I begin heading west toward the harbor on Ash.  This is the only part of this trip where there is not a dedicated path.  But it does have a sharrow in the far right lane.  A sharrow is a lane that is designated for both cars and bikes to share.  Bikes are able to use the entire lane, but it is recommended to ride as far to the right as safely possible.  Keep an eye out for potholes on this street, because there are a few.  Ash takes you directly to the harbor. 

Once you arrive on the harbor path, you will share this concrete trail with pedestrians.  Depending on the time of year, there may be a lot of tourists walking on this path when you first arrive at Harbor Drive and Ash.  Head north along with water watching for pedestrians and tourists.  After you get past the Star of India ship, then the pedestrian tourist traffic really thins out. Now you can really relax and take in the sights as you make your way to Liberty Station.  As you head away from downtown you'll see the US Coast Guard base on the west side and the San Diego International Airport on the east side.  I often stop here to watch a few planes coming in.  It's quite a sight to see a large plane fly in so low over our city and then touch down right next to traffic in the middle of town.  The Boeing 787 Japan Airlines flight from Tokyo arrives daily around 9:30 a.m. and the 747 British Airways flight from London arrives around 4:35 p.m.  

After you've had your fill of planes, continue north to the traffic light at Harbor Island Drive.  The next place of interest will be Spanish Landing.  Here you'll see a grassy park on the right and the bay on the left.  Often you'll see people fishing in the west basin of the bay, and in the warmer months you might see some people paddle boarding and others having fun with water jet packs that take people flying in the air propelled by water.  There is a large marina by the Sheraton where you can charter a sail boat tour of the bay or a longer one that goes out into the ocean.  Check out my entry on sailing. That is another one of my favorite things to do when we have visitors.  When you come to the end of the grassy path along Spanish Landing, you'll want to take the last accessible ramp into the parking lot and then turn left around the corner.  Follow this street (closed to vehicles) around the corner and then make a left to access the bridge over the water.  This is the only hill you will encounter on the entire journey and it really is a small bridge only for pedestrians and cyclists.  

Once you get to the other side of the bridge you are in Liberty Station.  Here you will pass the waterfront park with playground areas, a walking & jogging trail along the boat channel and an athletic club.  Often times you'll see 5K walk/runs starting or ending in the park.  There are paddle board and kayak rentals available to take into the boat channel.  

Once you get to Chauncey Road, head off the trail and get on the street for one block.  Follow this to the end and park your bike to take a look inside the Liberty Public Market.  Here you'll be able to browse the food vendors and get a nice relaxing bite to eat. Check out my entry to on the Liberty Public Market to read my recommendations.  

Liberty Station is a mixed-use development on the site of the former Naval Training Center San Diego.  The 361-acre project includes several distinct districts: a retail and commercial district, a promenade focused on nonprofit activities, an educational district, a residential district, a hotel district, an office district, and a park/open space area along the boat channel.

The Naval Training Center site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and many of the individual structures are designated as historic by the city of San Diego. Dozens of the historical buildings are being adapted for stores, offices, schools, and other purposes.

The project started when the Navy announced in 1993 that it was closing the San Diego training center. The City of San Diego created a 27-member commission to determine what to do with the site. The commission developed and the city accepted a detailed plan that served as the basis for a request for quotation from a master developer. The base closed with a ceremony on March 21, 1997.

In November 2012 Phase Two of the renovation was completed.  The nonprofit NTC Foundation oversees the development of the historic and nonprofit area. According to Foundation director Alan Ziter, "This is the largest historical preservation project in San Diego and it's also the city's largest arts and culture project in terms of size and scope."