Torrey Pines
Recently, I spent a weekend in San Diego, visiting our son, Aaron. He’s a lot of fun and easy to be with, so my time there was great. I really am looking for to the next visit! He has a modern apartment downtown and has easy access to lots of activities and places to go. Just after my arrival, he asked if I’d like to go to Torrey Pines Park for a hike. Great! I brought my shoes, just in case, so I was ready. We laughed as we drove toward the shore, since the GPS wasn’t able to correctly pronounce Torrey Pines. She kept saying, “Toris-pin-es.” But she got us there. We took the scenic route. We entered the park and paid our fees for the day and started our climb up the hill. About midway, we parked the car and then continued to the top of the hill on foot. Once we arrived at the hill crest, we started down a trail toward the ocean. For me, there are many beautiful scenes in nature, but honestly, seeing and hearing the Pacific Ocean crash to the shore is exhilarating. We hiked between large stones and beach vegetation and finally arrived at the bottom of the trail. Wow! The view was absolutely breathtaking! What an experience!
Trail in the Woods
Then 3 days later, I was back home and our daughter, Iris, asked if I wanted to hike. Absolutely! We drove midway up Big Basin Way and parked the car in a dirt lot, near the split rail fence and got out. We didn’t need GPS since the trails are only about 15 minutes from our house. We went through the opening in the fence and started up a meadow trail. In late June, the vegetation in the hills is mostly dry, which is one reason California is called the Golden State. Within 5 minutes we entered woods and the temperature dropped by at least 10 degrees. Suddenly, the plants were lush and green. We walked at a pretty fast pace, taking hills and valleys without changing our stride. She waved me past her so she could add lunges and squats to increase her heart rate and enhance her workout. I continued at the previous pace and she jogged up to me, complimenting me on my speed. The woods were beautiful. The day sunny and bright. Wow! What an experience!
Afterward, I reflected about my two experiences. Both were hikes. Both required sturdy shoes. Yet, they were as different and engaging as they could be. They were each as unique and delightful as my hiking partners were. Wow! Great experiences!
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July 7, 2010
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