Is life stressing you out? Maybe it’s that the kids are out of school (and in your hair!) or the increased traffic on city streets that inevitably come with all that summer fun. It’s good to have some ideas on handy places right in your own backyard where you can go to decompress and get away. Here are seven that are sure to inspire and restore your spirits. Most can set you straight in as little as 20 minutes!
Get a birds-eye view
Sit inside a giant birdcage and leave the rest of your cares outside. Coronado Island Marriott Resort and Spa hosts a good-sized aviary discreetly located in their southside courtyard. Part of the original hotel construction in 1987, the aviary is accessible for all to enjoy. After walking through the entrance of the resort, make a right and pass through the sliding glass doors that open to the south wing’s guestrooms. The aviary is about 60 feet down the courtyard in the central open-air garden, surrounded by a babbling brook with contented ducks. That setting alone is enough to let you say, “Aah!”
To enter the aviary, open the white wooden door and part the chain-link curtains. Close the door behind you, then open a second set of links and take a seat on one of the wooden benches. Inside the aviary are various finches and seed-eating songbirds with bright orange beaks that mirror the color of their legs.
With more than two dozen birds, the aviary’s residents amuse with their soft chirping. Add in the sound of trickling water in the nearby ponds, and you’ll find the setting a welcome reprieve from the daily routine.
Lawn bowling at twilight
Everybody’s been to an indoor bowling alley, but outdoor lawn bowling is a completely different experience… it’s quieter, slower-paced, and, well, just plain pleasant. 
Played on a completely flat surface, typically a grass or artificial green, the player rolls an irregularly shaped ball, called a “bowl,” toward a smaller bowl known as a “jack.”
A relaxed sport meant to be entertaining and fun, lawn bowling doesn’t require expensive equipment or great physical prowess. It does lend itself to conviviality, which you’ll find plenty of at the Coronado Lawn Bowling Association, located adjacent to, and sharing the clubhouse of the Coronado Senior Center (Orange Avenue at Seventh Street). The association was founded in 1935, but interest waned in the late 1990s, so much so that the lawn bowling green was closed for several years in the early 2000s, and the site was used as a staging area for materials utilized in the library expansion. Only after a concerted effort led by lawn bowler Bill Hiscock who revved up interest in the sport did the city agree to reopen the green, which it did in 2010 with state-of-the-art artificial turf. The green is open to the public year round.
Twilight Bowling is offered free of charge every Thursday evening from May 16 through August 30, from 6 until sunset. Offering appetizers and beverages as the sun goes down, the Coronado Lawn Bowling Club encourages all San Diego County residents to come for a free lesson; bowls and other equipment are provided. Just be sure to wear flat-soled shoes.
Coronado Lawn Bowling Association; (619) 319-5509; www.coronadolawnbowlingclub.com.
Walk a labyrinth
If life has you going in circles, you might want to walk in circles. Hiding in plane sight on Soledad Place on the Sharp Coronado Hospital campus is a circular path that weaves and winds; it’s called a labyrinth.
Open to the public, this meditative path promotes mental wellness as one walks the course with concentration. In a serene outdoor space surrounded by greenery, the pathway is a unique and relaxing way to find peace as you decompress.
Since early ages, labyrinths have been an integral part of many Greek, Mayan and Native American cultures, used to reduce anxiety and provide comfort. Unlike an enclosed maze with only one way out, a labyrinth entertains various paths and is meant to be a calming experience. Walking along the circular path, a person’s focus continually shifts from right brain to left brain as one begins to reflect and unwind.
The labyrinth at Sharp Coronado is modeled after the 13th century Chartres Cathedral labyrinth in France, the most well known labyrinth of its size. Coronado’s labyrinth was built in memory of Mildred Mann, a Coronado resident and member of the Sharp Coronado Hospital Auxiliary. To learn more abut the origins of the labyrinth, a guided walk is available for free upon request by Becky Miller, the hospital’s chaplain; call 522-3600 to schedule a time.
