I had two things left to cross off on my San Diego list before I depart – ride the Silver Strand on my motorcycle, and Kayak San Diego Bay.

Saturday – I was off by 7am, and was through Coronado and on the Silver Strand by 7:30. It was foggy with light rain, and I pulled over often to clean the visor on my helmet. Still, on a narrow strip of land with ocean on both sides, it was a great ride. I went down to Imperial Beach, and took a quick stroll up to the sand before heading back, touring a bit of Coronado on the way. I took another quick detour to check out Chicano Park, a place I’d first heard of while randomly catching a documentary about the Logan Heights street gang. I was quite impressed, but I had limited time so didn’t stay more than a few minutes. That night, I did a bit of research on the park, and was fascinated by the rich history. So fascinated in fact, that I re-visited the park the next day…

Sunday – I was off by 6:30am, picked up my friend April, and we were launching kayaks by 7:30am at the ferry landing on Coronado. My intention was to kayak with downtown San Diego as the backdrop. Mixing an outdoor activity with a industrial scene has a certain appeal to me. We paddled across the bay, skirted some big fishing boats, and got up close and personal with the Midway, scoring a unique perspective from down below. The rim of the bay is occupied by massive cranes, aircraft carriers, and humongous ships. An interesting paddle for sure…  On the way back, a second visit to Chicano Park, this time with my SLR and more time to spare. The park boasts the largest collection of murals in the United States. The murals are very powerful, and you can feel the history in the air…