Little Italy, Gaslamp, & Embarcadero: Downtown walk

Overview: An urban walk, circling downtown San Diego. About 7 miles, duration 3 hours. 250 feet of elevation gain. This is NOT a casual stroll: we will be walking briskly (about 3 MPH). This is a VERY urban walk, but with lots of beauty, especially the architectural wonders, and the view of the bay from the Embarcadero.

Route: Start at the west side of Balboa Park, downhill on Laurel to India St. Through Little Italy; check-out the sculptures at the County Admin building. South along the bayside Embarcadero, past the Star of India & Midway, to Seaport Village, then Embarcadero Marina & Rady Shell. Pass the Convention Center and Petco Park. North on 5th Avenue through the Gaslamp district to Balboa Stadium, then over freeway 5 on a little-known pedestrian bridge, to the old Naval Hospital, and into Balboa Park. Pass some museums, then across the Cabrillo bridge, returning to our starting point. Route map in "Photos" section below.

Start time: Meet at 8:30am, start walking promptly 8:35am.

Rain Cancels: If it is raining that morning, I'll post a note in the Comments section below.

Start at: Intersection of Balboa Dr and El Prado (west edge of Balboa park).

Parking: Best parking is on Balboa Dr (Balboa Drive is a one-way street, and is best entered from the intersection of 6th and Upas). The city will soon start charging for parking in Balboa park, probably starting on 5 January. For details, see: https://www.sandiego.gov/parking/balboapark . The parking should be free on Sunday 4 January, but I cannot promise that.

Restrooms: At start/end of walk, and a couple places along the walk.

Bring a positive attitude! This is a friendly, welcoming event. No negative energy allowed :-)

Hazards: We'll be crossing dozens of intersections on downtown streets, so walkers will need to be alert for traffic.

Release of liability: Attendees understand that the organizer is simply arranging the walk and is not assuming any responsibility. By clicking "Attend" button below, attendees agree to assume all risks of injury, and agree to not hold event organizer liable in any way.

Contact: Neal O. via Comment section below.