BajaNomad - Tijuana Estuary/Border Field/Cabrillo/Coronado

Tijuana Estuary/Border Field/Cabrillo/Coronado

Ken Cooke - 9-2-2012 at 11:56 PM

Wow! Sometimes the best adventures are not planned at all. They are quickly executed with a minimum of logistics and fall together better than if they were thought out hour by hour on a (sort of) grid chart. Life can be either entertaining or boring. Because I have not been feeling well, we skipped the 'Tijuana Weekend' and tried something different. Each of our stops could have been more closely examined over a separate weekend - Perhaps, this will be the case as each stop was one that I had been wanting to make for years, but never have.

The Tijuana Estuary provided background on where the river meets the sea. Along Hwy 1, traveling to Rosarito, I see this Estuary and the nature below, just inside of the United States and have always wondered what this land looked like up close. I now have a 'birdlist' and plans to go back when the weather cools a bit.

Border Field State Park was recently re-opened, and access to 'THE OTHER SIDE' is only granted with a Government-issued ID (we used our Passports/Immigration Card). We spoke with families in Tijuana, watched Americans pray with their brethren in Tijuana, debated with an ignorant Mexican-American who has "heard stories" and won't visit Mexico, and met some friendly Border Patrol officers. Who woulda thunk? :?:

Cabrillo National Monument attracted scores of visitors to the southern tip of Point Loma in San Diego. The views were stunning. To the south, I easily saw Cerro Coronel - Nomads know exactly where that is. The interesting highlight for us came while waiting for parking in the congested Tidal Flat parking lot. A young gun driving his Ram Truck with a 'DON'T TREAD ON ME' sticker pasted on the back got CRUSHED INTO by an unassuming Foreign Traveler driving a rental car. This wasn't a Tea Party for either driver! I couldn't help but laugh out loud, prompting Leidys to immediately hush me for fear of more parking lot carnage. The Tidal Flats were amazing and deserve a followup visit before winter.

Coronado Island - WINNER! :bounce:

Since when did the Toll Fee get dropped? Why have I been driving to the Los Angeles County and Orange County beaches all of these years when Coronado Island is 1000 times better? Free, accessible parking, clean parks, nice people, easy views of Tijuana and Rosarito - this place is the best in SoCal!

So much good, and nothing bad to say about this unplanned and well-executed trip, I just have to post photos as proof that I may never have to visit Baja again...

...Now, you know I'm lying! :tumble:

San Diego makes a great runners up to Baja - thanks to no border crossing hassles.

[Photos to be posted w/in 24 hrs.]

[Edited on 9-3-2012 by Ken Cooke]

Tijuana Estuary - Learnin' somethin

Ken Cooke - 9-3-2012 at 02:47 PM

So much inter-movement of the birds/fowls in this border region.

[Edited on 9-3-2012 by Ken Cooke]

Learnin' mo

Ken Cooke - 9-3-2012 at 02:52 PM

These tires will have to carry us to the Border Field State Park which is adjacent to Playas de Tijuana and Parque Amistad (Friendship Park for my non-Spanish-reading Nomads). :light:

Border Field State Park and Parque Amistad

Ken Cooke - 9-3-2012 at 02:57 PM

Just opposite the border is where my Baja Nomad friends live! :bounce:

Border Field State Park is SO CLOSE to Baja, you can smell the food cooking! :yes:

The Border Patrol looked like they really enjoyed their assigned tasks along this section of the International Border. In fact, they were smiling and waving at all of the visitors.

Barry A. - 9-3-2012 at 03:01 PM

Hey, Ken, I lived in Coronado for 30 years (grew up there) and we STILL made many trips to Baja as the true adventure place. But yes, I could not think of a better place to grow up than Coronado. Been gone from there for 44 years, but still have dozens of friends there that I correspond with and visit often. Wonderful place, you are right, but a hugely Republican strong-hold, and always has been. That beach was voted " one of the best in the world", I think. My Mom lived less that a block from the Hotel del Coronado, overlooking the Yacht club--------nice, for sure.

Got in there when things were relatively cheap-----ain't so, anymore.

We used to play in the "tiajuana slews" as they were known in the '50's when in their natural state, and surfed the mouth of the TiaJuana River------it was like another planet at that time.

Barry

Approaching Parque Amistad (Friendship Park)

Ken Cooke - 9-3-2012 at 03:04 PM

Leidys and I were excited to see this side of, "The Fence." What an adventure!

No playing around allowed. :!:

Photos next to "La Reja"

Looking North into San Diego and Coronado Island

I loved it here! :bounce:

The Border Field State Park overlook (above)

Peering into Mexico through a steel web of fencing, you could speak with visitors to the fence walking up from Mexico. This section of fence is open Saturdays and Sundays - 11 AM until 2 PM only. :!:

Ken Cooke - 9-3-2012 at 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barry A.
Wonderful place, you are right, but a hugely Republican strong-hold, and always has been.
Barry

I have so many Republican friends that I sometimes get mistaken for being a Republican. :lol:

The ironic part of watching the young gun getting his pickup truck smashed in the parking lot behind us was the sticker which read, "Don't Tread On Me!"

