East County Zig-Zag: Have a Fun Day On Side Roads

From central San Diego, head east on Interstate 8 to the Buckman Springs Road exit. The large rest site sits between the east and westbound lanes of the freeway, so if you need a stretch after the hour or so drive from home, take advantage of the available pit stop.

Otherwise, head south from the freeway, following the signs toward Lake Morena on Buckman Springs Road. It’s a nice, two-lane country road with just enough twists and curves to make it interesting. There’s not a lot of traffic, but if you’re not comfortable with the twists and can’t keep up with the 55 miles per hour speed limit, be sure to pull over and let folks pass.

Also, be careful of the school zone… this route goes right past Mountain Empire High School.

Buckman Springs was once a water stop for horses, and later cars, on the long trek over the mountains from San Diego to the desert. With water come natural oaks, creating a wonderful canopy over the road. There’s also a neat, 1950-vintage bridge crossing Cottonwood Creek.

And speaking of oaks, follow Oak Drive as it cuts west to Lake Morena, a small community surrounding one of the city of San Diego’s oldest reservoirs. The  few shops in the town include the Oak Shores Malt Shop, where I ended my New Year’s diet resolution.

Just beyond is the John Lyons Lake Morena County Park, which includes picnic areas for day use, camp sites, RV hookups and cabins. It’s just $2 per car for day use. Fishing and boating are also allowed in the lake.

The reservoir has been providing water to city residents since 1912. Just three years later, a drought lead the City Council to hire Charles Hatfield, who claimed he could make it rain. For $10,000, he would fill Morena by the end of 1916.

Not only did Morena fill, the storms washed out Mission Valley, cut off San Diego from the outside world by downing telegraph lines, washed out bridges and contributed to the collapse of the dam at the Lower Otay Reservoir. Two plaques, one at the park and another at the Oak Drive-Buckman Springs Road intersection, honor The Rainmaker.

On my visit, the lake level was pretty low (where are you, Hatfield?), but there was a bit of snow, left over from the Christmas Day storm.

Heading south from the lake, watch for the elaborate, rock lined water channel along Lake Morena Drive. It’s one of the legacies of the WPA, the depression-era Works Project Administration that built many public projects in the area. There are several carved stones that say “WPA.”

Pick up eastbound SR-94 at Cameron Corners, just across the valley from the San Diego Railroad Museum in Campo. Watch for trains crossing SR-94 as you head east.

If you’re driving on a Saturday, the Motor Transport Museum is along our route and worth a stop. It’s visible from miles around, located in the old feldspar mill. The 200 or more trucks in various state of disrepair date back to the beginning of the motor vehicle. The museum is only open on Saturdays.

We’ve completed our first zig, so it’s time to zag back to the freeway. Just past the museum, look for left turn to La Posta Road, which heads north. Be careful crossing the railroad tracks at the top of the hill before twisting around into another nice valley.
Here are more oak groves, some cattle and fantastic driving. Look to the west for the La Posta Microwave Station, a large dish antenna headed skyward. The Navy conducts mountain warfare training in the rugged area, in addition to operating the antenna facility. Watch for the vista of the Interstate 8 bridge as you head north.

At Old Highway 80, make a right to one of the lesser used portions of this historic route to the east. It’s largely unchanged from when the freeway opened in the 1970s, with the frequent expansion joints making a great thump-thump-thump as you motor along.

The construction of the Crestview Drive exit from I-8 created a kink in Old 80 and you’ll need to turn right to stay on the route. The Golden Acorn Casino is on the left; I stopped in, left a few dollars in the slot machines and continued to ruin my New Year’s diet by munching on one of the huge donuts on sale at the pastry counter.

To the right of the entrance to Golden Acorn is Church Road, which winds down the hill into the reservation. We’ve zagged again to yet another beautiful, oak shaded drive, ending up back at SR-94. The reservation’s church, the road’s namesake, is near the intersection.

We’re back at Highway 94, where a quick look to the west gives a great view of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern bridge crossing the valley. We’re headed east, past Live Oak Springs Road through cattle, llama and horse ranches to the hamlet of Boulevard. Here, 94 meets up with Old 80 and Interstate 8.

But before making that turn back to San Diego, go a bit further to the Wisteria Candy Cottage and join me in finishing off that New Year’s resolution. Open since 1921, stop in and say hi to Dana Eacobellis, the third-generation of the family to run the business. They make and sell chocolates and other goodies from this small building, which was once Boulevard’s school house.

In a matter of minutes, traffic westbound on Interstate 8 goes from Boulevard to Buckman Springs. And while the view is nice from the freeway, it’s much better up close. Spend a day wandering around and you never know what you’ll find.