In 1983 a modest Orange Julius stand in Pacific Beach was converted into a palace. It would become the original palace of Ralph Rubio, who today is known as the Fish Taco King.
Rubio, credited with making fish tacos popular in Southern California, opened this very first restaurant on Mission Bay Drive. Lovers of nostalgia and tasty Mexican food can still visit it today.
The first Rubio’s location retains its simple charm. To me it resembles both a taco stand and a vintage roadside diner. The menu might have expanded from the original (when fish tacos sold for 99 cents), but I can attest their food remains mouth-watering good. I enjoyed a couple fish tacos the other day. I also took this photo.
If you’d like to visit the original home of Rubio’s Coastal Grill, head over to 4504 E. Mission Bay Drive, just off Interstate 5 in Pacific Beach. Then perhaps head to the beach for a perfect San Diego day!
…
To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
It looks like I’ll be missing Cinco de Mayo events this year. Too busy with work. So I figured: why not revisit past Cinco de Mayo festivals around San Diego?
Here we go!
Click the upcoming links to enjoy several past blog posts!
Click the following links for many more photographs…
The La Mesa Downtown District sign is rising on La Mesa Boulevard near Palm Avenue! The landmark arch, similar to many others in neighborhoods around San Diego, will welcome those entering the heart of La Mesa’s historic downtown.
Construction officially commenced in February. Yesterday I noticed the two supporting posts now stand on the opposing sidewalks, and several banners on fences announce the Future Home of the Downtown District Sign.
The La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation website contains more details concerning the project, which has been spearheaded by the La Mesa Village Association.
The archway will feature two support columns adorned with a “Community Quilt” of 1,512 hand-painted tiles created by residents and local businesses.
As I walked up La Mesa Boulevard, I took several photos…
…
To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
By driving east of San Diego to Campo this weekend, you can enjoy free admission to four cool attractions!
Admission will be free at the Campo Railroad Museum, the Motor Transport Museum, the Gaskill Brothers Stone Store, and the Camp Lockett Equestrian and Event Facility!
This weekend, May 2-3, 2026, Campo Days promises unforgettable family-friendly experiences. Pile the kids in the car and have an adventure!
The incredible Campo Railroad Museum, operated by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association, itself is worth the trip. You can explore many old train cars parked on tracks at the museum, and even ride a vintage train should you purchase a ticket! Learn more about the Campo Railroad Museum at their website here.
I learned about Campo Days when I swung by the La Mesa Depot Museum today. This small free museum is also operated by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association.
Station master Timothy showed me some of the work being done to restore No. 3, the 1923 steam locomotive which you might have seen while driving through downtown La Mesa. I blogged about its history and restoration about a year ago here.
Timothy loves to talk about trains and his personal experience as an engineer. The always free La Mesa Depot Museum also has a cool HO-scale train layout kids love.
If you can’t make it to Campo Days this weekend, head to La Mesa on a Tuesday or Thursday from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, when the La Mesa Depot Museum is open. Admit it–you love trains, too!
…
To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
If you’ve wondered what it was like to sail into San Diego Bay on a Spanish galleon back in the 16th century, you have the opportunity to enjoy the amazing experience!
San Salvador, the seaworthy replica galleon built by the Maritime Museum of San Diego, sails out of downtown San Diego a couple time a month, taking visitors on a memorable adventure on the water!
San Salvador, a full size replica of the Spanish galleon flagship used by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo to explore the California coast in 1542, was built by the museum back around 2015 on the shore of Spanish Landing. You can see photos of its construction here.
Today, passengers board the ship at the museum and typically enjoy a four hour sail off Point Loma. That’s what I did yesterday!
The trip was nearly a sell-out, so between passengers and about a dozen crew members, the galleon was quite lively. It really became lively out on the open ocean, when the round hulled galleon really rocked and rolled! (If you are susceptible to motion sickness, take a Dramamine in advance of your journey, and keep your eyes on the horizon.)
One cool aspect of the trip was everyone learned a lot about the history of Cabrillo’s exploration, Spanish conquistadors, and San Diego as it was many centuries ago.
