Checking Off New Year's Resolutions

The year is winding down (that was fast!) and it’s time to contemplate goals for 2016.  According to Nielsen (the global information company, known for the television Nielsen ratings), seven of the top ten most popular New Year’s Resolutions can be checked off the list by booking a vacation at Mission Bay Vacation Rentals.  Hard to believe?  Let’s break it down.   

Traveling More is on the list, and booking a flight to invariably sunny Mission Bay, San Diego, definitely counts.  Even if Mission Bay is somewhere you can drive to, getting out of the house and spending time in a new environment is always invigorating and helps one reset their hectic schedule.  Making picturesque San Diego your first stop in the new year is a no-brainer.  

Staying Fit and Healthy, year after year, is always at the top of the list.  Gyms are usually the winner here, with memberships spiking in January; but how many of us keep going for the rest of the year?  Forget exercising indoors, Mission Bay is packed with fun activities on land and water that will keep your heart rate up.  There’s a reason San Diego is always voted one of the top ‘Fittest’ cities in the U.S.  

Hop on a beach cruiser and ride down the Mission Beach boardwalk or among the calm waters of Mission Bay.  Take in the fresh air as you mountain bike around Torrey Pines or Tecolote Canyon.  Grab your running shoes and you can trace the same biking trails on foot.  Want a little more zen in your physical pursuits?  Head to an outdoor yoga class in Pacific Beach, La Jolla, or Ocean Beach.  

Needless to say, we’ve got plenty of exercise options that involve the deep blue sea.  Snorkeling and SCUBA diving are great ways to burn calories while exploring a new world.  You can rent kayaks and paddle boards for a spin around the bay or the open waters.  Our coastline is a surfer’s paradise for beginners or seasoned riders.   Mission Beach Surfing School offers not just surf lessons, but kite and wake surfing, as well as stand up paddle boarding.   Pacific Surf School will let you book private or group classes, rent paddle boards, or book a yoga class on top of a surf board.  Chances are, at least one of these will qualify as Learning a New Hobby.  

Losing Weight (especially those pesky holiday pounds) is usually at the top of the list of most New Year’s Resolutions.  With all the outdoor fun in Mission Bay, the weight will melt off without even trying.  On top of the exercising, San Diego is one of the best cities in the world for healthy and delicious clean eating.  Our town has its pick of great farmer’s markets and farm-to-table restaurants, where the food is salubrious, fresh, and tasty.  Peace Pies in Ocean Beach, is an uber-casual vegan cafe (blink and you might walk past it) with an amazing menu that even seasoned meat-eaters will love.   True Food Kitchen is a popular national chain at the Fashion Valley Mall, that researches the vendors they use to ensure delicious, healthy and organic menu options.  

It’s easy to Enjoy Life to the Fullest when you are Spending Quality Time with Family and Friends in a gorgeous location with perfect weather.  Spend a day at Belmont Park with your loved ones and you will definitely be living life to its fullest.  From a fast-paced plunging rollercoaster, to scaling rock walls, or navigating a ropes course suspended in mid-air, the adrenaline will be high as will the fun factor.  Make memories while playing miniature golf, or cheering on your loved ones as they attempt to surf the FlowBarrel.  After exploring our beautiful town and charming neighborhoods, you can always repose on a lounge chair or sunbath on the sand while Reading a New Book.  

We told you, Mission Bay Vacation Rentals is going to take care of your resolutions this year!   Call today to book one of our wonderful homes for your first vacation of 2016.  After a busy holiday season your family and New Year’s Resolution list will thank you!

San Diego 'Hike-about'

If you want to skip all the post-Thanksgiving shopping madness and burn off some of those pie calories then head to the great outdoors for some fresh air and beautiful scenery.  San Diego is not called “America’s Finest City” just because of our sparkling beaches, our mountains and forests are just as inviting.  We’ve highlighted some of our favorite hikes this week, so you know exactly where to go and what you’ll see.

Torrey Pines, just north of La Jolla, is the perfect place to hike with over 2,000 acres to explore.  On Saturdays and Sundays, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, rangers are available to give tours.  Torrey Pines is a reserve not a park, so dogs are not allowed (except for service dogs), in order to help protect the eco system.  For first time visitors, it’s hard to know where to start, so we’ve listed some of our favorite easy trails below. 

Walk through Whittaker Garden (which has markers that identify the local flora) to start the Parry Grove trail for a short half-mile loop.  Parry Grove is known for their California wildflowers in the colder, wet months.

You can combine this short hike with the High Point Trail by walking up the stairs, or just head to the High Point trail for a nice walk with the oldest tree grove in the reserve.  Some of the tall trees shading the trail are over 200 years old. 

Yucca Point Trail is an easy hike that is little over a mile with a gradual elevation change of about 200 feet.  One point of the trail offers access to the beach and either way you walk you are treated with lovely views.

