Week 10.7: Bessmer path

So the debate continues as to what actually constitutes "The Coast" and "walking the coast continuously."  It seems reasonable to find alternate routes across the mouths of rivers / sewage outflows (which in the case of the Tijuana river are kind of one and the same).  We've already avoided trespassing on military property several times, and taken a shortcut across the mouth of Mission Bay.  In theory one could stand up paddleboard from the tip of Cabrillo to Coronado, but I wanted a bit more continuity than that.  So we have decided to do the north part of San diego Bay from the end of the military reservation to the ferry terminal as it seems perfectly fair to take the ferry to Coronado and pick up there.  This also happens to be s stretch of coast closest to where we live.  Anita has a new job and we're not sure what the hours will be, so a number of these will be trips of opportunity.
And so our journey around the north end of San Diego Bay will begin with the Bessmer Path on a sunny Thursday morning.
As we drove down Rosecrans past Talbot Street, it occurred to us both that despite each living here for years and driving along Rosecrans often, neither of us had been down this particular stretch of road.  This Neighborhood known as "La Playa" is one of the cu-du sac places with only way in for the civilian types like us.  Rosecrans eventually goes into the same military base that stopped us at the end of the Bayside trail earlier in the week.  It is possible to visit and I have done so once, but not exactly practical to do so.  So we parked and began our journey.

Coast looks pretty

Glassy water Otay Peak in the distance

And yeah we can't get past this fence.

Shelter island and Downtown

Sheltered by both Point Loma and Shelter Island, this stretch of coast boasts some of the calmest water we've seen.  This does mean there is no erosion taking place.  Indeed 100 yards down the trail we found our first sign of trouble with a section of the path washed out by "strong tidal currents"

Anita basking in the morning glow

I carried Anita around this one as and we continued.  It seems the trail is dominated by a crowd who all do this as their morning workout and think of it as the best kept secret in town.  I would say they are right about this being a hidden gem.   A quiet lushly vegetated shoreline path with old pre 1950's residences along side it?  One of those wanderings that really makes me feel luck to live here.

Uh, oh trouble!

The sun and its shimmering reflection.

 Despite the early hour it was already warming up due to some offshore flow.  The haze over downtown was quite visible and would make its way offshore later in the day.  It is nice to finally be free of worrying about tides and cliffs for a bit and just be on sand and flat terrain.  for sea level being so constant one can get quite exhausted walking alongside it.  Today however we were just blissing.

Some wet sand for our delight.

An underpass!

Reflections of the dock.

Mushroom house!

What an Incredible tree

Love these tiles in the brickwork

 It is clear that many of the people who live here take great pride in their houses and the character of the neighborhood.  In a place like this it's not just the houses but the yards, and the little decorations that make you feel somewhere special.  San Diego has a few such neighborhoods:  Mission Hills, Middletown, Banker's Hill, Hillcrest, but also a lot of more recent construction and a lot of places where such pride and sense of aesthetic is not really practical.

Don't hate La Playa . . .

A swing overlooking the harbor

Of course this is also where many of the people who own boats moor their rigs.  My supervisor's boat is out there somewhere.  It is a land of leisure.

Landscaping with bright colors

I like this tree.

Looking back at the penninsula.

Coffee break.

 Reaching talbot street, we turned inland in search of a restroom, and found a lovely coffee shop.  It seemed there were many local establishments here all doing brisk business for a weekday morning.  Not wishing to retrace our steps I suggested we do a loop up Bessmer Street and explore some of the alleyways.  While many residential neighborhoods have done away with these sorts of places, this neighborhood preserves a system of stairs and pedestrian shortcuts, though many are not particularly obvious.  one might think they are about to stumble into someone's backyard until they find themselves instead between two fences.  We traveled through three of these alleyways and spotted numerous others. I could imagine coming back here and just wandering at random, discovering new haunts, and shortcuts.  Perhaps my favorite was one not taken today that gave us the most incredible view of downtown I have ever seen.  Anita swore that she had seen a painting of this exact view at one time.  I believe her.

Bessmer stairs.

Peek a boo view!

From the top of a secret staircase a post card waiting to happen.

The way south, see you in a few weeks

Another secret passage!

Cherimoyas!  Yum!

 Before long we found ourselves back at Kellog street and I running late for work, but we agreed that for the next few legs we would avail ourselves to any opportunity and see what we find.  As for Bessmer Path and La Playa:  We have found another place worth retuning to.