Mustang Convertible Meets Mission Bay Fog

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Across the street from the marina, there's a big, dirt parking lot that can make a good photo-opp for your classy ride. There’s water and boats as a backdrop, but there are better opportunities later.

Locals will remember the Marina Village shopping and restaurant complex; it's still there, but is now only open to conferences. There's also a couple of sportfishing centers (with cafes) and the Hyatt Islandia.

Leave Quivira Basin and head toward Mission Beach, but before getting there, loop around Mariner's Point, which has a better car-on-sand photo spot, and around the back of the Bahia Hotel to Bahia Point.

Mission Beach is as crazy as ever and Belmont Park looks to be bustling again. There's nothing like the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster, which has been a thrill since 1925. Even a ride isn’t on the intinerary, pull into the parking lot and listen for the rumble of the cars and the screams of the riders.

The south end of Mission Boulevard is a world of its own. With bars like the legendary Pennant at San Gabriel Place and tightly packed homes, the narrow strip of sand gives passengers glimpses of both the beach and bay. Drivers should keep their eyes on the road.

At the end are parks left and right. Mission Point Park, on the bayside, has grass and a great view of the marina and channel. On the ocean is South Mission Beach, with views of the jetty to the west, Ocean Beach and pier to the south, and north to La Jolla even on a foggy day.

Heading back north on Mission Boulevard, I took two turns to the bay side, at El Carmel and Santa Clara points. El Carmel Place is a pretty short trip, unless you're a member of the Mission Bay Yacht Club or San Diego Rowing Club. Santa Clara Place has a recreation center, complete with ball field, and the Mission Bay Aquatic Center, jointly operated by Associated Students of San Diego State University and Campus Recreation of University of California San Diego.

Just to give you an idea of how slow it was on the foggy day I visited, I found a parking spot at the end of Pacific Beach Drive. That gave me time to visit the not-so-busy boardwalk. One place that was busy was the Lahaina Beach House, which is only quiet in hours when alcohol can't be sold.

Heading east, I cruised around Crown Point on Riviera and Crown Point drives, stopping by the Northern Wildlife Preserve. Hard to believe, but the whole place used to look like this... marshland. It was called "False Bay" back then, a name given by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. Development began in the 1940s and continues today.

One of those spots under consideration for development is Fiesta Island, which today is mostly still just a big lump of sand dredged up from the bottom of the bay. A road goes along the shore of about three-quarters of the big island; don't miss the turn just before the intersection with Pacific Highway.

Fiesta Island is my favorite car photo-opp spot. The beach is wide and cars are allowed off the narrow, paved, one way and one-lane road. A few days after I took delivery of the Miata back in July 1991, I came out here and posed with my new baby, using the bay as a backdrop. I took another photo as a souvenir of my short time with the Mustang.

From here, it was down Sea World Drive and back through the blender to Ingraham Street and I-8. A surprising 27 miles.

San Diego is all about the beaches, but visiting on sunny weekends is always a traffic hassle. So wait for the fog, then hit the road. You'll have a great day.