Tag: walking

Let’s Go SDSU Aztecs!

Who would have believed the SDSU men’s basketball Aztecs would be one victory away from a national championship?

Tomorrow the San Diego State University Aztecs face the University of Connecticut Huskies for all the NCAA Tournament marbles. The Aztecs are underdogs. Which means they are poised for another hard fought victory!

What an accomplishment to even reach the Final Four. But now there’s a chance for SDSU to absolutely shock the sports world.

I thought it would be fun to head to SDSU by trolley late this morning to see what I might see. I walked through the center of the campus, past Viejas Arena, past frat houses and local businesses, hoping to find excited banners, posters, hand made signs, anything expressing school spirit during this incredible historic event.

Nothing.

Yes, I know it’s a Sunday and the Aztecs advanced to the title game only yesterday. But the Final Four is a week old. If there are any signs of school spirit now decorating the campus, I completely missed it.

I just saw the above sign at a preschool across Montezuma Road.

I do know for a fact that there are a whole lot of fans out there! So Let’s Go SDSU Aztecs!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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Restoring the old Coronado ferry ticket booth.

I had walked into Coronado’s bayfront Centennial Park this afternoon, making my way toward the Coronado Ferry Landing, when I noticed work being done on the historic old ferry ticket booth.

I paused to watch for a few moments, then asked some questions.

I learned this old ticket booth, dating from 1886, has suffered pretty badly from rot and termites. A substantial portion of the structure must be replaced.

I was also told this ticket booth, back in the day before the Coronado Bridge opened, was located closer to the water, where ferries crossing San Diego Bay would land. The booth also stocked newspapers that were sold to ferryboat passengers.

If you’d like to learn a little more about the booth and see its historical plaque, you can read a past blog post here.

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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 Twitter!

Bush sunflowers greet Spring in Mission Valley!

Beautiful yellow California bush sunflowers are thriving early this Spring!

An unusually wet winter has caused San Diego’s native flora, accustomed to an arid climate, to grow like crazy and turn bright green!

I took morning photographs in Mission Valley as I walked near Mission Center Road and the San Diego River…

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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 Twitter!

Walking east from Broadway Pier before sunset.

Enjoy a dozen photographs I took late this afternoon, about an hour before sunset.

I started at Broadway Pier and walked east into the heart of downtown San Diego.

I always enjoy this time of day. Light is reflected from many windows, creating a magical effect.

Tall ship Exy Johnson, docked at the Broadway Pier, is visiting San Diego.

The buildings of the Research And Development District (RADD) are under construction where much of the old Navy Broadway Complex used to be.

Looking north along the Embarcadero. Those clouds are left over from our most recent storm.

Walking east down Broadway. Sunlight shines from the silvery Pacific Gate high-rise.

More late sunshine on the tops of downtown skyscrapers.

West Downtown San Diego is under construction in . . . west downtown San Diego!

I love reflections like these.

The late afternoon light is beautiful on the Balboa Theatre.

The watery dome of the Broadway Fountain shines with different colors like the scales of a fish.

A corridor of waning light downtown.

Another fine downtown walk.

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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 Twitter!

Runners, walkers and Padres Pedal the Cause!

Hundreds of runners and walkers headed along San Diego’s Embarcadero this morning during the Padres Pedal the Cause fundraiser. They were participating in the 5K Walk/Run!

Lots of thumbs up and smiles spontaneously appeared as a stream of humanity flowed down the boardwalk.

Funds were being raised for Curebound, an organization that helps to further cancer research. Local institutions they help include the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, Salk Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Rady Children’s Hospital, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, and Scripps Research.

You can learn more or donate here!

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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 Twitter!

Hidden paradise above a Del Mar beach!

Those who visit Dog Beach (also known as North Beach) in Del Mar might wonder about some wooden stairs. They climb up the sandstone bluffs to the north. I ascended them the other day and discovered a hidden paradise!

A sign near the foot of the steps indicates the area above is the James G. Scripps Bluff Preserve. Those who explore the preserve are asked to stay on the paths and carry out trash.

During my adventure, I noticed some of the bottom steps are broken, so one must take care not to stumble.

Here’s a series of photographs that I took as I ascended into the preserve. One can gaze south down upon Dog Beach and east to the Del Mar Racetrack and beyond.

Once I reached the top of the main path, an amazing field of early March flowers and wide views of the Pacific Ocean awaited me.

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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 Twitter!

