Tag: state parks

Día de los Muertos student art in Old Town!

In time for Día de los Muertos, visitors to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park can now enjoy an extensive student art exhibit titled Remembrance & Resilience.

Students from schools throughout the San Diego Unified School District have created artworks based on Día de los Muertos imagery. The divided exhibit is located in two different Old Town buildings: the recently vacant Captain Fitch Store and the historic U.S. House.

If you find yourself walking through the State Park, look for the signs. The exhibit will continue through November 2, 2026.

My first few photos come from inside the spacious old Captain Fitch Store. Dozens of displays were created by kids of all ages, from elementary school to high school. They honor memory, identity and tradition.

The next few photos are from the U.S. House. Students from Crawford High School, Logan Memorial, Zamorano Elementary, and Lincoln High School partnered with Sew Loka to create wearable art using reclaimed fabric.

In one room, art glows in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet light!

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More hidden treasure in Old Town San Diego?

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As I explained in a past blog post: Historical documents discovered by archeologists hidden in the Casa de Machado y Silvas shed light on the life of San Diego resident Allen B. Light.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.

Feel free to share!

Old-fashioned 4th of July in Old Town San Diego!

What would Independence Day be without an old-fashioned 4th of July in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park!

The big celebration of our nation’s birth (249 years ago) would attract hundreds of visitors, including many families. A little after 11 o’clock in the morning, the American flag was raised by Scouts on the central plaza’s flagpole and the event kicked off!

There would be live old-fashioned American music on the stage, Victorian era lawn games like sack racing and tug-o’-war, and booths where kids could make 19th century scrap books or create telegraph Morse code bracelets or pioneer dolls.

A watermelon eating contest would take place later, as well as the annual quilt raffle!

I arrived before the event would begin, checked out the Boosters of Old Town table, walked around the California State Park for a bit, observed the flag raising, then hung around for a while watching the fun!

The Boosters of Old Town San Diego had lots of great stuff for purchase at their red, white and blue table!

And a free smile!

At Threads of the Past, I learned about the quilts that are made here and raffled to raise funds every year. They are modeled after historic Sanitary Commission quilts from the Civil War.

If you ever see the following label on an old quilt, buy it immediately! They are extremely rare.

Now I’m just walking around…

Heading over to check out the blacksmith shop…

Many Old Town blacksmiths were busy on the Fourth of July!

This friendly gentlemen allows kids to pound away on clay, shaping it as if it were red hot iron.

Almost 11 o’clock. The assembled Scout color guard is ready in the doorway of the Casa de Estudillo.

Here we go…

Now to raise the flag of the United States of America on Independence Day…

A welcome speech was followed by nostalgic old-time music performed by Billy Lee and The Swamp Critters, plus lots of family fun, crafts and games!

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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.

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Win a community quilt in Old Town San Diego!

Would you like to win a beautiful handmade quilt? You have that chance if you enter the raffle at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park!

A colorful community quilt was made with the help of volunteers, visitors, and California State Park staff, who sewed together a checkerboard of different patches, including many that are hand illustrated. The quilt will be raffled on the Fourth of July. (A variety of fun outdoor activities will be enjoyed by park visitors on Independence Day, too!)

You can view the quilt inside the park’s Robinson-Rose House Visitor Center, which is where you purchase the raffle tickets. One dollar buys a single ticket; five dollars gets you six tickets.

It appeared to me today that people have a decent chance to win this amazing quilt. The small glass jar containing tickets was perhaps a quarter full.

The cool thing is proceeds from the raffle will help fund the activities of the volunteers at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park!

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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.

Feel free to share!

Old-fashioned games in Old Town San Diego!

An old-fashioned Sack Race at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.

Visitors to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park were have tons of fun today!

To celebrate California State Parks Week, outdoor games that were popular in the 1800s were being enjoyed in the park’s historic plaza!

Tug of War, Hoop and Stick, Graces, Sack, Egg and Wheelbarrow Races–park visitors were invited to take part in these fun old-fashioned pastimes!

I hung around for a few minutes and watched the action! Participants who won each game or took second place were awarded ribbons!

Who will win this game of Tug of War?
The game of Graces involves launching and catching a small wooden hoop with two wands.
Hoop and Stick is a fun way to pass the time. In 19th century San Diego, there were no television shows or video games.
During an Egg Race, one must balance an egg on a spoon, while hurrying along toward the finish line!

