San Diego Metro KOA
Chula Vista, CA
January 12, 2024
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| Harbor Drive in San Diego |
Wednesday's destination was Seaport Village. It's a fun outing...we can walk, shop, eat and never have to move the jeep and it's less than 10 miles from the KOA.
The walk along the harbor passes by store fronts, patio cafes, a very green park with trees and picnic tables and benches, and a marina on one side. The beautiful bay with various size boats going out or coming in, Bay Bridge, Coronado Island and the Navy shipyard are on the other side.
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| Fun stores to browse... |
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| A beautiful green park... |
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| Looking toward Bay Bridge which connects San Diego and Coronado Island... |
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| Looking toward San Diego... |
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| Navy shipyard across the bay... |
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| Getting closer to the marina... |
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| Passing by the marina, we always take time to read the names of the sea going vessels..."Snaphappy" was our favorite this time... |
It wasn't until the late 1970s that someone had a vision for Seaport Village which officially opened in 1978. Today it is a 14 acre waterfront complex with lots of color, a laid-back vibe, and unique shopping and eating choices.
And while there, don't forget to look up or you might just forget you are right smack dab in the middle of downtown...beautiful San Diego !
Walking and shopping sure makes me hungry. Our lunch choice was Edgewater Grill...they serve brunch until 3:00 ! It was little chilly for the outside patio, but we had a very nice window table with a really nice view of the bay.
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| Joe patiently waiting while I washed my hands... |
The service was stellar and the food was yummy. Joe chose fish and chips served on a bed of mixed greens with fries and malt vinegar. I had brunch...not a surprise...and chose crab Benedict with local crab, poached eggs, house hollandaise, english muffin, avocado, and breakfast fries. I ate every morsel !
We did make one small purchase...
Friday's destination was Mission Beach. We joined Ronnie and Carol for a much needed beach walk...I was in heaven! Our walk began at a grassy knoll somewhere at Mission Beach and ended past the Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach. Some of the walk was sandy ocean and some on the boardwalk where beach reparation was in progress.
One of the last of San Diego's beach communities to be developed, Mission Beach got its start in 1914. It is built on a sandbar between the Pacific Ocean and Mission Bay.
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| Mission Beach...glistening rocks |
This family friendly beach spans nearly 2 miles of ocean front. A boardwalk runs along the beaches on both the ocean and bay front areas. Since our arrival and thru this morning there has been a high surf advisory with winds gusts up to 45 mph and breaking waves between 12-18 + ft. high with water finding its way to nearby boardwalks and roads. Piers were closed and I even read that the sea wall at the Children's Pool in LaJolla has damages as well which is not good for the seals and sea lions who birth their pups this time of year.
I have always enjoyed the challenge of capturing waves as they roll over...
I'm guessing this surfer feels the same.
Crystal Pier, first built in 1927, is an 872 ft long wooden pier.
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| Each cottage features a private deck on the pier... |
Also built in 1927, the hotel primarily features original cottages...restored, renovated, and rustic...a reminder of days gone by.
Past the pier, the glistening rocks disappear and we enjoyed the shore birds and their funny antics scooting in and out, chasing each other and probing for tasty morsels. Lots of Marbled Godwits...
and Willets.
Back at Belle, we had a really nice rainy Wednesday night. Rain in Belle is awesome especially when it's a good steady rain and no winds are involved.
Of course an afternoon nap is nice too !
I'll close with a few photos...
Until next time,
HAPPY TRAILS!
One place we have never been, very interesting history. Imagine what it looked like in the 1870's!
ReplyDeleteI love visiting San Diego…it is one of the prettiest cities we have ever visited and I do miss the ocean from time to time. So much history and even though I have seen historical photos of days gone by here, I can not imagine what it looked like on a large scale. The developers at Mission Bay back in the early 1900s actually designed a “tent” housing community initially on the bayside.
DeleteLooks like you went to some of our favorite places. Big changes will be coming to Seaport Village sometime in the future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sOAXyYXBVQ
ReplyDeleteI saw signs that read changes were going to be made at Seaport Village. I love it just the way it is and can’t imagine how it can be better. Fingers crossed it does not loose its quaint charm and appeal.
DeleteLovely blog Gay! Your lunch looked divine!--(we dined at Cafe a La C'Art yesterday--delicious!) There is something about being on the beach and you captured it beautifully! Your little owl purchase is adorable--I love it! I don't often wear hats but that photo of the colorful hats made me want that red one. Was it crowded--I don't see people in your photos. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteThank you Janna. I do love beach walks and miss not being closer for quick trips. We often visited the Florida gulf from our home in GA for a weekend or weeks and even months after retirement before we started full-time RVing as it was an easy few hours to get there. I have several hats from that hat shop and enjoy them all. So far, we have not been crowded anywhere we have been except at the museum at the lighthouse. There were folks meandering at the marina and village, but no crowds. Mission Beach was alittle more busy. I have never seen so many surfers! I’m so happy you enjoyed Cafe a la C’Art…it’s my favorite!
DeleteSan Diego has always been one of our favorite places. Your photos were stellar, they really captured the area and made me miss our times there. We'll have to plan a little jaunt over soon, it's not really that far from our Arizona home base. We've never stayed at the KOA there, it looks very nice. You're giving me "ideas"!
ReplyDeleteHi Sue! Thank you…I love San Diego and think it is quite photogenic. I don’t think one could ever capture a bad photo. We have always stayed at the KOA in SD mainly because of the puppies. We started with four and have wonderful memories of this park and playtime with them. It can get a little crowded on the week-ends sometimes, but otherwise this time of the year it’s not so bad. (We have no idea what it is like here in other seasons.) And most places we go are not that far away. LaJolla at 21 miles is about the longest drive we ever make…
DeleteThe big waves did bring out some good surfers, I'm certainly not one of them!, didn't even go down to watch. There's a dining area behind the first beach cabin on Crystal Pier. We like to pick up a breakfast at Kono's and sit out there when it's a bit warmer.
ReplyDeleteSeaport Village has seen several attempts to be reimagined, but I like just as it is.
Hi Jeff…we saw Kono’s yesterday. That part of our walk had to be on the boardwalk…lucky you and Fran! Lots of big trucks and tractors on the beach dumping and smoothing out sand. I’m with you…I like Seaport Village just the way it is too.
DeleteWonderful, wonderful, wonderful!! So many great pics, thanks for taking me back to one of my favorite places in the city. In fact, you're sitting at the same Edgewater table we sat at last year!! Great catch of the surfer. Makes me miss the Pacific.
ReplyDeleteHi Jodee...isn't this just the most photogenic city ever? And you are very welcome. We sure love walking the harbor and I love taking photos there. Isn't it so wonderful making and having memories of favorite places?
DeleteWhat an absolutely beautiful and fun place! My favorite pics were the colorful whirligigs and garden flags at the shop, the silhouette of the surfer, Dad gazing out the window as he waited at the table and the sweet little bird footprints in the sand. You could seriously take pictures for magazines! You're a very talented photographer, and I love reading your blog. Love you!
ReplyDeleteHi Jill....thank you! You are very kind to say "you are a talented photographer" as I think of myself as a "very lucky photographer". It's always fun to take a kazillion photos and have a few keepers! Love you too!
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