Sunlight reflects from an interesting sculptural facade in downtown San Diego.
Some unique artwork has recently appeared on San Diego’s Embarcadero. An eye-catching sculptural facade is part of the new two-hotels-in-one-building project that was recently completed at the site once occupied by historic Lane Field.
Marriott’s dual Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites San Diego Downtown/Bayfront has been open for about two weeks. A couple days ago, I walked right up to the lobby entrance to snap several pics…
A unique building now stands at the location of old Lane Field, home of the minor league baseball Padres over half a century ago. It contains two new Marriott Hotels: Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites.Shining sculptural facade on parking garage levels of recently completed Marriott two-hotels-in-one building. This unique sight can be found on San Diego’s waterfront at the site of old Lane Field.Closer photo of the uniquely undulating artwork, which conceals parking garage levels.I learned these thin, curving layers are made of aluminum.Marriott’s new SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn on San Diego’s Embarcadero reflects warm light shortly before sunset.
UPDATE!
I received a comment from the artist! In it he writes:
“My name is David Franklin and I am the artist that created the rippling facade for the new building. Its called “California Rain” and is the product of the percent for art in the Port of San Diego public art program…”
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk!
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Two rugged mountain men, one with a fiddle, hang out behind Seeley Stable in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
Here are some cool photos of what life was like back in the Old West. I snapped these last weekend behind Seeley Stable at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Some mountain men, a gunsmith and blacksmith were showing visitors a few aspects of frontier life long ago.
Beyond this gate just off La Plaza de Las Armas is the yard behind Seeley Stable. Here you’ll find outdoor exhibits, including old wagons and a blacksmith and woodshop.A gunsmith who assembles his own old-fashioned rifles and firearms shows a visitor some examples in San Diego’s historic Old Town.This antique flintlock pistol would have been used in past centuries for personal protection at close range.A friendly mountain man had a table full of skins, knives and other objects associated with frontier life in the Old West.A demonstration of how trappers in the Old West would set a beaver trap by a river and anchor it to a strong stick in the mud.This rusty tool with a long handle is a tyre shrinker. It was used for routine maintenance in the olden days–reducing the diameter of the iron tyres found on wooden wagon, cart and buggy wheels.Someone reads a sign near a tyre bender. This device was used to send long, flat bars of iron or steel into a smooth circle that would become an iron tyre.An old covered wagon on display behind Seeley Stable. They were typically sturdy farm wagons with a canvas top. Covered wagons were used on trail drives and cross-country treks.Photo inside the well-equipped blacksmith shop. It’s located behind Seeley Stable in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.Some park visitors look into the small blacksmith building.A blacksmith removes red hot iron from the fire. He was demonstrating how to make hinges today!
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Many canoes and kayaks were passing under the Ingraham Street Bridge between South Cove and Perez Cove, not far from SeaWorld.
My long walk yesterday around Mission Bay yielded lots of photos. I started at Vacation Isle, then headed slowly and somewhat aimlessly to the jetty at the end of Hospitality Point. It was a journey through a tranquil San Diego paradise, on a warm winter day.
My photos feature relatively few people. But I can assure you thousands of folks were out enjoying the sunshine. They were fishing, boating, picnicking, reading, walking, playing sports on the grass… Mission Bay is a really big place.
Radio control model sailboats cross the Model Boat Pond on Vacation Isle.These fire pits just north of Dana Landing have wood stacked ready for Saturday night.A casual seat on the dirt with great views.A heron on rocks, and reflections of boats at Dana Landing.Gazing from the West Mission Bay Drive Bridge down descending stairs toward Sunset Point.People return from an excursion out on the Pacific Ocean. The dock at Seaforth Sportfishing is always busy.Visitors walk through Marina Village on Mission Bay.A map by Quivira Basin shows areas off the coast that are protected. Conserving California’s Coastal Treasure.Kicking back with a best friend among boats on the blue water. In the distance you can see the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina.Colorful kayaks await at Aqua Adventures.This tropical party shack seems long abandoned. It stands near an entrance to Mission Bay Marina.A dirt nature trail along the channel that connects the ocean and Mission Bay.Rare and Remarkable. This area displays Coastal sand dune vegetation. The native Beach lotus is endangered.Walking along the jetty west of Hospitality Point. This narrow strip of land separates the San Diego River, to the left, from the man-made channel into Mission Bay. One can see a sliver of Ocean Beach, on the left, and Mission Beach, on the right.A fisherman on land, and two on the water. Across the Entrance Channel lies very popular South Mission Beach.Bicycling along. Heading toward the end of the long jetty. It’s a beautiful day. One can see forever.
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I wrote another short story! I penned it yesterday, during my walk along the bay.
It’s a bittersweet, philosophical, tiny piece of fiction. The sort of thing I like to write. There’s some sadness in the sunshine. The title is Light on the Restless and Small.
