Tag: signs

Historical folk dance art in San Diego!

Last weekend the annual Harvest Festival at the Balboa Park Club featured folk dance and dancing workshops. Sadly, few people arrived for an event that has greatly faded in popularity over the years. I’m told young people are no longer taught folk dancing in school, as they once were years ago.

Shortly after entering the Balboa Park Club building, I discovered historical art painted on old signs, from the days when folk dancing brought both young and old together for a fun social gathering.

I learned that the wonderful graphics in my first photos were painted to promote the now defunct Kayso Folk Dance Club, which thrived in San Diego back in the 70’s and 80s. A gentleman named Kayso, originally from Armenia, painted the costumed dancing figures himself. The images might have become a bit worn over the years, but they still have great personality!

I also love the following old sign, which I learned is from the 1950s. It promotes the Cabrillo International Folk Dance Club, which is still alive and well!

The International Dance Association of San Diego County has a website here that lists dance clubs currently operating in Balboa Park and elsewhere around the city. You’ll find many opportunities to learn different dances, and to dance at every level of experience!

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More signs San Diego Comic-Con is coming!

Walking around downtown San Diego, I’ve noticed more and more signs that Comic-Con 2025 is fast approaching. Less than two weeks to go!

First, a bunch of banners promoting shows on STARZ have been hung at the Gaslamp Quarter trolley station and along Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade. Shows include Spartacus and Outlander: Blood of My Blood.

Next, I was shown this online flyer from Exclusive Collections in the Gaslamp.

On July 18, the week before Comic-Con, they will be offering over 70 original and rare animation cels for purchase! Art includes that of Disney, Hanna-Barbera, Warner Bros. and Chuck Jones.

The Chuck Jones Gallery in Seaport Village will present The Art Side of Comic-Con 2025. Appearing artists include Fabio Napoleoni and Ben Olson.

American Comedy Co. San Diego will present Comic-Con related shows, including Natasha Leggero w/Moshe Kasher & Dana Gould, and Doctor Z & Friends.

The Music Box will host some Comic-Con related parties, including Mosh Eisley (The Best Party in the Galaxy), and One More Time (A Tribute To Daft Punk) the Comic Tron Comic Con After Party.

The recently installed electronic kiosks around downtown San Diego list Comic-Con as an upcoming event, but sadly provide very little elaboration.

The Pac-Man Cafe Pop-Up appears at 323 Seventh Avenue during Comic-Con! Free arcade games and merch giveaway included!

Excited yet?

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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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Pollinator pathway created in Old Town San Diego!

Parking Lot C in Old Town San Diego will soon attract bees, butterflies, birds and other beneficial insects. That’s because the bed of soil along the Twiggs Street sidewalk is newly planted with native vegetation suited to pollinators!

Three other beds at this parking lot will be planted, too, according to a sign that I saw while walking today. Not only will this newly created habitat benefit pollinators, but it will add natural beauty, help stabilize soil, save water and provide educational opportunities.

If you’d like to learn more, check out this webpage. It concerns the Old Town San Diego Chamber of Commerce’s Pollinator Pathways project. You’ll find there are various ways for you to help out!

(As you can see, I took these photos very early this morning before many cars arrived at the parking lot.)

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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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The San Pasqual Valley Agricultural Preserve Trail.

The San Dieguito River Park’s long Coast to Crest Trail runs through San Pasqual Valley, southeast of Escondido and northwest of Ramona. Much of the San Pasqual Valley is part of an agricultural preserve owned by the City of San Diego, where active farming can be observed.

The San Pasqual Valley Agricultural Preserve Trail is a segment of the Coast to Crest Trail that passes swaths of this farmland.

Yesterday I hiked perhaps a mile of this fascinating trail. As I walked east past an informative sign that I photographed, I observed farm workers planting a new crop to my left, and trees and vegetation along Lake Hodges/San Dieguito River to my right.

You can find a trail map in .pdf form here. You might have to rotate the map clockwise to orient yourself. The trail segment is almost 9 miles, and I explored only the west part of it, starting from the vicinity of Mule Hill. The sign that I photographed is where the wedge-like black arrow is on the map.

Here I am approaching the sign…

The San Dieguito River Park’s information includes:

The San Pasqual Valley Agricultural Preserve Trail runs through what once was called the valley of eagles. The In-ke-pah tribe called this valley Mo-culoch-culoch, which means “one stone on top of another.” In the late 18th century, the Spanish Franciscans renamed the valley for Saint Pascal.

The City of San Diego leases the land for farming, a use that helps the city maintain water supplies and protect water quality while preserving the rural character of the valley and continuing the tradition of agriculture in the San Pasqual Valley.

San Diego County maintains the second highest number of farms in all counties in the United States. It also leads the nation in the production value of nursery crops, floriculture and sod.

To read the above sign, enlarge my photograph.

Now I’m continuing my walk past it, getting my first glimpse of farmland ahead. The weather was pleasantly overcast on this early June morning. I saw several mountain bikers during my walk…

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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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History, flag and roses at Ingram Plaza.

Ingram Plaza is a special place at Liberty Station in Point Loma. It can be found very easily by looking for the large American flag. Like all of Liberty Station, Ingram Plaza used to be part of Naval Training San Diego, which closed in 1997.

Words that wandering visitors can read describe the history and significance of the place.

A plaque can be found beside an anchor, steps away from the plaza. It reads:

INGRAM PLAZA

THIS PLAZA IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF OSMOND K. INGRAM, GUNNER’S MATE FIRST CLASS UNITED STATES NAVY, WHO SACRIFICED HIS LIFE IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE HIS SHIP AND SHIPMATES DURING AN ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE U.S.S. CASSIN AND A GERMAN SUBMARINE ON OCTOBER 15, 1917. “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.”

