What's Happening San Diego?

To WAP or not to WAP

One of my favorite North County spots is the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park, formerly known as the Wild Animal Park and still called "WAP" by many locals. For anyone who has not been to the park, it certainly should be on your list of things to do when in San Diego. The Park got its start originally as a breeding facility for the Zoo, with a focus on some of the larger endangered species. It was at the Park that much of the work to save the Przewalski's horse, one of the last truly wild horses, went on. The Park also has been the site of successful breeding of Southern white rhinos and black rhinos, and a host of other creatures large, small and in-between.

One of the more recent additions to the Park is something called Cheetah Run - which is just that. It is a 100-yard long grass track that allows these magnificent cats to run full-out - reaching speeds in excess of 60 mph. The track is located between the Park's balloon ride and Lion Camp, and the best spot for viewing, IMHO, is at the very end of the track. Anywhere else you get to see the cheetah run past in a blur; at the end you get to watch the cat charging down the entire track. I saw the opening run back in the summer, and tried to get photos from the side. Even with the camera set at 1/1600 second shutter speed and continuous firing I only got one shot as the cheetah passed. That is one fast critter.

If you want to go from one extreme of movement to the other, just turn around and head over to Lion Camp (actually, you need to get over there before because they put the lions in before bringing the cheetahs out). Lions are definitely experts on taking things easy, and if you actually see one move (other than to yawn), you should consider yourself lucky. I did hit the jackpot in the picture above, with the big male checking out the area. Okay, he is lying down, but at least he had his head up. Gotta take what you can get.

One other area for movement is what they call Elephant Valley. This was at one time separate African and Asian elephant enclosures, but some years ago they moved the Asian elephants to the Zoo and opened both sides up for their African cousins. The Park brought in a group that was destined to be culled (i.e. killed) and since then there have been a plethora of elephant births. If you get there before 11:00 a.m. you can generally watch the elephants as they are released into the main enclosure where keepers have placed a variety of food items for the animals. It can be very entertaining to watch one of the younger elephants grab a branch of browse and run around waving it in the air. On hot days you may catch the youngsters playing in one of the large ponds.

A special area for me is Condor Ridge, where some of the last remaining California condors are kept. Several decades ago the birds were almost completely extinct. The Zoo, along with other organizations, captured the few that were left and brought them in for protection and to begin a captive breeding program. The program worked, and now there are enough condors that some have been reintroduced into the wild in Southern California and Northern Baja California. The reason these birds are special to me is that my mother was involved in some of the early work.  The people working with the condors did not want the birds to imprint on humans, so my mother helped to create a hand puppet that looked like a condor. That way the keepers could feed the chicks without the birds associating food with people. (This picture is actually of the condors at the Zoo.)

I hope you have enjoyed this short tour of the Safari Park. If you have not been there, make plans to head on over. The Park is located east of Escondido - just follow the signs from I-15.

 

A Walk on the La Jolla Side

In February I took a coast run from Oceanside down to Ocean Beach just to get out and take some photos. Oceanside was a disappointment, mostly because of the heavy overcast when I got there. It was my first time going to O-side's harbor and coast, believe it or not, so I will need to head over again to get a better feel for the area. I could tell that there is a lot of potential for photos when the weather is a bit better.

After the Oceanside stop I headed down I-5 for Torrey Pines Glider Port, one of my favorite photo spots. Again the overcast interfered with the picture taking, so I continued on to La Jolla Cove. I thought the Cove and the nearby Children's Pool would be more likely to have good shots since I could move around to have the sun behind me. Well, I was right for a change - I was able to get some nice pictures. But maybe more than that I discovered a new-old walk I hadn't known about before, and I've lived almost all my life in the San Diego area.

So where is this new-old walk? It's the Coast Walk along the cliffs between Torrey Pines Road and Coast Blvd. Normally when I hit this part of La Jolla I go straight over to the Children's Pool or maybe hang out by Scripps Park, but this time I ended up parking close to the Cave Store, a local landmark that includes the landward entrance to Sunny Jim Cave (my next goal in La Jolla). While I was shooting some pictures I wandered up what turned out to be the Coast Blvd. entrance to the walk, and I just kept going.

The easiest place to start is at the Cave Store on Coast Blvd. Just outside the store is a nice little area with some benches and an observation deck at the edge of the cliff. A small fence separates you from the "Unstable Cliffs" but when I was there a small gate was open. It is not a place to let little children run loose, but basically safe for anyone who is careful. After you check out the view from the deck, turn around and head up the path. At first you might think it will take you back to the Cave Store, but then it turns and heads along the cliffs.

Now here is where it got interesting for me. I've always been very intersted in birds, in fact when I was young I used to help out some friends who banded birds. When I came up the hill and saw this cliff just covered with cormorants it was almost like being in a nature film. I plan to get back here in a few weeks when they begin nesting.

If you continue along the path you have a great view of the La Jolla Cove and La Jolla Shores beach. This day I came across a group that was doing a photo shoot just off the trail. No telling what you'll find around the next bend. From up on the path I could also watch a kayak group heading out to explore the sea caves from the ocean.

