Fiesta del Sol has returned to Solana Beach! The big event is bringing the community together this weekend on the streets above Fletcher Cove!
The annual spring festival always attracts huge crowds. There’s plenty of food, music, arts and crafts to keep families and fun lovers plenty busy.
I swung by in the afternoon to enjoy some of the experience!
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The UC San Diego 2022 Powwow began late this morning with Bird Singers from the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians.
As people slowly arrived at Marshall College Field, the singers sang ancient stories of the world’s creation. Traditional dancers and shaken gourd rattles moved in rhythm with the words.
In the San Diego sunshine, the culture and history of the Kumeyaay was alive, passing from heart to heart, from generation to generation.
One of the bird singers explained how culture and spirituality live together hand in hand. The singing takes much time and sacrifice. It is for the people. It brought him and others happiness, enriching life in many ways.
Bringing this beautiful music to our world helps many to thrive in this day and time.
I listened. Took some photos. I stretched my legs and ate some Kumeyaay fry bread with powdered sugar and drizzled honey. Yum!
Bird Singers were followed by Gourd Dancers.
After a little while, I felt the urge to move forward through this amazing world, and I walked again down my path.
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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!
Students from the 8th Grade Culture Class at Barona Indian Charter School have created a Heritage Project concerning Kumeyaay culture and history. Their work will be displayed in an upcoming exhibition at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park!
The exhibition is titled Kum ‘Enyaawapch Ewuupch which is in the northern dialect of the Kumeyaay language. Translated to English, it means The Way We See It.
The exhibition has its big opening celebration on May 26, 2022. See all the details here!
I learned about this exhibition as I walked past the entrance of the Mingei International Museum last weekend. Photos of students filled one window, near an informative sign.
You can hear introductions by the participating students on the Barona Cultural Center & Museum website here!
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Have you seen the 60 foot tall mural at the new Found Lofts apartments in Vista’s Arts and Culture District? Joram Roukes, an internationally famous artist and muralist from The Netherlands, painted it a couple months ago!
The collage-like, multi-wall mural contains many elements, including a mountain climber, and images that represent the culture of the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians. The frog and the coyote in the mural come from a traditional animal story of The First People: How Coyote Killed Frog. The Luiseño people inhabited this area long before Spaniards established nearby Mission San Luis Rey in 1798.
The very cool mural is located at 516 S. Santa Fe Avenue. You can’t miss it!
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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!
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Looking at the extensive exhibit last weekend, I learned how Donald Takayama at the age of twelve moved from Hawaii to Southern California, having been invited to work at a Venice Beach surf shop, shaping boards. He was paid to wear a company logo on his shirt while surfing. Wikipedia states he may have been the world’s first professional surfer.
Takayama would move to Encinitas and then Oceanside, and continue to gain international fame shaping boards. He also would win many surfing competitions, including three consecutive Masters titles in the US Surfing Championships.
More impressively, he would win the hearts of many in the community. He was beloved by friends and family and surfers all over; he mentored future champions; and he even taught his friend, San Diego Chargers legend Junior Seau–also an Oceanside resident–how to surf.
Surfer Magazine named Donald Takayama one of 25 surfers who changed the sport. He has been inducted into the International Surfboard Builder Hall of Fame.
Visitors to the California Surf Museum will observe how one person changed the world around him in so many positive ways. They will see the enduring achievements of a great man.
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A nostalgic mural in downtown Vista, California depicts an annual community parade held in the 1930’s to 1950’s.
One recently restored end of the Vistacado Festival Parade mural, originally painted in 2005 by artist Clayton Parker, decorates the exterior of Barrel & Stave Pour House, near the corner of Main Street and Indiana Avenue.
The parade seems to proceed around the building. There are cool old cars, a marching band, cheerleaders, young baseball players, dignitaries, and even walking avocado mascots!
I smiled when I saw the mural includes an image of Pepper Tree Frosty, which I blogged about yesterday here!
