It’s less than a week to go before the start of Comic-Con 2024. Preparations for the big international event in downtown San Diego have accelerated into high gear!
If you’ve been following this blog, you’ve seen a number of trolley and building wraps that are already finished or in the process of being applied. Today, however, completely new building wraps are appearing by the waterfront, and “offsite” activations have begun construction!
I walked around East Village early this morning and the Gaslamp Quarter late this afternoon. I’ve captured a number of photographs that provide a taste of the exciting pre-Comic-Con action in downtown San Diego!
Peacock’s Those About to Die Chariot Racing offsite is under construction in Gaslamp Square. It’s near the big new video board, which is showing an advertisement for the Roman gladiator series that premiered yesterday! (You can spy the growing wrap for FOX’s Animation Domination on the Omni hotel in the background.)Presumably chariots will be racing here!Here’s a relatively new trolley wrap design that I hadn’t seen until today. It promotes The Boys on Amazon Prime.The Hard Rock Hotel is being wrapped with SpongeBob graphics. I posted other photos recently.Is this Comic-Con? No, this is Patrick!Wrapping the Fifth Avenue side of the Hard Rock Hotel is now beginning in earnest.On the convention center side of the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, a wrap goes up promoting Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe on AMC. I’ve photographed a couple of other related wraps on the hotel already–one of which you can glimpse here.I’ve spotted a couple of Comic-Con logos now on the San Diego Convention Center.On the Marriott Marquis, looks like a Star Trek wrap is going up. The thing on the left is an Esri User Conference wrap now being removed. That convention in San Diego is over.A huge wrap is also going up on the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. It will likely promote a show on FX.Advertisements posted along Fifth Avenue promote a special Comic-Con cruise!Walking Dead’s Daryl Dixon, The Book of Carol characters in the windows of the Pendry hotel.Graphic in the window of the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe pop-up. I plan to go there tomorrow!A simply painted Dungeons & Dragon 50th Anniversary expanded into this awesome mural a few days ago. It’s outside Super7.Some of the fun collectibles in BAIT in the Gaslamp Quarter. They’re going to have all sorts of activities during Comic-Con 2024!
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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
Yesterday I walked in Normal Heights. As I passed the intersection of 32nd Street and Adams Avenue, I discovered these two cool murals on either side of El Zarape Mexican Cantina.
The first one is very colorful. It contains hearts, flowers, and Day of the Dead imagery, and exclaims Viva San Diego. It was painted by Michelle Ruby, aka MrBBaby. Check out the above photograph.
The second mural appeared in the little parking nook east of El Zarape, where a pair of spray painted murals on two walls change every few years. I believe the artists are Shark and Hasler. (The unique artwork on the opposite wall is also by them.)
Unfortunately, when I happened to walk by, this new mural was semi-concealed by a large pickup truck. I took the following photos…
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Colorful murals depicting a variety of beautiful trees in Balboa Park have been installed at the north end of San Diego’s art-filled Bay to Park Paseo!
The colorful vinyl murals can be viewed on a Park Boulevard fence, just south of the bridge that spans Interstate 5. The murals welcome motorists to an amazing park that is overflowing with natural beauty.
An original description of the 1.7 mile Bay to Park Paseo, which runs from San Diego Bay up to Balboa Park, can be found here. A couple of the temporary art projects still aren’t completed, but those who walk along the Paseo will enjoy about a dozen finished installations.
This particular installation is presented by the Balboa Park Committee of 100 and Urban Interventions. The trees were photographed in Balboa Park by artist Perry Vasquez.
The Bay to Park Paseo is a unique walking experience created in conjunction with San Diego/Tijuana’s selection as World Design Capital. The idea is to eventually create a permanent Paseo–an inviting walkway from downtown San Diego to Balboa Park–filled with great public art. I definitely support this idea!
If you’d like to see photographs of the very first guided walk up the Bay to Park Paseo earlier this year, click here!
Do you like to walk? Free guided tours of the Bay to Park Paseo can be enjoyed on the first and third Saturday of each month through November 2024. The tours meet in the front of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and end in Balboa Park at Presidents Way, not far from these tree murals.
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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.
Comic-Con 2024 is less than three weeks away. Around San Diego there are more and more signs that the epic international event is fast approaching!
It seems that dozens of San Diego trolleys are now wrapped for Comic-Con–you can spot them all over the city. The fifth, latest Comic-Con related design I photographed this morning. It’s from Jack in the Box, and features Deadpool & Wolverine and new Mini Chimi Bang Bangs!
