Spend five minutes at Mission Bay and you’ll catch on: The velocity of a passing sea breeze is just too slow in this pocket of San Diego. Visitors and locals like to rev it up—bikes, skates, surfboards, and even those “human transporter” Segways create a blur of activity morning till night. You can rent anything for an hour or two, or all day, in this mecca for beachside sports.
If cycling, skating, or surfing aren’t fast enough, head to the south end of this bay and visit Belmont Park. There, you can whipsaw aboard the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster. Mid-scream at the peak of topsy-turvy, you’ll see the vast blue ocean sparkling to the horizon.
For a slower pace, stop into the waterside Segway of Pacific Beach and lease noise- and pollution-free machines. Owner Joe Welsh closely watches renters maneuver their Segways before letting them drive the Pacific Ocean boardwalk or the miles of paths along Mission Bay’s shoreline. After all, the beachgoing public doesn’t expect to be run over by someone steering what looks like a giant pastry roller.
For some stop-and-go action, sign up for a two-hour bike tour led by freelance TV newscaster Darlynne Reyes Menkin and her husband, Marc. The couple moved to San Diego 16 years ago from Philadelphia, and delight in sharing the area with newcomers—on bikes, Segways, buses, or on foot. “We’re walking concierges,” Darlynne says. One tidbit you’ll learn is that Mission Bay’s 4,235 acres compose one of the largest man-made aquatic parks on the West Coast. “It was dismal mudflats in the 1940s,” Marc says. “But they dredged the bay, made it accessible to boats, and turned it into the nautical community you see today.”
To rest between bouts of exertion, check into the convenient Catamaran Resort Hotel. Its 315 rooms overlook the bay, ocean, or tropical-style garden. Bayview rooms face the colorful parade of joggers, boaters, cyclists, and Segway drivers. A South Pacific motif and an architectural style the staff describes as “Hawaiian Colonial” provide a comfortable atmosphere. The walls aren’t soundproof, but you’ll hear mostly the sweet lap of Mission Bay waves—unless it’s spring-break season.
Catamaran Resort owners (Bill Evans and his family, who also own San Diego’s Lodge at Torrey Pines) opened a state-of-the-art spa on the site of the hotel’s Cannibal Bar two years ago. Now tile mosaics, flowing water, trained therapists, and serenity have replaced the clink of cocktail glasses. The resort’s Atoll Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a Sunday brunch featuring Champagne and sushi. Scrumptious dinner choices include the Asian pesto skewered scallops and sesame-crusted seared ahi.
Across the bridge on Mission Bay’s Vacation Island, the splendid Paradise Point Resort & Spa offers an elegant, romantic lodging option. Five tennis courts, five swimming pools, sandy beaches, and a golf course and marina await guests. Paradise Point spreads 462 rooms among clusters named Orchid, Waterlily, Jasmine, Eucalyptus, and Hibiscus, all on narrow cul de sacs and roundabouts. The feel of understated luxury begins in the lobby, with teak wood, a soaring ceiling, and a grand expanse of glass curtained by the exterior cloak of towering palms.
In an intoxicating setting, the resort’s Spa Terre offers Asian-influenced choices such as the 110-minute ($240) Thai Kelapa Ritual. After a massage, guests can dine at Paradise Point’s Baleen Restaurant, which juts into the bay and rightly claims to serve “serious food with a whimsical mood.” New chef de cuisine Amy DiBiase brings her own flavors to the menu, but she’s kept some favorites, such as a lobster martini with mashed potato and shaved truffle.
When it’s time to swing back into gear, you may want to consider that Segway. So what if a passing jock sneers at your easygoing transportation? However you’re in motion, you’re welcome on Mission Bay.
Mission Accomplished
LODGING: Catamaran Resort Hotel room, studio, and suite rates: $165 to $595; 800/422-8386 or catamaranresort.com. Paradise Point Resort & Spa room, suite, and bungalow rates: $189 to $995; 800/344-2626 or paradisepoint.com.
DINING: Atoll Restaurant at Catamaran Resort Hotel; 858/539-8635. Barefoot Bar & Grill (858/581-5960) and Baleen Restaurant (858/490-6363), both at Paradise Point Resort & Spa. Seaside Cantina, on Pacific Beach adjacent to Mission Beach; 858/273-0775.
SPAS: The Catamaran Spa at Catamaran Resort Hotel; 858/539-8820. Spa Terre at Paradise Point Resort & Spa; 858/581-5998.
ACTIVITIES: Rentals from Segway of Pacific Beach cost $45 the first hour, $30 each subsequent hour, and $150 for 24 hours; 858/270-2881 or segwaypb.com. The Menkins’ Where You Want To Be Tours (biking, walking, Segwaying, traveling by bus); 619/917-6037 or wheretours.com. Belmont Park Giant Dipper; 858/488-1549 or e-mail info@giantdipper.com. Wave House Athletic Club; 858/228-9300 or wavehouse.com.
