Tag: southern california

Cool photo memories from June 2018.

I photographed lots of cool San Diego sights five years ago, in June 2018. Come jump into my monthly time machine!

I visited a big Greek Festival and the San Diego Scottish Highland Games. My jaw dropped upon seeing crazy silvery steampunk vehicles. I enjoyed several very unique art exhibitions, including one concerning UFOs. And, of course, there were early preparations for Comic-Con, including lots of fun trolley wraps!

Are you curious?

Coming up are links to blog posts containing those photos, and more!

CLICK THE LINKS FOR MANY PHOTOS!

A favorite garden, so close to perfection.

A (strange) Method for Reaching Extreme Altitudes!

Dancing with joy at a big Greek Festival!

Steampunk vehicles exhibited in Balboa Park!

The Simpsons trolley wrap for 2018 Comic-Con!

Bob’s Burgers served on a Comic-Con trolley!

Medieval knights mock fight in Balboa Park!

Photos of fun street art at Rio Vista!

Photos of San Diego Scottish Highland Games.

Art exhibit paints colors of Southern California!

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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!

Beautiful mosaics of Encinitas Up Close: south side.

In Encinitas, incredibly beautiful public art decorates the underpass of Interstate 5 at Santa Fe Drive. The project is called Encinitas Up Close. Fifty three colorful mosaics, created by local students and professional artists, greet those who pass under the freeway.

I photographed these 3′ by 5′ mosaic panels the other day during my walk in Encinitas. The joyful images reflect themes that are popular in this beach community. The ocean, nature, sunsets, people, surfing, pets, skateboarding, sunshine, history, places…

In this blog post I’ll share photos of the 27 mosaics that line the sidewalk and bike lane on the south side of Santa Fe Drive. I’ll share the north side mosaics in a second, upcoming post.

My photographs are raw and unedited–many taken in the dim light of an underpass shadow.

Koi With Lotus, by Lucy Stefanko.

Nautilus, by Joyce Schleiniger.

Woody At The Beach, by Kathryn Weiss.

Unleashed, by KAROB, Katherine and Robert Bender.

Swami’s Sunrise, by Liz and Luke Hoffmann.

Bird Of Paradise, by Gary Timinsky, Debe Hersey.

7 Day Weekend 1, by Tyler Adams Hawkins.

Asintmah, Native American Earth And Nature Goddess, by Silvia Wiedmann.

Face Of Existence, by Joyce Schleiniger.

Spiny Lobster In Tide Pool At Swami’s, by Timothy J Lueker.

Sea Lavender Above The Tracks, by Layla M Gunn, Deana Coveney.

Koi In Shimmering Waters, by Jessica Imaz Horton.

Bullet In The Back Country, by Timothy J Lueker.

Memorial, by Mike Upton, Jerm Wright, Erin Grady, Karl Ensberg.

Ruby The Shark, by Pietro Martinez.

Skateboarding Into The Sunset, by Lynn Adams.

Blooming Encounter, by Macall Deaver, Papa Faj.

Sun, Sea And Lotus, by Bereket Denslow, Isabella Parrales.

Carla The Poinsettia Calavera, by Morgaine McGrath, Julia Miller, Ariella Pacheco, Daniel McGrath.

Seagull And Moonlight Palm, by Todd Anderson.

Daisy The Whale, by Pietro Martinez.

Oceanna, by Cheryl Tall, Anila Saier, Elizabeth Joy Mueller, Mary F McCarthy.

Aquascape, by KAROB, Katherine and Robert Bender.

Golden Hour, by Liz and Luke Hoffmann.

Octopus, by Crystal and Evan Sandoval.

A Shard Of Whimsical Music, by Gillian Shaver.

Hummingbird With Hibiscus, by Lucy Stefanko.

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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!

Long Beach Youth Chorus inspires San Diego!

The first ever tour of the Long Beach Youth Chorus has begun in San Diego!

