Carlsbad is scattered with hidden treats. Taco Land awaits its next wave of explorers and The Pit’s colorful walls challenge the most passionate doodlers. The shadows of Hosp Grove invite mellow strolls and a good conversation sits in the lawn at Off Shore. These spots have been created, or found, for us to respectfully enjoy. If you find yourself bored, and your favorites spots dull, do what the creator of the Carlsbad Plateau did and establish a new Summertime favorite spot!
Your loose trucks rattle over weathered cement and your wheels skid over scattered debris. Your skateboard vibrates under your feet with relaxing repetitions, but with unavoidable alertness. You gaze at a view of the lower hustle as the high noon sun glares. A haggard strip of sandy concrete challenges the smoothest roller and you drop into the hill. A short, but slightly steep transition, greets your run with a long grind across a sticky pipe. You lean back to avoid a sudden dismount and your trucks shriek in agony. Another concrete transition with an additional extension follows. The extension allows an easier climb, but your work is cut out when approaching the attached pool coping. An aggressive thrust is needed to get locked into a stall. The last obstacle is a taco tranny equipped with a round curved tree branch ideal for board stalls or slides. The Plateau is great for lines or each tranny can be individually sessioned, don’t forget to enjoy the view!
What have you contributed to Summertime in Carlsbad?
12 years ago this month Pizza Port opened their second location here in Carlsbad. Carlsbad Village Drive would never be the same. Local hoodlums on the prowl and families looking for an exciting outing mingle on the many scattered benches and perimeter of Pizza Port, but c.crawl’s favorite Summertime spot is in the neighboring Pizza Port Bottle Shop. Over 600 bottles chill in tightly packed fridges surrounding a standing only bar. You can find everything from your long lost favorite IPA to a potent Belgium. Bottles are sold separately or in a 6 pack arranged to your liking.
A cool ocean scented breeze tumbles into the front door, flutters a stack of magazines and out the back door. You grab your chilled beer with a smirk on your face. Your sunburned lips touch the cold glass and you sip your first pint, acknowledging the perfection of the day’s events. A red-eyed teen shuffles in from next door with a plate of garlic brushed bite-sized pizza crust beer buddies and your belly rumbles. When the Summertime crowds expand and the structure of Pizza Port swells, carlsbadcrawl finds relief in the beer lined walls of the neighboring bottle shop… buy 5 and get #6 free!
When the crowds are thick, where do you find relief?
A barbecue grilled slabs of meat and a bonfire shot plumes of smoke into the orange sky. If trucks weren’t off-roading in the surrounding hills, they were below romping in the stinky mud. Music tumbled through shrubs and into the unpaved distance and dozens of skateboarders traded turns rolling into a taco shaped drainage. When a professional skateboarder moves in with a best friend’s family, an 8 year old is instantly introduced to a new lifestyle. The year was 1989 and I learned to skateboard at Taco Land.
Taco Land has managed to remain after over 2 decades of development and other encroaching threats. The bright graffiti is no longer sprayed across the banks and the wax covered parking curbs saw their last grind years ago. A father’s ankle, which broke during a shoeless skate, has long been healed and a family dog lost to a baby rattlesnake still hurts. Plywood again runs along the top like years ago, but from the opposite side and the urban mosaic of shattered glass has all been swept up. The adventure to Taco Land once consisted of a trek through stinky mud, migrate worker camps and crab and razor-clam infested canals. The toughest obstacle today is finding parking along the neighboring road. For someone who was introduced to their first passion and encouraged to keep skateboarding by the most promising skaters, a day at Taco Land can’t help but trigger memories of early childhood adventures… just watch out for rattlesnakes!