Another easy trail that won’t take too long to hike is the 1.3 mile Razor Point Trail, which also offers dramatic vistas.                                                                                                                                 

The Beach Trail is a little steeper than some of the other easy trails, but is still manageable and only ¾ of a mile.  This is a fascinating trail for budding geologists as you can observe the diverse changes of the rocks and terrain as the trail winds from the shore to the forest.

Guy Fleming Trail is 0.7 of a mile and also offers breathtaking views, making it easy to spot dolphins and whales in the winter months.

Twenty five minutes from Mission Bay is Mount Cowles, the highest peak within San Diego city limits, located in Mission Trails Regional Park.  This hike is so popular, it sees more visitors scaling to the top every year than Japan’s Mount Fuji.  It’s such a gradual incline, it is a good beginner’s trail, however there isn’t much shade so be sure to pack a hat and sunblock during sunny days.  This three-mile hike is ideal when the sun is setting, where you can take in the colorful sunsets and city lights as the night grows darker.

Also located in Mission Trails is the Oak Canyon Trail, another popular hike, in the 5,800 acre regional park.   The path is lined with tall sycamore trees and because of some steep switchbacks, is more of a moderate climb in difficulty.  However, the views of Lake Murray, the Pacific Ocean, downtown San Diego and Mexico, make it worth it.  With some even pacing, anyone can push through to the top. 

To really get outside of the city, head over to Los Penasquitos Canyon (about 20 minutes north of Mission Bay) for a tranquil stroll through rolling hills and a babbling brook.  The trail that meanders through the canyon is about five miles long, and has a waterfall about 3 miles in, so if you don’t want to make the entire trek, you can turn around at this point.   The paths are wide and safe for the whole family, and keep your eyes peeled for deer that wander around. 

From exploring the trails at sea level to climbing the highest mountain in the city, and everything in between, San Diego has some of the most gorgeous hikes in the world.  For the cooler fall months (mid-60s is chilly for us), heading outside for a brisk hike is the perfect way to enjoy our great town.  Book a stay at one of lovely properties at Mission Bay Vacation Rentals and start enjoying Mother Nature. 

Exploring an Aquatic Ecosystems

Of all the many ecosystems you can explore, very few let you spy on their natural state as the tide pools along the shore.  Formed when water is trapped in depressions on rocky shorelines, and fully exposed at low tide, these mini-worlds are filled with fascinating tiny creatures and beautiful flowering plants.  November to March is the optimal time to explore the many tide pools of San Diego, and here are just a few that we love to visit.

Flat Rock, at Torrey Pines State reserve, is named for the horizontal slab of rock that look like it's emerging from the ocean during high tide.  During low tide it is a captivating tide pool filled with sea anemones, mussels, hermit crabs, and sea stars.  A visit here requires a bit of a hike, but one that’s lined with tall pine trees and a cool ocean breeze.  

For those wanting to explore a smaller rocky intertidal zone (a fancy word for an area that is under water during high tide and above water in low tide), than check out Shell Beach in La Jolla.  Located at the south end of Ellen Browning Scripps park, this tide pool gets big crowds during the weekend because of the occasional seal which suns itself atop the reef so we recommend visiting during the week.  

We love the tide pools under the Ocean Beach Pier (at the foot of Newport Avenue) because they are so accessible.  They’re a close drive from Mission Bay and do not require a hike, so it's easy to explore with little ones.  If they look too crowded or the tide isn’t low enough, you can always grab a bite on the pier or at some of the great eateries in Ocean Beach and wait for better conditions.  

At the north end of Pacific Beach, you’ll find Tourmaline Surfing Park's tide pools,  which are carved into the sandstone.  This is not your typical pool, as it does not see as much flowing sea water over the rocks, so you’ll find different marine life here than at a traditional tide pool.  

One of the more famous tide pools in San Diego is at the base of Point Loma, below the lighthouse of Cabrillo National Monument.  Like Flat Rock, this reef also requires a hike, but the vast area and unique formations are well worth a visit.  Ideally, you’ll get there as soon as the park opens at 9:00 a.m. to avoid excessive waiting, as the parking lot will close temporarily when the tide pools get too crowded.   Stop by the park’s visitor center for an educational slide show about the pools before you make the trek.  There are also rangers wandering around who can offer tips and interesting facts about the area.  

Birch Aquarium in La Jolla offers two ways to explore these under water communities.  The first is at their Preuss Tide-Pool Plaza on site, where they have recreated the ecosystem in three different pools.  There are glass windows that look into the complex intertidal worlds and docents are also averrable for any questions you might have.  The Plaza sits above La Jolla and also offers gorgeous panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and San Diego.