Rabbit run
Long before Hampton and Story ventured to Coronado with their dreams of resort city, Coronado was populated with jackrabbits who must have felt this place was their resort.
Today, rabbits and other wildlife still have a sanctuary of sorts along the Silver Strand and a walk around their bayside habitat provides a glimpse into what all of Coronado looked like over a century ago. After securing a parking spot on the street just south of Navy housing, find the dirt pathway that meanders through the scrub and sagebrush that makes up this bayside habitat.
The San Diego bay is to the east, with Lifeguard Tower 10 in sight. A bristling in the bushes signifies a moving mammal, larger than a squirrel but smaller than the dry and dusted shrub. It’s a jackrabbit, and after hearing footsteps, it’s quickly on the move. With speeds up to 35 miles per hour, the hare wastes no time as it gathers its friends, of whom there are dozens.
Different than rabbits that are small enough to live underground, these hares live alone and above ground in simple nests. With colors of sandy greys and browns, they blend into their surroundings almost completely. Because they are larger, with longer ears and thicker fur, they are able to survive in their surroundings more so than other rabbits. Looking around their sand dune habitat, it does not look like there is much cover for them. However, this wild habitat provides shelter enough.
Guided nature walks are available for free on Sundays from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Sitting on a bench by the bay
Appropriately named Bayview Park offers a stunning scape of the downtown San Diego skyline. The park, at 413 First St., is usually empty, providing a perfect spot to sit, reflect and perhaps journal. 
Six thoughtfully placed concrete benches fill the park, making it easy to find an open spot to enjoy, either under the trees or at the water’s edge. Listening to the rolling waves of boaters’ wakes as they gently push upon the rocks makes it an ideal spot to take a break.
On the water, tugboats chug by, the ferry makes continual crossings and Navy RHIB’s (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) zoom past. Across the water, planes descend to San Diego Lindbergh Field, playing peek-a-boo in the San Diego city skyline. Just across the bay is the USS Midway Museum and Seaport Village.
Large trees provide shade in the summer, and grounds are well kept with flowers of purple and yellow, making Bay View Park a popular spot for small weddings.
In the center of the park is a tall tree with a wide canopy, dedicated with a plaque, in memory of Robert Haden Keehn, a Retired U.S. Navy Captain.
The park is open from 5 a.m. to -11 p.m. daily.
Work it all out
Sometimes a simple workout is all that’s needed to beat back stress. A complete Fitness Course with nine workout stations provides a full body workout at Tidelands Park. With views of the Coronado Bay Bridge and the sailboats moored in the bay, it’s a scenic way to work out, plus it’s free. From the main parking lot at Tidelands Park, follow the bike path just a bit south; the fitness course is opposite the small sandy beach where dinghies are tied up.
The nine wood stations make up the “Vita Course” and include pull-up bars, an Achilles stretch station, a sit-and reach leg stretch, a balance beam, hanging rings and more. Some stations post exercise instructions with recommendations on repetitions.
Lots of activity passes by the course as bikers, runners, skateboarders and rollerbladers move along the pathway. Even the sailboats are moving as they change direction with the wind.
Tidelands Park is at 2000 Mullinex Drive.
Ships in the night
Only have time for an early morning adventure? Head down to Coronado Beach and welcome in a cruise ship as it makes its way into San Diego Bay. It is truly a sight to see.
With over 190 cruise ships entering San Diego Bay each year, there are plenty of opportunities to watch these silent entrances. Cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival and Princess all make port calls to San Diego as they continue their itinerary to destinations such as the Caribbean, Mexico, and Hawaii.
Cruise ships generally arrive during early morning hours, so that their passengers can enjoy full days of sightseeing at each city. Catching an incoming cruise can only take place if you’re lucky… or, if you check the schedule. A regular schedule of incoming cruise ships is kept updated on the Port of San Diego’s website, www.thebigbay.com.
Watching as these 4,000 to 10,000 foot long vessels glide ever closer on the water, makes for an epic spectacle and one you shouldn’t miss. 