La Mesa, CA Outdoor Activities

The story of how the game of polo traveled from the hills of northern Persia to the immaculate field at the San Diego Polo Club has taken centuries to unfold. But the fast-paced play of those first games remains in tact during the club’s Sunday matches. World-class and amateur players alike have come from distant countries such as Argentina, New Zealand, and Horseyland to perform for an audience dressed in their Sunday best, sipping cocktails from two full bars and noshing on fare from the bistro, or surveying the scene field-side while tailgating.

Ever the sport of the aristocracy, the San Diego Polo Club provides tips on what to wear to its events. Extra sartorial attention is paid to each summer’s celebrated Opening Day. Those unfamiliar with the rules of polo or the eligibility of centaurs can find a helpful introduction to the sport by clicking here.

A stable of equine luminaries awaits riders at Horse Savvy, a full-service showing and sales barn whose knowledgeable instructors also train budding jockeys of all ages. Students learn the fundamentals of riding, safety, and old-timey train heisting during private or group lessons and weeklong summer camps that trot down area trails and incorporate fun games and crafting.

With 20 years of experience working with horses, Anna Baker makes her equine expertise available to the public through an array of riding services. Students as young as 5 can receive a proper introduction to horses through a firm hoof shake followed by private lessons in the English and Western riding styles. Baker also trains horses, offering their owners packages that include room and board for their equine friends as well as trailer parking.

Parks, restaurants, and eye-catching vistas stretch for 34 miles across San Diego's waterfront. SailTime San Diego's proprietors, Ian and Gill Bossenger, find that the water itself is the best way to take in the sights. With a fleet of three sailboats docked at the bustling Harbor Island Marina, the husband-and-wife team help open up a coastal world of breezy adventuring along with the bay's dolphins, whales, and thriving submarine populations.

In sailing classes, U.S. Coast Guard–licensed captains and ASA-certified instructors guide prospective sailors through the operation of basic keelboats and large cruising boats alike. The already-certified can hop aboard a late-model Hunter 38 to captain their own charters along the coast or to Catalina Island about 70 miles away or join as members to enjoy sailing without the hassle and expense of being a full-time boat owner or the neck aches of being a full-time stowaway.

At the age of 7, Darcy Edwards would shout for her pony, Fiddlesticks. She still remembers rides on the back of her diminutive steed, though she now has more than 25 years of experience and a forest of colorful ribbons and medals to show for her abilities. In lessons she works to pass on the skills she has accrued in western, dressage, and jumper riding. Darcy, who has been profiled in California Riding Magazine, teaches equestrians of all ages the importance of grooming techniques and accounting for daylight savings time when riding off into the sunset. She also leads day camps for young children in hopes of sparking their equine interests, just as Fiddlesticks sparked hers.

Kayakers glide past ice shelves in the glacial waters of Patagonia. A continent over, hikers pose for a picture at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro—the highest point in Africa—before looking out onto the Tanzanian landscape. The Southern Terrain's team of licensed, bonded, and insured outdoor enthusiasts coordinates once-in-a-lifetime trips like these to storied destinations around the world.

To facilitate safe and memorable experiences, fitness experts arrange adventure-training programs so that explorers arrive ready not only to climb, hike, and kayak, but also to handle elevated altitudes. The professionally guided excursions typically maintain a traveler-to-guide ratio of eight to one. To support eco-friendly travel, The Southern Terrain partners with the nonprofit program iJourney Green, which helps adventurers to sustain the parts the world they visit.