R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 174
April 1, 2015
Día de Muertos in San Diego’s Old Town
Día de Muertos, San Diego Old Town
Día de Muertos is a Mexican holiday that takes place every year. It begins on October 31 and runs through November 2. But in San Diego Old Town Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated on November 1 and 2, presumably because the first day coincides with Halloween here in the U.S.
Día de Muertos, San Diego Old Town
As you may have surmised by now, despite the focus on dead people, Día de Muertos has little to do with Halloween. It is instead a three-par...
March 30, 2015
Continuing Through San Diego Old Town
Toby’s Candle & Soap Shop
If you start at the Old Town entrance near the Old Town Transit Center, head eastbound through the grounds, and exit out on Twiggs Street you’ll find the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
Church of the Immaculate Conception
Head back toward Old Town after you photograph the church and you’ll see the east side entrance welcoming you back.
Across the back entrance to San Diego Old Town
In between you’ll find lots of interesting subjects for your camera.
Charming Sho...
March 27, 2015
Fun Photo Friday — Some San Diego Old Town Favorites
Tiled Staircase
Today I present to you some of my favorite shots of San Diego Old Town as well as our ship this voyage, the Grand Princess. Click on any image below to bring up today’s photo gallery.
By the way, if you’re reading this and other material authored by me on The Destinary website, this post was not “Posted on (fill in the date) | By destinary” as they’ve been erroneously claiming; this material was in fact reposted. The Destinary have also been claiming the right to do so,...
March 25, 2015
San Diego Old Town — Stepping into the Mid-18th Century
House of Jerky and Root Beer, Silver Lilly Jewelry and Silversmithing
Strolling through San Diego Old Town is a bit like stepping back into the mid-19th Century, and with good reason. This was the heart of San Diego until around 1870.
Cosmopolitan Hotel, San Diego Old Town
San Diego Old town boasts over thirty restaurants, many with a Mexican flair. There are also over a hundred rather unique shops and some very impressive hotels. But it’s Old Town’s twenty-seven historic buildings and sites...
March 23, 2015
A New Cruise Series — First Stop San Diego
Grand Princess, fresh from Los Angeles
Today I begin a new travel series on a ten-day cruise Ursula and I took out of Los Angeles to Mexico back in October/November of 2014. Along the way I’ll give you a glimpse of some seldom seen ports of call in the Sea of Cortez, rather than the usual fare along the Mexican Riviera. First stop out of L.A. was San Diego, but unlike the last time we went there we visited San Diego on a cruise this time we ventured went farther from port. But first we would...
March 20, 2015
Fun Photo Friday — Favorites of Sunspot and the NSO
White Sands Panorama
Hope you’re having a really great friggatriskaidekaphobic Friday the 13th, Part 2 (Part 1 was last month). Here are a few favorites from our road trip to Sunspot, New Mexico, and the National Solar Observatory:
By the way, if you’re reading this and other material authored by me on The Destinary website, this post was not “Posted on (fill in the date) | By destinary” as they’ve been erroneously claiming; this material was in fact reposted. The Destinary have also bee...
March 18, 2015
Hiking Around the National Solar Observatory
Dunn Solar Telescope
The hike begins as you leave the Visitors Center and start heading uphill. The first structure jutting above the landscape, and the tallest one around, is the Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope pictured above. Inside the Dunn building you’ll see some this:
Dunn Solar Telescope
Very near the Dunn structure is another building — The John W. Evans Solar Facility. Inside the Evans facility are two telescopes — a 12-inch/30.5-centimeter coelostat and a 16-inch/40.5-centimeter cor...
March 16, 2015
One-Day Road Trip — Sunspot, New Mexico
Welcome to Sacramento Peak
A nice day trip out of El Paso is up to Cloudcroft, then hang a right southbound to the National Solar Observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico, atop Sacramento Peak. Ursula and I have lived in El Paso for over three decades, but this was our first visit to Sunspot.
Visitors Center
As you drive south from Cloudcroft you pass signs along the way that are distance-wise proportionally to scale with our solar system, with the entrance to the National Solar Observatory represe...
March 13, 2015
Fun Photo Friday — Sunsets, Snow, and a Marriage Proposal
December 21 Sunset
It’s been an interesting winter here in El Paso. On December 16 we had a spectacular sunset.
We had another on December 21.
December 21 Sunset
Then we got hit by snow on December 26.
Snowfall December 26
And again about a month later.
Snowfall January
Then, on Super Bowl Sunday, it started raining marriage proposals.
Super Bowl Sunday Marriage Proposal
Which brings us to today’s gallery of winter events:
Filed under: Fun Photo Friday, Photography, R. Doug Wicker Tagge...
March 11, 2015
Crazy Cuisine — Carefully Crock Cooking Carnitas
A plate of tempting carnitas
We have here in El Paso an absolutely marvelous local restaurant chain called Carnitas Queretaro, which oddly enough specializes in carnitas. And we do love our carnitas, or “little meats” as that translates. Traditionally this is done with chunks of fatty pork deep fried, but today I’m going to present a delicious and hopefully healthier alternative that I think comes out even better. Here’s what you’ll need:
One large Boston Butt (pork shoulder) cut in half. It’s...
