Lake Miramar or Miramar Reservoir (top picture) (
location) is in the north eastern portion of the city. It is popular for jogging, walking and biking since it has a 5 mile trail around it with very few (if any) cars. There is also a dirt path you can mountain bike around the lake on. You can also kayak, boat (there is a boat launch), or fish, but it is less popular for those activities. The lake generally gets windy in the afternoons, but is relatively cool (70s or 80s). You may see typical canyon animals, squirrels, lizards, rattlesnake, rabbits, maybe a coyote. A portion of the lake is blocked off from entry. The view from the dam is good (bottom picture). Entry and parking are free, fishing requires a license. Gates close at 8, so don't get trapped inside the parking lot. Definitely a local destination and not something to go out of your way for if you're out of town.
. I used macro mode at full zoom. You can see why I think the Olympus takes better underwater pictures than the Lumix.
. Kelp bass are probably the most abundant medium size fish at La Jolla Shores
which I feel is currently the best waterproof point and shoot camera you can now buy. Panasonic also makes a cheaper camera (model TS20) that it is hard to tell based on the specifications that it is significantly different, but the underwater picture quality is much worse.
