Lopez Park near Penasquitos Canyon


Lopez Park is located on Calle Cristobal in Mira Mesa. This park overlooks Lopez Canyon, which is a tributary to Penasquitos Canyon in Mira Mesa. As you drive by, it at first seems like a generic suburban park, and in many ways it is. There is a baseball field, a small playground, friendly families, park benches and tables, a small recreation center facility, and lots of SUVs in the parking lot. But if you take a moment to stop at Lopez Park, you will find it offers more than meets the eye.

In addition to the facilities you notice immediately, there is a paved walkway around the perimeter of the park, which has a trail par course with four stops around the park. You can add pull ups, push ups, bar hops, walking with your hands, gymnastics rings, sit ups, and many other exercises to your lap or laps around the park.

Also, the park expands to the edge of a small plateau, and from there you have a great view down into Lopez Canyon, a beautiful preserve that is part of the Penasquitos Park system. Though there are housing developments around the plateau (and across the plateau on the other side as well), it is lovely to see everything in between still growing wild.

The very perimeter of the park is maintained flower beds, but with an emphasis on native plants. This creates a beautiful transition to the wild lands just on the other side of the fence that spill into the canyon. Instead of looking contrasted against artificially green landscaping, the landscaping highlights the natural beauty of the region, even if this means it gets dry in the summer. The wildflowers and native vegetation are beautiful, and the park service gives them just a little more water than nature to keep the edge of the park look fresh, even though beyond the edge it might be extremely dry. This is the perfect combination of tended and wild.

Overall, the park is a delightful surprise in the depths of suburbia, but not worth going out of your way for. Located on the south side of Sorrento Valley Blvd / Calle Cristobal, about halfway between Caminos Ruiz and Santa Fe.

Spices Thai Café

Spices Thai Café has three locations in San Diego: Carmel Valley, Rancho Bernardo, and Mira Mesa. All offer a delicious meal at an affordable price. Entrees are very large and cost around $10. Appetizers and dessert are usually $5-7. They also have lunch specials that serve a soup, entrée, and drink for a very affordable price.

The décor in the Mira Mesa location is a little more polished: The walls are painted in pleasing natural tones, there are display cases with some beautiful artworks and crafts from Thailand, and there are several large statues of deities. In Carmel Valley, the inside has no special qualities. There are flowers on the tables and table clothes, and some painting, but the overall appearance is pretty blasé. They do have outdoor dining, particularly nice for a lunch when the sun is shining.

However, I don’t recommend Spices for the ambiance, I recommend it for the food. For the past three years I have considered Spices to be the best Thai restaurant in San Diego, and this was in large part because of their fresh spring rolls and peanut sauce. The peanut sauce comes warmed, and the spring rolls are made fresh with carrots, lettuce, sprouts, tofu or shrimp, basil, and mint.

Occasionally there must be someone different in the kitchen because once in a blue moon the carrots will be large cuts instead of shredded, and this is the completely wrong texture. Instead of a light, puff of deliciousness coated in peanut sauce, you have to crunch into a giant chunk of dense carrot. On top of that the large slice of carrot will cut the rice paper wrapping, causing the whole thing to fall apart in your hands. It is disappointing when this happens, but I can only remember one time when I had this experience.

The spring rolls are a must order, regardless of the slight risk of poorly cut carrots. Other favorites include their soups and noodle bowls. In particular I recommend the Yen Ta Fo noodles, a steaming bowl of spicy, thick tomato broth with a heaping pile of rice noodles, loads of fresh spinach, and large diced vegetables like zucchini, carrot, celery, and baby corn. But be careful when you order. They ask you how spicy you want it, on a scale of one to ten. I personally love spicy food, but I almost always order a “five,” and more often than not it makes my nose run and eyes water. And I enjoy every last drop of the dish.

Spices Thai Café
Mon -Fri 11:00am- 3:00pm
Mon -Fri 5:00pm-10:00pm
Sat -Sun 11:00am-10:00pm

6785 Mira Mesa Blvd. Ste. 143
San Diego, CA 92121
Tel: (858) 552-8845

3810 Valley Centre Dr Suite 903
San Diego, CA 92130
Tel: (858) 259-0889

16441 Bernardo Center Dr.
San Diego, CA 92128
Tel: (858) 674-4665