Old building from New Deal in La Mesa.

When I took a walk through La Mesa a couple weeks ago, I noticed a historical plaque on the above building.

With walls that are partly made of stone, this little old building is located directly adjacent to the larger, more modern Adult Enrichment Center, which is operated by the City of La Mesa.

BUILT BY UNITED STATES WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION 1937

According to an online timeline, two New Deal WPA projects in La Mesa include this 1937 Senior Clubhouse.

I spoke to a city employee inside the Adult Enrichment Center, and she indicated there are plans to move this building, stones and all, to MacArthur Park.

The old clubhouse is beautiful in a rustic way. To me, it appears like a visitor center or ranger station you’d find nestled in the forest of a National Park.

I assume that small stone structure across a walkway was built back in 1937, too.

Anyone who knows more, or has memories to share, please leave a comment!

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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 Twitter!

Site of first house built in Solana Beach.

The very first house built in Solana Beach was located on today’s Highway 101. That’s what a sign that I saw during a recent walk attests.

Perhaps driving along you’ve seen the above Plaza 101 sign, about a block south of Lomas Santa Fe Drive. It features the following plaque:

When I do some quick research, however, I find the first house in the area might have actually sat on Pepper Tree Lane, now called Del Mar Downs Road. Built in 1887, the Stevens House was moved to La Colonia Park and now houses the museum of the Solana Beach Civic and Historical Society. (It’s a museum that I have not yet visited.)

I believe the plaque refers to the Estes Home at 155 S. Highway 101. The Solana Beach Civic And Historical Society website explains: When Colonel Ed Fletcher bought Solana Beach in 1922, there were only two houses, George Jones’s house on Barbara Street (later occupied by Herschell Larrick Sr. and his family) and this Highway 101 house of Jones’s sister, Lucy Estes and her husband, N. H. Estes, and their son, Herb. The Estes family was originally from San Francisco. They built this first home in Solana Beach on the narrow dirt road highway 101 and put in a well.

You can see photos of the Estes home here.

During walks on and around old Highway 101, Solana Beach’s first commercial center, I’ve discovered a number of historical buildings. You can see those photographs here and here and here!

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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 Twitter!

Tribute to coastal advocate at San Dieguito Lagoon.

As I walked along the Coast to Crest Trail a couple days ago, a bit south of the San Andres Drive trailhead, I came upon a sign that pays tribute to Peter Douglas. He was an important coastal advocate who worked to protect the nearby San Dieguito Lagoon.

I learned that I was walking beside the Peter Douglas Wetlands.

As you gaze at the beauty of the San Dieguito Lagoon, watch birds flying, diving and foraging in the wetlands and wildlife scampering among the scrub and chaparral, you can appreciate the vision that led to the conservation and restoration of this scenic and biologically diverse open space, known as the Peter Douglas Wetlands.

Peter Douglas (1942-2012), one of California’s most visionary and inspirational environmental advocates, led a successful grass roots effort in 1972 that resulted in the creation of the California Coastal Commission…

The support and passion of Peter Douglas significantly influenced the ability…to realize (a) collective dream of preserving these wetlands in perpetuity…

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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 Twitter!

River life near a freeway bridge.

Walk the Coast to Crest Trail along the San Dieguito River where it passes under Interstate 5 and you’ll see signs of life.

Indeed, several signs east of the freeway bridge concern river life that can be found nearby!

Walking east in Del Mar along the San Dieguito River, approaching the Interstate 5 bridge. It’s early March and native vegetation is green from recent rains.

About to pass under the concrete freeway bridge.

On the other side, near bush sunflowers, we arrive at a place where one can relax and learn about the San Dieguito Lagoon environment.

Several old signs ahead…

Fish of the San Dieguito Lagoon. Over twenty different fish species have been observed in the lagoon providing evidence that habitats here act as a fish nursery. Species include California Halibut, Giant Kelpfish, Staghorn Sculpin, Kelp Bass and four species of Gobies. Small jumping fish are Mullet.

Pickleweed likes the salty environment in the lagoon. It is also known as sea asparagus, Pacific swampfire, or glasswort!

What’s for dinner for various wetland animals who live here, including raccoons, American kestrels, killdeers and bats?

In one day a Great Blue Heron will eat…

…23 anchovies, 2 mice and a frog. Yummy!

A place near the freeway bridge to rest, gaze at the river and think about life.

In Life, Choose Happiness.

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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 Twitter!