San Diego Best Attractions

written by Scott Gressitt

San Diego is one of the best cities in the world for serious hikers. The attractions start at the coast with beautiful sections of sandy expanses, coastal escarpment such as Torrey Pines State Park, and move to advanced free-climbing in the Laguna Mountains. There are, in between, thousands of miles of trails that meander through the open chaparral that runs from the Mexican border north to Camp Pendleton, and east to the Anza Borrego Desert.

I have a few favorites that include some strenuous vertical trails, but reward some hikers with a place to launch a para glider for an easy flight back to a trail head. My absolute favorite is Black Mountain Open Space Park, situated east of Del Mar between Ranch Santa Fe and Rancho Bernardo. Local hang glider and para glider pilots call it “Little Black”, differentiating it from the much taller Black Mountain in Ramona, which we call (you guessed it) “Big Black”.

If you live anywhere in San Diego County, there is a good chance you’ve seen Little Black. When you look from the Del Mar Fairgrounds, it’s the mountain to the east with a huge antennae array. Hiking there is comfortable and relatively safe year round. There is, as most of San Diego County, a healthy population of rattlesnakes and coyote, but in my twenty-two years hiking and flying there quite regularly, I’ve never heard of anyone being injured by the locals.

There is an improved dirt road that one can hike from the pavement at the end of Laurentian Drive in Rancho Penasquitos. The communications companies that service the array on the highest point of the mountain, 1558 feet above sea level, use the road exclusively. There are several trails that run north and south over the more than two thousand acre park property, and countless coyote trails run between them. In the winter after the rains, the view, looking out in every direction, is spectacular. While there is ocean view from most of the trails, the whole area turns green after a heavy rain and the color is breathtaking. The best part of the day is getting home after a great hike, enjoying beautiful scenery, and smelling the sage on my clothes.

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by Scott Gressitt

After pouring through hundreds of profiles on Match.com last year, I learned that women were interested in dating me, but wanted an inventive choice of venue for our first date. I rose to the challenge and, having met a gal with whom I was quite taken, asked her to meet me for what I promised would be a truly unique date.

I asked Gorgeous to meet me at the Coaster station in Carlsbad. We met at the appointed time; she gave me a lovely hug and peck on the
cheek, exchanged the obligatory niceties, and then looked at me with an anticipatory smile. I told her I loved trains and thought it would be nice to have a ride down the coast, to watch the world go by without the stress of traffic or having to pay attention to the road.
Gorgeous concurred.

Our train came in; we boarded, and headed south, to San Diego. We talked about the view, the weather, and the parts of San Diego you
don’t see if you don’t ride the train. We got off at the downtown station and walked several blocks East on Broadway to a hole-in-the-wall nail salon where I had arranged pedicures for the two of us. I ushered her in the door and asked her if she were in the mood for a pedicure, and comfortable exposing her naked feet to a relative stranger. Gorgeous responded with a lovely heartfelt laugh and responded positively.  “Now that is an original!” I was relieved.

The proprietor was ready and sat us next to each other for simultaneous servicing. We talked quietly through the procedure and had a great time getting to know a little bit about each other, laughing and breathing in the aroma of nail care products and acetone.

Next, we walked around the Gaslamp, stopping for espresso and croissant. We had a great time window-shopping, then walked back to the train via the harbor, stopping for a tour of the Star of India, which she had never been aboard.

All in all, it was a fabulous day with a terrific woman, whom I was hoping to see again.
Back at the Carlsbad Station, I walked her to her car where I received an amorous kiss and warm hug.
“If you care to see me again, I’ve booked a tour of the abalone farm in the Agua Hedionda lagoon Thursday afternoon.”
She agreed, and grabbed me for another peck.

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