The Serpent Tree has vanished from Waterfront Park! The big, colorful sculpture by famous artist Niki de Saint Phalle has been put into storage, I’ve been told.
The north half of Waterfront Park is being redeveloped. A dog park, basketball and pickleball courts, and other recreational facilities will soon be built. Will the amazing Serpent Tree reappear in the park? I haven’t yet heard what its fate will be.
Today I noticed a banner on the construction fence describing the project. It shows how this part of Waterfront Park will eventually appear.
If you’d like to view photos of Serpent Tree shortly after it was installed in 2015, click here!
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This year the theme at the San Diego County Fair is Get Out There! Throughout the Del Mar Fairgrounds visitors encounter displays that celebrate recreation in the Great Outdoors.
This theme works perfectly with one of the most popular attractions at the San Diego County Fair: the outdoor Paul Ecke Jr. Garden Show!
Gardening clubs, local students and civic organizations have created their own themed landscape displays. In the spirit of Get Out There, many of the small gardens that I saw during my visit include camping tents and lawn chairs, nestled among native Southern California plants. There is also a fun potted garden competition.
I also found a gigantic animatronic snail. And model trains running through a representation of Yellowstone National Park. And a display that pays tribute to Route 66. And there are old wagons filled with flowers. And a plant sale. And art, 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!
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Brilliant! That’s what I thought when I met artist Jeff Daymont and observed his uniquely designed playing cards and original games!
I was walking through the Seaside Pavilion at the San Diego County Fair–you know, where vendors sell unique wares, demonstrating salad choppers and knives that will cut through a brick–when my eyes fell upon an unusual table. That’s a lot of playing cards, I thought. Then I looked more closely…
Jeff has created playing cards that are truly unique. The Kings and Queens illustrated on cards depict actual monarchs, rulers and royalty from world history. Many of the playing cards are also designed to support all sorts of original games, such as Rock, Paper, Scissors, Water and Lizard!
You can see a bunch of games invented so far for the versatile King’s Keys deck by clicking here. If you think up a new game, submit it!
Not only are these playing cards works of art, but I absolutely love the concept that inspired players can dream up new games!
Do you want to check out Jeff Daymont’s very cool playing cards?
A similar game I wrote for the Commodore 64 was titled Super Clue. It can be played freely on your computer right now by visiting the Internet Archive here!
Here’s a screenshot of a new game beginning:
Hints: the characters in Super Clue move about randomly, randomly drop and pick up objects, and can randomly leave clues at each location. There are several possible murder weapons. You can search characters and locations and interrogate the roaming characters. Use objects that you pick up like a magnifier, rope and flashlight. The initial character positions are randomly generated. To make a new move, type in a simple two or three word command. Enter “help” to see which words are recognized. One character is initially designated the murderer. Deduce who it is and make an arrest before midnight, or before there are more victims! I’m very proud of the sound effects I created. Be patient! As the ancient program runs on a computer emulator, every move’s resulting text can be a bit slow to appear, so wait a few seconds. Map out the mansion as you move about. Have fun!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 Twitter!
I walked though Encinitas Community Park today. It was my first ever visit.
I was surprised at how large and how wonderful this park is! There’s a big skatepark (called Poods Park), a big, colorful children’s playground, multiple sports fields (that can be seen from Interstate 5 just south of Santa Fe Drive), long meandering pathways, and flowers and picnic benches shaded by trees.
Lots of people were out this morning walking dogs.
Enjoy my photos…
Beautiful sign welcomes the public to Encinitas Community Park.A big, wonderful, shaded playground.Put your head in the lion’s mouth to get a drink of water.More fun tomorrow!Flowers by a soccer field.Heading down landscaped paths feels like a nature walk.Dogs like walking here, too!A fun smiley on a gate.Your laugh will forever be in our hearts.Guys fly radio controlled airplanes at a ballfield.Performing a trick at the Encinitas skate park.Best friends.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 Twitter!
For many years, Teralta Park in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood was a place you might want to avoid. Drugs, gang activity and fights were too common.
