A hike or two is always on our itinerary when we visit the San Diego area, and this trip was no exception. We parked at Torrey Pines State Beach and joined other hikers up the steep road. At the top of the hill, we walked past the visitor center, restrooms, and drinking water toward the trail that leads through a portion of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve’s southern maritime chaparral.

The chaparral supports a variety of plant life. We followed the Razor Point Loop and Beach trails, walked out to either Razor Point or Yucca Point (I’m not sure which), and admired the views of the beach below and the ocean beyond when we stopped at various viewpoints.

Sets of stairs led the way down to the beach. It was low tide, so we didn’t have to worry about climbing over rocks and dodging waves to return to the parking lot, which we had to do a few years ago. Instead, we had a leisurely walk back to the car.

Lunch was in order after our trek, so we piled into the car and drove to Del Mar. Bailey recommended Poseidon, and we couldn’t have been happier about our choices and, due to the late hour, our lunch turned into dinner.

Imperial Beach was another town we explored this trip, not so much the town itself, but for the beer at Mike Hess and tacos served up by City Tacos.

We also drove around town gawking at different houses and condos. Some of the properties showed off their pride of ownership. Other condos and houses were undergoing needed renovation work, while others waited for someone to repair the damage caused by the harsh beach air.

In my last post on Chula Vista, I incorrectly identified the photo below as a Chula Vista building. It is actually in Imperial Beach, next door to Doggos Gus. A restaurant dedicated to serving up bacon-wrapped hot dogs with Mexican style toppings. They also serve burgers and have a vege option.

On another day, we started at Liberty Station in Point Loma and walked to Harbor Island. At Liberty Station we passed by art galleries and museums, shops, restaurants, and various businesses.

Kevin treated us to beignets from a stand at Liberty Public Market. They were yummy and reminded me of the beignets Jon and I ate with our coffee and chicory at the Café du Monde in New Orleans years ago.

Children climbed on the playgrounds, and families and friends gathered for picnics and celebrations at the park.

The naval theme is present throughout since Liberty Station was once part of the Navy Base.

We crossed the bay on the pedestrian bridge on Halsey Road and walked through Spanish Landing Park and Cancer Survivor’s Park, where bronze statues walk through what looked like windows. The sculptures, created by Victor Salmones, depict people of all ages as they enter and walk through their treatments and come out on the other side.

Along Harbor Island Park, we passed by the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina and the Hilton San Diego Airport/Harbor Island properties until we reached our reward. Dinner at Tom Ham’s. After three miles, my mouth watered for the scrumptious meal and libation that awaited me inside.

Our patio seating was the perfect place to watch powerboats and sailboats skim across the bay and admire the San Diego skyline on the horizon.

While we finished our dinner, the USS Coronado (LCS 4) navigated through the bay on its way out to sea. The Independence-class littoral combat ships are magnificent to see under sail and even more impressive up close. We had the opportunity to tour the USS Manchester (LCS 14) in San Francisco during Fleet Week in October 2018.

After the drinks and food, we all laughed at the idea of walking three miles back to the car. I was so glad Bailey said, “I’ll call an Uber.” If I had walked anymore that day, full-blown blisters would have erupted on the bottoms of my feet. Note to self: Wear good socks and shoes next time you go on a three-mile trek.

Next Up: Wine Tasting in Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe

Safe Travels