Bayside Walk and Switzer Canyon

San Diego Metro KOA

Chula Vista, CA

January 24, 2024

Wednesday, January 17...

Mission Beach and Bay are always a great choice for a walk.  Last week we enjoyed the Bayshore Walk along the beach and this week we enjoyed the Bayside Walk along the bay.  Dredging began back in the late 1940s to convert  marsh/wetlands into the jewel it is today. 

Today Mission Bay has 32 miles of shoreline and at 4,600 acres, it is the largest manmade aquatic park and the ninth largest municipal park in the country.  Most folks are not aware what a created environment  Mission Bay is.  It was constructed and fabricated for the purpose of creating recreational opportunities.  In fact, the first triathlon in the United States was held there in 1975. I suppose walking is a recreational opportunity and Mission Bay just happens to be a favorite for us and Ronnie and Carol.  We logged in a few miles all the while oohing and aahing.  

My dear sweet Mother-in-Law once said, "Things don't just grow in California, they thrive."  She also said if you ever have a chance to visit California, you should.  She shared that CA  was one of the most beautiful places she had ever been right along side Hawaii.  I haven't been to Hawaii and don't think a trip there is in my future, but I can say for sure that California has been a favorite for years...things do thrive here.  Helen most definitely had a green thumb and a great appreciation for color...I often think of her on these walks.  
 

Friday January 19...

I just read that San Diego is known for its canyons. I had no idea as I often think of beaches, bays, quaint neighborhoods, birds, colorful blossoms, friends, marinas, sunsets, and yummy food when I think of SD.  Canyons are usually described as a "deep, narrow, valley with steep sides" cut into the earth by running water.  Located east of Balboa Park is one such canyon...Switzer Canyon.  I was so excited Friday morning when Carol texted, "We found a new hike.  It's an urban hike in a canyon. Do you want to go?"  Located just east of Balboa Park, Switzer Canyon is one of San Diego's largest canyons.  Today, the canyon serves as a boundary for North Park and South Park...both charming San Diego neighborhoods.   

Switzer Canyon is named after E.D. Switzer who owned a five-acre farm just outside downtown SD that bordered the canyon in 1869. 

A quick search did not yield any info about him.  And the only other info I found was that  the remoteness of the canyon from downtown made it a good place for an isolation camp during the city's smallpox scare in 1887.  

 

 In October 1998, the Sierra Club guided about 60 residents on a tour of Switzer Canyon and organized the first canyon "friends".  The canyon is now a protected area to preserve the landforms, habitats, and vegetation.  What beauties these old elm trees are.  

Stately California sycamore trees and saplings...

and gorgeous native evergreen shrubs...Toyon or often called Christmas Berry.

Its a steep walk down and a steep walk up and the section of trail we did was slightly over a mile.  The exit landed us in Burlingame Historic District...a 10 block pocket  roughly located between North Park and South Park.  It is an easy stroll through a neighborhood rich in early-century Craftsman and Spanish Revival bungalows.  

The homes had plaques designating the year the home was built.

1913

I was too busy taking in the brick walks, yard, and retro camper and didn't get the date on this one...

I got side tracked on this one too...what a really nice driveway

1924

And I couldn't help myself...what a face!

We walked a couple of blocks at South Park...an urban neighborhood full of charm, coffee shops, unique boutiques, and indoor and outdoor cafes.

Plum Pottery sure caught my eye.  We met Les there.  He is a student of pottery.  

Plum Pottery is actually a studio to teach the art of pottery.  Annie is the owner and she along with two other potters are passing along their skills to locals interested in learning how to make pottery.  

Classes are offered for adults and children throughout the year.  The studio is bright and cheery and if you just happen to be at South Park during a class, the door is open and you are welcome to watch.  

Les says that only the three teachers sell their pottery at the studio and emphasized the studio is not in the business to sell pottery.  The pieces that are put in the window are sold to make room for more pieces and sold at a very reasonable price.  I do have a soft spot for pottery !

On the walk back to the car, we crossed a bridge with a skyline view of SD on our left...

and a view of Switzer Canyon on our right.

The last part of the trail and the climb out...

Two completely different walks...two totally fun days...and so many beautiful things to photograph.  Until next time...

Bayside Walk

Switzer Canyon Trail

HAPPY TRAILS!

Imperial Beach...

San Diego Metro KOA

Chula Vista, CA

January 16, 2024 

"Surfhenge",a colorful art piece, welcomes you to the pier. It is a tribute to the history of surf board design.

Imperial Beach is a little further than a stone's throw from the KOA at just under 10 miles.  It has often been described as a Southern California retro beach vibe that can be lost in the glitzier towns to the north.  Imperial Beach was first developed in 1887 as a summer retreat to entice Imperial Valley residents to visit.  The area was also a draw for the military beginning in the early 1900s when a 10th Calvary troop was stationed nearby to suppress conflicts along the border.  The city was incorporated in 1956...the tenth city to do so in San Diego County. 

Imperial Beach Pier

At just under 1,500 ft long, the wooden Imperial Beach Pier is the focal point of the community.  The first pier and boardwalk date back to 1909. That pier finally gave way to nature in 1948. Today's pier was originally built in 1963 and restored and enlarged in 1989.   

 

At the end of the pier is the Tin Fin Seafood Restaurant and painted on the back wall is a sign that reads, "You have reached the most Southwesterly point in the Continental United States". 

The beach was not crowded...a few walkers, a few birds.  

Located a few blocks south of the pier is a wonderful walking and birding area...Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge.  It is a 1,072 acre wetland located where the Tijuana River meets the ocean.  The refuge was established in 1980 and is part of the 2,800 acre Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve...one of only 30 such reserves in the United States. The purpose of the NWR is to conserve fish, wildlife, and plants which are listed as endangered or threatened species.  We first visited the refuge two years ago when Jeff  suggested it might be a birding spot of interest for us.  It sure was of interest and it sure is nice to have friends who are locals and gracious enough to take the time to point out such treasures.  

I took this photo of a Yellow-crowned Night Heron on January 18, 2022.  What a photo session it was!

We arrived at the slough much later in the morning than when we visited in '22.  Like the photos from Torrey Pines, the sunlight cast a glare and was not very suitable for photographing the landscape or the birds.  

A sweet little Anna's Hummingbird

A sweet little Allen's Hummingbird

An elegant Snowy Egret

What I thought was a stump turned out to be a Yellow-crowned Night Heron...way far away for photographing, but none the less a sighting.

There were lots of Coots...not the doddering old curmudgeons one usually associates with the word coots, but charming charcoal gray waddlers.  

And lots of beautiful, hard working, and sometimes amusing ducks. Mallards...

Northern Pintails...

and Green-winged Teals. 

Splashes of color here and there...

Radish

Firecracker/Fountain plant

Cliffrose

Prickly Pear

Toyon

California Brittlebush

I'm not sure how many miles of trails there are at the Slough.  So far we have been twice, walked two different trails.  There is one more trail left to do.  Also, there is Imperial Beach Shoreline Trail (5.0 miles round trip) that begins at the pier and ends at the mouth of the Tijuana River that we have not done yet. 

The VC is closed on Monday and Tuesday, but the trails at the refuge open for visitors to enjoy. 

  

And to top off the day, we stopped at Rally's for burgers and fries.  We don't have a Checker's/Rally's in Tucson and jump at the chance to devour our favorite Champ cheese burger and crispy fries when ever we pass by one.  

 

A bag full of yummy!

Back at Belle...

Until next time, 

HAPPY TRAILS !