Out and About Oceanside

Lori — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 22:31:01 +0000

I went down to Oceanside a couple of weeks back to visit a sick friend. Spring in Southern California is a beautiful place to be. Flowers are blooming everywhere and the weather is wonderful.

It was a great opportunity for photography.

One of the best subjects for photos are the people of Southern California. People were out everywhere enjoying the fine Spring temperatures.

I’ve been experimenting with a variety of art styles for this set of photos.

Oceanside Farmer’s Market

Every Thursday Evening, Oceanside holds an impressive street fair in the middle of their downtown. There are a few farmers selling veggies and flowers. However, there are many more merchants and food sellers. You can pretty munch on any ethnic food from gyros to African dishes to Texas barbecue. There’s always music in the air to add to the excitement.

Flamenco Guitarist

Grunge Band

Of all the people wandering around the street fair, this couple was my favorite.

Icarus and Friend – Retro Style

Icarus and his Girl Friend

Balboa Park

I spent Sunday at the park listening to music, trying Lebanese cuisine (date molasses and pine nut juice is really, really sweet), and following a park ranger as he gave a lecture on the plants of Balboa Park.

Flamenco Guitarist

Flautist

Sun Bather

Steam Powered Giraffe

My favorite performers of the day were this group of pantomime musicians who entertained in front of the lily pond.

The Performer

The Lead Singer

The Spokesman

Next week, I’ll celebrate Earth Day by sharing some of its beauty.

Mission San Luis Rey

Lori — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:59:38 +0000

Mission San Luis Rey is a National Historic Landmark located in Oceanside, CA. It was built in a combination of Spanish, Moorish, and Mexican styles. It is still in operation and many Catholic retreats are held on the grounds. You can see the remains of the lavanderia, brickwork gardens where the Indians used to wash clothes and use the water to support the orchard. Parts of the grounds were used by the military during the Mexican-American War. It was also used as a film setting by Walt Disney – several episodes of the television series, Zorro, were filmed here.

There are some very fine statues on the mission grounds. The life-sized bronzes of Jesus holding the cross are particularly impressive. The gardens and cemetery are beautiful. It’s well-worth a visit for those who enjoy learning more about California or Christian history.

The Mission

The Statues

Cemetery

This Skull and Crossbones was added to the cemetery wall when they filmed Zorro here.

Far Studio Gallery » Oceanside