A cheerful sun, beach and ocean bench at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
New art installations and other surprises are always popping up around Liberty Station in Point Loma.
The site of the former Naval Training Center San Diego is a historic place where culture now thrives, and inspiration awaits around every corner.
Over the years Liberty Station has become increasingly dynamic. A cool new movie theater, THE LOT, has opened. Liberty Public Market has been open and thriving for a while, too. I’ve read that a new hotel will be coming to the Arts District, and I’ve observed the old Base Exchange might become a fantastic performance venue.
During my recent walk around Liberty Station my eyes searched for stuff that I haven’t photographed before. In the past I did post an image of the “sun, beach and ocean” bench you see above, but I had neglected to provide fun up-close photos.
A happy crab, shells and a sand dollar.A seahorse and jellyfish.More sea life on a very colorful bench!These cool egg-seats await diners outside Breakfast Republic at Liberty Station. (I hope they’re hard-boiled, not soft-boiled.)I spotted this patio chair’s artistic seat while walking around the Arts District.A sculpture by the relatively new THE LOT movie theater. Afoxe, by artist Brad Howe.A music and performance venue is proposed for Liberty Station, site of the old Naval Training Center San Diego.The old Base Exchange, Building 178, of now closed Naval Training Center San Diego, awaits renovation as a possible performance venue.A banner showing a contemporary quilt outside Visions Art Museum at Liberty Station.Paintings inside the Dick Laub NTC Command Center lobby by local artists with studios at Liberty Station.New art is always appearing around Liberty Station, a unique cultural center in San Diego!
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A series of columns at Liberty Station have recently been painted with expressive murals by Mexican-born artist Hugo Crosthwaite, who works in both Mexico and the United States. The murals, which are located next to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens and Liberty Public Market, are titled In Memoriam: Column A and Column B. I took some photographs during a recent walk around Liberty Station.
The murals touch one’s heart. A variety of emotions are depicted in the faces of people who live and move through our border city. There is happiness and pain, sadness and pride. There is fear and hope. These emotions are powerfully familiar, because at one time or another we all experience them.
A series of columns at Liberty Station have been painted by artist Hugo Crosthwaite.Hugo Crosthwaite, Column A and Column B, 2018.
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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!
This evening, just before sunset, I stood on the Embarcadero and watched more than one hundred sunlit sailboats race across the north part of San Diego Bay.
From May 21 through August 1, the Cortez Racing Association, in partnership with the Silver Gate Yacht Club (which is based on Shelter Island), puts on Wednesday races called the San Diego Bay Beer Can Series.
As the sailboats began across the water, and late sunlight slanted over Point Loma, the colorful sails were so bright they seemed like a dream. The race was too distant for my camera to take sharp photos–so I have increased the contrast to make the images even more dreamy!
In case you’re curious, those two active aircraft carriers you see in my photos are docked at Naval Air Station North Island. They are the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).
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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!
Many generous Boy and Girl Scouts volunteered to beautify Cabrillo National Monument during Operation Gum Drop Removal!
I noticed during my visit to Cabrillo National Monument today that troops of Boy and Girl Scouts were busy around the park cleaning up chewing gum and other trash!
This very cool volunteering event was part of National Public Lands Day. It was also an opportunity for Scouts to earn special badges and enjoy a free lunch with park rangers!
Wow! Great job Scouts! Your positive outlook and dedication to community service has made San Diego even more beautiful! So here’s a big Thank You!
Scouts helping to remove gum and trash were awarded a Scout Ranger Patch, and enjoyed a complimentary lunch with Park Rangers! How cool is that!View of Cabrillo National Monument’s Visitor Center from afar. I could see Scouts working hard throughout the park!
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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 beautiful Old Point Loma Lighthouse and the nearby Assistant Keepers Quarters building at Cabrillo National Monument.
I’ve visited Cabrillo National Monument many times over the years. I’ve blogged about it on several occasions. It’s one of the most wonderful places in San Diego.
Today, September 30, is National Public Lands Day, so admission to Cabrillo National Monument was free all day.
