15 Exploring The West Coast: Torrey Pines State Reserve & Sunset Cliffs, San Diego CA

 

On our last day in California, my sister took me around to multiple different locations, attempting to fit in everything more we wanted to see. Being that we are big hikers, we wanted to try to find someplace where we could get some cool hiking in. Therefore, our first stop was Torrey Pines State Reserve.

After we arrived and eventually found parking a mile away, we made our way to the park's entrance. After a steep climb up the road, we made it to our trail entrance. The park was comprised of many different paths, all that looped their way around the cliff's edges, so we decided to choose the one that would show us the most and that had the most scenic vistas. It was called Guy Fleming Trail and it did not disappoint!

After first setting out, we saw beautiful, sandy, dune-looking structures along the path. My sister and I continued along, until we eventually reached the coast. And wow, the view was absolutely beautiful! We had climbed from sea level up to where we currently stood and the tough climb was definitely worth it. Seeing the cliffs edges, the beach below them, and the expansive ocean stretching out was definitely a very scenic picture. We stood, admiring our surroundings for a bit, appreciating and taking it all in. 

After moving away from the coast's amazing views, we continued along our hike. Along our way, we were pleased to find many different types of plants and trees sprouting up from the sandy rock and dirt on either side of the path. One type of tree that was seen in abundance, was the Torrey Pines, which the park was named after. We read a little bit of history about these trees and tried our best to identify them along our way. We also saw lots of other little plants and flowers everywhere we looked. It was beautiful to see tiny pops of color sprinkled in with the brown and tan landscape.

What was also really cool about this hike is it is unlike most of the hiking I am used to. In New England, most of our hiking consists of walking though a path surrounded by green forests, or climbing over rock scrambles up the side of mountains. I was not used to hiking in such an open area, without the tall forest trees in every direction. Therefore, I really enjoyed this new type of hiking and getting the chance to experience something a little different. 

After leaving Torrey Pines, my sister and I made a few more stops at different locations. We visited a dog beach which was the absolute cutest thing I have ever seen in my life!! It was so fun to watch all of the dogs playing and running off-leash, rolling in the sand and splashing in the water with their new friends. I knew my dog at home would've loved it! Next we stopped at a famous taco stand for lunch which, after waiting for an hour in line, was delicious! 

For our final stop of the day, we arrived at Sunset Cliffs, which is a very popular and well-known attraction in San Diego. Cars were parked along the side of the street for miles with everyone trying to catch the sunset with their friends and family. We arrived early, found parking on a side-street, and made our way down to the cliffs. The area was packed with friends and families, many sitting on picnic blankets  waiting for the sky to perform for us. 

We made our way to the edge of the cliff and grabbed a seat. It was about 20 minutes until sunset so we sat there waiting, talking the evening away. Eventually, the sun began creeping its way down to the ocean. Everyone got quiet, conversations stopping, as everyones eye's and attentions were fixed to the horizon. Watching the sunset is a very relaxing yet enchanting experience, as it seems the sun begins racing down to the water in its final minutes. People watched as the last tiny sliver of sun disappeared into the ocean, and they eventually let out claps and cheers as it left our sight. That was a very cool moment, as the sun managed to being everyone together, no conversations, no one on their phones, for those final few minutes. This showed just how capturing and powerful nature can be. 

After the sun was gone, darkness began to set in. We made our way back to the car and drove home to my sisters house. That night turned out to be such a peaceful and relaxing end to my trip. We saw many sights, got to spend quality time with one another, and enjoyed so much of what nature has to offer. As I packed by suitcase in preparation for my 5am flight back to DFW in the morning, I felt happy and recharged, ready to take on the rest of the semester back at TCU. I was so appreciative of my little mid-semester getaway and realized just how necessary spending this time outdoors was for me.