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  1999-12-10:Biblical walk


San Diego
 County

San Diego

Mission Trails 
 Regional Park
 

 
 BIBLICAL WALK
Rock formations at Mission Trails Park 
inspire imaginative hikers

S. D. Jewish Press-Heritage.Dec.10.1999

 

By Donald H. Harrison

San Diego, CA (special) -- Abe Goldberg and I try to walk in Mission Trails Regional Park several times a week. We both figure we could use the exercise -- me far more than him.
SIGNPOST--Marker at entrance to Mission 
Trails Regional Park is way imaginative 
visitors can recognize that they are on the 
right path to fanciful "Biblical Walkway." At 
right is one of those imaginative visitors, 
Abe Goldberg.
We walk so often on the paved path leading from the park's main entrance on Misssion Gorge Boulevard (one block east of Jackson Drive) to the old Padre Dam that we have given names to some of the rock formations.

Abe, a man of imagination, pointed to one standing alone on the hillside and said in his laconic way, "looks a bit like Moses coming down from Sinai."
So it did.

On subsequent walks, Abe and I began naming other rock formations (much to the great amusement of our wives Bea and Nancy, who thought other rocks were to be found in our heads).

But the more Abe and I looked, the more the walkway seemed to beckon us on an imaginative journey through the stories of the Bible.

There was the snake of the Garden of Eden, resting his head on a great boulder.

And a somewhat abstract formation reminded us of a shepherd's camp -- bringing to mind numerous stories in Genesis.

A towering formation reminded us of a bearded king -- King David, of course.

And rocks that seemed to depict a great fish surfacing brought to mind the story of Jonah.

Around the park there are numerous other formations. Whether you decide to try to name them or not, the walk will be good for you!

Moses at Sinai

Shepherd's Camp

Serpent of Gan Eden

King David

Jonah's Fish