Spanish Landing (#11)

June 3, 2010 -
Today I'm back to the water's edge again, but something a bit different from my stroll at the estuary and the beach yesterday.

I have to admit that my decision to walk here at the Spanish Landing, only a couple hundred yards from the airport, was one equally weighted by convenience as well as interest.

The truth is that I dropped my wife's parents off at the airport this morning and it just made good sense to walk along the San Diego Bay.

Pretty much sidewalk and scenery, though you never really know what you might stumble into.

Where I parked faced looking across toward the North Island Naval Station in Coronado (top picture). I walked north on the sidewalk at the end of which I remembered not what I would find.

So I walked along with the nice view of the bay, a sailboat, and Point Loma off in the distance and, of course, when I arrived at the end of the sidewalk I remembered exactly what I would find. Tom Ham's Lighthouse Restaurant! I've never eaten there but it sounds good and has been there a long time.

Next, being the walking adventurer that I'm trying to be, I explored the parking lot to see what else I might find and discovered this cool little boat gas station with the Coast Guard gassing up. They actually seemed to be a little uncomfortable with me back there taking pictures of them so I quickly moved along.

Moving along, but still in the Tom Ham's Lighthouse parking lot, I found all these nice rich people boats. Lucky ducks!

I was super excited to find that now I was walking on the "other" side of the street and even going in the "other" direction! WooHoo!

One thing that didn't change was the view of the bay and the Coronado bridge. Did I tell you that I love San Diego?

Then, one of those unexpected treasures! Check out the schooner. Is that a schooner? Let's just say a big, old school sailboat. Could it be the Mayflower?

So, I walked and walked and walked until I arrived at the other far end of the sidewalk where I found, guess what? ANOTHER restaurant. The Reuben E. Lee, actually an operating paddle boat at one time, used to be a fantastic place to eat with an especially great, yet pricey, Sunday champagne brunch. It's closed down now though.

So, I turned around and walked back in the direction of my car when what should I behold? Another surprise! This big Navy ship trying to fit under the Coronado bridge.

I was just starting to think that this just might be an optical illusion when all of a sudden the Coast Guard, the same boat I saw at the gas station, came flying onto the scene. I figured they were going to assist the Navy ship in its time of impending disaster when I realized that, in reality, the Coast Guard was actually coming after me!

I picked up my pace, whistling a tune and trying to look nonchalant, arriving quickly as I could at my car and heading home directly. I think I narrowly evaded a confrontation with homeland security.

And that was my walk at the Spanish Landing.

MAP