Evening photos in Balboa Park on Labor Day.

Labor Day is coming to a close.

This evening, before the Spreckels Organ Pavilion’s Classic Rock Band’s concert featuring music of The Beatles got started, I walked a bit. I meandered around Balboa Park and took these photographs.

The sun was setting. Here and there building lights were appearing. The Spreckels Organ Pavilion was jammed with concert-goers. A few people were walking down El Prado, or by the Botanical Building as the sky gradually darkened…

The music began…

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A funny Air Mail mailbox in Pacific Beach!

An unusual mailbox is located high above the sidewalk in Pacific Beach. You might see it while cruising down Ingraham Street.

What’s that? I wondered during my walk today. Is that actually a mailbox? Only a mail delivery giant could possibly reach it!

Then I zoomed my camera in for a closer photograph…

Oh, I see! The funny mailbox is for Air Mail! Makes perfect sense!

Hopefully the mail delivery aircraft doesn’t stall!

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.

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Oars row again through Chula Vista sky!

Wind Oars are rowing again through Chula Vista’s blue sky!

During previous walks through Chula Vista’s Bayside Park, I’d noticed the oars of the public art sculpture were missing from their posts. Yesterday I saw they’re back!

The wind-driven oars had been taken down temporarily to be refurbished once before, many years ago, so I assume that’s what happened again.

As I walked beside San Diego Bay yesterday afternoon, finding the oars rowing through the blue summer sky, I had to take a few photographs. The immense, newly opened Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center is visible in the background of one photo.

Wind Oars, as explained by Port of San Diego’s self-guided Chula Vista tidelands art tour, was created by George Peters and Melanie Walker in 2004. The kinetic sculpture is made of aluminum, polycarbonate and prismatic film.

You can visit the Air Works Studio website of artists George Peters and Melanie Walker by clicking here.

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.

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Unusual sights on San Diego’s Embarcadero!

Anyone walking the length of San Diego’s Embarcadero might have observed three very unusual sights today!

First, starting at the south end of the Embarcadero, very close to the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel, an immense NASSCO drydock has appeared!

This floating drydock, the NASSCO Builder, is usually stationed down at the NASSCO shipyard well south of here, in the vicinity of the Coronado Bay Bridge. It’s capable of containing very large ships. The public typically can’t get a close view of its immensity.

Today the NASSCO Builder was docked strangely at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, where the Dole banana boats usually unload! Someone with the Coronado Ferry said the gigantic drydock appeared there yesterday.

The next photo was taken from Embarcadero Marina Park South…

Nearby, at the Hilton, some wise words…

Next, I noticed some guys were repairing a purse seiner net on the pier adjacent to Seaport Village. This is seldom seen. More often, these large nets are repaired across Tuna Harbor at the longer G Street Pier.

These nets are unspooled into the ocean from purse seiners in order to catch bait fish, which are in turn used for sportfishing.

Finally, I noticed that America’s Tall Ship, the United States Coast Guard training ship USCGC Eagle, has returned to San Diego! It was out on the ocean the last few days, with future Coast Guard officers aboard, transforming themselves from young “swabs” to cadets!

I went aboard the amazing Eagle last weekend and took these photos!

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.

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Unexpected paragliders beside Mission Bay!

One expects to see paragliders in La Jolla high above the beach at the Torrey Pines Gliderport. Not on the grass beside Mission Bay!

That’s exactly what I encountered during a long walk today!

Several people were testing their colorful paragliders in a steady wind. The large fabrics opened like bright flowers suddenly blooming.

At first glance, I thought they might be kiteboarders. But the equipment indicated otherwise.

I didn’t intrude to ask, but I concluded this was practice. With trees all around and no serious updraft, it wasn’t surprising that no paragliders lifted off.

I stepped off the path and took a few photographs…

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.

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More fun art found in downtown Vista!

Check out more fun artwork in San Diego’s North County!

I enjoyed a long walk in downtown Vista a couple days ago and found works of art I hadn’t seen previously. That’s probably because it has been a couple years since I’d wandered around these streets.

