Visitors walk through Balboa Park’s Alcazar Garden on a summer day.
There are many gardens in San Diego’s vast Balboa Park. One of the best known–and one of my favorites–is the Alcazar Garden.
Located on the south side of El Prado between the Museum of Man and the Mingei Museum, a visit to the spacious garden is like walking through an elegant painting of towers, arches and sunlit flowers. Thousands of blooming annuals, long green hedges and colorfully tiled fountains make this the perfect place to slow down and absorb the quiet beauty. A shady pergola is ideal for rest and reflection. The Alcazar Garden is so named because it was created to resemble the formal gardens of Alcazar Castle in Seville, Spain.
Yellow blooms beneath museum tower. The Spanish Colonial architecture adds elegance.Moorish tiles on a fountain, colorful benches and an archway.The California Tower and palm trees rise into blue sky.The formal garden can sometimes appear a bit ragged.The garden is not easily seen from El Prado, but many people find and enjoy it.Rotary Club plaque reveals that the garden underwent a restoration.A picture I took while sitting in the cool, shady pergola at the west end.
Here are two pics I took the following spring…
Beautiful flowers in Balboa Park.Sunshine sprouting from the Earth.
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Canyon in Balboa Park to be site of San Diego Zoo employee parking structure.
When I recently went on a special tour at the San Diego Museum of Art, my new docent friend expressed concern about an upcoming construction project. We were standing at a window that overlooks Old Globe Way, a short, winding access road that follows the edge of Jungle Trail Canyon directly behind the museum. The road starts behind the San Diego Junior Theatre, passes the rear of the Botanical Building, and finally leads to the back of the Old Globe Theatre. We gazed out the window at many colorful hummingbird feeders dangling from a nearby tree, at trees by the road that were marked with green paint, then beyond the narrow canyon to the back of the famous San Diego Zoo. The small canyon, I learned, was to be converted to parking!
After doing a bit of research for news on the internet, I learned the canyon would be the location of a six level parking garage for zoo employees. The idea is to free up a large amount of space from the zoo’s main parking lot on Park Boulevard. Employees arriving by car usually start their shifts in the early morning, and depart at different times, so traffic problems in the park would be kept to a minimum. The new structure has been in the planning stage for a long time.
Yesterday my journey through Balboa Park included a stroll down Old Globe Way. I saw that the work had already been started. Fortunately, those green markings on larger trees indicated they were to be saved.
A tree at canyon’s edge is mercifully saved.Canyon between Old Globe, art museum and zoo has been mostly unused.San Diego Zoo amphitheater where exotic birds and other animals perform.Trees cut down, making way for new road to a long-planned parking area.Hummingbird feeders in a tree directly behind the San Diego Museum of Art.
Here’s one of several identical signs that appeared nearby in November…
Sign posted in Balboa Park explains the Old Globe Way Renovation.
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House of Panama dancers practice on a Saturday morning in Balboa Park.
I spend a lot of time in Balboa Park. It’s close to where I live, just north of downtown San Diego. It’s full of things to do and see. And it’s simply a wonderful place that makes me feel optimistic and alive.
My pleasant walk today took me once again into the park. As if by magic, I discovered dance, a play, music, bright works of art and a surprising someone I used to know years ago.
Members of Jane Austen Society in San Diego prepare to perform a play.Scandalous play Lovers’ Vows was referenced in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park.Moonlight Serenade Orchestra practices at Spreckels Organ Pavilion.Jazzy group rehearses Night and Day, Sweet Georgia Brown, and more!
That big happy dog is a frequent visitor to the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. He’s the friend of Dr. Carol Williams, the civic organist! The musicians today were getting ready for Monday’s finale of the International Summer Organ Festival.
Kids, hula hoops and sunshine on El Prado in San Diego’s Balboa Park.
I believe that’s the same hula-hooper who wore the Merry Solstice shirt in my December Nights blog post.
Flowers near the reflecting pool in front of the Botanical Building.Bright greens and clear water attract my wandering camera lens.A daring pirate dangles beside the San Diego Natural History Museum.Falun Gong artwork emphasizes overcoming persecution in China.A homeless Chinese girl and sunflowers.
A friendly lady advocating for Falun Gong and protesting their persecution in China told me she believes in collective consciousness, and that the power of good thoughts around the world will eventually bring about positive change.
Glassblowers in Spanish Village remove red hot molten glass from furnace.Photographer Dallas displays his fine work near the International Cottages.
Dallas used to show his excellent photographs along the Embarcadero, just north of Seaport Village. I’d stop and chat from time to time and he’d tell me all about his interesting life experiences. One day he disappeared.
Today, many years later, I saw him again! He was among other artists showing his professional work on a patch of grass. It was great to see him again! His photography is truly top notch and depicts places he’s visited all around the world. Please check out his website!
