EXERCISING ALONG THE RIVERWALK

Also, Charming Foster Kittens Soon Available

Some of the sights you’ll see jogging or walking along the Riverwalk in Mission Valley

A SCENIC EXERCISE PATH NEAR LINDA VISTA

Needless to say, we live in stressful times.  We find ourselves stressfully dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, a struggling economy, and an overwhelming amount of tiresome political advertisements. In order to survive and thrive we must come up with effective ways to overcome this stress. Fortunately, physical activity is one way of succeeding in any stress-reducing endeavor.  Since some of us might be avoiding indoor gyms at this time, it’s good to know that jogging and walking offer us an alternate opportunity to get out in the fresh air to exert ourselves and release those mood pleasing endorphins, while at the same time allowing us to enjoy some great scenery. Fortunately, our Linda Vista neighborhood has many scenic routes suitable for these types of exercise.  There are also many other nearby routes that are easily accessible from our neighborhood. One such route runs through Mission Valley along the San Diego Riverwalk. If you are a jogger or walker looking for a flat, scenic exercise route that offers 4 miles of physical activity interspersed with interludes of  meditative solitude, then by all means this is the route for you. Though we often take the San Diego River for granted as we hurriedly drive through Mission Valley, this Riverwalk asphalt path route allows joggers and walkers to fully appreciate this natural wonder.

The starting point for this route can be found in the west parking lot of the JC Penny’s located at the Fashion Valley Mall. Once you park your car there, the course immediately begins by briefly walking down Fashion Valley Boulevard—about a hundred yards—until it intersects with Riverwalk Drive (at the stoplight, underneath the trolley tracks). Once you cross the street at the pedestrian walk you will notice a relatively new eastbound asphalt path lined by a wooden fence. Take this path east as it follows underneath the trolley tracks and parallel to the Fashion Valley Mall. 

Beginning of asphalt path that runs underneath trolley (photo facing west)

This isn’t the most scenic part of the route.  As you head east, you will be walking parallel to the nearby San Diego River, but except for the occasional appearance of ducks, you’ll hardly notice its presence. Instead, this part of the route is more of a monument to the virtues of capitalism as you take in the sights and sounds of cars full of shoppers searching for parking spots as they enter the mall to spend their hard earned money. But be patient. Nature and solitude are not far away.  You just have to keep moving eastward.

As you walk along this path you will eventually find yourself at the eastern edge of the Fashion Valley Mall. As you stand parallel to Bloomingdale’s department store, you will notice the path begin to veer slightly to the right.  From this point you can see the newly constructed (but still not open) extension of Hazard Center Drive that will allow easy access between Hazard Center and the Fashion Valley Mall (I recall attending a 2007 Linda Vista Town Council meeting in which then-councilperson Donna Frye spoke like a wild-eyed visionary about this extension being built someday far into the future, along with all the recent improvements to the 163/Friars Road interchange. At the time I said, “Yeah, Sure. That’ll never happen.” I’m sorry I doubted you, Ms. Frye).  Though cars cannot yet traverse this connection, joggers and walkers can follow the asphalt path as it conveniently goes underneath SR 163 to continue east along Hazard Center Drive.

The long-awaited new Hazard Center Drive connector is almost ready

You will eventually jog or walk on the sidewalk parallel to Hazard Center and the shopping plaza hosting the Food for Less supermarket before eventually reaching the Mission Center Road intersection. Once you cross the street, continue on the sidewalk as it converts once again into an asphalt path. Here is where nature and solitude finally make their presence known. Though the foliage is thick you can see the river to your right. Gone are the sights and sounds of mall shoppers. It’s just you and the other joggers/walkers. The dense foliage also provides comfortable shade on warms days.  

(By the way, I am happy to report that in spite of what I’ve recently read in the national news, I found no mail-in ballots floating anywhere along the river.)   

Entering Nature-urbia in the middle of Mission Valley

The scenery and opportunity for meditative solitude continue as you cross the street at the asphalt path’s intersection with Camino del Este. With an apartment complex on your left and the river on your right you will find yourself immersed in a state of what I like to call Nature-urbia—which occurs when elements of nature appear to make you temporarily forget you actually live in suburbia. Warning: The periodic noise of the trolley crossing overhead might interrupt this soothing state of Nature-urbia.      

After jogging/walking approximately 800 yards, you will eventually find yourself at the intersection with Qualcomm Way. At this point, you will turn right until you find the asphalt path on the other side of the river.  This is the 2-mile turn around point.  From here, all you have to do is follow the route in reverse and work your way back to your car at the Fashion Valley Mall parking lot to get in your 4 miles of exercise.

While jogging or walking you’re allowed to pause and enjoy the river views.

Once you complete this 4 mile route, you have a choice. You can immediately get back in your car and go home knowing you did something good for your body and mind, or you can walk into the mall and head over to the Wetzell’s Pretzel’s booth to buy a giant pretzel—perhaps a Sinful Cinnamon one—and thereby ruin the caloric effects of your exercise. The choice is yours!      

---

ONE MORE EXERCISE ROUTE

If you are looking for an additional path along the San Diego River, go back and read our post of July 18 in which we described a scenic route that runs parallel to Sea World Drive. You can read it here: https://lindavistaupdate.substack.com/p/a-beautiful-exercise-experience

---

CHARMING FOSTER KITTENS SOON AVAILABLE

Mitchell (In back), Mark (Front Left), and Mara (Front Right)

If you, or someone you know, are looking for a kitten, look no further. We have been fostering three kittens for the SD Humane Society. They will be available for adoption on the afternoon of October 28. If you want to reserve one or two of them for adoption, just refer to these ID numbers: Mitchell (#690442), Mara (#690446), and Mark (#690444). All three kittens are extremely friendly, funny and playful.

---

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to The Linda Vista Update to get on automatic distribution for every post. Just click on the “Subscribe now” button.