Month: May 2018

Del Mar

We didn’t set out to go to Del Mar on this typical gray day in California but somehow we ended up driving through this southern coastal town located in San Diego County.

We had an activity planned but changed our mind, so we turned back towards Interstate 5 which was just a short mile away.

However, the freeway was going to have to wait as we came across a great little lookout featuring an expansive view of the San Dieguito Lagoon.  There was a long wooden pier like structure that allowed us to walk out and gaze over the waterways.   It was then and there that we decided to explore a little more around this area and the rest of Del Mar.

A few friendly locals were also enjoying the scene and let us know about all the different types of fish that wander through the canals.  They also rattled off the many species of birds that call this place home including an often returning Blue Heron.

Amazingly, we were told of an Osprey nest about a mile away , so finding it was now our immediate mission.  This is exactly why I like to talk to the people who live in the area because you find out about little tidbits like this.

So we set out in the general area and drove around until we saw the nest perched way up high on a super tall man-made pole.  I strained my telephoto as far as it could go and definitely saw the Ospreys, all three of them.

The male sat at the very top post protecting and surveying the scene below while the female tended to the nest or maybe newborns?  I moved a little closer to get a clearer shot even though I could tell the male was watching me closely  to make sure I didn’t disturb his home and family.   Pretty cool getting eye balled by an Osprey while I was about a quarter mile from the Interstate 5 and only a stones throw from  Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Where the Surf Meets the Turf
Speaking of the fairgrounds, this is Del Mars claim to fame.  These renowned grounds are the host to over 300 events every year.  This includes the big draw events like, the San Diego County Fair, Del Mar thoroughbred horse races, the Scream Zone at Halloween, and the Holiday of Light show at Christmas.  There are a multitude of shows for horses, home products, concerts, and much more.

Continue reading “Del Mar”

The Tale of Ghosts, Munchkins, Musical Bridges, and Man-Made Animals:

The plan was to go to Los Angeles for the day to explore a few different and unusual things that we investigated via Google.   However,   laziness was taking over as on this dreary gray day in Southern California, the warmth of a couch was more inviting.

As the morning was slipping away, a few of us decided that we had to get going and seize the day.   Los Angeles was out of the question now because it was already approaching noon and L.A. is a two hour drive.

So our trusty search engine found a few out of the ordinary things to do in the nearby San Diego area that sounded interesting.

Each one on its own wouldn’t be worth the drive but we bunched a few together since they were all within five miles of each other.

With a plan of action and directions in hand, we set off to visit four unusual things to do in San Diego.

The 25^th Street Musical Bridge
On one of the lists we read, it told about a bridge in San Diego that has 488 chimes on its rail that If struck would actually play music.

Artist Roman de Salvo and composer Joseph Waters created this unusual musical display by attaching brass pipes over the steel bars of the railing.  A song was created by cutting each pipe a certain length to create different notes.   These brass pipes fit over the steel bars of the railing so that when you hit them with a stick or metal piece, you could create a musical tone and if done right, play the song.

So the information we received said to bring something like a stick or a metal rod as a bare hand wouldn’t work.  Basically, it is like a giant xylophone in the form of a guard rail next to the sidewalk.

On this Saturday afternoon, the bridge was easily found and I asked a passerby if that was the musical bridge since nobody was on the sidewalk.  He didn’t know so it made me wonder if we would look stupid going back and forth whacking on the railing.

Then I looked over at Staycationer JoJo and saw what she brought to hit against the pipes.  It was a hollow plastic vacuum cleaner attachment!!     You know the kind you use to get in corners and behind furniture.   I thought to myself, is that is all she could find?

The bridge was in fact the musical bridge and it sat above a noisy highway.  I found this odd but as it turns out, I preferred the noise of the cars below over the awful concerto JoJo was playing.  Yes I could hear the ringing of the pipes and I am sure with a piece of metal it would sound quite nice.  However, the clattering of the plastic attachment overwhelmed the mellow wind chime type ringing coming from the railing.  What was supposed to be a pleasing sound was actually, ok, I will say it…annoying.

I don’t think the composer had vacumn cleaner attachments in mind when he designed the musical pipes.

If you choose to go, you can find the bridge on 25^th Street in San Diego near F and G streets.  It hovers over the State Route  94 freeway.   Take it from me, bring something metal.

Continue reading “Four Unusual Things to do in San Diego “