By Mark Goodkin
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Torrey Pines State Reserve View
Torrey Pines State Reserve is a very special place in North San Diego County, between La Jolla and Del Mar. The park is part of the California State Park System. I love going up to the reserve to get away from the bustle of the city.
The park has about half a dozen hiking trails that emanate from the Torrey Pines Visitor’s Lodge (download trail map). Round trip distance ranges from half a mile to over two miles. One trail leads to Torrey Pines State Beach.
When I go to Torrey Pines State Reserve, I like to park in the parking lots at the top of the hill, near the visitor center. The two parking lots are small and can fill up fast during the summer. Below, at the base of the reserve is a larger parking lot and an entry outpost where you pay to enter. Many people like to park here and walk up the windy road to the visitor center and trails. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: "Hiking Trails", "Nature Reserve", "Torrey Pines State Reserve", Hiking, San Diego, Torrey Pines
Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center
By Mark Goodkin
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For the longest time, I drove by the Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center, along South Coast Hwy, just inside of Oceanside, CA, without knowing what it was. The wooden building stood out from the nearby condos. One day, I visited the nature center to see what it was all about. Upon entering, I was greeted by a life-like fox with a slight grin in its own glass-enclosed display, along with tall, glass-enclosed cases full of several displays of taxidermy animals in realistic settings, depicting life around the Buena Vista Lagoon.
A couple of docents greeted me and answered my questions about the displays and lagoon. The Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center also has a library and a lecture/project room with more exhibits, and tables for classroom projects and seminars.
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Tags: "Buena Vista Lagoon", "Buena Vista Nature Center", Lagoon, San Diego, Wetlands
By Mark Goodkin
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Chula Vista Nature Center
The Chula Vista Nature Center is a hidden gem, isolated from the main part of Chula Vista, on the Sweetwater Estuary, along the west banks of the San Diego Bay. The nature center showcases many of the plants and animals of the estuary and bay. I visited the nature center in April on a nice, sunny day.
To get to the Chula Vista Nature Center, you leave your car in a parking lot a few hundred yards from the nature center and take a shuttle. The nature center is fenced in, with a gate opening only for the shuttle and designated cars. The nature center can’t be seen from the parking lot, so the ride was filled with anticipation. We traveled through a section of the estuary, and finally, we could see the spacious buildings and outdoor exhibit areas.
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Tags: "Chula Vista Nature Center", "Nature Center", "Nature Exhibits", "Sweetwater Estuary", Chula Vista, Lagoon, San Diego, San Diego Bay