I’m fortunate to have a partner who shares my love of travel, although Dave and I do tend to have varying ideas of what makes a great vacation. For instance, I hop out of bed at first light ready to fill the day with activities while Dave relishes a leisurely alarm-free morning followed by a few fun outings mixed in with some serious relaxation time. And that’s ok. You certainly don’t have to be in lockstep with your travel companion to enjoy a trip together. One of the ways I’ve found to blend our preferences is to go for a walk early in the morning. This way, I can explore my surroundings while Dave can remain in dreamland for a few extra hours.
One of the best places to put this practice to the test is San Diego, California, which also happens to be one of our favorite destinations that we’ve returned to many times over the last few years. I’ve found that there are few places with a better choice of morning strolls than this laid-back Southern California beach town. Here is are a few of my favorite places to go for a walk in San Diego.
When we visit San Diego, we always stay at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina where an abundance of walking paths are just steps from our door. My favorite route runs along the marina where I take in the variety of moored yachts and small fishing boats with a cup of tea in hand from Market Mission Bay. I love seeing great blue herons perched on the boat decks while I listen to the distant barking of sea lions at the ready to follow fisherman on their trolls out beyond the bay.
The Port of San Diego’s Embarcadero is a buzz with activity most of the day providing some of the best people-watching in the city. In the morning, I enjoy watching this busy downtown waterfront as it’s just waking up. It’s a perfect time to catch the morning sun as it hits the towering masts of the Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing ship docked at the Maritime Museum. Just past the Embarcadero lies the hub of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet. It’s a common occurrence to stand along the pier and watch massive aircraft carriers transport sailors bound for extensive tours of duty in distant waters.
Balboa Park is San Diego’s crown jewel. The park offers a variety of unique museums, numerous restaurants, and 65 miles of walking trails. You read that right, 65 miles! Which means you could spend days in the park and barely scratch the surface. Visiting the museums and restaurants will cost you, but the park itself is free to enter and there’s no entrance gate so you can access most of the trails whenever you’d like. Find some relief from the California sun in Palm Canyon where over 450 palm trees shelter the path. Find peace among the ponds, rocks, and cherry trees in the Japanese Friendship Garden.
Just north of San Diego lies the beachfront neighborhood of La Jolla. At first glance, La Jolla gives the air of exclusivity with its cliff-side mansions and high-end boutiques, but it offers everyone, regardless of budget, some great opportunities to explore the stunning coastline on foot. Park your car along Coast Boulevard and stroll along the expansive green space that lines the road to see hundreds of sea lions basking on the rocks in La Jolla cove and brown pelicans and Brandt’s cormorants diving into the frothing surf.
For more inspiration on walkable San Diego, visit sandiego.org.
