Stay Fly San Diego

I wish I could say that I was in San Diego, but alas these photos are from my trip there last April.  I can't go anywhere as for some reason I keep neglecting to send in my Canadian passport application.

I was cleaning up photo files that were unlabeled and found these two murals obviously done by the same artist. I must say, I'm a fan, though I'm trying to figure out what the symbolism is for having a wolf head crying a river on one hand and a bird mask too!  Some story there.

Beautiful mornings have been few in February so far. The weather has been either snowy or windy here more often than is normal for eastern Newfoundland, so I've been in the house painting a lot myself.  More about that in the next post, for now I'm happy to join in with the Monday Mural crowd again for the first time in a long time! And dream of a trip back to California next winter...

Persistence Pays

The last hike that I took while I was in San Diego in April was on the Piedras Pintadas trail in Escondido.

Mountain biker cresting the hill

I didn't know how long the trail was, or how far I wanted to go, but after I climbed a really steep hill  I decided I'd go as far as it would take me.

Another hiker enjoying the morning

Not much farther along I was surprised by the last of the spring bloom. The purple and yellow blanket lifted my spirits and spurred me to continue and see what was around the next bend.

Piedras Pintadas means "painted rocks", and interpretive signs along the way explained the petroglyphs that are found on some rocks in the area.  That portion of the park is now closed to protect what remains due to vandalism, but I enjoyed the coloration on these rocks nonetheless.

As I wound my way through the boulders I saw the 3.8 mile lollipop loop trail would end overlooking Lake Hodges.  My persistence paid off!

I can almost hear the birds that were on the lake calling to each other and feel the heat of the sun on my shoulders...

Knowing that the majority of the return hike was downhill was a relief as the sun rose in the sky and the temperature started to climb.  Perfect weather for lizards to sit on a fence!

It still isn't as warm here in Newfoundland at the end of May as it was in San Diego, but we have had sunny skies and comfortable temperatures for two days in a row and I'd say summer is on its way.  Except for murals I'm caught up blog posts, so get ready for sunsets over oceans and maritime fun!

US Grant Hotel - A San Diego Flashback Post

This post is from my trip to San Diego in 2018

Created by Ulysses S. Grant Jr., the hotel opened its doors in 1910.  It underwent extensive renovation in the 1980's after being saved from the wrecking ball in the '70's and being added to the list of National Historic Sites.

In 2003 it was purchased by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Indians whose ancestral land the hotel was built upon.

Chairpersons of the Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay

Down below the main floor I found this large safe.  I wonder if it was for the hotel's business use or for the guests?

And then found myself in the Crystal Ballroom, admiring the painted ceiling.

The times when attention to detail like this are unfortunately long gone.

There was a collection of historic items on display, I won't spoil it for you by showing it all, but I adored this old postcard!

Casa del Prado - the Missing Balboa Park Post

This post is about my trip to San Diego in 2018-

Catching up at last!

When I visited San Diego in 2018 one of the things I did was go stroll through Balboa Park which was home to the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. The Exhibition introduced Spanish Colonial Revival architecture to Southern California and to millions of visitors. The buildings were meant to be temporary, but San Diegans did not want to let them go and through a mix of public funds and private fundraising they have reconstructed some of the buildings and the arcades, filling them with museums, performing arts venues and lovely gardens.

photo credit: Chris Jennewein - from Times San Diego article
 https://timesofsandiego.com/opinion/2019/04/03/a-strong-public-private-partnership-is-essential-to-balboa-parks-future/

I already posted about Balboa Park previously, but somehow neglected to include a post about The Casa del Prado which was the first replacement of an Exposition building and was completed in 1971.  The ornamentation on the exterior of the building was completed with the aid of private donations.



Somehow I forgot to get a photo of the exterior of the building, but here is what I found when I went inside. The original Exposition building stood for 50 years and was used for a variety of purposes after the Exposition including temporary barracks, post office, hospital ward and Red Cross during World Wars One and Two for the US. Navy.  It was even home to the Public Library while they constructed a new one for two years in the 1950's.

I was delighted to discover a sculpture display in its shady walkways around the open courtyard. The Conquistador vignette replica above was a pendant beneath a sculptural group on the Varied Industries building.

 original building image from sign 

While the Conquistador was a replica, the Indian head below was an original, showing the softness of time. 

Plaster models designed in 1924 of famous 17th century Spanish painters Velazquez, Murillo and Zurbaran were used to cast sculptures above what is now the San Diego Museum of Art.

