Tag: port of san diego

Photos from past Fleet Week events in San Diego.

Many public Fleet Week events have been cancelled in San Diego for 2025 because of the ongoing federal government shutdown. Fleet Week activities were scheduled to begin in earnest this weekend.

Unfortunately, the usual, very popular events at the Broadway Pier have been cancelled, including U.S. Navy demonstrations, STEM exhibits and public tours of ships.

Over the years, I’ve taken photographs at a variety of public Fleet Week events. I thought I share a few of them. Those events have included the Sea and Air Parade, a Veterans Art Exhibit, the Fleet Week Innovation Zone in the Port Pavilion, and a Military & Veteran Appreciation Concert in Balboa Park. That first photo above, taken near the USS Midway, is of cool cars promoting the Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival at Naval Air Station North Island.

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Victorians, mud and birds in National City!

Did you know National City in San Diego’s South Bay has a Historic Railcar Plaza?

The small museum-like building is located at the intersection of Bay Marina Drive and Marina Way. A train track running through the building is home to old Passenger Coach No. 1.

I posted a blog about the National City Historic Railcar Plaza almost ten years ago, after peeking inside. You can revisit that past blog post here.

From outside, anyone can peer through windows into four small display rooms at each corner of the building. When I walked by several weeks ago, it seemed that displays in two of the corner windows had changed. So I took photos!

In one window, dummies of passengers in Victorian-era attire stand or sit on a bench, as if waiting for a train or streetcar.

In a second window I found a variety of educational displays. They’re mostly about protecting the wetlands in National City and around the San Diego region.

According to one sign, the public is invited to participate in Creek Day on the last Saturday of every month, from 8 am to noon. The address where people meet is 1815 Hoover Avenue.

You can check out the Facebook page of Paradise Creek Educational Park by clicking here. (Unfortunately, that page doesn’t seem very active right now.)

Another sign inside the Historic Railcar Plaza indicates: “Display rooms are available to nonprofits to showcase artifacts and interpretive exhibits relating to the early railroads and local history. Contact the Port of San Diego Public Art Department for program information.”

What might I see the next time I walk past?

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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.

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Oars row again through Chula Vista sky!

Wind Oars are rowing again through Chula Vista’s blue sky!

During previous walks through Chula Vista’s Bayside Park, I’d noticed the oars of the public art sculpture were missing from their posts. Yesterday I saw they’re back!

The wind-driven oars had been taken down temporarily to be refurbished once before, many years ago, so I assume that’s what happened again.

As I walked beside San Diego Bay yesterday afternoon, finding the oars rowing through the blue summer sky, I had to take a few photographs. The immense, newly opened Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center is visible in the background of one photo.

Wind Oars, as explained by Port of San Diego’s self-guided Chula Vista tidelands art tour, was created by George Peters and Melanie Walker in 2004. The kinetic sculpture is made of aluminum, polycarbonate and prismatic film.

You can visit the Air Works Studio website of artists George Peters and Melanie Walker 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.

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Restoring native habitat by Paradise Creek.

I met a cool guy today!

As I walked along the Paradise Creek Trail in National City, I noticed someone in an orange vest moving about near the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, in a shrubby area at the edge of Paradise Marsh. He was working just off the roadside trail, a little north of the Pier 32 Marina. I had to ask what he was up to.

I had met Rob of Tierra Data. His company is working with the Port of San Diego to restore habitat by removing Acacia cyclops, also called coastal wattle. He was using super precise GPS to mark where he found living stumps. The stumps need to be effectively removed.

Acacia cyclops is native to Australia. Like eucalyptus trees, it thrives in San Diego’s similar climate. The plant has invaded parts of California, growing in fragile wetland habitats and among riparian communities.

I asked Rob how he recognizes which stumps belong to Acacia cyclops. He explained how seed pods lying in the soil around the stump allow for identification.

I’m so glad I paused to talk for a moment or two. Rob was pleased to explain his activity. (And he described birds he has seen and studied, too!)

There’s always more to learn!

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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.

Feel free to share!

A new beach opens in National City!

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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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.

Feel free to share!

Fun times at multicultural Day at the Park!

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.

Feel free to share!

How to improve César Chávez Park in Barrio Logan?

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?

Let the Port of San Diego know! Click 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.

Feel free to share!

Day at the Park to be held on San Diego Bay!

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.

Feel free to share!

Unusual sight: two Dole banana ships in port!

Two enormous Dole container ships are in San Diego today: Dole Caribbean and Dole Chile. I don’t recall ever seeing two of these banana transporting ships in our port at the same time.

The two yellow ships are in my above photograph, plus a bunch of stacked Dole containers at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.

I suspect the Dole Chile came in on Sunday–that’s the usual ship arrival schedule. The Dole Caribbean has been docked in the same spot for many days now without any discernable activity. I’m not sure why. People I’ve spoken to surmise the ship is in disrepair. I can find nothing on the internet.

There’s an old Port of San Diego sign on the boardwalk between the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and the water. It describes the typical Dole operations…

Some interesting but possibly dated facts from the weather-beaten sign:

Dole is the 5th largest importer of containerized cargo into the U.S. after WalMart, Target, Home Depot and K-Mart/Sears. (You can see how old this sign is!)

Bananas and pineapples are packed in farms in Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Guatemala... After arriving in San Diego, the fruit is distributed throughout the western U.S. and Canada.

Each vessel holds 762 refrigerated containers… Each 40′ container holds close to 1000 boxes of bananas… 2.5 billion bananas and 40 million pineapples arrive at the Port of San Diego each year.

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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.

Feel free to share!

Billowing Bait comes alive on Shelter Island!

Billowing Bait is a kinetic sculpture on Shelter Island, mounted near the entrance of Nielson Beaumont Marine. I spotted it during a recent walk in Point Loma.

The sculptor is Jon Koehler. His shimmering work of art features over 300 small stainless steel elements that move together but independently with the wind. Created in 2013 according to its webpage (2012 according to the nearby plaque), the sculpture is part of the Port of San Diego Public Art Collection.

The shining sculpture is meant to resemble a school of small bait fish . . . or a billowing spinnaker sail. You can learn more about it here.

If you ever walk past 2420 Shelter Island Drive on a breezy day, pause to watch Billowing Bait come alive!

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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.

Feel free to share!