I find that the more I slow down to take in the beauty of the natural world around me, the more content and at peace with myself I become. Spending time with nature does not have to wait til I am in vacation, it's a daily lifestyle.
You may wonder why there is a smile :) symbol after the title. It is because it is not uncommon for me to get comments similar to the two below:
"I was in San Diego, but did not see those at all."
- I guess, it depends on which part of San Diego one focused their travel. Of course, if the focus was the "city", despite all the abundance of nature in and around San Diego, one may not be able to see them because they are not in downtown streets.
"You always take vacation. I do not have much time to get away as much as you do."
- One of my professors before told us, "San Diego is one of the most expensive places to live, you could get a place for 1/10th of the price and 10times the size somewhere else. However, if you enjoy a balance of great outdoors and the city, this is your city. You don't need to take a vacation, for everyday is like a vacation. Considering vacation expenses, the price you are paying for to live in San Diego is not that expensive after all." :)
Oftentimes, we are being mistaken to have a lifestyle that always take vacation. To quote a friend while I toured her around San Diego, she said, "Goodness, Betchai, I did not know these are all just within San Diego and minutes from your home. I thought all the while, every weekend, you take a vacation. Haaayst! Please pray I can find a job, HERE!"
Anyway, let me share with you first a picture collage which somehow summarizes what is around San Diego.
One Beautiful Hiking Day from Torrey Pines to Del Mar
Summer is the time of the year where I most enjoy nature from water to land. For me, summer is the most wonderful time of the year. :) Last Saturday was our first time for the year 2015 to get into the water again. Oh boy, how I miss being in the water. If only the water does not get colder the longer I stay, I would stay in the water for as long as I could.
When I was still a kid, whenever I saw my mom looking for me, I would hide myself in the water. It was always a sad time to go home for home was out in the ocean for me. Thankfully, my concept of home expanded as I grew older. Though I still love the ocean, but I learned to love the mountains, the rivers, the woods, the desert, that home now for me extends everywhere. :) I don't need to travel far to enjoy nature for nature is everywhere, and in nature I feel I am home. Even indoors at home, I still could enjoy the sounds of nature from the joyful singing of the birds and enjoy their wonderful and beautiful sight from the window.
Finding Nature at Home ( birds from the backyard )
I oftentimes get mistaken that just because I have time exploring the outdoors, I have a lot of time on my hands. :) For me, it's just all about priorities in striking a healthy balance between work and play. There's always something that we do that others don't do, and something we don't do that others do. For me, I set aside a time to do things I love doing such as relaxing and rejuvenating in the great outdoors. I probably belong to the very few who do not know what are the popular shows in TV or what are the current box-office hits because watching TV and movies are sacrificed in exchange of spending time with nature. With so many choices we have, we just have to choose what matters more to us.
During the last day of school, some of my students asked me if what very special thing I would do for the summer break. I told them, "enjoy life in San Diego." A few responded, "sleep in, sleep in, watch TV, and Netflix." I said, "Nope, I would be very tired with that lifestyle of sleeping in, TV and Netflix. For me, enjoying life means Hiking, Hiking, and The Ocean." When I said that, a lot of my students gave me two thumbs up, and said, "see you at the trail, Mrs. L", or "see you at the beach".
So, what have I been up to this past week? Well, what else, but hiking and the ocean. :) Below are some of the pictures from last week's play.
Hubby's After Work Wednesdate
Fridate @ La Jolla Cove
Fridate's Finds ( at La Jolla Cove's tidepool )
Saturday and Sunday was rainy and wet for us. We badly need that gift of precipitation since San Diego and all of California is actually in severe drought this year. Very thankfully, we are seeing the promise of a wetter year this year. So, thankful about that.
Anyway, now that I am in summer break, I get to enjoy also one of the free things I love next to playing outdoors, that is blogging about the outdoors' priceless gift of relaxation, mental stimulation, spiritual healing and more. Each day I am out playing in the outdoors makes me more highly in love with God, life, and every simple gifts there are in life. Each time I am out I feel there is so much to be thankful for. Thus don't blame me if most of my posts here are about nature, for in nature I thrive, in nature I feel most at home. In nature, I feel like I am a kid, hungry to learn about everything that is around me. In nature, I am very grateful and thankful for all these priceless gifts given to us to nourish our hearts, our minds, our bodies and our spirits.
