Tag: walking

Coronado lifeguard tower honors hometown hero.

In Coronado, Lifeguard Tower 1B on the beach of Glorietta Bay Park honors a hometown hero. A plaque on the tower is In Loving Memory of Justin Allen Meek.

I noticed the plaque during a walk. Wanting to learn more about Justin Allen Meek, I found this article.

Justin, who grew up in Coronado, not only became a lifeguard, but he lived a remarkable life. He was a hero in many respects to those in Coronado and beyond. There were numerous accomplishments. He became an Eagle Scout at a young age. Through the years he actively worked to help the community in a wide variety of ways. He wanted to unselfishly serve others.

Tragically, he perished at age 23 while trying to protect others during a mass shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks.

If you’d like to see this plaque for yourself, walk down toward the water at Glorietta Bay Park in Coronado, then pause on the sand at the lifeguard tower.

…

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!

Another beautiful mural in Oceanside!

I spotted this beautiful mural during my last walk in Oceanside. It decorates a wall on San Diego Street, between Lemon Street and Dubuque Street, about a block away from Balderamma Park.

The side of the wall that faces an alley depicts the Virgin of Guadalupe among prickly pear and other cacti. It also appears to be a neighborhood shrine. People have left fresh flowers.

The other side, facing San Diego Street, has been painted with colorful scenes, so full of life.

I couldn’t ascertain who the artist is. If you have any information, leave a comment.

…

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!

Getting ready for the Holidays in Coronado!

People are already getting ready for the Holiday Season in Coronado! And it’s still over a week until Thanksgiving!

Today I enjoyed a long leisurely walk from the Ferry Landing down Orange Avenue to the Hotel del Coronado and beyond.

What’s the first thing I saw? Red bows, wreaths, candy cane signs, festive banners, and a Christmas tree at the Coronado Ferry Landing!

Proceeding down Orange Avenue, I spied more holiday things (often in shop windows)…

The big landmark Coronado Rotary Club Christmas Tree is already strung with colorful lights!

Continuing my walk…

When I arrived at the beach near the Hotel del Coronado, I found workers setting up The Del’s holiday Beachside Igloos!

The magic of Oz is coming to The Del from November 21, 2025 to January 4, 2026!

(As you might know, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum has deep ties to the Hotel del Coronado. The beach resort’s grand Victorian architecture is said to be his inspiration for the Emerald City.)

That magic will include ice skating!

The holidays are nearly here in Coronado!

…

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!

A quaint, old 19th century chapel in Oceanside.

I was exploring the neighborhood near Balderrama Park in Oceanside when I spied this quaint old structure at 1510 Lemon Street. I had stumbled upon the historical 1893 St. Mary’s Chapel.

The location of today’s much larger St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church, near the Oceanside Civic Center, is where this old chapel was originally built. The wooden chapel, affectionately called the Capillita, was completed in 1896.

The city of Oceanside was incorporated a few years earlier, in 1888, when its population was only 1000.

After the city had grown and a larger church was built in 1927, the chapel served as Parish Hall. The small chapel was later moved to its present location. It was restored in 1977.

You can read about its history here.

The St. Mary’s Chapel remains very active, as I saw during my walk. A service was being held inside, and I didn’t want to intrude.

…

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!

An early November walk in Balboa Park.

It’s November 9th. It’s still considered early November, right? In any event, I enjoyed a fun and very unique walk through Balboa Park today.

I found evidence Veterans Day is almost here–now just two days.

Before we know it, Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season will be here, too!

Enjoy some photos of interesting sights…

First up, the San Diego Potters’ Guild was having their Semiannual Patio Show in Spanish Village Art Center this weekend. While people watched, one guild artist was demonstrating the use of a potter’s wheel.

Next, some photos of the badly deteriorated Convair Sea Dart mounted in front of the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

Time is running out to see this very rare, experimental supersonic seaplane. It’s going to be replaced in front of the museum by an F-14A Tomcat fighter jet, as soon as the latter is restored at the museum’s annex near Gillespie Field.

The replacement won’t be just any ordinary F-14A, either. It will be the very plane used in the filming of Top Gun: Maverick!

Read an article about this coming change here.

Next, the free two o’clock Sunday concert at the Spreckel’s Organ Pavilion was a Veterans Day Celebration.

San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez played Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, various rousing John Philip Sousa marches, the United States Armed Forces Medley, and, yes, some good old Bach.

Toward the end of my walk, I stumbled upon something rather unique! A row of chess boards was set up in the Plaza de Panama, and a Chess Grandmaster, Two-Time National Champion was competing against multiple random people at one time!

I learned the Chess Grandmaster is also candidate Patrick Wolff, who is running for California Insurance Commissioner. His people were filming the proceedings for their campaign’s social media.

This is something you don’t see every day!

Chet, who plays guitar in Balboa Park, was causing the Grandmaster to pause and think a long while!

Lastly, I saw the Old Globe’s Dr. Seuss Christmas tree was getting ready for its annual lighting this evening. I didn’t have a reservation for the free event, however. Maybe next year…

…

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!

An active Saturday on San Diego’s Embarcadero!

A lot of stuff was going on along San Diego’s Embarcadero today, this Saturday in early November!