During the sail, I recommend hanging out on either the raised foredeck or quarterdeck, where you have the best views and can watch the dynamic crew working the sails and yards.
After Captain David briefed the passengers on safety, we were on our way through San Diego Bay using San Salvador‘s two diesel engines. Because galleons are square rigged, you can’t sail into the wind. On the way back into the bay from the Pacific Ocean, we sailed with the wind and didn’t taken our sails down until back near the Embarcadero.
Okay, let’s see some photos!
We are ready to pull away from the Maritime Museum’s barge…
Here we go! I started out by standing near a foredeck ladder looking back at the shrinking San Diego skyline.
I climbed up onto the foredeck…
Crew members getting to work…
I shifted my position to the quarterdeck. You can see the whole ship from here and observe the captain, who was standing near me.
That guy in the open window is the helmsman. From a sheltered spot he can observe the sails and way forward, while manually steering San Salvador under orders from the captain. He uses a vertical lever whipstaff to move the tiller, which turns the rudder.
A sail is being readied from the foredeck.
There’s Spike Africa! The schooner participated in last weekend’s Schooner Cup race, which I enjoyed from aboard Bill of Rights. See those photos here!
Heading out to sea down the channel, with North Island on our port side. A sailboat was watching us! Captain David is still using the diesel engines.
Almost out into the Pacific Ocean. That’s the New Point Loma Lighthouse down by the water.
Shortly before, we saluted Cabrillo National Monument by firing one of the galleon’s swivel guns. Fingers in ears can’t hold the camera!
It turned out to be a perfect, partly cloudy day.
We’re starting to roll! Hanging on!
Many hands raising the galleon’s sails…
Now I’m looking rearward from the quarterdeck.
Some folks headed down to the lower main deck where the rolling is less severe.
Lots of exciting action closeby!
A sailboat ahead requires a steering maneuver.
A NOAA research ship was also heading down the channel away from San Diego.
If you want, you can train to become a volunteer crew member on the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s amazing tall ships!
We’re being slowly propelled forward by wind power! Galleons aren’t terribly fast. We managed 3 knots. (That’s about 3 1/2 miles per hour–the speed at which I walk!) Imagine being an explorer in the 16th century rolling about on the open ocean moving at this quite modest speed!
There are various places where passengers can safely sit during the voyage.
After we tacked and began sailing back toward Point Loma, I headed to the galleon’s beak.
I turned around…
We are under sail almost all the way back to the museum. Once we enter San Diego Bay, it’s much smoother sailing! This is the life.
Now I headed once more to the foredeck…
Looking down at the beak as yards are squared to capture the wind from our rear.
There’s Spike Africa again, off of Harbor Island!
We all raise a lusty cheer for Spike Africa. Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!
After a few moments, they return the cheer!
If you’d like to enjoy a similar adventure, check out San Salvador‘s webpage by clicking here!
…
To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
Two days ago the Escondido Creek Trail Outdoor Art Gallery made its official debut!
Having missed the ceremony, I headed up to Escondido today to enjoy my first look.
Congratulations to ESCO ALLEY ART, the community organization that presented these six murals to the City of Escondido. To learn more about their ongoing efforts to beautify Escondido, visit ESCO ALLEY ART’s website here.
These half dozen murals each measure 15 by 10 feet, depict local flora and fauna, and were transferred onto Aluminum Composite Material. Their super shiny surfaces made photography without reflections nearly impossible. I did my best!
The murals are located on the Neighborhood Healthcare building at 460 North Elm Street. They face the Escondido Creek Trail–a pedestrian and bike path that is presently undergoing improvement. (I noticed some of the improvements during my walk and will blog about that coming up.)
Curious who the mural artists are? Check out the captions of my photographs…
Nature Watching by artist Laura Green.Coyote by artist Berthis Myers.Wildlife in the Poppies by artist Joanne Sullivan.Aspire by artist Kat Furrow.Tunas Doradas by artist Andres Marin.California Dreaming by artist LaRetta Small-Zamora.
This ESCO ALLEY ART webpage links to information concerning each artist!