This afternoon the youth singing group performed at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. They were accompanied by Adam Ferrara, a fine guest organist. A sizable crowd sat listening in the benches.

What did we hear? Songs about hopes, dreams, love and acceptance. The inspirational performance was titled Hopes and Dreams.

The young people sang their hearts out and received great applause.

There were some patriotic songs to celebrate this Memorial Day weekend. Gratitude was expressed that we all live in a free country, where we are free to be who we want to be.

Looking at the Long Beach Youth Chorus website, I see they have a very positive mission statement. Why not check it out and support them!

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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!

Walking the Embarcadero on Memorial Day weekend.

Many were walking along San Diego’s Embarcadero today. It’s Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend.

People were gazing out at San Diego Bay . . . visiting the Maritime Museum and USS Midway . . . looking at monuments on the Greatest Generation Walk, perhaps reflecting on the meaning of Memorial Day . . . relaxing or shopping in Seaport Village…

Street performers and vendors were stationed along the boardwalk. Kites were flying at Embarcadero Marina Park North. People were eating lunch outdoors.

It might have been mostly overcast, but it did feel like the beginning of summer…

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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!

Fun photos at Encinitas Community Park!

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!

A walk past the Baby Del in Coronado.

If you walk along the beach in Coronado, you might notice a gorgeous old Victorian house that resembles a small version of the famous Hotel del Coronado. It stands near the corner of Isabella Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. The Livingston House, built in 1887, is appropriately known as the Baby Del!

The “Baby Del” was originally located in Sherman Heights at 24th and J Streets. It was the home of Mrs. Harriett Livingston. It is said many of the workers who built the house would also work building the fantastic Hotel del Coronado one year later.

In 1983 the Livingston House was moved by barge to Coronado by architect Christopher Mortenson, who was instrumental in the Gaslamp Quarter’s renewal. The property was sold not long ago for nearly 16 million dollars.

The amazing house is recognized as San Diego Historical Landmark No. 58. Read more about the Baby Del at this website.

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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!

San Diego Riverview exhibit at Serra Museum.

The history of human activity beside the life-giving San Diego River can be viewed from the outdoor terrace of the Junípero Serra Museum.

The museum’s scenic San Diego Riverview exhibit helps visitors visualize the where and when of various important developments in the area. Historical images from the San Diego History Center Photo Collection can be compared to present-day sights in nearby Mission Valley and beyond.

I walked up Presidio Hill today to check out this relatively new exhibit.

As I write this, I can still remember my first visit to the Junípero Serra Museum. The landmark building stands high atop Presidio Hill overlooking Old Town and the west end of Mission Valley. Revisit those old photographs here.

Years ago I also posted a blog about climbing Presidio Hill, where Europeans first settled in California. See that here. Since then I’ve walked around Presidio Park many times and have shared all sorts of photographs. You can find many of them by using this website’s search box.

A plaque by the outdoor terrace acknowledges those who helped with the Serra Museum’s recent restorations.

Look for several of these signs outside the Junípero Serra Museum.

Interstate 8 runs through Mission Valley just below Presidio Hill.

Historical photos and information await visitors at the northeast corner of the Serra Museum’s outdoor terrace.

If you peer to the west beyond some trees, you can see San Diego Bay, which explorer Cabrillo discovered for Spain in 1542.

Survey of the San Diego River and San Diego Bay, 1853.

The Native American Kumeyaay lived in a village called Cosoy at the base of Presidio Hill near the San Diego River.

Derby Dike was built in 1853 by Lt. George Derby of the Army Corps of Engineers. The dike altered the course of the San Diego River, which periodically flooded Old Town, into False Bay–now called Mission Bay.

To see a historical plaque which marks the approximate location of old Derby Dike, click here.

Believe it or not, dike engineer Lieutenant George Horatio Derby was also a humorist who inspired Mark Twain! His pen name was Squibob. You can still see where he lodged while working in San Diego. Read about that here!

