I’ve lived in San Diego most of my life and have heard much about how beautiful Scripps Pier is. Many of the galleries I’ve visited display pictures and paintings of the large structure that travels deep into the Pacific Ocean. Finally, my husband and I made it a point to visit the pier and take a few hundred pictures. We woke up at 4:00 am to make it there before the sun peaked over the mountains.
We arrived around 5:30 am. I suggest parking along the street on La Jolla Shores Drive. If you arrive early, you will find plenty of parking and the pier is a short walk down the hill to the beach. The top view of the pier isn’t much to look at. Small boats are parked against the railings and the surrounding structures look worn. At the base of the pier, you will find its hidden beauty.
At the base of the pier
My husband and I took off our shoes and walked between the large pillars deeper and deeper into the water. Standing under the pier gave me an eerie feeling. The pillars are home to many barnacles and starfish. I stood in the same spot for a few minutes watching the water pass through the pillars towards me and then recede back into the ocean. My feet sank deeper and deeper into the sand; eventually disappearing. Wind blew in my hair and goose bumps covered my arms. It was bliss, peaceful and calming. I can only imagine how beautiful a sunset would look in that same location.
A brief history of Scripps Pier
Scripps Pier was built in 1915 with a total cost of $36,000, funded by Ellen Browning Scripps, and spanned 1,000 feet into the Pacific. The pier was a means for aquariums and the university labs to acquire clean seawater. Due to the inevitable aging of the pier, it was rebuilt in 1988 right beside the original Scripps Pier, which was later removed. The new pier was renamed; The Scripps Institution of Oceanography Pier after the owner of the pier; Scripps Institute of Oceanography. In my own experience, most locals prefer the original name, Scripps Pier, which I will continue to use. The new pier is recognized as one of the world’s largest research piers, which spans 1,090 feet long and can be seen from Sunset Cliffs National Park by day and further by night when the pier lights up.
Of course, the pier is not open to the public; rather, the Scripps Institute of Oceanography has continued to use the pier to collect fresh seawater for university laboratories and nearby aquariums; pumping 1.8 million gallons each day. The institute also uses the pier to launch boats, which assists in collecting data on changes along the Pacific Coast.
We will be back
If you haven’t visited the pier, I highly recommend you make the time to do so. Further down the beach is La Jolla shores, which is within walking distance to those who have the time for a long stroll or in need of a scenic running route. We are looking forward to return to the pier during the evening. If the pier is that beautiful in the morning, I can only imagine how beautiful it is in the evening when the sun sets and the colors of the sky change with the passing of time.
If your familiar with the pier and know of additional must-see spots in the San Diego area, please share a comment with us. To view additional photos of Scripps Pier, visit the gallery of Adam Dax Photography.
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C.K. Jackson says
November 24, 2014 at 8:05 amBeautiful photos! Here’s the site of a photographer who has taken similar photos of other places in the San Diego area. I thought you might enjoy it.
http://www.sandiego-landscapes.com/
Megan says
November 24, 2014 at 9:40 pmThank you for sharing! I took a look at the photos you shared and they are fantastic. If you like the photos from my posts, you may enjoy the photographers other pieces. Visit his gallery at http://www.adamdax.photography.
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