This parade artwork is actually one small part of a much, much longer historical mural that runs 564 feet along Vistacado Lane between North Indiana and Michigan Avenue. The entire stretch of artwork has been recognized as Guinness World Record longest continuous mural!
I glimpsed the very long, somewhat faded artwork down Vistacado Lane during my walk yesterday, and in retrospect I should have photographed all of it. I’ll hopefully remember to do that on my next visit to Vista.
I learned about the longer mural when I read this article. It explains how the original artist, Clayton Parker, restored the portion you see in these photographs back in 2020.
UPDATE!
I later returned to Vista to photograph the entire length of the world record historical mural. You can see those photos here!
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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!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
In Vista, California there’s a Wishing Well that is several generations old. It has gathered pennies in one spot for almost three quarters of a century.
Curious eyes can discover this small Wishing Well across the driveway of Pepper Tree Frosty, right next to their outdoor eating area.
I happened to see it today while waiting for my order of a hamburger at the walk-up window. I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen a wishing well. When’s the last time you’ve seen one?
I learned from Dan, the friendly owner of Pepper Tree Frosty, that the well was created in the 1950’s by the Lions Club.
Pepper Tree Frosty, a popular ice cream and fast food destination at 270 South Santa Fe Avenue, was originally a Tastee-Freez, built in 1953. When acquired by Dan’s family years later, it was renamed for the pepper trees lining the nearby creek.
Dan said that coins dropped into the shallow, ornamental Wishing Well go to the Boys and Girls Clubs, although donations came to a long pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By the way, my hamburger and fries were super good!
(There’s an image of Pepper Tree Frosty in a cool mural in downtown Vista! I’ll be posting those photos soon! As “well” as more interesting stuff I saw today in Vista!)
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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!
The rich culture of our region’s Native American Kumeyaay is honored at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
Near the corner of Juan Street and Taylor Street, the beautiful Iipay ~ Tipai Kumeyaay Mut Niihepok Land of the First People outdoor interpretive area teaches interested visitors a little of the Kumeyaay language. Kumeyaay words for many native animals and plants can be read along the edge of walkways.
During my last visit, I photographed many of the engraved artworks representing wild mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, cacti and trees, and the corresponding Kumeyaay and Spanish words.
If you want to see more of the surrounding area, the Land of the First People opened last year, and soon thereafter I took these photographs.
Incidentally, today there will be a special event held in this corner of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Earth Day will be celebrated! So if you read this in time, and you’re in the area, you might want to come on by!
Milyaapan. Mexican free-tailed bat.Sha-ii. Turkey vulture.Meshalyaap. Monarch butterfly.‘Aahmaa. California quail.‘Ensnyaaw. Coast live oak.‘Aashaa kwilaaw. Northern mockingbird.Hatepull. Nuttall’s woodpecker.Kekhuu. Northern flicker.Hallyewii. Alligator lizard.Iihay halakwal. Salamander.‘Emallk. Big-eared woodrat.Perhaaw. Gray fox.Kwak. Mule deer.Nyemtaay. Mountain lion.E’mull. Shaw’s agave.Ehmaall. Ground squirrel.‘Ewii. Southern Pacific rattlesnake.Waipuk. California kingsnake.Kusii. Jimsonweed.Hattepaa. Coyote.Hampachoka Huumpaashuuk. Anna’s hummingbird.‘Ehpaa. Coast prickly pear.Ashaa hahpaa. Cactus wren.Ku’uun. Red-tailed hawk.Hachehwach. Hooded oriole.Kupally. Blue elderberry.Nyemii. Bobcat.Llyexwiiw. Striped skunk.Para ak hepeshu. Great blue heron.Hantak. Treefrog.Ashaa milshlap. Mallard.
UPDATE!