I grabbed my camera, jumped into my car and drove this morning to the tip of the Point Loma peninsula. Once again, I wanted to enjoy some amazing views and a pleasant walk above the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay. Most of my time was spent around the Old Point Loma Lighthouse.
To see and learn more about the lighthouse, including its interior and the adjacent museum, and to enjoy other fascinating aspects of Cabrillo National Monument, please feel free to explore Cool San Diego Sights.
The historic Old Point Loma Lighthouse is a major attraction at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego.Visitor to Cabrillo National Monument looks up at the lighthouse.Built in 1855 at the end of the Point Loma peninsula, above the entrance to San Diego Bay, the old lighthouse used to guide sailors to safety with a powerful fresnel lens.Walking around the old lighthouse is a wonderful experience, with amazing views in all directions.The cluster of trees near the Old Point Loma Lighthouse are rare Torrey pines, which are native to this region.Walking along the cliffside trail north of the lighthouse.Someone sits high above the blue Pacific Ocean enjoying the cool breeze and natural beauty.South of the lighthouse, people walk toward the gray whale migration overlook.Visitors to Cabrillo National Monument scan the watery horizon for ships and whales.A park ranger and volunteers were removing non-native plants among dry stalks of California sunflower and buckwheat. Invasive species can crowd out native species.People approach the handsome lighthouse from the south.Photo of Old Point Loma Lighthouse, the small museum beside it and the large Rain Catchment Basin.Visitors to San Diego are strongly encouraged to enjoy some time at Cabrillo National Monument. It’s a very special place, with many paths to walk.
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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!
Walking south along the Ocean Beach boardwalk near the foot of the OB Pier, toward the old Silver Spray Apartments and Plunge.
Let’s take a walk along the shore! We’re going to start at the boardwalk near the foot of the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier, pass quickly around the historic, ruin-like Plunge, then head along a rocky trail between cliffs and the crashing ocean.
We’ll see tide pools, tiny pocket beaches and amazing scenery. Many refer to this stretch as a part of San Diego’s Sunset Cliffs, even though the official Sunset Cliffs neighborhood lies farther south down the Point Loma peninsula.
Ready to go exploring? Let’s start!
People explore tide pools between the sand-filled, long-defunct Plunge and the OB Pier.The saltwater Plunge, now often called the Sandbox, was built in 1917. Famous English Channel swimmer Florence Chadwick, who grew up in San Diego, trained in this historic pool.We’ve passed the Plunge, which is officially part of the beach, and are now carefully traversing sandstone rocks along the base of cliffs. It can be very slippery.Looking back north we see the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier and beach.People enjoy looking into small tide pools in the eroded sandstone. I occasionally saw some small crabs.The easily carved sandstone is like a book containing years of names and often humorous images.OB is a place for free spirits, and the rocks along the water attract many.Looking north again. I see Pacific Beach and La Jolla in the distance.Splashing water and curious eyes.People peer down at us from the street level above.A small group walks along the crude trail.A perfect day to explore nature’s many wonders beside the ocean.Someone heads toward one of the small pocket beaches tucked between rocky outcrops.Standing on a tiny beach at the water’s edge.The sandstone cliffs are unstable and sometimes you hear of people accidentally falling and needing rescue.Here comes a guy and his dog.As we continue to walk south, we can see the coast vanishing into the distance. The actual Sunset Cliffs neighborhood is farther down the Point Loma peninsula.A white sailboat out on the wide blue Pacific Ocean.In places the rocky and slippery sand footing is a bit difficult to navigate, even on the trail. Wear good shoes!Looking north. Spectacular scenery.More natural beauty.The rough trail continues south. Fewer people seem to be in this section.Now we’re approaching an interesting part of the walk, with a short, undulating path along a sea wall.Looking back.We’ve almost reached the end of our walk. The concrete pathway ahead has either been undermined by water, or intentionally made into a ramp for thrill seekers.At the foot of old stairs that climb up to Orchard Avenue.As we head up, someone begins down.Two people begin their own adventure along the rocks.Looking back north at the short stretch we just finished.Someone gets exercise on the steps. At the top there is some fun artwork.Relaxing on a unique surfboard bench, gazing across the magical blue ocean.
