Happy places

Enjoy some unique outdoor experiences in these vibrant cities

by PETER GREENBERG

These dark winter days are an ideal time to enjoy the outdoors in a milder climate. Here are three of my favourite city destinations when I want to chase the sun.

San Diego

Balboa Park runs a sprawling 1,200 acres and holds a wealth of museums, theatres and cottages. But the gems of the park are its gardens, such as the Japanese Friendship Garden, the Sculpture Garden and the Desert Garden—the last of which contains more than 1,300 cacti, succulents and other drought-resistant plants, some of which seem to come from a Dr. Seuss book. Visit in January through March, during the peak blooming period.

Get up close and personal with leopard sharks, turtles and dolphins on a kayak tour of La Jolla. Weather permitting, you can kayak into the sea cave in La Jolla as well. (Another way to visit is through a tunnel and stairs accessible at the Cave Store on Coast Boulevard, which lead directly to the sea cave.)

One of my favourite ways to explore a city is on two wheels. Rent a bike in Coronado and pedal down the Bayshore Bikeway. Along the way you’ll pass landmarks such as the legendary Hotel del Coronado, the US Naval Amphibious Base and Silver Strand State Beach.

Balboa Park, San Diego
© F11PHOT / stockadobe.com

Phoenix

Start your morning with a sunrise hike at Camelback Mountain, about 20 minutes from downtown Phoenix. The 4-kilometre out-and-back trail ascends 432 metres (1,417 feet), and along the way you’ll have the chance to see wildlife such as desert tortoises, chuckwalla lizards and cottontail rabbits, with a reward at the top of panoramic views of the surrounding area.

With its calm, consistent weather, Phoenix offers a special way to experience sunrise: a hot-air balloon. These quiet early morning rides let you fly over the Sonoran Desert at a cruising altitude of 609 to 1,524 metres (1,998 to 5,000 feet), witnessing a sea of cacti, wild javelinas, quails and jackrabbits.

The art walk on the first Friday of the month in Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix features free admission to more than 70 galleries and studios, and a number of museums. You’ll encounter live music as well as eclectic street art and murals on nearly every corner in one of the city’s most vibrant neighbourhoods. Quench your thirst at the beer garden at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.

Miami

My Sunday mornings start with a trip to the Surfside Farmers Market, open every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. just a block away from the beach. (Note: The farmers market is open seasonally from October to May.) First stop: Conscious Brew, a mobile cafe serving coffee and wellness drinks, like the Cosmic Arnold, their spin on the Arnold Palmer.

Then go to the farmers market and have them pack some of their artisanal jams and spices, like the Pink Flamingo Jam, a guava-based jam with strawberry and pear, for your trip home.

At SoundScape Park, a massive 7,000-square-foot projection wall, known as WALLCAST, combines art and technology: As the symphony orchestra plays within the New World Center, their performance is filmed and broadcast on the projection wall, giving you perhaps the best seat in the house— outside of the house. Film screenings are held every Wednesday night as well.

Stiltsville, Florida

Stiltsville, 2,414 metres (7,920 feet) offshore from Biscayne Bay, was once a smuggler’s paradise, with as many as 27 houses standing in the shallow waters. With just six houses remaining, built on the water on large wooden stilts, it’s a different way to learn about Miami’s history of Prohibition-era bootleggers and rum runners. The houses are now owned by the National Park Service but privately managed by the original owners, and there are tour companies with special permits to take you there.—PG

HANDE BAYAR

Peter Greenberg has won multiple Emmy Awards as the travel editor for CBS News and is host of The Travel Detective on public television (petergreenberg.com).

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