Mission Elementary School - Oceanside, CA, USA

Part of the Oceanside Unified School District, Mission Elementary School once served grades Kindergarten through 6th.  6th grade in recent years has been incorporated into the "middle schools," leaving the elementary schools with Kindergarten through 5th grades.  Built in 1953, Mission Elementary School will be closed during the 2012-2013 school year for extensive renovations.  Its classes will be held at an alternate location during this time.

The existing buildings are presently undergoing demolition.

Located at 2100 Mission Avenue.

Oceanside Gym and Health Club - Oceanside, CA, USA

During the 1950s and 1960s Bill and Angie Freeman were the owners and operators of the Oceanside Gym and Health Club.  It was located across the street from the site, at that time, of the Oceanside Boys Club.

Newspaper advertisement from April 28, 1960 in the Vista Press.

Newspaper advertisement from February 18, 1966 in the Vista Press.

I was not allowed to go to public swimming pools as a child, probably due to the Polio epidemic, but my parents did allow me to take beginner swimming lessons from Bill Freeman at this pool.  I remember sitting in the women's steam room after swimming lessons.  My family and the Freeman family attended the same church.  Bill and Angie were always deeply tanned and fit.

This is how the exterior of the facility looks today.  There have been several occupants over the years since the Oceanside Gym and Health Club closed.  It is presently occupied by the Oceanside Scuba and Swim Center.

Located at 225 Brooks Street just east of Interstate 5.

Maze Stone Park - Hemet, CA, USA

California State Registered Landmark No. 557

"Maze Stone
This pictograph, representing a maze, is an outstanding example of the work of prehistoric peoples. It, with 5.75 acres of land, was donated to Riverside County as a county park on April 16, 1956 by Mr. and Mrs. Rodger E. Miller.
Registered Landmark No. 557
Plaque Placed By California State Park Commission In Cooperation With Riverside County Board of Supervisors and Hemet Woman's Club, February 9, 1957."

Look for a sign pointing the way to the State Historical Marker along State Highway 74 west of Hemet, and drive north on California Avenue.  Follow California Avenue for a little over 3 miles until it ends at a gate.  Park here - no vehicles are allowed beyond this point.  Be cautious of the soft sand on either side of the pavement.

It is a short uphill hike along the old pavement to the Maze Stone.  Carry water with you and be on the lookout for rattlesnakes.

The Maze Stone and Monument are located on the right.  Sadly it has been necessary to enclose them both within two separate barbed-wire-topped chainlink fences to deter vandalism.

In the lower left corner square of the Maze a swastika was carved sometime after the 1930s, an act of vandalism.

I first visited Maze Stone Park in the late 1970s and at that time there was only one chainlink fence  These photos were taken in November of 2006.  It was a hot dry day and I regretted carrying only one bottle of water along on the hike.

Located near the north end of California Avenue, west of Hemet.

Something's Fishy Around Here - Encinitas, CA, USA

Something's Fishy Around Here, a sculpture by artist Carolyn Guerra, was on display in San Diego Botanic Garden (formerly Quail Botanical Gardens) from September 12, 2009 through March 1, 2010.  It was constructed from concrete with mosaic tiles, ceramic and glass over insulated concrete foam.  The 79-inch tall sculpture was part of the second annual Sculpture in the Garden exhibit, a collaboration between San Diego Botanic Garden and the San Diego Fine Art Society.

San Diego Botanic Garden is located at 230 Quail Gardens Drive.

The Sleeping Warrior Memorial - Pala, CA, USA

A Tribute To The Fighting Man
- The Sleeping Warrior -

"Originally dedicated to the Pala Community on the 11th day of November, 1988, by Angelo Lavato Tuchilly (Too Chill) "Hummingbird", SGT. U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne, and hereby rededicated to the Pala Community on this 11th day of November, 2007, by the Pala Veterans."

Located in the Pala Tribal Cemetery.

Library Building - Escondido, CA, USA

Built in 1895, this was Escondido's first library.  It was originally located on Grand Avenue at the corner of Hickory Street.  When the realignment of Grand Avenue caused the building's removal it was relocated to Grape Day Park in 1971.  After renovation it has served as the office of the Escondido Historical Society since 1976.  It is one of several historical buildings that make up the Esondido History Center Museum.

Located in Grape Day Park at 321 North Broadway.

Wood House - Escondido, CA, USA

Built in 1913 this Prairie style private residence was designed by John Lloyd Wright, son of  architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  A nineteen-year-old draftsman, this was his first project involving a house and it was based on a 1906 design by his father.  It was built for the Stephen F. Wood family.

Located at 455 East 5th Avenue in the Old Escondido Historic District.

Utility Box Art - Oceanside, CA, USA

In 2008 the Oceanside Arts Commission facilitated the painting of 20 gray utility boxes located at the Oceanside Harbor by volunteer artists.   The project took two years to complete.  The artwork on this utility box is titled Oceanside Harbor Walk.

It is signed Woodward 2009.

Located on Harbor Drive North.

Addendum, February 14, 2013:  Sometime between February 10 and February 14, 2013 this utility box was removed and replaced by a generic green one.