The pickup truck was tread all over by the tourist driver! :wow:

Growing up on Coronado Island must have been like a gift. Such a beautiful community. Such an amazing beach with free places to park, to grill, to spend time with one's family. We really liked it there.

Ken Cooke - 9-3-2012 at 03:57 PM

Leidys standing at the recently completed Border Fields State Park overlook. If you look on the Tijuana side of the border fence, you will see an overlook there as well.

The vantage point from this overlook.

A family enjoyed the renovated picnic grounds at this State Park.

Cisco - 9-3-2012 at 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Cooke
Wow! Sometimes the best adventures are not planned at all.
[Edited on 9-3-2012 by Ken Cooke]

Oh Ken. Lived in I.B. used to cross every Sunday at the monument and go to breakfast at Las Playas, border patrol watching, they knew us and it saved a long drive. There was a race track just below the monument (that area was a drone launching site for the Navy in WWII) and we could watch them train the horses and work them out in the surf. Showed the lady at the nature interpretive center a little of the track remaining in one of their brochure photos of the area, you may have it, it's their hand-out brochure.

Moved to Coronado for the schools later when the kids were growing but still kept one office in I.B. Sort of like home.

Next time if you plan and I'm around you have a place to stay here at the beach in Pacific Beach. There will always be room for you and Leidy, it's as cool as it's going to get in San Diego and all the attractions are close at hand.

Glad you discovered the area although I do have to share that I cried when I returned to this area after an absence of 12 years and saw the triple fencing and the monument fencing when I went back to the border. Signs saying not to speak to people through the fence. We Americans have fenced ourselves in. I will not go back there.

Lot's of stories of this area you have discovered, welcome, and do visit.

Cisco

Cabrillo National Monument...(almost) like Baja!

Ken Cooke - 9-3-2012 at 09:00 PM

Million dollar views of Coronado Island!

Tidal Pools

and finally...CORONADO!

Ken Cooke - 9-3-2012 at 09:04 PM

That's All Folks!

GREAT PICS KEN

captkw - 9-3-2012 at 09:07 PM

IVE NEVER SEEN THAT FENCE INTO THE SEA AND HAVE CAMPED/SLEEPED AT SILVERSTRAND S.P. ..THAT MUST BE VERY CLOSE TO THAT..NO???? K&T

...and now, the restaurant reviews!

Ken Cooke - 9-3-2012 at 09:20 PM

Fresh MXN Food - (a.k.a. "Santana's"). In the Inland Empire, still known as 'Santana's' - greasy, fast, and filling. Travel south to Point Loma in the San Diego area, and the food looses its' ethnicity and becomes 'fresh fare.' Better tasting, almost resembling the good stuff at Chronic Tacos, but not quite. Still recommended.

Valentine's Taco Shop - Chula Vista, CA. Priced within the same range as 'Fresh MXN Food', but more authentic. Either way, you can't go wrong.
665 H St - Chula Vista, CA - 91910-4211 - (619) 425-1219

Cisco - 9-3-2012 at 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by captkw
IVE NEVER SEEN THAT FENCE INTO THE SEA AND HAVE CAMPED/SLEEPED AT SILVERSTRAND S.P. ..THAT MUST BE VERY CLOSE TO THAT..NO???? K&T

As the crow flies it's only a couple of miles. To drive it from the State Park you need to go south on the strand, all the way through Imperial Beach and to (I believe) Hollister Street which is just before highway 5. Google maps will show it clearly.

Taking Hollister south you go across the Tijuana river valley to the road on the south side of the valley then west to the monument. Overall I'm guessing an eight or ten mile trip to drive it.

You could also go to First street (don't know what they call it now, the beach street) in I.B. and drive all the way to the south end, past the Boca Rio apartments and you have an unobstructed view across half or three quarter of a mile of slough, the mouth of the river, to the bull ring, monument and all that Ken has shown.

I would do the I.B. thing first as some days the CBP shuts down the monument road with no notice.

Certainly worth the trip if you are at the Strand Park anyway and only a couple of miles south into I.B.

CISCO,,,THANK'S ...MUCHO GUSTO !!

captkw - 9-3-2012 at 09:36 PM

BajaBlanca - 9-4-2012 at 09:49 AM

I LOVE those pics taken from cabrillo national monument ... I lived in O.B. for over 20 years and that was one place alwasys took visitors to see ... the views are breathtaking and the museum interesting too.

mtgoat666 - 9-4-2012 at 11:12 AM

ken,
your pics of the new border fence with no mans land between fences sure do remind me of visiting the iron curtain fences/walls in east europe back in the old days...

Barry A. - 9-4-2012 at 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666
ken,
your pics of the new border fence with no mans land between fences sure do remind me of visiting the iron curtain fences/walls in east europe back in the old days...

Yep, but those fences you refer to were built mostly to keep people IN, not out. Big difference.

Whatever it takes.

Barry