I enjoyed another fine walk along downtown San Diego’s waterfront. Yes, the day started off gray and overcast, but in the early afternoon the sunshine would break through a bit.

During my walk I observed a whole lot of interesting activity. I’ll post my photos in the order in which they were taken. Read the captions to understand what I was seeing.

The beautiful Colombian tall ship ARC Gloria is docked in downtown San Diego at the Broadway Pier. The public can go aboard and tour it through Sunday, November 9, 2025.
Some vessels were alongside the huge cruise ship Norwegian Jade, presumably fueling it.
The Cruise Ship Terminal was abuzz with activity. Two ships were in!
The Nieuw Amsterdam cruise ship docked in San Diego.
The usual vendors along the Embarcadero.
Here’s world-famous tall ship Star of India of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

I’m a member of the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Members get free tickets for a harbor tour on the Pilot boat. That’s what I did!

Hello Kiki, our tour guide! She’s funny, informative and awesome!

Ready for the harbor tour!
And away we go. That’s San Salvador, the museum’s seaworthy Spanish galleon replica.
Along the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal I spotted two ships of the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions Fleet: the Sea Bird and the Sea Lion. They tour Baja California and Alaska.
Rowing along San Diego Bay, with the convention center and a couple of superyachts in the background.
The San Diego Food and Wine Festival is going on this weekend at Embarcadero Marina Park North.
The Tuna Harbor Dockside Market always attracts a crowd on Saturdays.
Looks like the ferry is returning from Coronado.
There’s the Colombian tall ship ARC Gloria, seen from the water.
As the Pilot boat returned to the museum, Californian, official tall ship of California, was departing for a Saturday sail.

After the harbor tour, I headed south along the Embarcadero’s boardwalk. Here I am approaching the USS Midway Museum…

I see the pedicabs are out today.
Always many vendors near the USS Midway Museum.
Some characters I spotted as I walked along the Embarcadero.
Now I’m on the pier near Tuna Harbor. The Tuna Harbor Dockside Market is winding down a little after noontime.
A kid was helping out on fishing boat Jonny D. Fishing families are always friendly people.
Some people enjoy Fish and Chips on the pier.
Looking back along the pier toward downtown San Diego.
I think these umbrellas at Seaport Village are new.
People were given wine glasses when they checked into the Food and Wine Festival.
A balloon twister and kids near Seaport Village.

Yes, San Diego is wonderful.

…

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!

Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Barrio Logan!

A printed banner duplicate of a very famous mural by Mexican painter Diego Rivera can be seen in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood. Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central (Dream of a Sunday Afternoon at Alameda Central Park) decorates the exterior of the M & R Transmission building at 1775 National Avenue.

The original mural, painted by the artist between 1946 and 1947, can be viewed at the Museo Mural Diego Rivera in Mexico City.

The mural depicts famous people and events in the history of Mexico, passing through the Alameda Central park in Mexico City. It features many historical figures, including Hernán Cortés, Benito Juárez, and Frida Kahlo. The central figure is La Catrina, a skeleton figure symbolizing the connection between life and death.

I took these photos a few weeks ago, when I walked through Barrio Logan.

…

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!

Fun pics in Balboa Park on Halloween!

Any day in Balboa Park is a great day.

Halloween in Balboa Park makes for a really great day!

Look at all the fun pics I captured while randomly wandering around!

Buzz Lightyear emerged on Halloween from the Balboa Park Administration Building. To infinity and beyond!
There’s a gremlin inside the Museum of Us! And I thought their Egyptian mummies were disturbing!
Looks like the Balboa Park Carousel has been bewitched again.
A spooky photo op backdrop in Spanish Village Art Center.
Lots of Halloween stuff inside the Senior Lounge.
Eek! Who’s this strange character haunting the Senior Lounge?
The San Diego Automotive Museum is home to a friendly ghost.
A fun Halloween costume exhibit inside the Comic-Con Museum.
A spooky jack-o’-scarecrow grins at me in the Comic-Con Museum. I hope a superhero is nearby.
Yes, one can find Cheetos inside the Balboa Park Visitors Center.

Not to be overlooked, I also found some fun Día de los Muertos stuff…

Getting ready for a Día de los Muertos event this weekend at the Old Globe.
A balloon sugar skull outside the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater!

…

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!

Balboa Park readies for the Holiday Season!

It’s late October. Early mornings and late evenings in San Diego have become chilly.

Walking through Balboa Park this afternoon, I noticed certain preparations are already underway for the Holiday Season!

The Old Globe’s annual “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” Tree is going up in their outdoor Copley Plaza. I’m told the tree’s assembly began yesterday. In addition, nearby banners are being replaced and holiday lights are being strung.

The 20th annual Globe Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Sunday, November 9 at 6:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, in the center of the Botanical Building, a very beautiful harvest display full of Autumn color and pumpkins has been erected by the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department.

Thanksgiving will be here before we know it!

…

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!

Two new murals in El Cajon’s Arts Alley!

I found two new murals in El Cajon’s very cool Arts Alley!

The Arts Alley is located in downtown El Cajon north of Main Street, between Magnolia Avenue and Sulzfeld Way. I visited the colorful alley in 2020 and 2022. See those photographs here and here.

Look what I discovered during yesterday’s walk!

ART HEALS

…

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!