Half a dozen lowriders exhibited at the San Diego Automotive Museum have begun their departure. The exhibition was called Low and Slow: A Celebration of Lowriders. But now room on the museum’s floor is being made for fast, shiny Ferraris!
The new exhibit, opening on August 30th, 2025, will concern the evolution of Ferraris–from street to track. I learned sports cars to be displayed include a Ferrari 360, 550, 430, 308 and more!
I love how the San Diego Automotive Museum frequently changes vehicles in their 17,000 square foot exhibit space. Every time I visit, I find something new!
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Residents of La Mesa and history buffs who live in and around San Diego should experience the McKinney House Museum, headquarters of the La Mesa History Center.
Last weekend I paid a visit.
The historical museum occupies a modest house that was built by Henry Albert McKinney in 1908. He was a Methodist minister, librarian and operator of a furniture store.
The McKinney family lived on two floors that appeared much as they do today. The McKinney House Museum’s seven rooms have been furnished to reflect the period between 1908 and 1920, and many of the objects visitors encounter were actually owned by the family.
The kitchen, dining room, living room, a room used by boarders, and the upstairs bedrooms are all open to the public. Numerous signs provide information concerning the history of the place.
In 1975 the house was acquired by the La Mesa Historical Society. The year 2025 is the all-volunteer organization’s 50th anniversary!
My photographs provide just a hint of what you might see. You’ll have to imagine how the house once stood in a larger lot full of lemon trees, and had a vegetable garden, rabbits and chickens.
The free McKinney House Museum, at 8369 University Avenue, is typically open on Saturdays, from 1 pm to 4 pm. School and group tours can be arranged. Here’s the website.
When I arrived on Saturday afternoon the museum appeared to be closed, but I found several friendly individuals in a small building in a corner of the property, where the La Mesa History Center archives are kept. The McKinney House was graciously opened for me and the lights turned on.
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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.
The California Box Thorn might appear scraggly and unremarkable, but it helps protect the bluffs of beautiful Sunset Cliffs from erosion.
Several of these plants are protected at the north end of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park in Point Loma. A nearby sign explains how the California Box Thorn (Lycium californicum) is native to the coasts and islands of Southern California.
If the shrub looks dead, it probably isn’t. It’s simply dry. After a rain, the tiny leaves turn green and you might notice white bell-shaped flowers and red berries. Birds love the berries!
It’s summer. The protected plants that I photographed are green and obviously watered.
If you’d like to become one of the Friends of Sunset Cliffs, check out my final photograph of information in the nearby kiosk. You’ll see an email address.
And yes, Sunset Cliffs with its rugged sandstone bluffs is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in San Diego!
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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.
Is it possible that more hidden treasure will be found in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park?
The adobe walls of a room inside the Casa de Machado y Silvas are undergoing restoration. Do these walls contain additional secrets?
During a past restoration of the same Machado y Silvas building, an incredible treasure was found. Important historical papers concerning early San Diego resident Allen Light were found inside the adobe walls!
As I explained in a past blog post: Historical documents discovered by archeologists hidden in the Casa de Machado y Silvas shed light on the life of San Diego resident Allen B. Light. He was also know as the “Black Steward.” Allen arrived in California during the 1830s, aboard the sailing ship Pilgrim, the same vessel that brought Richard Henry Dana Jr. who would later write Two Years Before the Mast.
One document was “a sailor’s protection,” which proclaimed Light was a “coloured man, a free man, and a citizen of the United States of America.” The second document was his commission from the Mexican Governor of Alta California to investigate illegal sea otter hunting along the coast.
If you’re curious what might be found during the present restoration, you can follow Old Town San Diego State Historic Park’s Facebook page here or their Instagram here.
Will a stash of coins be found? A skeleton? More valuable documents? Nothing at all? You can submit your best guess 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.
Old No. 3, the 1923 steam locomotive on display outside the La Mesa Depot, is to be restored. I learned that yesterday from Timothy, who is Station Master at the historic old train depot in La Mesa.
No. 3 originally was purchased to haul lime rock on the Mojave Northern Railroad from a quarry near Victorville, California. In 1966 it was retired and donated to the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association in Campo, then made its way to the La Mesa Depot Museum in 1981. Unfortunately, in its outdoor setting, exposed to the weather, the century-old locomotive now needs a little loving care.
Old wood needs to be replaced. Rust has eaten holes in steel. Missing instrumentation in the locomotive’s cab needs to be replaced.
