I learned today that Dulce, the last donkey at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, died yesterday. Her companion, Don, passed away earlier this year. The corral next to Seeley Stable is now empty.
Dulce was in her mid to late 30s–she lived a long life and was well loved. She was a rescue donkey, saved from a cull.
Over the years, I’ve enjoyed visiting Dulce and talking to park rangers watching over her. Dulce was saddened by Don’s death, but had seemingly recovered, eating well and enjoying her role in short easy parades around the State Park’s plaza during occasional special events.
Yesterday she lay down and didn’t get up. A wonderful chapter in Old Town has come to a close.
Countless students, families and children met Don and Dulce over the years. I know that I’ll remember both donkeys fondly. I spoke to a couple of California State Park folks, and it sounds unlikely that new donkeys or other animals will replace Don and Dulce.
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San Diego’s downtown Little Italy neighborhood is ready to welcome Santa Claus this evening!
The Christmas tree lighting will take place after dark at 6:30 pm. The holiday festival on India Street begins at 4 pm. Nearly everything is ready!
I walked up India Street in the mid-afternoon and enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of a community soon to celebrate Christmas.
Little Italy’s familiar Christmas trees are up. The big nutcrackers are standing. Shop and restaurant window graphics have been painted, attracting the attention of diners and those heading up the sidewalk.
I noticed that a stage was being set up in Piazza della Famiglia near the fountain and outdoor tables. And, of course, a special outdoor “room” for Santa was being prepared!
Santa’s Rules:
You better not pout. You better not cry…
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In 2024, the highlight of December Nights in Balboa Park is the opening of the restored Botanical Building, one of San Diego’s iconic landmarks!
After a two and a half year restoration project, which saw its steel skeleton repaired and new wood lath installed, the Botanical Building now more closely resembles how it originally appeared when it first opened during the 1915 Panama-California Exposition!
Enjoy these photographs, taken shortly after the historic structure reopened this afternoon.
WOW!!!
The interior of the Botanical Building now appears much more airy, light-filled and spacious. The amazing lath roof is more prominent, now that tall, leafy old trees have been trimmed down or removed.
Most of the new plants and trees still have much growing to do. Two beautiful new fountains greet visitors at either end of the garden. And, for the holiday season, many poinsettias are colorfully displayed!
Thank you Forever Balboa Park, the City of San Diego, and all those involved in restoring one of our city’s true treasures!
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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.
Can you believe it? All of these beautiful holiday crafts were hand made by blind and low vision creators!
I was stunned to see all the amazing work. The Blind Community Center of San Diego has a booth along El Prado in Balboa Park during December Nights. It features these amazing crafts, all of which are for sale. Make sure to swing by and be inspired, too! Perhaps make a purchase!
The Blind Community Center of San Diego, which has been enriching the lives of blind and low vision people for over 70 years, has a broken elevator. I was told that if you provide funds to repair the elevator, they’ll gladly name the elevator in your honor!
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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 grumpy, grouchy, grievous green Grinch has invaded San Diego this weekend during December Nights!
Happy people beware! I spotted the Grinch all over the place as I walked around Balboa Park during San Diego’s epic holiday event!
Several cynical Grinches view visitors to December Nights from a vendor’s booth.Once again, the Grinch is trying to steal Christmas at the Old Globe theatre! He seems very persistent.Oh, my! The Grinch is peering over the Old Globe’s gift shop!Thank goodness! That’s just a watercolor painting by Spanish Village artist Gabriel Stockton!Now a grinning green Grinch has invaded the Festival of Trees inside the Casa del Prado!The sneaky Grinch has managed to hide inside a Christmas tree!No Grinch hiding here that I can find.The Grinch wouldn’t dare hang out around this big, happy Santa bear at the Japanese Friendship Garden!Does the Grinch work for the City of San Diego? Once again, San Diego’s Community Christmas Tree in Balboa Park has been completely ignored or forgotten.There’s so much joy and happiness at December Nights, I can’t imagine the Grinch would linger here.Santa Claus at the International Cottages is working on expanding his jolly belly.These merry Santa helpers are ready to fend off the Grinch with their sticks.My heart skipped a beat when I thought this was a green Grinch. It’s actually a happy Christmas tree!Happy Holidays in Balboa Park!Don’t look so worried, Santa. I think you’re safe.Oh, no!
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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.
Those walking through or waiting for a bus at the Boulevard Transit Plaza in City Heights might feel inclined to pause for a moment. This landmark bus station on El Cajon Boulevard over Interstate 15 features colorful public art and a collection of historical photographs.
The large transit plaza is split in two, divided by El Cajon Boulevard. Opposite sides serve east and west bound buses. Stairs and elevators also descend to Interstate 15 below where passengers can catch Route 235 rapid buses.
