Spock coolly analyzes the situation.While Captain Kirk is with the ladies.More fun, creative, absurd cosplay.Yes, it seems everyone is little off their rocker this afternoon.Another day at Comic-Con.Another Saturday afternoon, that is.The Guardians of the Galaxy have arrived to help guard the Gaslamp Quarter for a bit.Yes, the full tilt craziness has just begun.Here come some fast food superheroes. First up are McDonalds and Wendys.I bet you didn’t know Grimace is a big time purple superhero.Jack in the Box casts his taco spell on me, making my head spin.Panda Express and KFC complete the Legion of Indigestion.If you bite one of those apples, you’ll get worse than indigestion!Everything is returning to normal. Good old Wonder Woman and Superman are coming down Fifth Avenue.And these guys, too.She-Ra and her pal have things under control.
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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!
Cosplay and magic fill the area behind the San Diego Convention Center during 2018 Comic-Con!
Late this morning I enjoyed Comic-Con by walking behind the San Diego Convention Center, then through The Experience by Petco Park. This first batch of fun photos is from the area behind the convention center.
As usual, I encountered a bunch of super creative cosplay and magic at every turn!
A Star Wars stormtropper holds a humorous sign. Support the Troops.Long morning lines wrapped this way and that, but nobody seemed to mind.Cedric Diggory cosplay. An early glimpse of magic.Some cosplay pooches are part of the big spectacle.These Wonder Women made cool superhero skirts out of old Justice League swag bags!Good thing Nick Fury called Captain Marvel. Here she comes now to save the day!These zombies paused for a photo at the foot of the steps up to the convention center.I was told this cosplay is Bird Person.Check out this awesome cosplay! It’s Fire Archangel Velajuel, a Summoners War Sky Arena Monster.I was told this funny cosplay is Pac-Gentleman.Lots of visitors to 2018 Comic-Con were checking out the Bandai Dragon Ball activation.Vegeta cosplay.Mario and Luigi prepare for battle.I was told this cosplay is Radioactive Man.That’s my kind of superhero. One who brings ice cream! Who needs a utility belt?Cyclops was good enough not to remove his visor. The ice cream might melt.Amazing cosplay of some Mad Max post-apocalyptic characters.Hopefully Kylo Ren does me in before I have to witness another one of his ridiculous temper tantrums.At the FOX activation for The Passage, a scientist in a white lab jacket shows me the first human to be resistant to all known diseases. Unfortunately he has to drink human blood.Rorschach cosplay. Somehow using his lips he could make the inkblot on his mask change appearance.Some poor guy is caught between a fight between Peter Griffin and Ernie the Giant Chicken.A look at the FXhibition area near the Hilton Bayfront, behind the San Diego Convention Center.Another look. It’s late Saturday morning at 2018 Comic-Con.People place their heads in Archer character cubes for an unusual photo opportunity.Here’s Camp Paddy’s outhouse.Now that’s one very bizarre photograph being taken.Zatanna cosplay. Magic is her specialty.She must have waved her magic wand, because there’s wonderful cosplay all over the place!A cool FX guy poses beside a Mayans MC motorcycle for my camera.Mera blinked. Must be all that dry air above the water.Chillin’ at the FXhibition.Magicians perform, delighting young and old alike. There’s endless magic at Comic-Con!
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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!
I got some more photographs of fun, very creative cosplay outside of San Diego Comic-Con today!
Here they are! Enjoy!
Sora cosplay from Kingdom Hearts.A steampunk cosplay.Loki and Thor cosplay. That weapon looks like the one Thor used on Sakaar fighting Hulk.Cosplay of Demon Worker from Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell.Batman grins. I’m not sure about the cosplay next to him.The Avengers’ quinjet must be out of action. Here come Spiderman, Captain America and Black Widow on scooters!Cosplay of Haru from The Cat Returns.A disco Darth Vader with flashy clothes and an Afro.I was told this is Super Fan!Cosplay of Kevin from Up!Harley Quinn got off her scooter for a photo!Halo cosplay by a happy family at Comic-Con!Halo family poses with a Star Wars stormtrooper.I hope Bane realizes the Grim Reaper is nearby. I don’t believe the drug Venom makes him immortal.Here’s another Harley!Cosplay of Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish from Game of Thrones.Captain America and Wolverine cosplay.These might be garden gnomes, but I really don’t know. UPDATE! I learned they are, indeed, garden gnomes!Captain Jean-Luc Picard cosplay. Ready to take the photo? Make it so.It’s another Harley! I think this one is teasing me! I hope Joker doesn’t find out.Cosplay of Negan of The Walking Dead.I don’t recognize this cosplay. UPDATE! It finally occurred to me. It’s a Harry Potter Death Eater! I believe that’s the mask of Lucius Malfoy.Cosplays of Gamzee Makara and Nepeta Leijon from Homestuck.Umbrella Corporation cosplay from Resident Evil.Boba Fett cosplay.Yikes! Looks like these guys were caught in another Sharknado.Judge Dredd and Judge Death cosplay.
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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!
Professor Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore cosplay at 2018 San Diego Comic-Con.
I missed the Harry Potter cosplay meetup today at 2018 San Diego Comic-Con, but I did manage to photograph many of the characters when I happened to see them walking about the Gaslamp Quarter!
Of course, wouldn’t you know, the one character I didn’t find was Harry himself.
Hermione Granger cosplay.Newt Scamander cosplay.Knight Bus conductor and Hogwarts Express conductor cosplay.Molly Weasley cosplay.Bellatrix Lestrange cosplay.Dolores Umbridge cosplay.Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy cosplay.Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody cosplay.Rubeus Hagrid cosplay along with “Mad-Eye” Moody at 2018 San Diego Comic-Con.
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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!
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