Downtown Vista absolutely overflows with amazing sculptures and murals. One cool thing is, from time to time new works of public art appear. (I’ve noticed the sculptures can be purchased by contacting the City of Vista.)

Okay, so what did I find?

The first photos are of a sculpture titled Sky Flowers, by artist Norberto Estrada. This colorful bouquet can be found near the intersection of Vista Village Drive and Main Street.

Not far from this sculpture is another titled Chasing Fish, by artist Noe Estrada. It’s near the corner of Main Street and South Citrus Avenue.

Check out Whale of a Tale, by artist Sergey Gornushkin! The whale is flukes up and preparing to dive at the corner of South Indiana Avenue and East Broadway.

I love this banner on South Santa Fe Avenue. Not sure how long it’s been up. It’s by Jack Green, Vista Innovation & Design Academy!

Finally, I noticed an electrical box at the corner of Santa Fe Avenue and Vista Village Drive has been redecorated in a tribute to NASA and Vista, California, Earth…

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.

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Funky sculpture in Carlsbad overlooks Pacific Ocean.

A funky sculpture has been erected in Carlsbad overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean. I thought you might enjoy seeing it.

As I walked along a dirt path atop the bluffs near Carlsbad Boulevard, a bit north of Cerezo Drive, I stumbled upon this fun artistic creation. Painted scenes, palm frond faces, a colorful heart, flags.

Who made it?

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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.

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Sunday walk around San Diego Comic-Con!

Enjoy another collection of cool photographs. I took these while walking around downtown San Diego on Sunday morning, the final day of Comic-Con 2025.

Yes, Comic-Con on a Sunday begins to wind down. I noticed this year that an offsite activation or two had already disappeared overnight. The remaining offsites close earlier on Sunday. Time for many out-of-towners to call it a Con and start heading home.

The cool thing is, local San Diego families love to come out on Sunday to enjoy the fun sights, cosplay and remaining offsites. It’s like a free visit to a sprawling amusement park. There’s still is a whole bunch of excitement!

Anyone at all can participate. That makes Comic-Con very special. It’s one big reason why so many in San Diego love Comic-Con.

You might notice from my photos I circled the San Diego Convention Center a couple times. As always, I’m reluctant to see another Comic-Con vanish. It goes by much too quickly. But there’s always next year to look forward to, right?

To everyone I met, you were awesome! Perhaps I’ll see you next year!

Now it’s time for a few days rest–then onward to more Cool San Diego Sights! Stay tuned!

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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.

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Fun, craziness, cosplay: it’s Comic-Con!

Just another collection of fun photos. I took these on the second day of Comic-Con 2025. Walking around San Diego during Comic-Con is like moving through a fantastic, improbable dream.

Imagination, creativity, cosplay, sudden surprises at every turn! As they say in one movie, Everything Is AWESOME!!!

I feel like a wide-eyed child again. Comic-Con never gets old!

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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!

Action on the morning of Comic-Con Preview Night!

Lots of action in downtown San Diego this morning! Wednesday has finally arrived, the day of Comic-Con 2025 Preview Night!

Comic-Con’s many offsite activations are in a big hurry to have everything ready to open tomorrow.

Some offsites have appeared almost overnight, including the Twisted Metal Bumper Battle and the Petco Park Interactive Zone. The Rady Shell has begun decorating for their big two day Crunchyroll Anime FanFest. The grassy strip between the Omni San Diego hotel and Harbor Drive is seeing several pop-ups now materializing, including Thunderbolts and Lilo & Stitch.

I enjoyed my usual morning walk through the Gaslamp Quarter and around the San Diego Convention Center. You can imagine how anticipation for Comic-Con is growing!

I saw only one instance of full cosplay, and the guy was in a big hurry. Exhibitors were streaming in from every direction to get their stuff ready. For some independent publishers and specialized vendors, Comic-Con with its nearly 140,000 attendees can be the biggest few days of the year.

Yes, every year, Comic-Con is one of San Diego’s most epic events! The world is watching!

Here’s a photographic taste of the Preview Night morning action…

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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!