Looking for a place to escape the summer heat? Look no farther than the scenic strand of beach stretching south from Swami’s Park in Encinitas. The walk on the sand isn’t difficult, and if you want you can ratchet up the exercise by climbing up and down several staircases along the way.

The straightforward approach to finding the starting point involves exiting Interstate 5 at Encinitas Boulevard. Go west to South Coast Highway 101, make a left, and travel south past lettered streets (C, D, E, etc.) to K Street on the right. Find a curbside parking space on K Street, or on the west side of 101, or just about anywhere within a reasonable distance of K Street. If you’re lucky (fat chance in the summer) you might find a parking space in the small lot at Swami’s Park itself ... [+more]