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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.

Feel free to share!

Island of Misfit Toys appears on Silver Strand!

The Island of Misfit Toys has magically appeared at Silver Strand State Beach!

The sandy “island,” where beach toys await boys and girls, is open to all comers near the State Beach’s lifeguard building!

The delightful toy chest you see in my photos was built about a month ago by Silver Strand State Beach maintenance personnel. It was painted beautifully with local and related natural scenes by talented artist Victoria.

The open chest is is full of lost toys that have been found on the beach, like shovels and pails used to build sandcastles. Families visiting the beach can borrow the toys which might otherwise have been discarded.

A wonderful idea!

By the way, everyone I spoke with at Silver Strand State Beach today was super friendly! You all are awesome!

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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.

Feel free to share!

Spring color at historic Casa de Estudillo!

The arrival of Spring has brought even more color to the Casa de Estudillo. I visited the restored adobe today in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. The trees and grass are green with our recent rains, and many flowers are blooming!

I was told that back in the 19th century, when generations of Estudillos lived in the adobe, the central “courtyard” would have appeared quite different. It would have been entirely packed dirt, with no decorative fountain. There would have been a few fruit trees, vegetables and herbs, and chickens running about.

In 1906, John D. Spreckels acquired the remarkable old Mexican casa and turned it into a tourist attraction, calling it the marriage place of popular fictional character Ramona. The courtyard was planted with greenery and flowers.

It retains a garden appearance today.

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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.

Feel free to share!

Antonio Garra Day returns to Old Town.

Antonio Garra Day is returning to Old Town San Diego tomorrow, Saturday, March 22, 2025.

Presented by the Pala Band of Mission Indians, the event will be held from 12 pm to 4 pm in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, at the First San Diego Courthouse Museum.

I attended the event back in 2020 (see the next photo) and learned Antonio Garra was a leader of the Cupeño people in Southern California who sought to organize tribes of our region to resist unfair taxation. Even though Native Americans were not citizens of the United States, a tax was levied upon their animals, property and agriculture. This taxation without representation was considered by many fair-minded people to be illegal and unjust. Read more about it here.

You can see my photos from Antonio Garra Day five years ago by clicking here.

This year, as before, Antonio Garra Day will feature traditional Bird Songs, inspirational speeches and cultural exhibits. Everyone is welcome to drop by and learn an important aspect of our region’s 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.

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Old Town’s last donkey passes away.

Very sad news.

I learned today that Dulce, the last donkey at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, died yesterday. Her companion, Don, passed away earlier this year. The corral next to Seeley Stable is now empty.

Dulce was in her mid to late 30s–she lived a long life and was well loved. She was a rescue donkey, saved from a cull.

Over the years, I’ve enjoyed visiting Dulce and talking to park rangers watching over her. Dulce was saddened by Don’s death, but had seemingly recovered, eating well and enjoying her role in short easy parades around the State Park’s plaza during occasional special events.

Yesterday she lay down and didn’t get up. A wonderful chapter in Old Town has come to a close.

Countless students, families and children met Don and Dulce over the years. I know that I’ll remember both donkeys fondly. I spoke to a couple of California State Park folks, and it sounds unlikely that new donkeys or other animals will replace Don and Dulce.

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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.

Thank you for sharing!

How the Old Town blacksmiths make a leaf.

Those working inside Old Town San Diego State Historic Park’s blacksmith shop forge all sort of interesting objects: nails, knives, different decorative objects… The other day I and several other visitors learned how leaves like the ones you see above are made!

Old Town’s friendly blacksmiths are always happy to provide demonstrations of what they do. Hopefully my understanding and simplistic description is fairly accurate…

When heated iron turns orange yellow, the perfect temperature is achieved. The metal you are working becomes plastic and shapeable. Too hot, and you will “burn” the metal, making it useless for the purposes of forging.

The following photograph shows the progression of a new leaf.

You begin with the rod-like piece that you see on the right. Next, to its left, you can see how a mass was produced by the smith’s hammer at one end of the iron piece. Next, sharp edges are rounded and the mass is flattened and formed until it assumes the shape of a leaf.

Leaf veins are produced with a chisel-like instrument with a straight edge (see my first photo). A stroke or two with the blacksmith’s hammer and voila!

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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 X.