In nature, I lose no money only weight and worries. So, what are you waiting for? Come discover that free spirited joy, of being out. Play more, spend less or nothing.
I may have traveled far to explore the other natural wonders, but my most favorite vacation is always at home
Let me end this post by sharing to you this quote,
picture taken from the aerial tram of San Diego Zoo at Balboa Park
I love life. I could count so many ways why I love life, but I will focus this post on enjoying some of the free things in life here in San Diego. Why free things? Well, I am not the one who takes pleasures in material things, but in happy and priceless experiences.
All our hometowns offer so many happy places to experience if we open our eyes, heart and mind to them. Where I live, I could enjoy the miles of beaches, the challenge and fun of hiking up the mountains, the awe and wonder in surreal desert landscapes, the sights and sounds of nature and wildlife around, the city amenities, and much more.
Me, Enjoying the Free Things in San Diego
I often share here my "hiking and the ocean" happiness, because seeking nature has been at the top of my priority to take care of my all around health and myself. But I also do enjoy making the most of the city amenities such as enjoying public parks, museums, free summer nights ( concerts, theater plays and/or outdoor giant screen films ) and more.
In this post, I will share a routine I do here in San Diego every summer when it is a Tuesday! It is called Balboa Park's Free Tuesday.
Balboa Park is home to more than 15 museums, several gardens and hiking trail in the midst of canyons tucked in the middle of city. Every Tuesday, a certain group of museums are free for San Diego Residents. My favorite is the first Tuesday of the month because it is at this time where two of my favorite museums are free, the Natural History Museum (NAT) and the Science Museum. At other times of the year, I could not enjoy the free Tuesdays because of work. During summer, when I am on summer break, I make the most of the Free Tuesdays.
My excitement brought me to Balboa Park at 9:00 am. However, the museums don't open until 10:00 am. I decided to spend the first hour walking around the zoo. In my walk, I spotted this mom and baby koala below so I stopped for a bit to take some pictures of them.
Mom and Baby Koala Bears
I did not really take a lot of pictures at the zoo because I did not bring a zoom camera. From the Australian Outback Exhibit, I continued to Elephant Odyssey, after which it was almost 10:00. I was at the other end of the zoo and I figured if I would walk back, I may not beat the crowd at Natural History Museum. Instead of walking back, I took the San Diego Zoo Air Tram so that I could get to the Natural History Museum quickly.
from the aerial tram of San Diego Zoo
From the Zoo to Natural History Museum, I passed by a group of kids in the Spanish Village Art Center doing clay art and they reminded me of my childhood. They were too busy making their clay mugs, etc that I did not ask them if I could take a picture of their clay work. I was almost outside of the Spanish Village Art Center when I remembered to take a picture.
Spanish Village Art Center
The Village in the picture looked empty because it was still early, the kiosks were not opened yet and local artists have not started putting up their displays yet. It is here where local artists could put up their work not only for display but also to sell. Below is a picture of the vases from one of the stores in the village which is shot from the outside through the window since the store was still closed at that time. :)
The Natural History Museum is next to the Spanish Village, so I was happy of course to be exploring the new exhibits. :)
@ the entrance of San Diego Natural History Museum
The following are the exhibits right now at the Natural History Museum:
1. Maya, Hidden World Revealed,
2. Coast to Cactus in Southern California,
3. Fossil Mysteries,
4. Birds of the World,
5. Skulls, and
6. Water, A California Story. The exhibits change once a while, so there is always reason for me to go back again. :) The video below is for one of the Exhibits, of the Hidden World of Maya Civilization, the video is owned by San Diego Natural History, not mine.
Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed @ San Diego Natural History Museum ( video by San Diego NAT )
Yesterday, aside from seeing the exhibits, I watched also the 3 films at the museum's 3D Theater:
1. Walking with the Dinoaurs ( in 3D),
2. Ocean Oasis, and
3. Tiny Giants ( in 3D).
My favorite among the 3 films is the Ocean Oasis. Though I've seen it before, but I just could not get enough of seeing the wonders in the ocean, of learning the ecological balance between the desert and the ocean oasis.
After I was done exploring the exhibits and watching the films at Natural History Museum, I planned to go to Science Museum. I wanted to watch IMAX films since the Imax films right now are about the Ocean and Blue Whales ( I love seeing the life in the sea ), but the very very long line stopped me from getting inside the Science Museum. Instead, I looked around for some more free happiness. :) Saw these happiness below. :)
Happiness from Seeing Smiling Faces in the Flowers :) Do you see the smiles too?
I was planning to stay late to watch the free concert at the Organ Pavillon, but decided to watch free concert some other nights, since there would still be a lot of free summer nights at the park, Aside from Free Tuesdays ( museums ), Free Summer Nights Concerts, there are also Free Theater Plays. I love watching theater play, it's usually expensive, but during the summer, Balboa Park's Old Globe Theater offers some free. Sadly, I was not able to book or reserve early enough to get seats for the play.
How about you? Do you enjoy the free things in life too?
Balboa Park is one of my favorite places in San Diego to spend some leisurely time. Whenever I want a mix of nature and culture, off to Balboa Park I go. Let me share with you how my Balboa Park day usually goes.
I usually start my walk at the Rose Garden of Balboa Park. I love to see the various display of colors from the beautiful blooms of roses.
La Jolla Coast Boulevard Tidepools @ Dusk and Sunset
Whenever I am faced with the challenge of choosing that one picture and I have a hard time choosing which one, my answer always is to make a collage, then, I do have one picture, a picture collage! :)
In the above collage, I asked the help of hubby which one to choose. From the collage above, at first, his choice was the top left picture. But then, after I showed him two at a time, and asked him which one he likes better between the two, the choice for that one picture changed. Could you tell which one of the 6 pictures below finally ended to be that one picture?
It is littered by giant boulder outcrops, and from the summit, one can enjoy the ocean-to-mountain views. Near the summit is the now famous Potato Chip Rock, which is the result of exfoliation and weathering. There are many ways to reach Potato Chip rock or the summit of Mt Woodson. The three different trailheads for this hike is what I will be sharing in this post. source: Afoot and Afield: San Diego County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide
Best Time to Hike: During the cooler months, November to May. If hiking in the summer, start early of the day, or choose the cooler days of summer, because most part of the hike is on exposed trail.
Option 1: Mt. Woodson from Lake Poway
Lake Poway from Mt. Woodson Trail
Mileage: approximately 7.2 miles roundtrip
Change in Elevation: 2300 ft gain and loss
Parking: Lake Poway Recreation Area Parking, there is parking fee of $5.00 for non-Poway residents during the peak months April- October.
For a change, some pictures from my city, sometimes, I do forget this part of our city, for I spend most of my leisure time in the nature part of our city. I am just glad that nature and civilization are not walled off from each other.
Thus, beach and mountains are not vacation for me, they are my "to go" for relaxing in San Diego.
Right in front of our school, there is a canyon that has hiking trails. The canyon does not look very special, it is nested between hills and there is a railway that passes beside it.
Rose Canyon, San Diego
What stopped me before from hiking or walking here is that this canyon is just two blocks away from one of San Diego's bigger malls, and around it are many restaurants serving the many biotech, high tech and many other Science research firms. In short, this walk is very much within an earshot of civilization's noise. However, what made me take this trail is because of the fact that it is right in front of our school, where I can walk/and or run to get my dose of daily exercise after a day's work. What made the walk special is that, once we (my husband and I) entered the canyon, the civilization around us disappeared and was now blocked by plants and trees in this chaparral environment.
The Trail
Oak
Some Colors At the Trail
Plants that live in a chaparral environment are oaks (these are what provide some fall colors), but mostly are evergreen pines and mahoganies, and many other low lying bushes.