Timothy, after showing me how the steam locomotive operates, told me that La Mesa’s old No. 3 shouldn’t appear like a thing in a junkyard, so its restoration is on the way.
Once the work begins, hopefully I’ll be able to swing by and record another bit of history!
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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.
Look what has arrived at the old La Mesa Depot. A super cool model train layout!
During my last visit to the La Mesa Depot several years ago, Station Master Timothy was building a new layout in the historic depot’s baggage room. It has been replaced by a detailed, fully functioning HO scale layout with small town charm and mountain scenery!
Will kids love it?
Yes!
The La Mesa Depot, which can’t be missed at the corner of Spring Street and La Mesa Boulevard, is free to the public. Its doors open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, and on Saturdays from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
There’s plenty to explore inside the depot, including an old telegraph, ticket window and the passenger waiting room. Outside, visitors can walk around the depot’s steam locomotive, refrigerator (reefer) car and caboose at any time.
Many years ago I walked around the La Mesa Depot and took photographs. Apart from the cool new model train layout, it appears little has changed. You can see my past photos of the depot 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.
A major project to modernize and beautify Lemon Grove’s Parsonage Museum was recently completed. The home of the Lemon Grove Historical Society has a brand new paint job! And new interior lighting!
You might recall how the exterior of the historic structure used to be almost entirely the same yellow. The new paint job tastefully adds a bit of texture and Victorian personality, with the addition of different yellows (including one that seemed to me slightly lime green), and small green highlights. (Appropriately for historically agricultural Lemon Grove, the colors of citrus fruit!) You can see for yourself in my photographs, which were taken today.
LED lighting has also been installed in the ceiling of both floors of the museum, providing much more light (particularly upstairs) with, importantly, no damaging ultraviolet output.
If you’ve never visited the Parsonage Museum, you really should. The old house’s history in Lemon Grove (it began in 1897 as the community’s first church) is on display, as well as exhibits concerning notable people, places and events in Lemon Grove.
Soon, I was told, a new exhibit will be installed concerning the 2012 Lemon Grove Little League Senior Division’s amazing run all the way to the Senior League World Series, where they won the West Region Tournament!
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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.
If you’ve driven into downtown Escondido from Interstate 15, there’s a chance you’ve spotted these two fun sculptures on West Grand Avenue.
The first, a red, white and blue rooster, stands at the end of Hawthorne Country Store’s lot.
The second sculpture is located a very short distance away, in front of Raining Cats & Dogs. This one is covered with colorful mosaics depicting sea life.
I can’t tell you a thing about either sculpture–apart from the fact I love them.
Know anything? Leave a comment!
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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.
A fantastic new mural was painted recently in the City of Vista behind Shaks Mediterranean Bistro. I happened to come upon it a few days ago.
The long wall behind the restaurant is like an illustrated story, peopled with birds. The birds are migrating, building, cooking, celebrating. The mural, according to the Shaks Instagram, is a tribute to our roots, our recipes, and the generations that came before us.
The mural’s joyful design is by @48savvysailors and the installation was completed by @clayton.sign.painting.
As you can see from my photographs, this long mural is another great addition to the many works of public art sprinkled throughout downtown Vista!
The happy story unfolds moving left to right:
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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.
Check out more fun artwork in San Diego’s North County!
I enjoyed a long walk in downtown Vista a couple days ago and found works of art I hadn’t seen previously. That’s probably because it has been a couple years since I’d wandered around these streets.
Downtown Vista absolutely overflows with amazing sculptures and murals. One cool thing is, from time to time new works of public art appear. (I’ve noticed the sculptures can be purchased by contacting the City of Vista.)
Okay, so what did I find?
The first photos are of a sculpture titled Sky Flowers, by artist Norberto Estrada. This colorful bouquet can be found near the intersection of Vista Village Drive and Main Street.
Not far from this sculpture is another titled Chasing Fish, by artist Noe Estrada. It’s near the corner of Main Street and South Citrus Avenue.
Check out Whale of a Tale, by artist Sergey Gornushkin! The whale is flukes up and preparing to dive at the corner of South Indiana Avenue and East Broadway.
I love this banner on South Santa Fe Avenue. Not sure how long it’s been up. It’s by Jack Green, Vista Innovation & Design Academy!
Finally, I noticed an electrical box at the corner of Santa Fe Avenue and Vista Village Drive has been redecorated in a tribute to NASA and Vista, California, Earth…
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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.
Cool San Diego Sights! 