Those attractions of natural interest.
Don’t waste any time getting to the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park if you want to see the cherry trees in full bloom! It appears that they are at their peak as of 16 March, and the blossoms’ petals are beginning to drift to the ground in a mini blizzard of pink when a… Read More Cherry Blossoms at Japanese Friendship Garden
Overview If you’re looking for a day at the beach without all the hassles of trying to park in Mission Beach or Pacific Beach, you may want to try Silver Strand State Beach located just south of Coronado and about 25-minutes from downtown San Diego. True, there aren’t any of the bars, restaurants, and shops… Read More Silver Strand State Beach
Overview Just over an hour east of downtown San Diego is Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, nestled in the Peninsular Mountains at about 4,500 feet / 1,370 meters in elevation. It’s wide-open meadows are dotted with oaks, pine trees, trails, campgrounds, and split-rail fences. Other parts of the park butting up against taller mountains are more… Read More Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Overview Are you looking for a place to get outdoors and enjoy the day, have a large family gathering, ride your horse, or even go camping? Sweetwater Summit Regional Park located near CA 125 and CA 54 in eastern Bonita may fit the bill. Camping There are 112 campsites with full (water, electricity, sewer) or… Read More Sweetwater Summit Regional Park
I took a Sunday drive to Borrego Springs and the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park this afternoon (5 March 2017) to check on the desert bloom after all the rain that we’ve had. My first stop was the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park visitor center to learn the status of the bloom and where to best view… Read More Desert Bloom Underway in ABDSP
The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve is a great way to escape the city and experience the unique world of a protected river estuary. Situated on 2,500 acres between Imperial Beach and the U.S.-Mexico border, the Tijuana Estuary is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and… Read More Tijuana River Estuary
Southern California has its faults—figurative and literal. In this case, it’s the Rose Canyon Fault that runs right through the heart of San Diego and is adjacent to the new 45-story apartment building, Pinnacle on the Park. In fact, the building’s developers were the ones who created and will maintain the park. The park is… Read More Fault Line Park
The Old Mission Dam in Mission Trails Regional Park is a bit of early San Diego history set in a remarkably serene setting. This was my first visit to Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) and I’m sorry that I haven’t explored it earlier. It’s a 7,220 acre (2,922 hectare) park with plenty of hiking trails… Read More Old Mission Dam – Mission Trails Regional Park
If you’re into hiking, rare trees, towering cliffs, sweeping panoramic views, the ocean, beaches, salt marshes, and waterfowl, then Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve (not park) is for you. Why the distinction between a reserve and park? Well, the Torrey pine is found in only two places, Torrey Pines Natural Reserve and Santa Rosa island,… Read More Torrey Pines State Reserve
Each spring, 50 acres of hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Carlsbad are washed in the brilliant colors of thousands of Tecolote® Giant Ranunculus flowers. Typically, the bloom season is early March through early May, but that can vary based on weather patterns each year. The 2016 bloom season opens 1 March. You can wander… Read More The Flower Fields of Carlsbad
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