And Seraphim, the highest order of angels, were resting in a peaceful corner with a view of the gardens.

There were more, but it would spoil your adventure to see them if I showed them all!

Annie's Canyon Mini-Hike

In search of a new hike close to my home base in Rancho Bernado I decided to head over to the San Elijo Conservancy and check out Annie's Canyon. If you go, make sure to park at Rios Avenue because the other trailhead is currently closed.

Once the prone to vandalism the trail was restored and opened on June 21, 2016. It is named Annie’s Canyon Trail in honor of a 30-year resident of Solana Beach named Annie.

Birds only beyond this point

Annie’s Canyon Trail is a moderate-to-strenuous ¼-mile loop trail accessible from Rios Avenue trail. It was probably half a mile from the trailhead to canyon loop entrance.

No climbing on the eroded sandstone please, and of course no vandalism either.

I was smart and got there early, it may have been my first time in a slot canyon, but I know how it is on popular trails.

It only takes a few minutes to maneuver your way through, and even though it's a slight incline just forge ahead with confidence.

There was a metal ladder at the end, and a panoramic view of the salt marsh with the ocean as a backdrop was the reward.  I even got to enjoy it by myself for a few minutes before the families started arriving for their weekend adventure.

Dave's Rock Garden

After my morning at the San Diego Botanical Gardens I drove over to Encinitas to grab an iced Dragon Pearl Jasmine tea at the Lofty Coffee Company.  From there it was a short stroll to the public beach, and along the way I came across Dave's Rock Garden.

There are so many rocks here that passersby have painted that I would have had to spend an hour to get a good look at even most of them.  When I went to their Facebook page every photo I saw was of a rock I didn't even see!

Paint supplies and a sign encouraging you to paint your own were handy, but I didn't see any paint brushes so I wasn't able to contribute.

The creativity of other people never fails to amaze me!

If I'm in the area again I'll have to bring my own brush.  I wonder what I should paint?  I have plenty of time to think about it, that's for sure.

I continued on down the hill toward the beach where families were setting up for a day in the sun.  Beaches themselves don't appeal to me much since I'm not much of a sitter and I tend to burn so I headed to the overlook.

That's the way to enjoy the beach for me - from afar!

Given a comfy chair and some shade I could've sat there for awhile, reading a book and stealing occasional glances at the ocean.

Just behind the overlook there was this darling house for rent so someone could do just that if they wanted, and paint a rock a day during their stay!

Critters at the Garden

At the San Diego Botanical Garden I had no trouble spotting lizards.

And while the lizards basked in the sun, the bunnies played in the shade.

The turtles were either busy taking a siesta or slipping into the pond.

Some of the birds I spotted weren't breathing, but fun to watch nonetheless.

Especially the Bird of Paradise, which was hard to photograph even though it didn't try to fly away.

Surprisingly, I got some pretty good hummingbird shots even though I just pressed the shutter with little hope of actually getting a crisp shot.

Spying this speedster as it zipped overhead was a great end to my 3 hour walk around the gardens!

A few more posts about San Diego and hopefully I'll be ready to start posting about the move!

A Botanical-icious Morning

Somehow I'm way behind again...maybe it has something to do with all the last minute packing that needed to be done and the first few hectic days trying to get across the country?

So here is the speed dating version of my visit to the San Diego Botanical Garden!

I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed at a botanic garden before.  I'm going to attribute that to the sun and the comfortable warmth San Diego experiences in April, but an attempt to relax before the big move was the purpose of the trip so mission accomplished.

I really liked the Baja Fairy Duster trees.   They don't make trees like that in Wisconsin.

There was also a Daisy Tree.  Literally, that was its name!

A fruit orchard tempted me, but signs everywhere tell you not to pick the fruit.

My favorite part of the walk was the bamboo garden, its gentle shade was a nice retreat after an hour of full sun.

When I visit a garden I try to pay attention not only to the blooms but to the textures as well.  This visit I even enjoyed the shape of the shadows on the sandy path.

 I was introduced to the Mexican Poppy....

...and trees that would never make it through a Midwestern winter.

The cactus garden was loaded with texture, and I made sure to keep a watchful eye on my footing.

 It would have ruined the morning if I had fallen into those spiny beauties!

Not all was poky and dry.

There were plenty of lush flowers to admire as well.

In the children's garden I was amazed by the Elephant Foot trees, which are natives of Mexico unlike the living elephants of Asia and Africa.

And I really enjoyed the birds on these tiles at the entrance to the walled garden, but not as much as the real birds I spotted...more about that tomorrow!