Sunday, July 05, 2020

Del Mar Beach Walk (Ocean Avenue Scenic Trail)

Today, we drove down to Del Mar so Tori could go for a three mile run with Kenny over to the San Dieguito Lagoon. While they ran, I went for a walk along the beach. Starting at 9th Street, I found a colorful garden path that followed the bluff above the railroad tracks. I hadn't planned on taking pictures but the scenic trail was so beautiful that I couldn't help myself.




Over the last few years, they have been spending money to stabilize the bluffs to protect the train tracks with improved drainage channels and concrete and steel columns driven into the earth called soldier piles. The bluffs lose an average of 6 inches per year, with winter storms taking out 2 or 3 feet chunks at a time in wet years. Eventually, they will have to move the train tracks inland or under a costly tunnel.   




The narrow path turned into the wider Ocean Avenue Trail that continued all the way down to 11th Street in the form of a storm drain.  I descended the steep trail down to the sand on South Beach and walked north as far as 20th Street before turning back.




Back up on the cliff, Tori and Kenny found me filming a time-lapse video of the coastline to the South. Since they are both participating in a handstand challenge for the month, I took a few pictures of their handstands for the day. On the way home, Tori and I stopped for dinner at the Brigantine.




Update: 7/11/20

A week later, Tori and I returned to Del Mar so we could walk together along the coastal trail. This time, we headed South following the cliff-side trail above the train tracks.




After a half mile, we hit a dead end at the Del Mar Woods Private Community so we had to backtrack all the way to 8th Street where we could join up again on the lower trail and head South again.




We walked along the bluff all the way to the bridge at the entrance to the Torrey Pines State Beach.




By the time we returned to our starting point, we had hiked 4 miles. We walked into downtown Del Mar for an early dinner at the new Mediterranean Grill. The dressing on their Greek Salad was delicious!


Update: 8/29/20

We came back for dinner at the Mediterranean Grill and went for a walk along the cliff trail after our meal. The Amtrak Surfliner came past as we walked along the tracks. I was surprised how close some people sat to the roaring train.





We continued down the trail until the orange and yellow lights faded from the twilit sky.




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