I took photographs of more words during a later visit…
Hantak sa-ai. California toad.‘Ehnaally. Western pond turtle.Mashhaatiit. Dragonfly.E’pilly. Southern cattail.Meshalyaap heyull. Western tiger swallowtail.Para ak nemeshap. Great egret.Chi ariar tenurr estik. California killifish.‘U’uu. Great horned owl.Nemas. Raccoon.Miskenan. Stink beetle.Kellyemuy. Bumble bee.Hiiwaat. Deergrass.‘Eshpaa ewall nemeshap. Bald eagle.Kilyaahwii. Mourning dove.Tellypuu. Greater roadrunner.Meniish. Scorpion.‘Aanall. Honey mesquite.‘Eshpaa. Golden eagle.Kunyaaw. Black-tailed jackrabbit.Menniih. Tarantula.Muu. Bighorn sheep.
The following are animals that are extinct or no longer found in the area around San Diego…
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!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Curious eyes can make many interesting discoveries during a walk around the Oceanside Civic Center.
The last time I visited the beautiful Civic Center, I happened to notice a sign and a plaque that honor two of Oceanside’s sister cities: Pago Pago, American Samoa, and Fuji, Japan.
It might seem odd that Pago Pago maintains a close relationship with a city in Southern California, but Oceanside boasts one of the largest Samoan populations in the United States. Why? American Samoa has the highest rate of military enlistment of any U.S. state or territory. A large number of Marine Corps recruits are subsequently based at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside’s military neighbor.
Fuji, Japan has one sister city: Oceanside. The relationship was established in 1991. Fuji is located at the foot of tall, scenic Mount Fuji, one of Japan’s Three Holy Mountains.
I’ve learned that Oceanside has two additional sister cities: Ensenada, Mexico and Kisarazu, Japan.
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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!
Last summer a new museum opened at the world-famous Hotel del Coronado.
Located in the hotel’s historic ice house, between the old power plant and laundry building, the Ice House Museum tells the story of the world-famous Victorian beach resort.
Fascinating displays filling several walls pay tribute to those who’ve worked at the Hotel del Coronado over the decades, and the numerous celebrities who’ve visited.
I headed to the museum a couple weekends ago to check it out!
It was an overcast day–not the ideal weather for sunbathing on the nearby beach–so quite a few hotel guests were enjoying this free museum, too!
The grand entrance to the iconic Hotel del Coronado can be viewed north of the Ice House Museum. The late 19th century beach resort is in the Queen Anne architectural style.The old ice house was built for hotel founders Babcock and Story’s Coronado Ice Company. The enterprise provided ice to the entire island. The ice house now contains a fascinating historical museum.Prominent display inside the museum shows timeline of the Hotel del Coronado’s history. Elisha Babcock, Jr. and Hampton L. Story, founders of the Coronado Beach Company and developers of Coronado, built the hotel in 1888. The hotel was purchased by San Diego entrepreneur John D. Spreckels about a year later.One wall features photos of many celebrities who’ve stayed at the famous hotel.Legendary guests are remembered. Names I saw include American presidents Harrison, Taft, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush. Sports and entertainment celebrities include Frank Sinatra, Walt Disney, Carol Burnett, Cary Grant, Milton Berle, John Wayne, Peter O’Toole, Esther Williams, Babe Ruth, Kirk Douglas, Charlie Chaplin, Mickey Rooney, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe…Artifacts recall unique aspects of the hotel’s rich history.The beach near the hotel once featured an ostrich farm! A year before the Hotel del Coronado opened, fourteen ostriches were on permanent exhibition near Tenth and D Streets. In 1905, the greatly expanded ostrich farm moved to Mission Cliffs.Six copies of this Orientalist style painting, titled On the March, by Germain artist Adolf Schreyer, were ordered in 1905 to decorate the elegant hotel’s walls.Commemorative dinnerware. Bone china with a gold-embossed rim made for the Hotel del Coronado’s centennial celebration in 1988.Some of the faces of dedicated hotel employees over the decades. Heart of the House. People who deliver the Del experience.Just south of the Ice House Museum is the Hotel del Coronado Laundry building.One walking path, leading back to the Hotel del Coronado’s main entrance, passes near the old power plant, with its prominent smokestack.
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