The path continues along to a wooden bridge over a small canyon. From there it's just a short walk to Coast Blvd., which takes you up to Torrey Pines Rd. At this point you'll probably want to turn around and head back along the trail. The walk along TPR is definitely not the most scenic, and you get to see everything you just enjoyed all over again.

So I'm recommending the Coast Walk in La Jolla for anyone who enjoys the coast and moderate walks. Have fun!

Beautiful Balboa Park

Balboa Park has often been called The Jewel of San Diego, and rightly so. With a range of museums, the San Diego Zoo, and plenty of open space for recreation, it has something to offer just about anyone. I especially enjoy just walking around El Prado, which is the "main drag" at the end of Laurel Street. Approaching the park from the west on Laurel you cross the Cabrillo Bridge over SR-163, then pass by the Museum of Man and the California Tower. These structures were all built for the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal, and are some of the only ones that have not been completely rebuilt over the years. (I used to have some great shots of the bridge before the hard drive crash.)

One of my favorite areas on the Prado is at the Lily Pond, looking toward the Botanical Building. This is one of the largest wooden lath structures in the world and houses an amazing collection of plants. The pond was once a dumping ground for unwanted fish and turtles, but has been cleaned up over the past years. During the summer the various species of water lilies are really something to see.

At the far east end of the Prado is the Bea Evenson Fountain, dedicated to one of the people who worked tirelessly to bring the Park back to life. With the current water "crisis" in the state the fountain no longer runs all the time, but it is on enough that most people can catch it at its finest.

When you visit San Diego be sure to get up to Balboa Park. I'll be writing about it again sometime in the future...and I'll have a few more pictures to share.

Open Mic Night at South Park Abbey

Last November I had the chance to check out an interesting restaurant in the South Park neighborhood - The South Park Abbey. The occasion was a special Open Mic Night featuring Meliki, a talented and charming Australian singer/songwriter who was doing a quick West Coast tour (you can check out my story on her on Demotix). The Open Mic Night is the brainchild of my friend the multi-talented and eclectic Sindi Somers, a promoter, comedian, and pet psychic (I said she was eclectic) who also hosts occasional comedy shows at Dream Street in Ocean Beach and Wild and Tame Comedy & Music at The Stage Bar in the Gaslamp.

A little about Open Mic Night - just as the name suggests, this is an evening (Wednesdays) when anyone with guts and a bit of musical ability can sign up for a short stint at the microphone. Sindi starts taking names at 8:30 pm and the show begins at 9:00 pm. The night I was there the talent level ranged from definitely amateur to quite professional. The great thing is that everyone is appreciated at their own level. In addition to Open Mic Wednesdays, the restaurant features other live music nights and Karaoke on Sundays.

Now, as to the restaurant, The South Park Abbey is owned and operated by Adam Neitzke and Sarah Jewell, who had both tired of Los Angeles and wanted to open a restaurant and bar in San Diego. They happened on the South Park Bar & Grill, which had a checkered past and was up for sale. They bought the place in June, 2010, and in August changed the name to The South Park Abbey. Why such a religious-sounding name? Simple - the two love Belgian beers, and in Medieval Europe most of the best beers were brewed by monks in the abbeys. Even today many abbeys brew beers and many Belgian beers owe their heritage to the monks. But more than just beer, SPA has some great food as well. What truly sets SPA apart, though, is the fact that 3% of all sales go to one of four charities: the ASPCA, Huntington's Disease Society of America, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Guests get to choose which of the four charities their money goes to. Adam and Sarah see this as their way of giving back to the community. So next time you're looking for something to do, why not check out The South Park Abbey - I think you'll be glad you did. And if you're not, well, that's your problem, not mine.

What's Happening, San Diego?

Welcome to my new blog, "What's Happening, San Diego?" For some time now I've been sitting on stories that didn't fit in any of the other blogs I write/edit/etc., so I decided to create a new blog just so I can talk about all things San Diego...or at least the ones I'm interested in. Look for a little bit of everything, from restaurant reviews to places to go to things to do...you get the picture. One thing for certain, you'll see a lot of pictures from around the county. So I hope you'll come along for the ride and see where in San Diego we end up.

We start of on the jetty between Ocean Beach - where I spent a lot of time when I was young - and the Mission Bay Boat Channel. This is one of my favorite sunset shots, and one of the few I have left from before my hard drive crashed. (Actually, I probably have more on all the CDs I've burned, but finding the right one is rather time consuming.) What I like best is that what you see is what I saw - no real editing done on it other than a little color balancing. I have posted this picture before on other sites, which is why I was able to rescue it.

So just what is Ocean Beach, you ask? First, if you have to ask you REALLY don't know. Second, well, you can't explain or describe Ocean Beach. You have to experience it first hand. Let's just say that Ocean Beach - or OB to locals - is a state of (altered) mind. Don't take my word for it, head west on I-8 and just keep going. You'll know OB when you hit it.

That's all for now. My posts will be varied, and they won't always go anywhere in particular. That's what I like best about it. Most of the other blogs I work on have a place they have to reach. I'ts nice to have someplace that doesn't have to do that.