A couple days ago I saw Scarlett Johansson in a graphic on the big new video screen in Gaslamp Square. The video board will probably be busy during Comic-Con promoting upcoming movies and other popular entertainment. As I’ve walked around, I haven’t seen any offsite construction . . . yet. But I did see a guy with a cool shirt!
The Fantastic Four street lamp banners have expanded beyond the Gaslamp Quarter and can now be seen throughout downtown San Diego. Marvel appears to be going all out promoting the highly anticipated movie!
As usual, clever shops along Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp have displays in their windows that might appeal to pop culture fans.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
Enjoy photographs of three fun murals I discovered last weekend while walking in Encinitas. I was winding my way from Coast Highway 101 to the parking lot above Moonlight Beach and back.
Yes, our Southern California surf culture is alive and well in coastal Encinitas!
I hadn’t seen this street art during previous walks, so my camera got busy!
Surfer on side of building at 2nd Street and C Street in Encinitas.Surfing Madonna and dolphins appear outside Moonlight Beach Apartments.A fun mural on the side of Raul’s Shack in Encinitas.
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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.
I found two instances of meaningful art as I walked past Encinitas Fire Department Station One today.
The first work of art I noticed was a mosaic in the sidewalk beside the station building. It memorializes New York fire fighters who lost their lives during the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The number 343 represents the number of New York Fire Department members that perished in the terrorist attacks.
I assume the mosaic was dedicated five years later, on 9-11-2006. If you know more about this mosaic, please leave a comment.
The second work of art is on the fire station itself, near its entrance. The beautifully carved wood panel depicts curling ocean surf and a rare Torrey Pine tree.
The panel reminds us that wonders surround us, and how every wonder is worth protecting.
I spied a small plaque at the edge of wood panel, dated 2022. It indicates the creators are Tijuana artist Jose Antonio Alcantar and Encinitas Fire Engineer Jake Fodor.
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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.
Real Happiness is Helping Others. I saw these wise words on the above plaque during my long North County walk a week ago. I had paused in Del Mar at the corner of 15th Street and Camino del Mar to gaze up at the Rotary Club street clock.
You see these Rotary Club clocks in many cities and towns. After a while, one’s eyes might skip right over them. But I’m glad I took a closer look, because I found the plaque and did some research concerning this particular clock.
This clock was originally dedicated in 2006 to celebrate Rotary Club’s 52-year history. It was renovated ten years ago, in 2014. Here’s an article from back then.
I was curious to see what community service the Rotary Club of Del Mar offers. I learned they do a lot! From beach clean-ups, to food and blood drives, to literacy projects and supporting the arts, to supporting a Canine Companion program . . .
Here is the Rotary Club of Del Mar’s community service webpage.
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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.
South Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach is a place where creativity thrives. Walk down the sidewalk through the Cedros Avenue Design District and your eyes will discover surprising art wherever they turn.
I walked this way three years ago and found a bunch of cool stuff. See it here. I also stepped into the fun Art Alley on Cedros. See that here.
Yesterday I took a similar walk and found new sights that I hadn’t previously seen! In addition to a very colorful tile mosaic bench south of the Belly Up Tavern, I photographed the following…
The planet I live on is the planet you live on.You turn graves into gardens – You turn bones into armies – You turn seas into highways – You’re the only one who canOut of the Blue
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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.
Do you have a curious mind? Five years ago, during the month of June, Cool San Diego Sights featured a whole universe of photographs. Perhaps you might enjoy viewing colorful moments from the past!
From Escondido to La Jolla, from North Park to City Heights, from Barrio Logan to National City to Chula Vista, my camera recorded many places and events. I took so many photos, in fact, that I’ve had a hard time choosing which posts to share!
The upcoming links will take you back to June 2019. It was a fine time to take a walk. Summer events were underway. San Diego Comic-Con was on the way. Human creativity, activity and possibilities could be discovered everywhere!
To see many photographs, click the following links!
If you don’t venture down into Balboa Park’s mostly hidden Zoro Garden, you won’t experience its colorful spring flowers that are now in bloom.
I headed to Balboa Park for a special Memorial Day program today, but I had a couple of hours to wander around. I’m so glad I caught a small glimpse of this color as I walked along El Prado. I couldn’t resist turning down a path that descends into the park’s sunken stone grotto garden.
Look at all the flowers! And another hidden surprise!
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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.
Cool San Diego Sights! 