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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!
The top section of a historically important lighthouse now stands on a sidewalk in Old Town San Diego!
A lighthouse that once guided ships into San Diego Bay now stands on an Old Town sidewalk? How strange is that?
Well, not an entire lighthouse–just the lantern room of the 1890 Ballast Point Light Station!
The other day while walking down Congress Street, a few steps southeast of Harney Street, I paused to more carefully examine this mystery. (I’ve driven past the kiosk-like structure often, without really giving it a second thought.)
First, you should note Ballast Point is about 6 miles southwest of Old Town. The spit of land juts down into San Diego Bay from Point Loma; it’s where tall ships used to load ballast stones for their return trip around Cape Horn to the East Coast. Today it is part of Naval Base Point Loma.
So how did this top section of Ballast Point’s historic lighthouse end up on an Old Town sidewalk?
Some interesting photos behind a glass pane provided me with a few clues. The Ballast Point Light Station was built in 1890 and eventually dismantled in 1960. (Click the images and they will expand so you can read much more.)
After doing a little research, I learned the lantern room was found in 1998 by the owner of an Old Town nautical antiques store–West Sea Company–in a classified ad. At the time the Ballast Point lantern room was located at someone’s Bonita residence! Purchased and transported by flatbed truck to Old Town, it was placed on a cement pad near West Sea Company–and here it “mysteriously” remains today!
The 1890 Ballast Point Light Station was an example of Railroad Gothic. Its sixth order lens can be seen today at Cabrillo National Monument, in a museum beside the Old Point Loma Lighthouse.Historical photo and some words explain the light at Ballast Point. It guided sailors past Middle Ground Shoal and into San Diego’s harbor.A public domain photo of the Ballast Point Light Station, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.This lantern room housed a light that guided ships into San Diego Bay. It can now be seen on Congress Street in Old Town!
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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!
Image on tiles indicates Portuguese American Social and Civic Club.
The history of the Portuguese community in Point Loma is fascinating. During a walk along a block of Avenida de Portugal, I got just a small glimpse of it.
Many have heard of Little Italy in San Diego, but I suspect few have heard of a neighborhood that some call Little Portugal. It can be found near the entrance to Shelter Island, an area settled by many families of Portuguese fishermen when the tuna industry flourished in our city. The neighborhood was once called Tunaville. Two landmarks that were built by the Portuguese almost a century ago still exist today: the United Portuguese S.E.S. Hall where the community gathers and a small Catholic chapel beside it.
I spotted some round plaques in the sidewalk and images on tile on the hall’s exterior during my walk beside these two buildings. They provide a small taste of Little Portugal’s history. I thought you might enjoy taking a look at a few of them.
Small Catholic chapel in Point Loma, in a neighborhood sometimes referred to as Little Portugal.Front of the United Portuguese S.E.S. Hall on a sunny San Diego day.Plaque in the sidewalk is a Tribute to our Immigrants. Determination, hard work and strength of character are only a few of the gifts you have given us.In admiration of their loyalty and commitment to the Fishing Industry and never ending support of our Portuguese Community.Age of Exploration. In thoughtful memory of God and our parents who so successfully contributed to our Festas do Espirito Santo, the tuna industry and our lives in America.The flag of Portugal flies proudly in San Diego near Shelter Island.Map of the island of Madeira and image of Santo Amaro.Image of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s galleon San Salvador and his statue at Cabrillo National Monument, a gift from the government of Portugal. Exploring on behalf of Spain, Cabrillo was Portuguese.
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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!
Generous young ladies have a bake sale in Point Loma to collect donations for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
During my walk around Liberty Station on Sunday I passed some young ladies with a table set up at an intersection near The Rock Church. They had baked lots of treats and were trying to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
If you enjoy my photographic treats, perhaps you’ll consider visiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s website, which shows ways you can help beat cancer!
More than 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with, or are in remission from, a blood cancer. You can help!
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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!
Cool San Diego Sights! 