Outrigger canoes, ready to be pushed out into the deeper water of Mission Bay, San Diego’s recreational paradise.
Today I went for another relaxing walk around beautiful Mission Bay. I was fortunate enough to watch San Diego’s Kai Elua Outrigger Canoe Club launch four boats from the beach. They have opened up a few recent Saturday practice sessions for anybody who might be interested in learning the sport of outrigger canoe racing.
The good-sized group paddled out into Mission Bay this morning just after nine o’clock, near Vacation Isle’s North Cove Public Beach.
Here are a few fun pics. I’ve got more photos coming from today’s long walk!
Looking across a small section of Mission Bay, toward the Ingraham Street bridge, which connects Vacation Isle to Pacific Beach.Members and guests of San Diego’s Kai Elua Outrigger Canoe Club carry a large boat across the beach toward the blue water of Mission Bay.Vacationers watched from the public beach and the nearby cottages of Paradise Point Resort, as the outrigger canoes were carried to the water.Some people enjoying stand up paddleboarding on Mission Bay also viewed the fascinating launch.The four outrigger canoes are soon manned and afloat. They head out for a day of racing practice.Flip-flops left in the sand near two beached outrigger canoes.
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I’ve started a new photo blog! It’s called Beautiful Balboa Park! My first post concerns a beautiful but scraggly cactus garden that very few visitors see.
As you might know, I live in downtown San Diego very close to Balboa Park, so this new blog should be fairly active. I hope you enjoy it!
Here are a few of the photos:
Please follow my new blog by clicking the link below to see much, much more!
People walk along narrow outdoor deck of Anthony’s Fishette, a popular casual dining spot for half a century in downtown San Diego.
Their 50 year lease is almost up. Anthony’s Fish Grotto on San Diego’s Embarcadero will soon be no more. They are to be replaced in 2017 by the Brigantine seafood restaurant. A golden era that produced many wonderful, irreplaceable memories is coming to a close.
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve lingered in ecstasy at Anthony’s outdoor Fishette, which is adjacent to the more formal indoor restaurant. Except when I was a child, I’ve never eaten in the restaurant. But outside, on the deck, inhaling the ocean breeze, listening to the cries of circling seagulls, squinting into the sun and feeling its warmth on my face–I’ve devoured acres of tasty french fries and oceans of fish.
Millions of people around the planet have golden memories of the place. This is my small photographic tribute to Anthony’s outdoor Fishette. I stopped by for a delicious grilled tuna melt sandwich late yesterday afternoon.
Over the years, many of the people who have worked at Anthony’s Fishette gave me a friendly smile or hello. To them, I say thank you.
You have until January 31, 2017 to enjoy this true San Diego tradition and treasure, and to say thank you.
Front of Anthony’s Fish Grotto as seen from Harbor Drive. In early 2017, this iconic San Diego restaurant will be demolished.Smiles are typical at Anthony’s Fishette. So is sunny outdoor pleasure and yummy seafood.A photo through glass of the small boat dock and blue San Diego Bay as a glowing sunset nears.A reflection in window of Anthony’s Fish Grotto of the setting sun. A golden era is coming to a close on San Diego’s waterfront.Possibly the best outdoor seating in all of San Diego. Just above the lapping water, with a sweeping, wonderful view.Passing by Anthony’s Fishette one fine January day. I’ve walked past perhaps a thousand times.Countless millions of fond memories have been made here.
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A variety of dried food hangs from the ceiling. The kitchen of the Commercial Restaurant museum in Old Town is a place where visitors are transported back in time.
There are dozens of cool things to see in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. I’ve barely scratched the surface so far with my blog.
For example, there’s a small free museum right next to the central Plaza de Las Armas called Commercial Restaurant. A rather dull name, but a very interesting place jam-packed with history!
The small recreated restaurant shows what life was like in the mid 1800s, back when San Diego was downright tiny. The Commercial Restaurant is comprised of two rooms: one contains the dining area, the other, the kitchen. Originally called the Casa de Machado y Silvas, the house was built by José Manuel Machado and given as a wedding gift to his daughter María Antonia, and her husband, José Antonio Nicasio Silvas. The simple adobe building was converted into a modest restaurant by its owners in the early 1850s. Today it stands as one of the five historic adobes in Old Town San Diego.
I’ve provided a bit more info in the photo captions!
Photo shows the Commercial Restaurant museum, which is free and open to the public in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.La Casa de Machado y Silvas in Old Town San Diego was turned into Commercial Restaurant, then later renamed Antonia Restaurant.Bienvenidos. Come inside. See the recreated Commercial Restaurant. Established in 1854 within the Casa de Machado y Silvas, a home built in 1843. Museum open 10-5.The dining area of the Commercial Restaurant. This is was what it was like to eat in style in the mid 1800s. Many exhibits along the walls recall the history of old San Diego.Art on one wall depicts the grinding of corn. Other nearby maps and graphics show how food is related to our city’s history.