The Aquarium also offers ‘San Diego Tidepooling Adventures,’ where you can visit Dike Rock, just north of the Scripps Pier, and learn about this amazing environment.  A trained naturalist will explain exactly how all these creatures can survive in such contradictory climates (wet and dry in both salt water and fresh, depending on the rainfall).  You must be at least 2 years old for this tour and pre-purchased tickets are required ($12 for Aquarium members and $15 for non-member). 

All visits should be planned during low tide, and you can track the tide schedule HERE.  Tide pools are known for being slippery and the rocks can have very jagged edges, so non-slip shoes that you won’t mind getting wet are ideal.  Always face the ocean when walking and examining so you are aware of unexpected and approaching waves.  

Remember, tide pools are a very fragile eco-system, and while they provide fascinating entertainment for us, we must be careful not to get too close to the animals living there.  These areas are protected so no poking or picking up sea creatures, or taking ‘souvenirs’ (this includes  shells, which are where hermits crabs call ‘home’) with you.  You can truly observe these eco-systems in their most pure state when observing and not touching.  We want these pools to last forever so we need to make sure we tread lightly when visiting.

Looking closely into the clear waters on these rocky reefs is like spying on life forms on another planet.  The San Diego coastline is brimming with these pools that can captivate both adults and children.  Spend a fews days with us, at Mission Bay Vacation Rentals, exploring these dazzling and delicate ecosystems.  

Whale Watching Season in San Diego

Winter is winding down so be sure to add a whale-watching trip to your itinerary before the whale season ends!  Don't miss your chance to get a glimpse of the majestic grey whales as they migrate from Alaska, passing right by San Diego and Mission Bay, en route to Baja California, where they give birth to their calves.   Their journey starts in December and ends in April for around 20,000 of these whales, so now is the time to grab a camera and go exploring on the sea.    

From Land

The grey whales swim so closely to the shore that you can easily spot them from land.  Below are two of our favorite spots to spend an afternoon enjoying nature and watching for the graceful giants. . .

Thanks to the second largest kelp forest in California, the grey whales hug the San Diego coast on their journey.  One of the closest points you can get to this kelp forest is at the Cabrillo National Park.  Cabrillo has some amazing vantage points for spying whales, such as  the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, a historical structure with views of the city and vast ocean.  A short walk from the Lighthouse is the Whale Overlook, with perfect views of, you guessed it, the migrating mammals.  The park’s visitor center has more information on the whales and rangers are also available to answer questions or give pointers on when and where is the best spot to catch a glimpse of them. 
 

Make a day of it with a visit to Torrey Pines State National Reserve, another gorgeous park with perfect vistas of the whales' path.  After watching the whales on their annual winter journey from the bluffs overlooking the ocean, you can explore the 2000 acres of protected wildlife on over 8 miles of trails.  Torrey Pines is unique not just because of the pristine cliffs and land on the coast, but also because it offers a wilderness of both pine forests and sandstone canyons in the middle of the Southern Californian desert. 

From Sea

Being a coastal city, San Diego offers numerous whale-watching tours, which is a great way to not only appreciate the delicate balance of marine life, but also to experience the stunning San Diego skyline.  Here we’ve highlighted some of our favorites. . .

The world-renowned Birch Aquarium has partnered with Flagship Cruises & Events to offer two very unique excursions to explore the ocean while looking for the giants of the deep. Tours are guided by Birch Aquarium Naturalists and include fact sheets about the gray whale and the best part is, if you don’t see a whale you ride again for free!  For those who don’t have three and a half hours for the standard whale tour, they also offer a ride on The Patriot, a high-speed boat; you get as far out at sea as the other tour, but this ride is an hour and a half long.  A ride on the Patriot also has the same ‘see a whale or the next ride is free’ policy.  Talk about a win-win!

Hornblower Cruises & Events is one of the most popular whale watching ships in San Diego.  Their boats are comfortable, spacious, and fast.  It’s easy to see why they are the most sought after tour when it comes to viewing the whale migration.  They always have live educational narration from both the captain and trained Naturalists from the Natural History Museum, which makes for some fascinating time on the sea.  Before you book, you can check out current sightings and other ocean news on their Whale Report blog. 
 

For a truly luxurious whale watching experience, look no further than the San Diego Sailing Tours.  They offer a half-day tour, which includes a gourmet lunch.  Glide in and out of San Diego Bay and up and down the southern Californian coast on a gorgeous ship.  Stewards serve cheese and crackers along with San Diego made craft beer and chilled wine  (for the adults, naturally) and everyone is served a boxed lunch from their gourmet deli.  At $149 for each passenger, this is truly an elite day on the sea, but one you will never forget! 

Mission Bay Vacation Rentals couldn’t be any closer to the action, so book now and spend some time on both dry land and the water.   Once you get a magical glimpse of these peaceful creatures in their natural habitat, you’ll want to come back for more.