TimeOut

Chula Vista aka "Cool View"

We visited Chula Vista two years ago this month. A new convention center was just getting started and we sat and watched the tractors roar back and forth across the waterfront. SEE HERE

Today the scene was completely different but there were still tractors busily grumbling across the site (the little boy in me cheered!).

It was an incongruous scene - Let me see if I can describe it using a watch face as reference. We are standing in the middle facing 12 (South) and the hotel tower is the 12 o'clock marker. Are you with me?

1 o'clock Earth Mover

2 o'clock If I can say so, these folks and dog are moving the earth too as they cycle over to the bay and turn South.

3 o'clock Shore birds are hanging out on the shore, looking over at Coronado Cays

4 o'clock A slightly enhanced BMW waits for its owner to finish his shift on the site.

5 o'clock A tern magically swoops down to the water and scoops up a fish without missing a beat.

6 o'clock The pelicans to our North sit on the wall, arguing with some cormorants.

7 o'clock A huge rolling crane begins to lift a ship up into drydock.

8 o'clock A small estuary is a protected bird habitat, just across the fence and bike path from the shipyard. Beyond it are some classy offices.

9 o'clock This might be a new ship - perhaps RSC5 - who knows?

10 o'clock The RSC4 is here but almost ready to go back in the water -- what does she do? That's a "Need to Know" bit of information, and we don't have a need other than idle curiousity.

11 o'clock The bike and footpath intersect curbs, cars and construction fences. Everyone is moving carefully here, except a few loony cyclists (Not this pair) who seem intent on knocking us all down like bowling pins.

12 o'clock and we are back again facing South.

Google Maps version of my clock.

We walked back to our car in the direction of 7 o'clock and spotted a few quieter things of interest. Like this bird in the estuary.

Doves in the trees

Agile and Non-stop Hummingbird, this was the best I could do today

Small bird in a beautiful agave ocean.

Lizard doing the camouflage trick pretty well, but not well enough to fool me.

As the new convention area is moving toward completion, the city is spending some of their future tax revenue (fingers crossed 🤞) on a waterfront park.