As a child growing up in Carlsbad, what local spots were you taken to?
hello summer 2009 parts 1-11 visited and photographed on June 21st
A drive through Carlsbad on the I-5 has its sites. The dominating presence of the Encina Power Plant pokes skyward and a collection of lagoons animate with wildlife. The Pacific Ocean crashes upon long stretches of sandy beaches and bright colors splatter across the evening sky. A site less spoken of, but just as special, is the wide growth of the Carlsbad Strawberry Fields. Located on Canon Road one block East of the I-5, nearly 80 acres sprawls along the South side of the Batiquitos Lagoon. Strawberries are seasonal, but 150 employees work year-round for our pleasure. Commercial harvesting usually begins January and “U Pick” usually opens in Spring. The fields will continue to flower until the nights are more than 10 hours long. The berries tend to be smaller this time of year, but the large amounts of sunshine make them super sweet. The plants are turned in July and the soil begins to be prepared for the following season.
The sun glares and faint clouds flutter overhead. The large smoke stack of the looming power plant points at the sun and a series of wires dangle in the blue sky. Evenly spaced rows of low strawberry plants run the hillside while kids scamper for the roundest berry. Parents meander slowly and busy children return only to drop their newest find. Wandering the fields is free and a cheap basket of strawberries could not me any fresher. Summer in Carlsbad is given a gift for a few months… get your pickin’ in before August!
Did you know you can pick your own strawberries?
hello summer 2009 parts 1-11 visited and photographed on June 21st
Location, location, location… and the food is good too! A beef taco and bean and cheese burrito at Cessy’s on the 101 is the destination for many after a long day at the beach. Located conveniently a block from the ocean, sandy herds of hungry teens and village visitors shuffling their sandy feet in route for a quick snack is not uncommon. An excuse to take a break from the beach is not always easy to find, but when the belly rumbles… Cessy’s calls.
The menu is scattered with the standard variety of Mexican food plates. Simple bean and cheese burritos for a snack and fish taco plates with rice and beans for a solid meal. Smiles always greet you at the register and the walls are scattered with photos of locals. The salsa bar is alittle weak, but the food makes up for it. If breezy inside doesn’t entice you, the outside benches will. A snack under the sun and in the hustle of a buzzing village is always entertaining. The commotion of the 101 echoes with Michael Jackson and the hustle of a hot day is at arms reach. A Carlsbad Summer day always brings you to the beach and long hours in the sand always calls for a break at one of Carlsbad’s favorite Summertime hangouts… they have tasty ice cream too!
Growing up somewhere other than Carlsbad is unimaginable. The canyon trails were our highways and the many groves were our jungle gyms. A drip castle on the beach with a stranger became an early friendship and we learned to swim in the ocean. Our mothers scrubbed ice plant stains from our shorts and adventurous lagoon explorations brought clumps of stinky mud home. Daring jumps off local bridges and barefoot strolls to 711 were long beach day intermissions and skateboarding was not a crime. From the hills of Calavera to the waves of the ocean, Carlsbad is the gift that keeps on giving!
The Chestnut Jumps roll through soft sand and dry Eucalyptus leaves pile along worn paths. Sun creeps through the dense canopy overhead and splatters the ground like a gestural Pollock painting. Houses overlook and cars speed on the encroaching Royal Road. These jumps and hips have been ridden by local kids and professional athletes for over a decade. The surrounding area has developed; houses have sprouted, but this rolling path has been unchanged. Void from trespassing fines and as free as an ocean dip, a Carlsbad Summertime day eventually rolls down Chestnut and up and over these ageless jumps… better hit them before it’s too late!