Public art and photographs are found on both sides of the split plaza. On either end of each platform, a post is decorated with colorful mosaics and dedicated to an adjacent community. The four communities served by the Boulevard Transit Center are Normal Heights, Kensington, Corridor and Teralta West.
I recently got off a Route 215 rapid bus at this stop to walk around the plaza. The artwork I’ve photographed here was installed in the past year or two–if you know more about the project, please leave a comment!
(There’s additional public art on the freeway level platforms–both here and at the nearby City Heights Transit Center–that I’ll document at some future time.)
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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 parking structure that stands beside the County Center/Little Italy trolley station contains a fascinating exhibit. Just inside the Cedar Street door, a glass display case holds rows of antique bottles. These old bottles were discovered in 2014 during the early stages of the building’s construction.
A nearby sign explains why these bottles are on public display…
Artifact Display Project
The display to your right contains a sample of artifacts recovered during the summer of 2014 as construction began on the Cedar/Kettner Parking Structure. These bottles date from the late 1880s to early 1900s and contained various kinds of milk, carbonated and alcoholic beverages, oils, inks, perfumes and pharmaceuticals.
The area where this building now stands was a densely populated multiethnic neighborhood of predominantly Italian and Portuguese immigrants working in the fishing industry. Residents’ homes were in close proximity to stables, dockyards, boarding houses and second hand shops. In the early 1900s, the area began to develop as a commercial and industrial center supporting the nearby waterfront and railroad.
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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.
I took these photographs this morning while it was still dark. They show new public artwork in downtown San Diego. My camera was placed up against the construction fence surrounding the not-yet-opened Progress Park (at the corner of Broadway and Harbor Drive) at the new RaDD complex.
This very cool sculpture, which is illuminated in the night, is titled Shhh Pavilion: The Hopekeeper.
Yes, that’s an interesting name! Even more interesting is the fact that the sculpture’s geometric structure utilizes Voronoi tessellation.
Huh? What?
Learn more about this sculpture, Voronoi tessellation and this new public park coming to San Diego’s waterfront by visiting a past blog post 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.
This holiday season, the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park features beautiful Christmas trees in its spacious atrium. Not only has the 15 feet high Christmas tree made of blooming red poinsettias returned, but several smaller green trees twinkle nearby.
The more traditional Christmas trees were decorated by the San Diego Floral Association and are an extension of their Festival of Trees, a favorite December Nights attraction inside Room 101 at the Casa del Prado.
One of these trees I really like. It’s filled with old images from San Diego history!
I took a few photographs…
Kate Sessions’ Christmas Tree of 1915.Panama California Exposition San Diego, California 1915.Streetscape in front of the Hotel Del Coronado.Dearest Kate, Here is a picture of your “Blank Canvas.” Your plants are growing beautifully. Your friend, Anna Marston. (Photo of the Marston House.)Botanical Building in Balboa Park.
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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.
Preparations have begun for San Diego’s free, epic December Nights event this weekend. Workers and volunteers were in various parts of Balboa Park, erecting structures, stringing holiday lights, and building the huge Christmas Story Tree that is a beloved tradition at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
I walked through Balboa Park a little before sunset and photographed some of the activity. Today is Monday. December Nights in 2024 runs this coming Friday, December 6 from 3 pm to 11pm, and Saturday, December 7 from 11 am to 11 pm. Over 300,000 visitors are expected!
As I crossed the Cabrillo Bridge, I noticed red ribbons on lamps now line El Prado…
Here’s one of the holiday decorations that will welcome thousands of pedestrians who cross the bridge into the park…
The Old Globe’s “Grinch tree” had its lighting ceremony last month. As usual, it will be a popular family destination during December Nights.
A cheerful candy cane striped structure went up today in the Plaza de Panama. Lights strung outward from its top will create a magical scene after dark.
At the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, the joyful hub of December Nights, volunteers and members of the Christmas Story Tree organization were putting together the towering tree,
Learn about the Christmas Story Tree by visiting its website here. A choir, that is made up of many local churches and community members, and an orchestra tell the story through familiar Christmas hymns and carols along with a narrator. They could use donations and more volunteers!
A spotlight structure goes up in the rear of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
When I walked through the International Cottages, I saw two of the cottages were busy getting ready for December Nights. I didn’t get a photo of boxes being carried into the House of Mexico, but the following photo was taken outside the House of Germany.
This Breakfast With Santa notice was posted outside the Municipal Gymnasium. Toys For Tots says: Come meet Santa and have breakfast on Saturday, December 14th at 9 am.
I learned the interior of the Municipal Gymnasium will become Santa’s magical North Pole home, much like last year. The building will close on Wednesday to begin its transformation!
Meanwhile, as I listened to the sound of bouncing basketballs, I found some fun stuff on the gym’s bulletin board…
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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.
Cool San Diego Sights! 