In the mid 1800’s, when New England travelers arrived by ship to Old Town, they sought out a dining establishment serving meals like they would find at home, including stews, soups, crackers, bread and cow’s milk. Over the years, exposure to native Kumeyaay cooking influenced the European diet and became integrated into the region’s cuisine.
As a captive labor force under the Mission system, the Kumeyaay performed their tasks using traditional tools and methods of preparation as a way to continue their cultural identity.Display case contains artifacts used in the daily life of San Diego residents almost two centuries ago.Shelves in the Commercial Restaurant contain old jars, goblets, bowls, bottles, plates and more.It was 1948 when a secret hiding place was discovered in one of the adobe’s window wells. Within the niche were two documents relating to life of an early Old Town San Diego resident.
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.
A peek into the recreated kitchen next to the dining room. Cooking was rather primitive in early San Diego.A table full of peppers and vegetables. What life was like many generations ago, in the kitchen of Old Town’s Commercial Restaurant museum.
Elegant stern of HMS Surprise, one of many fascinating ships owned by the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
It’s Christmas. I wasn’t planning to blog today. But this afternoon I became a new member of the Maritime Museum of San Diego! (Having lived for 15 years just a short walk from the museum, it’s about time!)
Naturally, I couldn’t wait to visit several of the amazing ships. The Maritime Museum of San Diego has one of the finest and largest collections of historical ships in the world!
If you’ve ever watched the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, then you’ll probably recognize the HMS Surprise. The beautiful tall ship, upon which many scenes were filmed, is in the museum’s collection. And I took a bunch of photos today!
Becoming a member of the Maritime Museum of San Diego is going to be awesome. Among other great perks, I can visit any of the ships free for an entire year. I can sit in the elegant enclosed passenger deck of the Steam Ferry Berkeley and read and write whenever I please! Right out on beautiful San Diego Bay! How cool is that?
I bet some of you might really enjoy membership, too! I’m told they are looking for volunteers to help sail their new Spanish galleon replica San Salvador!
HMS Surprise in some morning sunlight.The ship you are about to board was originally built as a replica of the British 24-gun frigate Rose of 1757. HMS Rose played a role in the American Revolution and was sunk in Savanna harbor in 1779.Detailed model of the HMS Surprise, which is the only operating replica of an 18th century frigate in the world. The ship was used in the filming of Master and Commander, starring Russell Crowe.Visitor to the San Diego Maritime Museum pretends to steer the tall ship HMS Surprise, which is docked on the Embarcadero near the historic Star of India, in the background.View of the ship’s main deck and lower rigging from the quarterdeck. A portion of San Diego’s skyline and the County Administration Building are visible.Cannon projects from hull of HMS Surprise, which is a replica of a 24-gun frigate of the Royal Navy, based on 18th century British Admiralty drawings.Looking upward at the three masts, furled sails and other complicated rigging.Photo through ropes of the nearby Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing ship, also part of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.The ship’s bell. Originally named the HMS Rose, the ship was re-registered as HMS Surprise because of her starring role in the film Master and Commander.Below deck there are many fascinating exhibits, which show what life was like aboard a frigate. Other displays recall the filming of Master and Commander.Pick the right kind of shot. The Surprise carried a variety of projectiles, each suited for different purposes.Artistic depiction of activity below deck during an engagement with the enemy. Operating the cannons was a complicated, dangerous duty.Feeling seasick? Visit the surgeon. Getting sick at sea was very serious not only for the ill sailor, but also for the entire crew.Exhibit inside HMS Surprise recalls the ship’s doctor in the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. The fictional Dr. Stephen Maturin was also a scientist and naturalist.Most of the crew slept below the gun deck in hammocks. Tightly-packed swinging hammocks figured memorably in the visuals of the movie Master and Commander.Ship’s Biscuit, also known as Hard Tack, was easy to make and preserve, and became part of the staple diet for British and Spanish mariners on their long voyages in the Pacific.Chickens, geese and ducks were carried on board as live food. Officers enjoyed eggs. Fresh meat was reserved for the officers and those sick with scurvy.A remote station used for steering the ship when she is propelled by her twin diesel engines. In 2007, HMS Surprise was restored to sailing condition.One of several photos on display from the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Famous actor Russell Crowe played the role of Captain Jack Aubrey.Distinctive figurehead representing the Greek goddess Athena often seen in the popular movie. It now graces San Diego’s waterfront. UPDATE! I’ve been told it actually represents Boadicea, queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire.Photograph of the HMS Surprise as evening approaches. One of many wonderful ships that visitors can board at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
UPDATE!
A new exhibit called Man-of-War opened on HMS Surprise in May, 2018. There are many new signs around the ship, and the captain’s great cabin is now open to the public. (I intend to blog about the great cabin separately.)
