The California Welcome Center in Oceanside is the perfect place to find useful information concerning local attractions and hospitality. It’s also just a fun place to visit!
One reason I enjoyed dropping in yesterday was this cool little exhibit celebrating Tony Hawk, legendary trailblazing skateboarder who grew up in San Diego and continues to reside in Encinitas, just south of Oceanside.
The exhibit includes a short biography of Tony Hawk that lists many of his accomplishments in skateboarding, entertainment, and as an entrepreneur. There’s also a detailed display concerning the Evolution of the Skateboard, from ridiculously primitive 2x4s to present-day sporting equipment made of more advanced, more flexible materials.
I remember how my first skateboard was made of wood and had clay wheels. (It resembled the second skateboard from the bottom in the above photo. Yes, I’m that old.) Skating down our driveway, when I inevitably ran into a pebble or twig, I’d come to an abrupt stop and go flying! Ouch!
Skateboards today are not only designed for maximum performance, but they can be incredible works of art. A far cry from those bygone days of rolling lumber!
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The Nature Center is located at the south end of Oceanside, at 2202 South Coast Highway next to Buena Vista Lagoon Ecological Reserve. The building is open daily, from 10 am to 1 pm.
From across the driveway, a short but beautiful trail loops through part of the lagoon. This nature hike is an easy way to see birds and other wildlife that thrive in the wetland. You can enjoy photographs from two of my past hikes here and here.
Inside the Nature Center, visitors learn all about the life of the lagoon. There are lots of great educational displays.
I was most amazed how dozens of examples of native wildlife have been preserved via taxidermy. A super friendly volunteer working the front desk explained that over the years, dead animals that were found were transformed into these educational displays by one individual who loves taxidermy.
The Nature Center also features a meeting and activity room, fascinating rocks and minerals, a microscope through which insects and tiny lagoon organisms can be studied, a long table full of bones and assorted specimens that can be handled, and an upstairs observation balcony. There are works of art and a cool little gift shop that supports the local Audubon Society, too!
If you’re ever in South Oceanside when the center is open, step inside! If the Nature Center is closed, take an easy walk along the hiking trail!
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Another perfect sunny day in Encinitas. The beautiful views from Swami’s Park overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Swami’s Surf Beach brought out my camera.
It was the middle of the day mid-week in late summer. I didn’t see too many surfers out at the world-famous point break.
Look at the gorgeous blue and green colors of the water!
No, I didn’t walk down to the beach this time.
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Pirates will take San Diego’s waterfront this Labor Day weekend . . . and on September 19–20, 2026, too!
The scurvy friends of Captain Jack might be spotted among other pirates on the Embarcadero, in the vicinity of the Maritime Museum of San Diego!
Pirates Take the Waterfront will be a fun activity for families. Anyone who dresses like a pirate will get a huge discount on museum admission!
Captain Jack will be roaming among the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s historic ships in case you’d like a photo with the legendary rascal. On the second event weekend, there will be a Rum Bar, too!
I wouldn’t be surprised to hear a bit of yo-ho-hoing!
Tlaxcala, the smallest state in Mexico, located in east-central Mexico, is known in part for its agriculture. So it’s no surprise that much of Tlaxcala’s traditional art and crafts originate as seeds.
Visitors to Balboa Park’s International Cottages can see this in a newly installed exhibit. The House of Mexico’s cottage is now filled with beautiful objects that promote Tlaxcala!
I stopped by today and was wowed by the art and crafts on display!
Should you step into the cottage when it’s open on weekends, you’ll see small mosaic murals made of different colored seeds. You’ll see necklaces made of dried corn. You’ll see beautiful crafts made of plant fibers.
Here’s a fun fact! Did you know that Tlaxcala’s name comes from the native Nahuatl word tlaxcalli, which means tortillas? At least 12 heirloom varieties of corn are grown in Tlaxcala.
The Mexican state is also famous for its traditional wool and cotton weaving.
What else did I learn? There’s a Tlaxcala Firefly Sanctuary. During peak Summer, millions of endemic fireflies turn the mountain woods into a glowing fairytale-like nighttime spectacle!
In forever amazing Balboa Park, there’s always something new and interesting to learn!
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Instant and Eternal (Sun with passing aircraft), by photographer Zhang Yanguang. Huli District, Xiamen, Fujian, China, 4 January 2025.
In the basement of the Fleet Science Center, a place few visitors go, there’s an incredible exhibition of astrophotography titled ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
Astronomy Photographer of the Year is a global competition that, in 2025, received almost 6000 entries from 68 countries. The Fleet’s exhibition includes all of the prizewinning photographs. There are photos of starry skies over Earthly landscapes and photos of celestial objects very distant from our tiny planet.
I’ve always loved astronomy and cosmology. Looking up at the night sky gives one a feeling of overwhelming wonder. The beauty, the complexity, the sheer enormity of this universe can hardly be grasped with our very limited eyes.
These photos convey that same wonder. A few examples…
Veil of Stars (NGC 6960 Veil Nebula), by photographer Zixiong Jin. Marathon Sky Park, Brewster County, Texas, USA, 28 November 2024.The Moon With Saturn, by photographer Shamiqh Gajdhar, aged 13. Jeddah, Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia, 14 October 2024.Electric Threads of the Lightning Spaghetti Nebula, by photographer Shaoyu Zhang. Deep Sky Chile Observatory, Camino del Observatorio, Rio Hurtado, Chile and Xiangcheng, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China 21, 24-25 December 2024, 3-5, 15-15, 19-31 January, 1-6 and 10-19 February 2025.The Ridge, by photographer Tom Rae. Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, Mackenzie District, New Zealand, 8 April 2024.
