Fun fact: El Centro is the largest lowest city in the United States. It’s official elevation is 42 feet below sea level, and some parts are even lower, as evidenced by this grain tower on the edge of town:
That mark is probably around 80 feet above ground level!
One advantage: there’s a lot more oxygen here than we’re used to breathing at 3,300 feet in Montana (and previous to that, 5,200 feet in Colorado). As I’ve been exercising, I’ve found I have a lot more energy. Sadly, I suspect my body will acclimate over time, and my red blood cell count will drop, but for now I’m enjoying my ability to run almost a mile without even breathing heavily.
Speaking of sea level, we haven’t been to the ocean for almost a year. I love the Pacific, and we were excited to see it again. We drove to San Diego and enjoyed an afternoon at Balboa Park, then headed over to Sunset Cliffs.
It was sort of comical– but mostly frustrating– to learn that the Sunset Cliffs are very cliffy, and don’t have an easy way down to the actual beach. We hiked for a bit, enjoying the view, and only on our way back to the car did we notice a long set of stairs in the distance. Oh well; that’ll be something for next time. For now, we had fun seeing our old friend the Pacific.
