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?
Interesting activity could be observed today around the USS Midway aircraft carrier, which operates as a popular San Diego museum.
I noticed during my walk along the Embarcadero that divers were in the water near the USS Midway’s hull. In addition, there was a large section of scaffolding erected against the bow on the massive ship’s port side.
My initial assumption was the hull was being cleaned underwater. I was wrong. I was told the scuba divers in the water were Navy personnel training to do security sweeps.
Someone with the USS Midway Museum told me that Navy SEALs often train near the inactive aircraft carrier, learning how to maneuver underwater. (Years ago I saw them operate in the night near the Star of India.)
As for the scaffolding–I learned the hull of the famous old aircraft carrier is being restored. Removing rust, painting and such. It’s a monumental undertaking!
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An impressive yacht has been docked on San Diego’s Embarcadero for weeks now. Perhaps you’ve seen it, just north of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
As I walked past the yacht this morning, I was surprised to see its side open and gentlemen working on a super cool, bubble-like submersible. For a moment I thought I had wandered into a documentary about ocean exploration–or a science fiction movie!
In fact, I was looking inside the Hodor, a 66-meter catamaran that this article describes as the world’s largest floating toy box! Among the toys it holds is the three-person Seamagine Aurora-3 submersible, which I spotted in its open “submarine garage” while walking down the boardwalk. Other toys include a helicopter, motorcycles, and ATVs!
Hodor is support vessel of larger privately owned superyacht Lonian, which is also docked in San Diego.
You never know what cool thing you might discover during a morning 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 X.
If you’ve seen the USS Midway Museum in the past few days, you’ll notice the historic aircraft carrier is covered with yellow ribbons.
I learned today that the approximately 60,000 ribbons honor the same number of members of the United States Armed Forces who were killed in action during the Vietnam War.
The ribbons, tied several days ago around the edge of the aircraft carrier, will remain in place through Memorial Day. Visitors who go to the flight deck’s information stand can ask to tie their own yellow ribbon.
I notice some of the ribbons have messages written upon them. Loved ones can be remembered in this way.
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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.
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 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 new Sweetwater Park in Chula Vista opened early this month. Many people have already explored its nature trails. I did so, too, a few days ago.
One trail runs the length of the park on its west side, nearest San Diego Bay. It offers benches and blinds from which one can view bird activity in a wide expanse of native coastal vegetation.
I took photographs as I veered off the bikeway at the south end of Sweetwater Park and started up this main trail. It’s an easy level walk. This is what you might see should you walk as far as the gate restricting access to Gunpowder Point Drive.
(If you choose, you can continue up the trail, which curves around the Sun Outdoors RV resort. Then, using your wits, taking a dirt road and path, you’ll end up at E Street at Bay Boulevard, near Interstate 5.)
Continuing north. I’ll take the short branching path on the left that passes a bench, then return to the main trail…
Gazing to the south, one can see Marine Group Boat Works and their immense boat-lifting Travelift. It was a bit foggy this day…
I believe these are bush sunflower…
Another side trail and bench…
A short trail leads west to this rusty blind with a bench…
Looking north, you can see the Living Coast Discovery Center and the adjacent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services building. Way in the distance I see Point Loma, the Coronado Bridge and downtown San Diego…
Heading back up the main trail…
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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 new 39-acre Sweetwater Park opened earlier this month in Chula Vista. It’s located on the edge of San Diego Bay, adjacent to Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. It you’ve had a chance to visit the public park and walk its nature trails, you’ve no doubt seen a towering 25-foot tall sculpture that looks exactly like a wishbone!
The steel sculpture, created by artist Roberto Salas, is titled Rigors of Flight.
Why the wishbone shape? The wishbone is a forked bone found in most birds. It strengthens the bird’s skeleton, helping it to withstand the rigors of flight. Birds are plentiful in the park!
I walked through Sweetwater Park yesterday and approached the sculpture. I took these 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.