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At the southeast edge of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park stands a building with a very interesting history. Beginning in 1908 as St. Joseph’s Rectory in downtown San Diego, it was moved to Old Town in 1940 where it became Old Town Convent.
Today, Historic Tours of America (Old Town Trolley Tours) operates a gift shop inside. The building contains one part of their Old Town Market, along with the adjacent Casa De Aguirre and Carriage House. The second floor is home to a Visitor Center operated by the Old Town Chamber of Commerce.
This website explains: Originally built as the Saint Joseph’s rectory at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Beech Street in downtown, the building was moved through the streets to Old Town San Diego in 1940. Once in Old Town San Diego, the building was a seminary, convent, community center, and, during World War II, it was a USO. The building was restored in 2003 by Historic Tours of America and is registered as San Diego Historical Site Number 323.
The photos I’ve included were taken at various times over recent years.
Visitors who walk through the front entrance will discover a display that tells The Story of The Old Town Convent, in the words of Sister Catherine Louise LaCoste in the early 1980s…
…a three-story edifice known today as the Convent of the Community of the Holy Spirit… The Convent soon became the permanent quarters for the first diocesan junior seminary, called St. Francis, when eight young men moved in on November 3, 1941… Plaster soon covered the wooden structure…
…During World War II, in 1942, a group of soldiers was quartered in the basement. They prepared meals for the anti-aircraft and searchlight batteries located in the area…
…the Religious of the Sacred Heart came to San Diego to open a College for Women, now known as the University of San Diego. The sisters were given the building to use as a rent-free convent that they called St. Madeleine Sophie Barat…
In front of the building is a sign that shows a timeline of Old Town’s history. It includes this:
Curious visitors might spy this interesting plaque on one wall, too…
This exhibit exposes the original redwood clapboard siding of the Convent when it was St. Joseph’s Rectory, built in 1908. The Craftsman-style structure also featured wood shingle siding on the upper stories. When the three-story building was moved to this site in 1940 it was surfaced with stucco and painted to match the exterior of the Immaculate Conception Church across the street.
One other plaque I’ve found…
Old Town Convent Preservation
The restoration and preservation of the Old Town Convent was made possible largely due to the efforts of Carmen and Joe Toigo, Old Town residents, who by their tireless actions and advocacy saved this building from destruction.
May 2003 Historic Tours of America, Inc.
The adjacent Casa de Aguirre, with its own unique history, contains a small, little-known museum that might interest you. You can find a blog post I published about it by clicking here.
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The San Diego History Center in Balboa Park is where visitors can now experience a very special exhibition. The incredibly rich and diverse history of our city is recalled on the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.
America at 250: San Diego 1776 – 2026 features a wide range of historical artifacts, from San Diego’s earliest days to the present.
Even as a long-time resident, it’s still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that San Diego was once part of Spain, half a world away. California’s first Spanish mission was established here in 1769, seven years before the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence.
For thousands of years, before the arrival of Europeans in the 18th century, the San Diego region was home to the native Kumeyaay people. It was a wild, mostly unmapped place distant from “civilization” and relatively unknown to the rest of the world. How times have changed!
Here are a few of the artifacts on display. My captions include some of the information presented for each object…
George Marston’s armario, dated from the 17th century. The antique wardrobe, from Burgos, Spain features a santos statue and is reminiscent of Spain’s religious life. George Marston, often called San Diego’s First Citizen, was a founder of Balboa Park.El Jupiter, a Spanish Presidio cannon. Cast in Manila in 1783. After the Mexican-American War, where it was reportedly used, it was placed in Old Town as a monument. The cannon would be accidently blown up by people celebrating a wedding.Chief Iodine’s jacket. A Native American born on a New York Iroquois Reservation, he explored much of the West with John C. Fremont and enlisted in the Mexican-American War as an army scout. He participated in the capture of San Diego.The Machado Quilt, circa 1850. One of the oldest known quilts in San Diego history. It was created by Doña Juana de Dios Machado Alipas Wrightington.Old Town survey map, 1854. Shows what is now Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Many of the buildings on this survey are now gone.Washington hand printing press, circa 1880s. The San Diego Union used the Washington press, printing its first edition with it in 1868.Concord 12-passenger stagecoach. This stagecoach, numbered 158, began to be used for passenger travel in 1886 between San Diego City to Julian, El Cajon, Lakeside, and the Stonewall Mines.Guest register for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. The huge book was created in 1911.Model T touring car, circa 1921. This car was owned by prominent San Diegan philanthropist and athlete Florence Chambers Newkirk, who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics.Mission Beach changing room, 1925. It was first built for the Mission Beach Plunge in Belmont Park.Civil Service helmet, circa 1940s. Used by an Air Raid Warden belonging to the Civil Defense Force during World War II.Model of tuna clipper Triunfo, circa 1940. Created by Joao G. Rebelo, a crew member.Model of San Diego Stadium, 1960s. This model was built by Gary Allen as an initial rendering for the public.Republican National Convention doll, 1996. A novelty doll with the interchangeable heads of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. San Diego was host to the national convention.
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In my previous blog post, I shared photos of a colorful fair mural at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. It decorates one side of the long tunnel under the horse racing track. The tunnel connects the Grandstand with the infield.
Now I’ll share photographs of the mural that decorates the tunnel’s opposite side. Also painted by artist Tom Fagan, it depicts the history of horse racing at the racetrack!
The Del Mar Racetrack was added to the fairgrounds in 1936 by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Founding member Bing Crosby led the effort. You know, he who famously sings “Where the turf meets the surf down at old Del Mar. Take a plane, take a train, take a car. There is a smile on every face and a winner in each race…”
Back in the day, Hollywood movie stars and celebrities would flock to the races, including frequent visitor and avid horseplayer Jimmy Durante. The mural shows some of that.
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