Photo of rebuilt Derby Dike in 1931.

Mission Bay can be spied to the northwest. The natural marsh and tidelands were enlarged by dredging from 1949 through the 1960s.

By looking from the Serra Museum’s terrace beyond nearby trees, you can glimpse La Jolla’s Mount Soledad to the northwest.

Photo of Old Town bridge washed out in 1916 flood. Rainmaker Charles Hatfield was both credited and blamed for the 20 day downpour!

The San Diego River in Mission Valley has been a source of food and water for the Kumeyaay, Spanish, Mexicans and Americans over the years. Before its urban development, many dairy farms could be found in Mission Valley.

Photo of Mission Valley from 1915.

Display concerns efforts for environmental preservation, and the history Mission San Diego de Alcalá. In 1774 the Spanish mission moved 6 miles inland from its original 1769 location on Presidio Hill.

On a very clear day you can barely see the Cuyamaca Mountains to the east. That’s where the San Diego River begins.

Mission Valley’s development began in earnest in the 1950s, with the construction of Atlas Hotels and May Company Shopping Center. San Diego Stadium arrived in the 1960s.

Over the centuries, many people from diverse cultures have contributed to the history of this dynamic place. At the center of it all runs the San Diego River.

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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!

Walking along Salt Marsh Bird View Trail.

A short, easy side trail can be enjoyed north of the San Dieguito Lagoon near Del Mar. It’s called the Salt Marsh Bird View Trail.

Those who journey through the San Dieguito River Park along the Coast to Crest Trail might see signs indicating either end of the Salt Marsh Bird View Trail. (No bicycles or horses are allowed on it.)

During my own leisurely walk heading east, I saw one of these signs just beyond the San Dieguito River Park Lagoon Ranger Station, which is located off San Andres Drive and Via de la Valle.

As the trail’s name suggests, those who move along it can observe many birds in the nearby lagoon and its marshy vegetation.

This trail also passes the beautiful Birdwing Open Air Classroom, which I blogged about here. A short path leads up to Birdwing. There hikers will find a shady place to rest and feel alive, surrounded by nature.

Well, here are my photographs. Enjoy!

Over 200 bird species have been observed at the San Dieguito Lagoon.

Its various habitats include fresh water marshes, salt marshes, riparian forests, upland coastal sage scrub and chaparral plant communities.

Four endangered bird species that inhabit this lagoon are the Belding’s subspecies of Savannah Sparrow, Ridgway’s Rail, California Gnatcatcher, and California Least Tern.

Volunteer birders conduct monthly surveys at San Dieguito Lagoon. Learn more about that 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!

Cows on the beach in La Jolla!

Cows have been spotted on the beach in La Jolla!

Or perhaps I should say: Two cows have appeared at La Jolla Shores on Avenida De La Playa. And playa is Spanish for beach, right?

I saw both cows today!

The two life-size cow sculptures stand near other works of art by local artist Paula McColl.

A famous photograph taken in 1906 of cows on the beach was recreated with livestock in 2016. Read an article about that unusual event here!

Read the historical back story of dairy cows wandering on the beach in La Jolla 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!

La Mesa history at Por Favor Restaurant building.

Should you walk through La Mesa Village, look for informative plaques with old photographs near the front entrances of buildings along La Mesa Boulevard. The plaques are a community project of the La Mesa Historical Society and the Rotary Club of La Mesa.

I found it interesting to learn about the history of the yellow building with stained glass windows that now houses the Por Favor Mexican Restaurant and Cantina.

Bank of Southern California Building, 1927

The local Bank of Southern California constructed this sturdy Mediterranean Revival style building on the site of the La Mesa Opera House (1908-1926). This now landmark building housed Mt. Helix developer Fred J. Hansen’s offices. The La Mesa Garage reminds us of this route’s former days as part of U.S. Highway 80.

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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!