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SAN
DIEGO BEACHES
South Mission Beach
Bordered on the south by the Mission Bay Channel, South Mission
Beach is possibly one of the widest beaches in San Diego. A
popular place for sports such as beach volleyball, it's also
home to Belmont Park, at the foot of West Mission Bay Drive,
which includes the restored Giant Dipper roller coaster
"The Plunge" indoor swimming pool. Lively crowds fill
the boardwalk that starts here and travels up to Pacific Beach.
Pacific Beach (P.B.)
Surf shops, beach equipment, 20 hotels and motels, array of
nightclubs, and more than 120 restaurants populate Pacific
Beach. Only 5 minutes from Sea World, 2 minutes from Belmont
Park, and 15 to the Zoo, P.B. is still best known for its
access to the Pacific Ocean. You can swim, surf, boogie board,
beach comb, sunbathe, or snorkel. Stroll Mission Boulevard to
Sail Bay, a calm inlet where visitors can rent windsurfers,
paddle boats, and sailboats, or ride the Bahia Belle, an
old-fashioned sternwheeler. Along P.B's boardwalk, which blurs
into Mission Beach, inline skaters, joggers, strollers, and
walkers compete for space with kids and dogs, all gazing
westward, celebrating the sunset.
Crystal Pier
Originally called Pickering's Pleasure Pier, part of the wave
amusement piers and waterfront destinations popularized around
the turn of the century, this Pacific Beach landmark was part
of an effort to attract people to the coast and make
ocean-front property more saleable. The enterprise was to
include a boardwalk and pier, but financial and natural
difficulties — including heavy rains and high tides —
washed out portions in 1926.
The cork-lined floors of the Crystal Ballroom opened in 1927
with elegant formal parties of bejeweled women and tuxedo-clad
men dancing under chandeliers. Unfortunately, the pier closed
within a year; pilings had not been coated to protect the wood
from rotting, and the pier was eventually condemned. Crystal
Pier reopened in 1936, when it was lengthened and rental
cottages replaced amusements and games.
But more damage loomed in its future: the winter storms of
January 1953 and a loose barge knocked several pilings and one
unoccupied cottage into the surf. High tides and storm surf hit
again 30 years later, in January 1983, when a third of the
structure collapsed into the Pacific Ocean. Crystal Pier was
reconstructed again in 1988 with a raised end to reduce the
chance of wave damage. Cottages are available for rent again,
and shops and cares adorn the pier's boardwalk. Visitors can
stroll to the end of the pier where fishing, surf-gazing, or
superb sunsets await.
Windansea — 6800 Neptune Place
The rocky shore of Windansea Beach is best known for its
breathtaking scenery and surf breaks created by underwater
reefs. Sandstone rocks act as partitions along the beach,
offering a secluded spot for sunbathing. Much of the beach at
Windansea experiences "shore break," a condition on
steep beaches that results in hard-breaking surf right at the
shoreline.
Children's Pool — 850 Coast
Boulevard
The Children's Pool, also known as The Casa, is a picturesque
beach with a panoramic view. During much of the year, seals and
sea lions are on or near the beach, and a reserve for these
marine mammals, called Seal Rock, is just offshore. The
Children's Pool is within a walk of La Jolla's village. Grassy
par areas are a short distance, north and south. Other small
nearby beaches include Wipeout Beach to the south and Shell
Beach to the north. This a popular beach for scuba divers due
to the reefs just offshore. These same reefs can create strong
currents and other hazards particularly in high-surf
conditions.
Mission Bay
Mission Bay was created by dredging, piling, jetting, and
redirecting; this man-made environment has since become one of
San Diego's most popular recreation areas, where 4000 acres of
bike parks, jogging, and walking trails follow the shoreline
and extend for miles. A wealth of grassy picnic spots and areas
set aside for jet skiing make it a great weekend destination;
waters are calm enough for even nonswimmers to approach.
At the southwestern corner of Mission Bay, Mission Beach sits
on its small peninsula with the open sea to its west and the
bay to the east. Belmont Park is at its heart, with its
refurbished antique wooden roller coaster, restaurants,
nightclubs, and unique shops. Belmont Park is also home to the
historic plunge, built in 1925, perhaps the largest indoor pool
in Southern California.
Where Pacific Beach Drive meets Riviera Drive, at the north end
of Mission Beach, a scenic route offers sunsets and sailboats.
The road follows to Crown Point, another great family-picnic
destination. Bay Park lies just across the water, where grassy
playgrounds and gusty winds make it an ideal spot for
professional kite flyers.
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