Tag: southern california

A fun Garden Show at the County Fair!

This year the theme at the San Diego County Fair is Get Out There! Throughout the Del Mar Fairgrounds visitors encounter displays that celebrate recreation in the Great Outdoors.

This theme works perfectly with one of the most popular attractions at the San Diego County Fair: the outdoor Paul Ecke Jr. Garden Show!

Gardening clubs, local students and civic organizations have created their own themed landscape displays. In the spirit of Get Out There, many of the small gardens that I saw during my visit include camping tents and lawn chairs, nestled among native Southern California plants. There is also a fun potted garden competition.

I also found a gigantic animatronic snail. And model trains running through a representation of Yellowstone National Park. And a display that pays tribute to Route 66. And there are old wagons filled with flowers. And a plant sale. And art, too!

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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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Mario Torero mural debuts in Escondido!

Several days ago a fantastic new mural debuted in Escondido. Tortilla Tesoro is colorful 32′ x 8′ panel that greets customers on the east side Tortilleria Santacruz, to the left of the store’s front entrance. The mural, which celebrates the cultural heritage and diversity of Escondido’s population, was created by Mario Torero, one of the renowned co-founders of Chicano Park in San Diego.

Additional “Chicano Colorful walls” artwork has been finished on the building’s east and south side, featuring Michoacan inspired imagery. According to the project website: Participation in the creation of the murals included students of the Conway Academy of Expeditionary Learning Elementary School and “A Step Beyond”, an Escondido creative youth development organisation serving youth and their families living at or below the poverty line with free after-school dance classes, academic support, and social services.

Another very colorful mural on the building’s north side was completed earlier this year. It was painted by Charlie Mejia. I posted photos of it in late March here.

First, here’s the new artwork on the tortilleria’s south side…

The following sign provides an explanation of the Tortilla Tesoro (Tortilla Treasure) mural in front of the building.

It was designed by Mario Torero using acrylic on poly-aluminum material. The mural highlights the natural beauty of the Escondido Valley landscape, and includes notable landmarks like the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and Queen Califia’s Magical Circle. Figures in the mural portray students, athletes, musicians, laborers and dancers.

Tortilleria Santacruz was started around 1996 at a nearby location by Juan and Gaudencia Santacruz. It is a family run business. There was a shared dream that one day murals would be painted here.

Here’s Mario Torero’s beautiful Tortilla Tesoro mural…

And more new artwork, by the building’s front entrance…

Learn more about the inspirational project 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!

Beautiful mosaics of Encinitas Up Close: north side.

A week ago, I posted photographs of 27 very beautiful mosaic panels in Encinitas. Those were only half of Encinitas Up Close, a permanent public art installation that can be enjoyed under Interstate 5 at Santa Fe Drive.

The 3′ by 5′ panels that I already shared are on the south side of the Santa Fe Drive. There are 26 more mosaics on the north side! These were also created by local students and artists. I’ll share them right now.

Enjoy!

Pacific Flyway, by Jennifer Hewitson.

3 Birds of Paradise, by Kathryn Weiss.

Hands and Acorns, by Isla Rindt.

Egret in Flight, by Sholeh Ashtiani.

Fish Under the Sea, by Micah and Crystal Sandoval.

Yellow Orchid, by Gary Timinsky, Debe Hersey.

Halibut Catch, by Luke Sansone.

Beach-Goers, by Mauricio Domingues, Ruby Geisler.

Carpool, by Jerm, Pollyanna, Henry Soda Pop, Leucadia Jane and Olive Grace Wright.

Del Sol, by Tatum Jamison Bless, NCL Del Sol Class of 2020.

The Path to Our Future, by Marina Alberti, Kiki Driver, Sofia Sanchez, Sathu Jois, Ryan Adams, Eric Salvador, Alee Saneff, Catherine, Oliver and Ava Blakespear.

Owl, Moon, Sun, by David Ulm.

Swami Garibaldi, by Carol Wolf.

Beach Bus, by Sydney Evans.

Red Tail Hawk, by Timothy J Lueker.

Pumpkins at Temple, by Al and Debbie Finocchio.

7 Day Weekend 2, by Tyler Adams Hawkins.

Nai’a, by Cheryl Tall, Elizabeth Joy Mueller, Anila Saier, Mary F McCarthy.

Moonlight Boat Home, by Kendall Landwehr.

Sea Goddess, by Anna Luna Engel, Tony Kranz, Kiki Driver, Sofia Sanchez, Sathu Jois, Ryan Adams, Eric Salvador, Alee Saneff, Jake Griffin.

Littlest Locals, by Haley, Patty and Alec MacKenzie.

Folklorico Dancer, by Naimeh Woodward, Suzie Sherwin.

Sinya, by Laurie Switzer.

Poinsettias, by Julie Hampton.

Girls Who Kick-Flip, by Lynn Adams.

Wise Tilted Tikis, by Fred, Yvette and Marty Hamud.

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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!

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!