After pausing at the anchor to read its plaque, I walked into the plaza’s center near the flagpole, where there are beds of roses. (I took these photos in spring.)

A nearby sign…

This plaza served as a “detention camp” when the base first opened to isolate new recruits…to make sure any contagious disease…did not circulate among the entire base. During this time, they were transformed into trainees with new haircuts, clothing and initial instruction…

Among the roses is a time capsule with a plaque…

To commemorate the Centennial of Liberty Station and the former Naval Training Center, a time capsule was buried here on October 29, 2023, to be opened in 25 years.

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Hunt for hidden treasures in a La Mesa park!

Collier Park in La Mesa contains hidden treasures!

Those who explore the city park might come across 18 coin-like plaques that feature images of local plants and animals.

If you would enjoy a fun outdoor treasure hunt, head over to La Mesa’s historic Collier Park, walk along its easy nature trail and begin your search.

Make the treasure hunt a game! Challenge your family or friends. Who can find the most?

Explore the park to find the hidden treasures of different plants and animals! Find all 18 emblems below!

Sage, Poppy, Skunk, Frog, Hummingbird, Snake, Squirrel, Beetle, Hawk, Sycamore Leaf, Raccoon, Butterfly, Rabbit, Spider, Ladybug, Dandelion, Oak Leaf, Sparrow

By strolling around Collier Park, you can also discover a bit of history.

As the city of La Mesa’s first park, Collier Park has long served as a community gathering space.

Kumeyaay – The Kumeyaay Tribe of Indigenous peoples have a rich history in the area, harnessing nature’s local resources. The natural spring in the park once served as a seasonal stopping place for the local Kumeyaay.

David C. Collier – Colonel David Charles (D.C.) Collier, a pioneer community developer in La Mesa and throughout San Diego County, was responsible for donating the land to the community for what would become the City’s first public park after incorporation in 1912.

In the next photograph, you can spot La Mesa’s historical Spring House. Curious? I blogged about it 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!

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Remnants of the original Encinitas train station.

The bright yellow building at 510 North Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas is hard to miss. It was the original train station in Encinitas, as its appearance suggests. Today it’s home of Pannikin Coffee & Tea, a popular community gathering place.

I found few other indications of the building’s interesting railroad history: a marker near the front door (seen above) and an old Encinitas station sign.

I walked inside Pannikin Coffee & Tea and was disappointed there was so little on display specifically concerning the railroad station’s history. I asked two employees about it, who told me about the salvaged Encinitas station sign up near the ceiling.

According to this article, the original Encinitas train station was built in 1887. The building moved from trackside to its present location in the early 1970s and in 1980 became a coffeehouse.

It’s a uniquely attractive building, with its bright color and old Victorian charm.

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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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La Mesa’s historical Spring House.

I asked a gentleman at the La Mesa Community Center if there were interesting places to visit in the neighborhood, and was told about Collier Park and its Spring House. He told me the historical house was undergoing restoration. Curious, I headed over to investigate.

I walked around the somewhat dilapidated old Spring House and found a sign that describes its history. I was surprised to learn about the origin of the name Spring Street–an important nearby street that runs through downtown La Mesa.

Collier Park – Spring House – City of La Mesa Landmark #3

The Spring House was constructed for Colonel David Charles (D.C.) Collier in 1907. The original plan for the Spring House to be a commercial bottling operation of the natural spring water was never realized. The natural springs were also what attracted stock rancher Robert Allison to purchase the area in 1869. The bottling works plant captured water from the adjacent natural spring and contained a storage reservoir for the water. It was constructed with locally quarried stone blocks. Water from the spring was pumped to the civic fountain at the La Mesa Railroad Depot from 1915 until the late 1960s. After the establishment of Collier Park, the Spring House has been used for pool dressing rooms, meetings, classroom and event space.

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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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Eat at a farm next to Snapdragon Stadium!

Did you know there’s a farm immediately next to Snapdragon Stadium’s parking lot?

Did you know that on Saturdays this farm is open to the public and offers a café and fresh vegetable stand? (Not to mention tours and fun activities.)

Yes!

The MAKE Farm is a Community-Supported Agricultural (CSA) Program that empowers refugees and immigrant women. So when you eat here, you’re helping other people as well!

MAKE Farm is located immediately south of the large Snapdragon Stadium parking lot, a little east of the Stadium trolley station. According to signs I spotted today, their offerings include Garden Veggie Wraps and Yogurt Parfaits, and you get a free cookie during your visit, too!

Going to a Saturday game at the stadium? Enjoy a unique and healthy lunch in the outdoors here.

I suppose I’ll have to swing by some weekend!

Late last year, before they opened their on-site café, I toured the farm. You can see that 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.

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Building sand dunes from air in Carlsbad!

I wondered. Why are hundreds of little wooden stakes sticking out of the sand at South Ponto Beach in Carlsbad?

Reading a nearby sign provided the answer. Habitat restoration in progress. The fence, shims, and plants will build dunes and keep sand on the beach.

I never heard the word “shims” used this way.

I found a webpage that explains how to “make land from air.” Biomimicry uses 14- inch-long, narrow cedar shims which are randomly inserted several inches into the sand. The shims are placed 10-14 inches apart, in a random matrix, along the upper beach. This matrix stabilizes existing sand while also collecting new sand, by generating turbulence in laminar ocean storm winds.

There’s another fascinating word!

Biomimicry. Definition: The design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes.

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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!