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Large cow stands in front of Coronado ice cream shop.
Mosey along Orange Avenue on the island of Coronado and you’ll be confronted by extraordinary things. You’ll probably run into a large cow. Or Elvis standing on the sidewalk, or a scaly, fantastic dragon. Or colorful ribbons of music. Or beautifully painted canvases by local artists in a public park.
Here are random pics of fun art that I’ve spotted…
Moo Time Creamery features an Elvis on the sidewalk.Coronado hot dog pours ketchup on itself!Checking out creative artwork for sale in Coronado’s Spreckels Park.Playful tile mural on a Spreckels Park restroom.Ribbon of music shown moving both old and young.Tile mosaic on park restroom shows lively musicians.Big dragon stands in front of the Coronado Public Library. Imagine Dragon, by artist Kent Kraber, 2008. This fun sculpture was originally part of an Urban Trees exhibition along San Diego’s Embarcadero.Head of fantastic dragon sculpture faces Orange Avenue.
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Beginning my walk south from Crystal Pier along the boardwalk.
Now please walk with me as I head south down the Pacific Beach boardwalk. We’re starting at Crystal Pier and going all the way to Hamel’s down in Mission Beach. It’s one of the most amazing walks (or bike rides) in all of the world!
Cool octopus art made of tile, stones and shells.
This bit of artwork was next to the walkway right by the pier.
Folks head toward a hungry shark and big ice cream cone!Youth hostel by Pacific Beach boardwalk has a sunny mural.A small backyard is paradise on the beach!Colorful surfboards by beach contain happy messages.Fish tacos are a San Diego specialty!Shells and boogie boards line the boardwalk for passing tourists.Just a sample of what you’d see while walking along the beach.Looking out toward umbrellas and the blue Pacific Ocean.Several camps on the sand teach people to surf.Kids learning to surf file along carrying surfboards.People chat as a lifeguard watches the beach from a tower.Colorful beach toys left forgotten on the concrete sea wall.Beautiful and unusual houses line the boardwalk.The Surf Rider building includes a huge surfboard!Bicycles are a very popular mode of transportation.I reached the Hamel’s castle surf shop in Mission Beach!Lady looks through a high stack of surfboards.Cool mural in alley shows a roller coaster.
This mural in the alley behind Hamel’s shows a roller coaster. Is there a roller coaster nearby in Mission Beach? Yes, indeed! We’ll visit Belmont Park in my next blog post!
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Cool art on a music store window on Garnet Avenue.
Yesterday I went for a very long walk through Pacific Beach and Mission Beach, two extremely popular beach destinations just a few miles north of downtown San Diego.
I began by walking west along Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach, from around Ingraham Street all the way to the beautiful and historic Crystal Pier. This stretch contains more bars, tattoo parlors, smoke shops and swimwear stores than just about anywhere else in Southern California. It’s a young, hip, beachy sort of place, that’s mostly laid back and unpretentious. You’ll see bikinis and skateboarders and tourists and families and surfboards atop cars and under arms just about everywhere you go.
You’ll also see a lot of very cool urban art: on walls, on windows, on rooftops, in alleys…all over the place! Here are some random pics I took as I walked westward in the sunshine…
Aloha Spirit mural on side of Pacific Beach building.Surfers and the ocean are major themes in this popular beach community.Mural shows lifeguard climbing a tower among palms.Funky street art between two buildings on Garnet Avenue.Pacific Beach public art features a large seagull.Street art in an alley behind a tattoo parlor.Hubcaps and tiles add flavor to a colorful local eatery.Another tattoo parlor embellished with bold swirls of urban art.Photo mural on a wall shows old Crystal Pier at west end of Garnet Avenue.Sunny Pacific Beach has a sunny utility box.Images of surfers and beach scenes are everywhere.
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R. Jelani Eddington rehearses on the Spreckels Organ.
Take an amble through San Diego’s amazing Balboa Park and you never know what interesting or beautiful thing you might randomly stumble upon. Early this afternoon I was extremely fortunate!
It isn’t uncommon to hear the music of amateur street musicians throughout the gigantic urban park. Performers of all ages can be found in every nook and cranny playing a harp, a guitar, a violin, drums–you name it–hoping for a tip from generous visitors. Professional musicians, however, play in concerts that are scheduled, publicized, and attended by large, expectant audiences. Usually.
My first lucky discovery was stumbling upon famed theatre organist R. Jelani Eddington in a lengthy rehearsal for Monday night’s International Organ Festival at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Apart from a wedding party taking photographs by the pavilion’s elegant colonnade, and a few passing tourists, I seemed to have the amazing performance all to myself. Wow! The Spreckels Organ was producing pure magic, as the king of instruments was handled with world-class skill. What a privilege to listen!
