Route and Info
Distance
- About 27 miles
Difficulty
- Easy, except for occasional lost drivers not paying attention.
Directions
- Interstate 8 to Ingraham Street/West Mission Bay Drive exit. Go north (right) on Ingraham Street.
- Take West Mission Bay Drive exit.
- Left at Quivira Way. Continue left onto Quivira Way and Hospitality Point. Loop around Quivira Way and return to West Mission Bay Drive.
- Left at West Mission Bay Drive.
- Left at Mariners Point; continue left to Mariners Point area. Loop around and return to West Mission Bay Drive intersection.
- Continue across West Mission Bay Drive to Bahia Point. Circle Bahia Point (behind Bahia Hotel) and return to West Mission Bay Drive.
- Right at West Mission Bay Drive.
- Left at Mission Boulevard.
- At end of Mission Boulevard, go left to Mission Point Park. Loop around park, then continue across Mission Boulevard to South Mission Beach parking area. Return to Mission Boulevard.
- Left at Mission Boulevard.
- Right at El Carmel Place. Circle around and return to Mission Boulevard.
- Right at Mission Boulevard.
- Right at Santa Clara Place. Loop around and return to Mission Boulevard.
- Right at Mission Boulevard.
- Right at Pacific Beach Drive.
- Right at Riviera Drive.
- Continue onto Crown Point Drive at Ingraham Street.
- Right at Pacific Beach Drive.
- Left at Olney Street.
- Right at Grand Avenue. Continue onto Mission Bay Drive.
- Just before onramp to Interstate 5, turn right to continue on Mission Bay Drive.
- Right at North Mission Bay Drive. Loop around at DeAnza Cove or Mission Bay Golf Course. Continue onto East Mission Bay Drive.
- Right at Fiesta Island Road. Circle Fiesta Island and return to East Mission Bay Drive.
- Right at Sea World Drive.
- Take I-5/I-8 Ingraham Street Exit to return to freeway.
A nice way to see the bay, in a Mustang convertible.
Mustang Around The Bay
Cloudy Day Means Less Traffic for Top-Down Cruise
Originally published in April 2007
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Keep this secret to yourself: on foggy, overcast days, people don't go to the beach.
That means it's a perfect day for a drive around the beach.
Just a few weeks back, Easter weekend was gray and it was perfect top-down driving weather. A light jacket, light traffic and the heater on in the Mustang convertible I had for the weekend.
Say what? A cloudy day perfect for a convertible?
Well, in San Diego, sunny usually means warm. A few hours in the car in the sun means it's going to be a bit toasty. It's also a lousy time to pick for a beach drive, since everybody else will have decided to head there: no parking, lots of folks lost in their own lanes, wandering around.
So, take advantage of a cool day to explore the beach -- in this case, Mission Bay. My trip was a complete loop around San Diego's "other" bay, starting and finishing at the Ingraham Street exit from Interstate 8. Along the way are stops at some of the less-traveled spots, including Quivira Basin, Mission Point Park, El Carmel Point and the wetlands up north. We'll also cruise around Fiesta Island and find a couple of great photo spots where cars can drive on the sand.
This is one of those great "vacation at home" opportunities. If there isn’t one in your garage, a convertible is just a Web site and credit card away. Ford Mustangs, Chrysler Sebrings and PT Cruisers are available through the major rental firms. Others such as the Volkswagen New Beetle and Mini Cooper, as well as exotics such as the Nissan 350Z Roadster, Corvette or Lotus Elise, are sometimes available through the majors, or through specialty firms. It could cost a couple of hundred bucks for something really exotic, but it might make the perfect present for a birthday, Mother's Day or Father's Day.
My tangerine-colored Mustang GT, on loan from Ford, proved an enjoyable ride. I never figured it would be about 27 miles around the bay; the cloverleaf shaped harbor just doesn't seem that big when you're whizzing across the bridges on Ingraham Street or West Mission Bay Drive. But checking out all the nooks and crannies brought quite a few discoveries of hidden spots, restaurants to check out next time and some secret parking spaces. A good place to do some advance research is the city of San Diego's Mission Bay Web site.
After exiting I-8 at Ingraham Street/West Mission Bay Drive, I survived the mess of on- and off-ramps and folks looking for the Sea World parking lot to enjoy the high-banked turn onto West Mission Bay Drive. A quick left and another left and I was on Quivira Way.
This is a boater's haven, with slips, the Harbor Police headquarters at Hospitality Point, Driscoll's boat repair yard and the spot I stopped for lunch, the Mission Bay Marina Deli, 1548 Quivira Way. The deli looks like it's quite a lively place at night, with an outdoor cabaña, barbecue and wide selection of beers.
Next door is the Aqua Adventures Kayak Center, where explorers can rent kayaks on their own, take lessons, or take a guided tour by kayak. Continued>