Yesterday, when I visited Teralta Park to watch the Fern Street Circus, I saw lots of kids at play in the sunshine. I observed families at picnic tables, friendly games at basketball courts and a happy, active playground. What happened?
I learned from community leader Edwin Lohr that what happened is many people became passionately engaged. Community meetings and concerns turned to action.
New lighting has been installed. New benches now invite a stroll through the park. The playground is newly painted with bright colors. An incredibly positive community mural has been painted along one long wall.
Workers in the San Diego’s Parks and Recreation Department saw how the community had a new passion for their neighborhood park, and became passionate, too. During my visit I saw no weeds, no trash, just green grass, flowers and smiles all around.
It was great to see how this spacious public park–the only such park built over a major freeway–is now a welcoming retreat where people want to relax and recreate. I guess the not-so-secret formula for Teralta Park’s reclamation is people caring, and doing.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 Twitter!
Look what I stumbled upon while walking past the gigantic old Moreton Bay Fig tree, by the San Diego Natural History Museum. Folk dancing!
The Cabrillo International Folk Dancers had made the wooden platform under the massive tree their dance floor. That’s because, I was told, the Balboa Park Club ballroom, where they usually dance, was being used for another event.
Learn more about the Cabrillo International Folk Dancers and consider joining the fun group by clicking here!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 Twitter!
Much of the garden at Waterfront Park on the north side of the County Administration Building has been removed. I noticed the orange construction fencing today during my walk along San Diego’s Embarcadero.
A worker told me they’re installing new pipes. As I understand it, much of this area will then be converted into basketball and pickleball courts and other outdoor recreational facilities, which can be enjoyed by downtown residents.
I noticed the fencing protects several trees. It’s also around world-famous artist Niki de Saint Phalle’s colorful Serpent Tree sculpture. I suspect these will not be moved.
How sad the beautiful garden is going away. I took photos of the lush garden one bright morning several years ago and posted them here.
I also went on an architectural tour of Waterfront Park and learned more about the garden’s design here.
If you know more, leave a comment!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 Twitter!
If you’re ever a passenger in a vehicle heading north on Interstate 15, between West Bernardo Drive and Via Rancho Parkway, look to your right and down. You might see the heads of nearby walkers and bicyclists!
A stretch of the Coast to Crest Trail follows the busy freeway right next to and about ten feet below it. On the opposite side of the trail, not far away, stand beautiful trees that line the San Dieguito River and Lake Hodges.
During the Spring these river trees turn bright green!
Today I walked from the trailhead at the south end of Sunset Drive to the place where the Coast to Crest Trail passes under Interstate 15. (And I continued on, as you’ll see in upcoming blog posts.)
The roar of freeway traffic above me to the right . . . tranquil trees, green grasses and wildflowers of the San Dieguito River Park to my left . . . and an occasional bike or two passing by . . .
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 Twitter!
Members of the San Diego Lawn Bowling Club are working hard to improve the old bowling greens on Balboa Park’s West Mesa. As I walked past the greens today, my curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask a few questions.
The two 120 by 120 foot bowling greens were built in 1932. Old, badly warped wooden side boards are being replaced with concrete, sunk deep into the soil to help prevent tunneling by squirrels and gophers.
I learned club members are footing the bill. There’s more that ought to be done, however, including replacing the grass surface with artificial turf. Any financial help would be greatly appreciated. You can find a donation button at the bottom of their web page by clicking here.
Years ago I was offered a free lawn bowling lesson from a friendly club member. My novice rolls missed the jack by a mile. But the challenging sport does look like a lot of fun!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 Twitter!
Want to make some music? Head to North Park’s newly opened mini park located south of University Avenue behind the Observatory Theater!
The North Park Mini Park had its grand opening last weekend. It was all over the San Diego news. I hadn’t walked around that neighborhood in a long while, so yesterday morning I decided to check things out.
Look what I found!
The North Park Mini Park is not only a fine new community gathering place, but it’s full of musical instruments that people can freely play!
I saw xylophones and chimes and drums and a sign explaining the many health benefits of playing percussion instruments. (Perhaps it’s just plain fun, too.)
Young and old alike can reach out their hands at any time to create music.
How cool is this?
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