A list of interesting things unique to San Diego
The 25th Street Musical Bridge spanning the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway (State Route 94) linking the neighborhoods of Golden Hill to the north and Sherman Heights to the south. It is the railing separating the sidewalk from the traffic on the west side of the bridge that is the most interesting. Artist Roman de Salvo had the idea of creating a "song rail" - a carillon, which is a series of chromatic bells that plays a tune when struck in sequence. If you've ever run a stick along a picket fence while walking, then you'll get the idea. So, in essence, de Salvo has created a work of art that is not only functional but also beautiful - a melding of safety and music in a most unique way - and it serves as a symbolic gesture of bridging the two neighborhoods of Golden Hill and Sherman Heights. The song rail's tune is called the "Crab Carillon," and was written solely for the project by SDSU music instructor Joseph Waters, and plays the same whether walking in either direction.
The Carlsbad Flower Fields. 5704 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad CA. Usually opens in March through mid-May.. The Flower Fields gates are open until 6 p.m. The fields remain open one hour after admission gates close. COST: $8 for adults; $7 for seniors 60 and older; $5 for children 3-10, and free for children 2 and younger.
A survivor in the face of progress, the 50-acre Flower Fields are a bit of a throwback to a different era of the San Diego region. While most of the surrounding agricultural fields have long sold out to development, the Flower Fields continue to operate as a working flower farm. Owned by the Carltas Co. (a land-holding company owned by the Ecke Family of poinsettia fame), the fields will remain a flower or agriculture production in perpetuity per an agreement with the city of Carlsbad.
So, what does one do when visiting the Flower Fields? Well, simply take in the beauty of the flowers. A walk through the dirt fields (wear comfortable shoes) on the hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the distance is just a pleasant experience. Be sure to bring a camera and take photos of the colorful blooms.
Past Features: A Sweet Pea Maze, a Sand Sculpture, and an Historical Poinsettia Display. Also included is an All-American Rose Selection Garden, which features more than 50 new varieties of roses. Each rose in the garden competes in an intensive two-year trial program in Carlsbad and other gardens across the country where they are judged for disease resistance, color and fragrance, among other attributes.
