STREET WISE: / New Directions : Earthy Meets Upscale on 4-Mile Span by the Sea

Finding a good breakfast place brings with it a sense of accomplishment. Finding two good breakfast places, a gym, a nature preserve, great Mexican food and a sports bar with more TVs than the Padres have victories all on one street, well, it borders on the spiritual.

A roughly 4-mile span of the Pacific Coast Highway from Via de la Valle, separating Del Mar and Solana Beach, up to Birmingham Drive in Encinitas offers all this and more.

From Marge’s Country Kitchen on the southern end through Las Olas (The Waves) Mexican cafe and continuing up to Yogi’s sports bar and Gold’s Gym at Birmingham, the coast route offers a slice of community life hard to find elsewhere. (Counting Yogi’s and Gold’s as being on Pacific Coast Highway is cheating a bit, considering that both are on a frontage road).

Something about driving this road north on a sunny day with a westerly zephyr blowing the heat inland is like being on vacation without leaving the county.

At Marge’s, where Jimmy Buffett and the late Patsy Cline are the jukebox singers of choice, you can get a splendid 4-minute egg in 2 minutes. Though it’s not mandatory, this laser-like service can get you in and out in a hurry. Which can be a blessing, considering that Cline’s songs bemoan her romantic bad luck and the lack of a good man in her life. Buffett, however, remains ever-upbeat in Margaritaville.

But if you’re looking for a great breakfast without the heartache, head north a mile or two to Mr. T’s, a comfortable little place boasting a great omelet selection as well as steak and eggs with gravy and biscuits. And bloody Marys.

The stretch of road encompasses the earthy and the upscale, the locals and the tourists.

Along Cardiff’s somewhat famous and touristy “Restaurant Row,” waves lap against the sand or slap against the riprap protecting the buildings, while the sun warms and tans diners and drinkers on the outdoor patios. Later, the sunsets create a magic as the Pacific pulls down, then quickly swallows a sun that’s now bright orange and bigger than life.

Just below the row, the San Elijo wetlands preserve provides a natural break between Solana Beach and Encinitas, which now includes Cardiff. When heading north and hitting San Elijo, the vista opens up dramatically and suddenly. On the left, sand and waves replace homes and businesses as the road eases down to sea level. The lagoon sits on the right with its birds and wildlife; farther ahead are ocean-facing hillside homes, reflecting the late sun off their windows.

All along the way, brightly outfitted joggers, bike riders and walkers, some toting tots, dot the road as they huff and puff a path parallel to the train tracks. They pass Chinese and Italian restaurants, gyms, mechanics, a flower vendor whose hours remain known only to her, a spiffy new Travelodge, the old warhorse Kraken pub and the back door of the venerable Belly Up Tavern. In the water, surfers in bright trunks and wet suits provide the color commentary.

And, at the end of the line, rests Yogi’s, where on a recent evening a sports fan could watch the Padres, Dodgers and Kings live from one seat. It’s also a place where the bartenders and the waitresses actually seem to like each other, and the well-off and the well-tanned mingle easily. Jimmy Buffett would like it here. Patsy Cline probably would have, too.