(“Walking In the City” is a twice-monthly column that details great places to walk or trek in and around downtown San Diego.)
When my husband returns to Naval Base San Diego by sea, you’ll find me at Shelter Island, impatiently waiting for the ship to enter the bay and make its way to the base.
Home to several yacht clubs and marinas, Shelter Island provides a front row seat to the comings and goings near the entrance to the San Diego Bay. And on a clear day, whip out your binoculars for a view of Mexico’s Coronado Islands.
This artificial island was created from mud and sand dredged from the bottom of the bay. It was a wartime effort in the 1950s to deepen the bay for naval ships. If you visit any of the establishments on Shelter Island, you’ll notice the city-mandated Polynesian theme, which was popular when the island was developed.
Let’s walk. Shelter Island offers a flat, paved shoreline path stretching one mile with spectacular views of the city skyline and San Diego Bay. This is a superb walkway for those using mobility aids or strollers. icycles and skates are not permitted on the sidewalk.
Saunter out onto the pier and enjoy its nautical atmosphere where you can watch fishermen snatch the catch of the day. The sights here are absolutely fabulous between the boats, birds, and SEALs…no, not harbor seals. I’m talking about the land-and-water SEAL tour that picks up and drops off near downtown. Shelter Island is where the tour transfers from land to sea for a brief ride in the bay.
If you’re feeling hungry, you’re in luck. Fathom Bistro, Bait, and Tackle, situated on the pier, offers scrumptious bites, served by friendly folks (FYI: it’s closed on Mondays). If you’d rather bring your own meal, the grassy lawns along Shelter Island’s walkway are also a superb spot for a picnic.
Take in art and marine biology. While you walk, search for and admire the seven pieces of public art found around the island. My favorite is at the end of the island: the large bronze Friendship Bell, which was presented to the people of San Diego in 1958 by the citizens of Yokohama, Japan.
Walk a bit more and you’ll spy an osprey’s nest atop a tall pole in the middle of the roadway, and then “Tunaman’s Memorial,” which reflects back when San Diego was the tuna-fishing capital of the world and pays tribute to the city’s tuna fishermen who died at sea.
If you have any marine biology fans in your group, go to the southern end of the island and peer across the channel at the docks of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography’s Nimitz Marine Facility. This facility serves as the logistical and technical support hub for the institute’s worldwide ocean research program. Also nearby is the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific, which is home to the Marine Mammal Program. This program trains bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions to detect, locate, mark and recover objects in harbors, coastal areas, and at depth in the open sea. SDSun
Deanna Ratnikova is the creator of The GO Deck – grab a deck today and be inspired to Get Outdoors and GO on new adventures.