Summertime in Carlsbad attracts visitors from all over the globe. Tourists drag boogie boards across Carlsbad crosswalks and families tip toe through warm sand. The grass in front of Off Shore Surf Shop is a popular place to rest after a beach jog, to watch the sunset and to have a picnic. When the crowds thicken, the opportunity to connect minds arises. Who knows what you will find and who you will meet…
Rhonda sits golden by the Summer sun with high spirits and a wide smile. Her demeanor is slightly reserved and her fingers quickly work a tie through a coconut peace sign. Scattered on a tan mat is a collection of hand made jewelry, each hand painted and carefully arranged. Her inspiration comes from the ocean and her shyness cracks when she gets the chance to explain her all natural products. She describes each piece of jewelry like a well trained door to door salesperson, but her passion eliminates any rues. Rhonda is unable to give any contact info or future plans. She doesn’t work on consignment because she is unaware of her next step. Karma plays a key role in her life and she gladly gives out her work to those interested, but unable to pay. Rhonda may not have the luxuries of a traditional job, but the flexibility and spontaneity of her schedule is admired by the most stable. Summertime in Carlsbad offers a variety of activities, but when you need a rest and have spent too many hours in the sand, pull out a blanket and enjoy a picnicamongst the others in the grass… watch for juggling antics each sunset!
How do you feel about local street vendors and performers?
hello summer 2009 parts 1-11 visited and photographed on June 21st
Layers upon layers pulsate with raw creativity. A gallery under the sun without prices or the driving force of sales awaits for the next set of eyes to crawl is slab of ancient concrete. The steep embankments of The Carlsbad Pit are covered with colorful doodles, each unique to the mind of the creator and all part of the growth of local expression. The walls change with each wave of visitors and faded doodles of longtime ideas peek through the freshly painted characters of yesterday.
The Carlsbad art scene is on the rise. The village is a canvas and minds are brainstorming ways to paint it. Art connects minds and our community is reaching out. Unaware to most, but an art scene has been flourishing out of the view of the public for over a decade. Definitely not in local brochures and probably not discussed in the halls of the Inns, but a Carlsbad Summertime favorite spot is just under your nose… just remember, the pit is our gift!
Should art be considered local recreation? Do local artists need a facility to create amongst others?
Also located close enough to catch a hint of sea in the breeze and snug up against the Buena Vista Lagoon is the winding and climbing Hosp Grove Trail. Early in 1908 F.P. Hosp and Partners planted 40,000 Eucalyptus seedlings over 219 acres with the intention of harvesting the wood for railroad ties. Lucky for us, they later learned that the wood was too brittle and was unable to be used. In 1986, the city purchased what remained of the grove and today 53 acres are part of the city’s park and trail system.
The Hosp path slithers through many tall Eucalyptus trees along the lagoon shore. Dark green Ice Plant pushes to the edge of the trail like a hungry tide. The sun drips through empty patches of overhead leaves and scatters the sandy trail like the first drops of an early Spring shower. The trail curves sharp and climbs over 100 ft. above sea level, allowing a view of the neighboring lagoon. In November, large Monarch butterflies can be seen floating and gathering in overhead branches after Summer migrations from Northern California and Colorado. A steady climb carries you up and through thick passages where the Eucalyptus trees dominate. There leaf litter covers the ground and poisons almost all other plant life. A Summertime breeze dances through tall branches of the Australian native Eucalyptus and its overwhelming scent tingles even the most impassive nose. What was once a failed business plan is now one of carlsbadcrawl’s favorite Summertime spots… pack a lunch and bring the kids; there is a park too!
Your loose trucks rattle over weathered cement and your wheels skid over scattered debris. Your skateboard vibrates under your feet with relaxing repetitions, but with unavoidable alertness. You gaze at a view of the lower hustle as the high noon sun glares. A haggard strip of sandy concrete challenges the smoothest roller and you drop into the hill. A short, but slightly steep transition, greets your run with a long grind across a sticky pipe. You lean back to avoid a sudden dismount and your trucks shriek in agony. Another concrete transition with an additional extension follows. The extension allows an easier climb, but your work is cut out when approaching the attached pool coping. An aggressive thrust is needed to get locked into a stall. The last obstacle is a taco tranny equipped with a round curved tree branch ideal for board stalls or slides. The Plateau is great for lines or each tranny can be individually sessioned, don’t forget to enjoy the view!
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