Touring * Beginner * Scene *

In San Diego, take Interstate 5 and follow the signs to Interstate 8 west. Exit immediately onto Ingraham Street to cross the San Diego River Floodway. Pass the Sea World Drive/Sunset Cliffs off-ramp and take the next exit onto West Mission Bay Drive. As soon as you cross the Mission Bay Channel, you will find free parking lots to the right. Start skating south on the paved path at the southeast corner of the parking lot to cross under Mission Bay Drive into the Mariner's Basin area. Map: The San Diego County Bike Map is available free by calling (619) 231-2453.

With its perfect weather, proximity to the beach, and fun trailside scenery and eateries, the Mission Beach Boardwalk has become one of the most popular places to skate in all of California. Too bad that it is also one of the most popular places to be, regardless of whether you are on in-lines. In the spring of 1995, an 8 mph speed limit was enacted in an attempt to manage the growing use of the boardwalk by skaters, bicyclists, joggers, and pedestrians. Tickets for exceeding the limit are $27, and people who are cited for "reckless behavior" are fined $127. Starting from the north end of Mariner's Basin, begin your cruise with a relaxing roll south on the clean concrete that borders the basin's west shore. You are skating so close to the upscale bayfront homes, you might feel as though you are almost in the owners' backyards. It's very tempting to stop and ask if you can join parties in progress or sample what's cooking on the grill. This is the case along most of the boardwalk route. When you reach the south end of Mariner's Basin, follow the path to the right to skate through a little park and go west around the bend to the parking lot of South Mission Beach Park. The oceanfront boardwalk picks up on your right next to the sandy volleyball courts. From here on, the boardwalk follows a smooth and flat three-mile route up the Pacific coast. This stretch is where it is most likely to be crowded. Forget about skating in a tuck position--just relax and enjoy the scene. Be prepared to slow down enough to weave among the bodies in front of the most popular food places. Watch out for pedestrians, bicyclists, patches of sand, and wet pavement. Near Mission Beach Park, you will pass The Plunge, an indoor swimming pool with a fun concrete exterior. Explore the small paved mall behind it and the carnival nearby, where a roller coaster sparks memories of how it felt the first time you tried on a pair of in-line skates. Continuing north, the pavement gets a little sandy on the cliffs after Pacific Beach Drive. The boardwalk finally ends at Law Street, but with good navigational skills, the ambitious skater can continue north up the coast. To do so, skate up Crystal Drive for three blocks. Make a short jog to the east on Loring Street so you can go north on La Jolla Boulevard to Chelsea Avenue. The rest of the connection route is detailed (in reverse) in the write-up on Downtown La Jolla (see page 411).