Low Lying Bushes Found in the Trail
Now that I discovered this place, I can't wait for spring when I am imagining the hills around this canyon would burst with color from a diverse display of wildflowers. Right now however, this chaparral environment looks very dry and brown. Don't get me wrong, brown has its unique beauty too. Even though the flowers are already dried up and brown, but they still hold their beauty like this one.
Dried Wildflower @ The Trail
One of the many things that made the walk special in an otherwise very ordinary place was the presence of tiny creatures and a lot of birds and bunnies around. I however did not get lucky enough to catch any singing birds and jumping and running bunnies, but I sure loved seeing them. There were still some wildflowers on the ground, and I was happy to see some busy bees, butterfly and moth.
Busy Moth
( you can click on this picture to enlarge to better see how happy this moth is )
And the moth looked so happy sucking out sweet nectar of the flower.
Busy Bee ( we may not see the hairs of the bees when we look at them, but thankfully, the lens could. you can click on this picture to enlarge )
Alone But Not Lonely
( was surprised to see this one poppy in the trail, thought all poppies were all gone summer, so this is another pleasant surprise)
This Is My Husband's Find
Now that I have discovered this place, I know this is one of the places I can go to if I have the time to stop and simply enjoy the small creatures around. Hopefully, someday, I will get lucky enough to picture some of the birds that frequent this place. This is a place that looks very ordinary and nothing special from the outside, yet, it abounds with life inside.
After exploring this canyon, we went to the nearby ocean cliff to watch sunset.
Torrey Pine Cliffs
Torrey Pine Cliffs
Though I may live close to the ocean where we may be able to see sunset year round, but each time I see the sun disappearing in the horizon, it always makes me thankful that I see its promise of a beauitful tomorrow.
A lot of people living in the city may have neglected the power of their feet, for oftentimes, they rely on the power of their wheels. However, walking in the city streets can be another fun-filled cardio exercise that can be enjoyed by the city dwellers, if we only take time and give ourselves the physical exercise our body needs. It may pale in comparison to hiking National Parks, but I believe, city Walking Tours can be equally educational. It may not be as challenging, as serene, and as fun compared to hiking the nature trails in the canyons and mountains, but nevertheless, it is a walk that could open our eyes if we take a deeper look around us. In my case, I probably walk in the city streets of San Diego almost everyday,
Balboa Park, San Diego
only that I neglect the beauty and the drama that lies behind these streets. For I am always thinking of a get-away, away from civilization, towards nature's beauty, towards nature's best, which luckily for me, is just but a matter of minutes in San Diego.
Torrey Pines State Reserve, San Diego, CA
I do not even have to take a vacation away from the city to enjoy what I love the most, that is hiking on unpaved trails with nary a feel of civilization.
Enjoying the Sage Scrub and Matilija Poppies in the Trail
On Top of the World @ Mt Woodson
However, there are some instances that I do choose sometimes to take a walk in the paved city streets to enjoy the world that I may be taking everyday but just do not have the time to observe it because of work. One of my favorite city walks in San Diego is at Balboa Park.
Organ Pavillon, Balboa Park
Balboa Park is actually one my favorite places in San Diego to experience natural beauty (there are canyons and mesas that spans through the park), wonderful art and culture, and stunning Spanish Revival architecture.
California Tower, Balboa Park
Hallways of Casa Del Prado
Even though this kind of city walks is on the manicured paths of the city streets, but nevertheless, it can be a good alternative to hiking the backroads sometimes. City walking tour is definitely a cheap way of sightseeing activity for those who are usually visiting another city. Anyone can look online for some guides to take walking tours like in New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, or London walking tours. If you are planning to have a stop-over at some city in your next vacation, you can definitely take a city walking tour and you can find a lot of resource online to help in your planning. Some of my friends in London for example who are enjoying so much photography right now, are finding tips where to spend their walking tours of London for sightseeing and photography most of the time online as well.
Weekend at my side of the world. Ahhhh, wish weekend stays a little bit longer. But then, it is over. :) So thankful though for another beautiful and relaxing weekend here in San Diego.