Here are additional photos. Read the captions for explanations about life aboard British fighting ships from that fascinating era.
A new exhibit called Man-of-War aboard the HMS Surprise features new signs describing life aboard an 18th century British frigate. Prepare for Battle!The ship was built as replica of the HMS Rose in 1970. It was purchased by Twentieth Century Fox to be used in the movie Master and Commander, starring Russell Crowe, and was subsequently renamed HMS Surprise.Following maritime tradition, the ship has retained its original bell.Looking at the newly redecked quarterdeck of the HMS Surprise. The rest of the main deck will be restored as well.An officer on the quarterdeck would issue commands to the sailor manning the wheel, which controlled the rudder at the ship’s stern.The Disney Wonder cruise ship is seen docked in San Diego beyond the capstan. HMS Surprise was used in the filming of Disney’s movie Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.Many hands turned the capstan to raise or lower the anchor.Ordinary sailors relieved themselves at the ship’s bow. Hence the name head.This was a sailor’s bathroom!A man-of-war could remain at sea for many months and travel more than 150 miles per day.On the gun deck of HMS Surprise, replica twenty-four-pound cannons have names like Spit Fire, Beelzebub and Bulldog. Larger than what a frigate would carry, these were used for dramatic effect in the movie.A display demonstrates aspects of a warship’s gun and its operation.Diagram depicts how a six-man gun crew would load, aim and fire different types of shot.Sailors lived in their own specialized world, with familiar customs, rules, routines and expectations.The complex often stressful operation of a man-of-war required strict discipline. Punishments included flogging and gagging.The English diet at sea was rather simple and predictable. Lots of biscuit, beer, pease, oatmeal and butter. Pork and cheese, too.Cooking in the galley was done in calm weather. The Brodie Stove was designed for use on crowded wooden ships where dangerous fire must be avoided at all costs.A rat has found its way into a ship’s food barrel.The Royal Navy issued hard biscuits made of flour and water that were stored in sacks for months at a time. Weevils and maggots were a constant problem.Costume worn by character Midshipman Lord William Blakeney in the movie Master and Commander.Unlike the captain who in his great cabin as a gentleman lived in comparative luxury, lesser officers, like the crew, made due with cramped quarters.Midshipmen who sought to become officers learned seamanship and navigation. They had to master many skills required to operate and command a ship.Instruments used to navigate a ship included the octant and sand glass.The doctor’s quarters on the HMS Surprise. A photo shows actor Paul Bettany as the film’s character Dr. Stephen Maturin.Hammocks were often used by sailors to store clothing and personal items.A suspended mess table where sailors would eat together next to a hammock on the gun deck of museum ship HMS Surprise.
Tourists are given a magic show by a busker near the reflecting pond in Balboa Park.
I took a Sunday stroll through Balboa Park. Here are some fun pics!
Duck enjoys the pool of water at the San Diego Museum of Art’s outdoor May S. Marcy Sculpture Court.Kid with painted face examines Man in White. This cool busker appears to be made of marble. He was entertaining surprised visitors on El Prado.Kid walks through a hula hoop on a stretch of grass.Guy shows some people his stuff in the Plaza de Panama.Folks wait on a bench for the free Balboa Park tram, which I call the green caterpillar.The San Diego Automotive Museum is having a food drive inside their front entrance. Stop on by!Happy dogs, walkers and a cool guitar-playing musician on a sunny Sunday in San Diego.Who doesn’t love colorful twisted balloons and soaring bubbles?
The electric wicker cart Electriquettes are returning to Balboa Park in early 2016!
The wicker carts are returning to Balboa Park! What fun!
The now famous electric motorized wicker carts were introduced to Balboa Park one hundred years ago for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. They were called Electriquettes. They were an enormous success!
Starting in early 2016–perhaps February I was told–visitors to Balboa Park will be able to rent the new wicker carts at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. The test program will run for a year, and I hope it’s successful!
I learned that the carts travel at about 2-3 miles per hour, an easy-going speed appropriate for a pedestrian and family-friendly city park. As I understand it, the carts will be restricted to Balboa Park’s core area. They appear super easy to operate–one just steers and applies power! Perhaps the coolest thing is that these vehicles are a reasonably close representation of the original Electriquettes.
The Electriquettes began running toward the end of March! I even saw a couple driving about the Plaza de Panama, but didn’t have my camera handy! I’ve learned they can be rented right in front of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center!
An Electriquette is displayed in Balboa Park, in anticipation of the vehicle’s reintroduction. The unique wicker carts will be rented by visitors at the Air and Space Museum.Old photograph of an original Electriquette in San Diego’s Balboa Park a century ago.Introduced at the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park, the historical wicker Electriquettes are making a comeback! Very cool!
Cool San Diego Sights! 