Bonita, Bonita, CA

Bonita follows the Sweetwater River valley in southern San Diego County, an unincorporated community with Chula Vista on one side, National City on another and Sweetwater Reservoir at its eastern end. Horse trailers parked beside garages and riders waiting at a crossing are ordinary sights, because plenty of households in this valley still keep horses. Most of the housing went up as tracts between the 1960s and the 1980s, in subdivisions with names such as Emerald Ranch and Bonita Highlands. Single-story ranch houses with deep yards are typical. Closer to the river you'll see corrals, tack sheds and lots laid out with room for animals, while newer streets climb the slopes on either side. The river corridor is where people spend their free time. Sweetwater County Park keeps a wildlife preserve with a small pond, and a lower section of Sweetwater Regional Park runs along Sweetwater Road. Bonita Valley Trails, a volunteer group, maintains a riding and walking network that threads through the valley. Up above the reservoir and just outside the community, Sweetwater Summit Regional Park adds a campground and roughly 15 miles of trails. Food clusters in the small shopping center at 5080 Bonita Road. Hans & Harry's Bakery has turned out European-style cakes and pastries there since 1991, and its strudel is the order regulars mention first. Murrieta's Mexican Restaurant, nearby at 5170, opens early on weekends and is known for enchiladas de la crema and queso fundido brought out in a comal skillet. Burger Kook, on Central Avenue, grills burgers Tuesday through Saturday. Groceries are partly local. Bonita Farmer's Market, in the same center as the bakery, is a full-time store with produce, meats and a counter of tacos, tortas and ceviche. Bigger shopping trips head west to the Ralphs on Alta View Drive or to the Plaza Bonita mall in National City. State Route 54 runs along the northern edge, Interstate 805 marks the west, and nearly everyone drives. Winter storms bring the one real headache. Central Avenue has no bridge over the Sweetwater, so in a wet year it is the crossing most likely to flood, and drivers detour to the Bonita Road bridge. What sets Bonita apart from the tract suburbs around it is that a horse and a trailhead can share the same backyard fence line.