R. Jelani Eddington was 2001 Theatre Organist Of The Year.The lawn of Balboa Park’s International Cottages is empty.
My second sensational discovery took place at the more modest International Cottages stage not far away. A duet was playing excellent, moving music to an all but nonexistent audience. It seems the performance was very poorly publicized, or not at all.
Reflections: Jerry and Angie, is the name of the very talented group that was being featured by the House of the United States of America. They were playing folk songs and classic American tunes with banjo and simple, heart-stirring vocals. I’m a sucker for this type of music, and I loved listening to She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain, Country Roads, God Bless America and more. I got a kick at how they treated me and the half a dozen others on the lawn like a regular audience, asking us to sing along and providing interesting comments on many songs. I’ve never heard a banjo so well played.
Reflections is Jerry on banjo and Angie with vocals.
Balboa Park contains endless magical surprises!
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El Camino Real bell in front of California’s first Spanish mission.
Here are just a few random pics of El Camino Real bells around San Diego. During my walks, I’m often surprised to discover a new bell.
Many of these guidepost bells were placed in 1906 by the California Federation of Women’s Clubs. They marked the primitive roads that connected the old Spanish missions in California. El Camino Real, which means the Royal Road or King’s Highway in Spanish, led to 21 missions in Alta California, plus a variety of sub-missions, presidios and pueblos. The bells stand on tall posts in the shape of a shepherd’s crook. In subsequent years, bells have been removed or added to the California landscape.
Bell in front of Old Town’s historic El Campo Santo cemetery.Plaque explains history of the guidepost bells.El Camino Real bell spotted on Harbor Island.El Camino Real bell by the downtown County Administration Building.Historic bell and palm trees in Imperial Beach.I found an El Camino Real bell near the Hotel del Coronado!El Camino Real bell in Cesar Chavez Park in Barrio Logan.Plaque on Harbor Drive reveals that a nearby bell was donated by San Diego Woman’s Club.
El Camino Real bell on Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade by Children’s Park.
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Take a walk or ride a bike down the Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade in downtown San Diego and you’ll encounter several sculptures inspired by America’s great civil rights leader. Here are a few photos of DREAM – A tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a dramatic work created by Roberto Salas in 2001. Five bronze hands spell out the word DREAM in sign language. This public art can be found very close to The New Children’s Museum.
Along the beautiful promenade, which follows Harbor Drive from near Seaport Village down to the Gaslamp Quarter, many MLK quotes are enshrined in the walkway. The last photo shows one very famous quote, just a few steps from this powerful tribute.
Bronze hand signs the letter R.Bronze hand signs the letter E.Bronze hand signs the letter A.Bronze hand signs the letter M.DREAM – A tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by artist Roberto Salas. A word that reaches deep into our humanity and creativity.People approach DREAM on Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade.A very famous and wise quote by Martin Luther King Jr.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Hiking to the beach from a trailhead in Torrey Pines State Reserve.
Today is National Trails Day, so it seems the perfect time to blog about one hike I took recently at Torrey Pines State Reserve! The hike was down the Beach Trail, which is one of the most popular hikes in this beautiful place. The coming photos demonstrate why!
The 3/4 mile downhill Beach Trail begins at the edge of a small parking lot near the Torrey Pines State Reserve’s historic lodge, which serves as the visitor center. On this spring day, many small flowers were blooming along the trail, and lots of hikers were enjoying the sunshine as well. Should you ever go hiking here, make sure you wear good shoes because it can be a bit steep in places and the sand often makes slippery footing.
Hikers take beautiful trail through coastal chaparral.People enjoy vistas from atop sandstone formation.Endangered Torrey pine can be seen beyond fork in the trail.
You can observe many more examples of the endangered Torrey pine tree in the north part of the reserve. See my post about the Guy Fleming Trail!
The blue Pacific Ocean comes into view!Typical rugged scenery along trails of Torrey Pines State Reserve.The Beach Trail is often covered in fine sand.Now we’re getting really close to our destination!
It gets much steeper as one approaches the ocean. You can see La Jolla way off in the hazy distance.
Erosion of layered sandstone creates unusual, fluid forms.Flat Rock can be seen below on Torrey Pines State Beach.Steps head steeply down from cliffs.Hikers arrive at the beach!
The transition from the reserve to the beach seems very sudden as you hike down from the cliffs. Suddenly you hear the surf and see many sea birds. It’s an amazing experience!
Down on the sand.People walk north along Torrey Pines State Beach.
A walk north along the beach about a mile or so brings one back to the main Torrey Pines State Reserve parking lot by the Pacific Coast Highway. If you’d like to enjoy a relatively easy nature hike, I’d highly recommend this one! (Going uphill is more difficult!)
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