Large display cases contain old photographs, newspaper articles, documents and preserved artifacts representing the bridge’s complex history–from initial proposals to its construction to its grand opening and beyond.
Peering into the displays, reading descriptions, I learned interesting facts about the Coronado Bridge, including:
In 1926, the Spreckels Companies announced bold plans to construct a steel bridge linking Coronado to San Diego, envisioning an engineering marvel with arched spans and a lift section for maritime traffic. This news thrilled many residents eager for a fast connection to the mainland. Advocating for a tunnel instead, the Navy raised concerns about navigation and national defense. Despite initial optimism and plans for completion by 1928, the project became embroiled in decades of debate, delays, and revisions.
Mosher’s design was initially rejected by the state’s civil engineers for being too expensive. They proposed a more traditional trestle bridge, suggesting it be painted rust red or pink. Ultimately, Mosher’s design was accepted.
Water-tight caissons were placed on the bay bottom and pumped dry, while prestressed concrete pilings were driven over 100 feet into the bay floor. To complete the 30 towers, 100,000 tons of concrete were transported by barge for the construction of the piers.
The superstructure contractor Murphy Pacific fabricated the steel box girders in San Francisco before dismantling them and loading them onto a barge called “Marine Boss,” whose deck was the size of a football field. The barge was towed to San Diego Bay, where the girders were reassembled. The “Marine Boss” boom was extended to 290 feet to lift the massive box girder sections–up to 96 feet long and weighing as much as 215 tons–into place.
The final span, one of 27 girders, was placed on May 28, 1969. Coronado Mayor Paul Vetter participating in the informal ceremony, signing his name on the metal plate at the edge of the girder.
Mosher’s original design included lights on the low side of the railing, but they were cut to reduce costs… Coronado resident Carol Cahill…flew to Sacramento, successfully petitioned officials, and secured their installation. The lights were added in April 1970.
In 1970, the bridge received the National Award of Merit for Most Beautiful Bridge from the American Institute of Steel Construction.
The bridge’s 90-degree curve allows it to reach a height of 200 feet, tall enough for an empty aircraft carrier to pass underneath, while also providing the necessary length to ramp down to the Coronado side, which is significantly lower than the San Diego side that connects to Interstate 5.
I was told by a library employee that this fascinating exhibit will be on view through early May, 2025. Go check it out!
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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.
What were all those sailboats racing in San Diego Bay this afternoon? I watched them as I rode the ferry from Coronado to downtown San Diego.
It turns out these boats were participating in the Cortez Racing Association‘s Tribute Regatta in the north part of San Diego Bay. According to the race page, the event honored the lives of our sailing friends: Lisa Brewer and Ernie Pennell.
I never tire of watching sails that billow and slant across the blue water.
The two-masted vessel in the center of the next photograph is Bill of Rights, based in South Bay in Chula Vista. The beautiful tall ship was passing through…
After the Coronado ferry arrived near the San Diego Convention Center, I walked out to the pier at Embarcadero Marina Park South and took more 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.
Sweetwater Park will be opening later this year beside San Diego Bay in Chula Vista. Everyone will be able to enjoy recreation, nature trails, a big playground and more in the 21-acre public park.
Sweetwater Park will stretch from Bayside Park (to be redeveloped into Harbor Park) and the new Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center, north to Sweetwater Marsh and the Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay RV resort.
Back in October, I walked up the footpath that was already open along the east side of the park (which I now see is called Sweetwater Bicycle Path & Promenade). The park itself was fenced off at the time, and it still is today. But changes have occurred!
You can see how Sweetwater Park appeared late last year by checking out my old blog post here. Since then a number of new structures have been built, including landmark signs at either end, a tall, quite strange wishbone-shaped sculpture near the center of the park, and the big, awesome-looking playground!
Here I am walking south to north yesterday…
I took the following photographs over the construction fence…
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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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