Tourist First: California: San Diego's Sunrise Highway

Friday, October 19, 2018

California: San Diego's Sunrise Highway

The two-lane Sunrise Highway (S1) runs between Interstate 8 and State Road 79
in eastern San Diego County, skimming beside and up into the Vallecito Mountains and
providing access to the Cleveland National Forest, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

About an hour east of San Diego but still in San Diego County, the Sunrise Highway is a world away from the busy coast and the jammed highways of the city. It's a full-day trip if you take hiking seriously, a bit less than that if you settle for an hour or so on one of the trails in Cleveland National Forest, which was established by Teddy Roosevelt in 1908 and is 460,000 acres (720 square miles) of rocks, canyons, pines and scrub.

Other than trailheads (including access points to the Pacific Crest Trail) and a couple of lodges and cafes, there's little to see along the 24 miles of the Sunrise Highway except magnificent views of the Vallecito Mountains to the east. The Salton Sea is on the other side of the mountains, and perhaps the sliver of blue water we spied a couple of times was the sea. Or perhaps it was just another of the several artificial lakes that dot the area.

Here are some snapshots taken along the highway, starting from the southern end.

The Vallecito Mountains rise in the distance in this view from the Sunrise Highway.

We drove the Sunrise Highway on Oct. 19, 2018, a sunny
and hot day in San Diego (high in the 80s at sea level),
but the temperature dropped to 60 once we were 5,000 feet
and more above sea level. The humidity was 29 percent, so
the chill felt even chillier.

Dead trees resemble art works along one
trail in Cleveland National Forest. Maybe
they were killed in the forest's famous
2003 Cedar Fire, one of the worst wildfires
in the state's history.

Pine trees, even big ones like this, have thin foliage.

Another remnant of the 2003 Cedar Fire? Yet the
little pine beside it does not seem discouraged.

Jane said this tree reminded her of the charred tree where
Smokey Bear was found in New Mexico in 1950.

More apparent fire damage ... and regrowth.

A view of Anza-Borrega Desert State Park.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

No trees, just brush in this desert.

Isolated rocks stick up like termite mounds in the plains of Africa.

Some piles of rocks resembled Inuit inukshuks and others resembled
African kopjes. There are warnings about rattlesnakes and mountain
lions, and I can easily imagine one if not both waiting at these
rocks for an unaware hiker.

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Argentine Patagonia

They are called what they look like: Mexican hats. They occur naturally in the highlands above the town of El Calafate. The water in the distance is glacier-fed Lago Argentino. An hour's drive east of El Calafate, near the headwaters of the lake, visitors can hike on the Perito Moreno glacier and take a boat ride among icebergs that have fallen off the several glaciers in the Parque Nacional des Glaciares. El Calafate is basically a summer (Nov. to Feb.) tourist town, and there are a number of hotels at all price points. We stayed at Esplendor El Calafate, a very stylish hotel with a full restaurant and bar. The South American picker-upper drink mate is available at breakfast. The hotel is an uphill walk from the commercial area, but that's not much of a drawback. Click on the photo to visit the Esplendor online.

Dominica

Probably the greenest island in the Caribbean, in terms of color and ecological awareness, is Dominica, just north of Martinique. It was named by Columbus, who sailed past it on a Sunday. The island nation is one of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, but it is rich in friendly people and natural attractions, including a boiling lake, hot and cold waterfalls, a parrot jungle and hill after hill of dense green jungle. There is also a cable-car ride through the jungle canopy (http://www.natureisland.com/AerialTram.html). I wrote about Dominica years ago, and much of that article is still relevant: http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/26/travel/winter-in-the-sun-an-island-where-less-is-more.html?scp=2&sq= Unfortunately, one of the hotels I mentioned, Petit Coulibri, has since closed. Fortunately, there's still a wonderful eco-resort called Papillote Wilderness Retreat http://www.papillote.dm/), four acres of lush gardens, hot-spring-heated soaking pools and modest cottage rooms.

Palm Springs

Palm Springs, Calif., is a great destination for nature lovers -- Mount San Jacinto State Park is a wonderful gondola ride (shown above -- click on it to visit its website) away, and Joshua Tree National Park is a short drive away. It's also a great destination for naturists; there are several major clothing optional resorts in the area -- and for fans of Mid-Century Modern architecture. For a dose of mid-century style, stay at the Orbit In (http://www.orbitin.com/), which does ask that you keep your clothes on.

Pompeii

If you're driving from Naples to the Amalfi Coast, and it's hard to imagine anyone who wouldn't want to visit the Amalfi Coast, you should plan to spend a night in the modern city of Pompei, adjacent to the ancient city of Pompeii. Above are the murals depicting an unknown ritual in what's called the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. If you can, devote most of a full day to exploring the site. Afterward, you'll want a good hotel. Click on the image for info about Hotel Amleto, a small and friendly hotel in the heart of the new town and an easy walk from the ruins.

St. Vincent

This is one of the "rooms" at Petit Byahaut, an isolated (access by boat only) eco-resort on St. Vincent, the largest island in the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Bequia, mentioned above in this column, is one of the Grenadines. The photo above is of the living deck and doesn't show a relatively enclosed area that had a real bed. Did you notice I said "had"? That's because the place has closed. To read about the property in its heyday, click on the image for a New York Times article I wrote. The article has a link to a slide show with more images of the resort.