…
To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
A cool kinetic sculpture stands in Escondido at the intersection of Valley Boulevard and East Grand Avenue. It’s called, appropriately, Ovalesque. Two ovals containing dichroic glass move independently in the wind, flashing brilliant sunlit colors!
Jeffrey Laudenslager and Deanne Sabeck collaborated to create this beautiful sculpture in 2024. If you want to view more of Jeffrey’s kinetic sculptures, check out his Instagram page here. See Ovalesque moving about by clicking here.
These photos of Ovalesque were taken during my most recent Escondido walk. It was somewhat overcast that day. Imagine bright sunlight and beautiful colors moving through a blue sky!
…
To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
Tony Bingham is presently the artist in residence at the California Center for the Arts Museum in Escondido. Visitors to the museum have the opportunity to meet Tony and experience his work when he is present. I was privileged to meet him a couple days ago. He loves to interact with curious people!
Tony told me about his fascination with A. E. “Fred” Coleman, a former slave who discovered gold in Julian back in 1869, launching a gold rush. The gold mining camp Coleman City quickly sprang up by what today is named Coleman Creek, a tributary of the San Diego River. Among other accomplishments, A. E. Coleman created a toll road into Julian.
Short-lived Coleman City is now a vanished ghost town, but the legacy of A. E. Coleman remains an important part of African American history in the San Diego region. Tony Bingham’s art honors that history.
Tony, with his art, also honors two African American trailblazers: Albert Robinson and Margaret Tull Robinson. In 1887 they started the Robinson Restaurant and Bakery in Julian. Today the establishment is called the Julian Gold Rush Hotel.
Tony Bingham loves to create images using pinhole photography.
He went up to the property through which Coleman Creek runs and took a series of pinhole photographs, often experimenting with different exposures. Here are some of the results…
The words you see above are the names of different mines that were established around Julian during the gold rush.
Tony has also created clay plates that recall the historic Robinson Hotel & Restaurant. The earthy plates among them were formed using the actual grassy soil along Coleman Creek.
Tony has conjectured what food items the restaurant might have had on its menu, and if any vegetables were grown on location.
He has produced plant music that reflects different vegetables, resulting from bioelectrical activity within a living plant. It was very cool listening to a plant “symphony” from his laptop! The potatoes were quite lively!
Tony Bingham is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator from Birmingham, Alabama. His very unique work invites contemplation. It honors the life and legacy of African Americans.
Perhaps his most notable work is the Praise House, an open-air sculpture at a former plantation in Harpersville, Alabama.
…
To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
This very beautiful plaque near the beach in La Jolla Shores is dedicated to the Kumeyaay Nation, whose people have lived in our region for thousands of years.
I took these photos of the plaque a while back, during my last walk along the boardwalk near Kellogg Park. You can find the plaque inside the Grand Canyons of La Jolla Educational Plaza.
(To learn more about the plaza, check out a blog I posted a few years ago here.)
Text on the plaque includes:
KUMEYAAY NATION
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS WE HAVE LIVED TOGETHER AS A PEOPLE…from the shores of the Pacific Ocean ~ to the mountains and inland valleys ~ down through the deserts of Baja California Norte, Mexico.
Our cultural and historical roots can be traced throughout the greater San Diego region, dating back more than 12,000 years. La Jolla Shores has always been an integral part of our history and was a vital resource for gathering, fishing and hunting well into the early 20th Century. This area was once part of a lagoon offering a variety of plant life used for food, clothing, medicines, baskets and building materials. Our ancestors were exceptional stewards of the environment as demonstrated in their plant husbandry techniques and responsible use of land and water resources. Beginning with the Spanish invasion of 1769, the Kumeyaay were forced off ancestral lands and now live on twelve of the eighteen reservations in San Diego County. Our historical presence is visible along the shoreline as evidenced by unearthed artifacts, burial sites and remnant of ancient villages.
Offshore, submerged sites are protected by State and Federal Laws in order to keep our rich cultural heritage alive for future generations to learn from and enjoy. The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation dedicates this plaque to honor our past and promote preservation of this unique marine environment.
…
To follow my blog, find the “Follow” box in this website’s sidebar. Or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
(If you’re viewing this on a phone, open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)
Cool San Diego Sights! 