New housing developments open up connections between Carmel
Valley, Rancho Pe
ñasquitos and Rancho Bernardo June 23, 2007
New developments are a double-edged sword for the driving enthusiast. As much as we might dislike subdivisions taking over what was once grazing land, the new developments also open up some beautiful vistas and create some nice roads. One such area is west of Rancho Peñasquitos where the Del Sur community is under way. Wandering around in new home developments is what got me started in day cruising. When I was a kid, we’d pile in the ‘56 Chevy (or later, the ‘64 Pontiac Catalina) and go for a drive on Sundays. My dad would follow the flags to the new developments, then we’d drive slowly along the street, checking out the homes. It was exciting when the poor souls living there hadn’t yet put up curtains and we could peek through the windows and see all the packing boxes. Well, it was a fun Sunday for us, at least. Perhaps because I was driving a new Dodge Avenger R/T for the week (the spiritual heir to another one of our cars – a ‘75 Dodge Dart), I headed to an area just becoming open between Interstates 5 and 15 on a mission to find some interesting new roads that would be appropriate driving for a family sedan. So, today’s route will follow an old country road, a new span with beautiful vistas and end in one of our favorite family drive areas, Rancho Santa Fe. Start on that “new town” road, state Route 56, which runs from I-5 near Del Mar, through Rancho Peñasquitos and ends at I-15 and the Ted Williams Parkway in Carmel Mountain Ranch. Exit at
Carmel Valley Road, which at one time was a country road, dirt in some places, and the only public east-west thoroughfare in the area. It’s all paved now, and its new connection to Bernardo Center Road is expected to be opened this summer. Choosing to enter the area on
Carmel Valley Road puts drivers on a small segment that reflects the old days: a narrow two-lane highway where there’s still a nursery or two and views of a farm – at least looking north. Look south, and you’ll see tract homes that seem to completely fill their lots. Heading north on Camino del Sur takes you to one of those areas that most folks don’t know exist, what the city of San Diego’s Planning Department once called the Black Mountain Ranch. First up is the Santaluz neighborhood, which appears to be pretty much built out. Homes dot the rolling hills, and much of the area has been preserved as open space. This is a fairly rugged area, which is one reason it took so long to develop. The road is only two lanes in most areas, will be widened at some point to four and might include a monorail system, according to Fred Maas, president of the new development to the north, Del Sur. Continuing north from Santaluz, Camino del Sur has gentle curves and an impressive crossing of Lusardi Creek at the southern edge of Del Sur. There’s a cul-de-sac viewpoint that offers great vistas to the southeast, where a cut and pair of bridges for the new Carmel Valley Road are visible. I ran into Maas at Del Sur’s Ranch House, a new, old-looking building (constructed with recycled beams and other reclaimed materials) that is the gateway to the 4,677-acre development. Plans for the Lusardi Creek area aren’t finalized, but some of the hills are to remain undeveloped; 60 percent of the area will be open space. And by the way, homes start in the low $600,000s, a bit more expensive than the new developments in Clairemont, Escondido or
San Carlos we saw on those long-ago family drives.
At
Maas’ suggestion, I had lunch at Brett’s Barbecue,
10550 Craftsman Way, in the 4S Ranch retail center. It was worth the drive a few minutes north, as my pulled pork sandwich and cole slaw were mighty fine. Continue on Camino del Sur, which runs into Camino del Norte, and you’ll see the center on your left. It includes a Ralphs market (fitting, as the Ralphs family once owned the land) and an assortment of stores.
If barbecue isn’t on your menu, the first U-turn after crossing Lusardi Creek is at Paseo del Sur. Retrace your route south on Camino del Sur. Maas said this road opened in mid-April and it appears drivers from Rancho Bernardo haven’t found this shortcut to state Route 56 and I-5. It won’t take them long. A turn north was made at San Dieguito Road, which heads into Fairbanks Ranch. Not long after the turn, there’s a small parking lot and hiking trail entry to the Black
Mountain
Open
Space
Park. This is the northwestern corner of the park, which stretches all the way to where I-15 and state Route 56 meet. There’s an extensive trail network. (The map is online.) An exclusive community with a colorful past, Fairbanks Ranch was the getaway for silent-screen stars Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Mary Pickford in the first half of the 20th century. Much later it was home to the equestrian events in the 1984 Olympics. Today, exclusive estates are tucked behind a guarded gate; I didn’t attempt passage. There’s a small convenience center with a restaurant at the corner of El Apajo and San Dieguito Road, but the only thing open there on a Sunday was the Farm Fresh Market. All of these roads were quite pleasant in the Avenger and would be nice in any car, including our old family sedans from the ’50s and ’60s. Continuing to Via de la Valle and after the right onto Paseo Delicias to follow county highway S-6, don’t miss the left turn onto El Camino del Norte. On the Sunday I visited, there wasn’t much traffic on S-6, but it can be very busy. Of course, Rancho Santa Fe is one of the most exclusive communities in the nation, with its rolling hills and rambling, mostly Spanish-style homes. The prime property is within what’s called the covenant area, where the Rancho Santa Fe Association reviews design features of a home and also keeps an eye on the grounds. After passing through Olivenhain, then it’s over the hill on Leucadia Boulevard to I-5. Progress chews up open space and creates places for San Diegans to live. Hitting a development in its early stages can make for a fun and eye-opening trip. Any excuse for a cruise through the area is worth it. This article is credited by: Jack Brandais, a
San Diego freelance writer.
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