Grandview Beach is a unit of the State Park System and
is operated by the City of Encinitas as Leucadia State Beach. Still,
a beautiful carved wood sign announces your arrival at Grandview Beach.
Accessible by a set of stairs situated on a bluff above the ocean, it is
the northernmost in a series of Encinitas beaches. Looking out to the beach
through the framed palms, you feel like you've found paradise.
To find this somewhat hidden jewel, look for the beach
access signs along Highway 101. Take Leucadia Boulevard west its
end at Neptune. There isn't much beach for stretching out on and none at
high tide. There are no restroom facilities either. The bluffs along
this stretch are beautiful but unstable.
More about the mythological Neptune for which a scenic
street bares the name:
Neptune was the name that ancient Romans gave to the Greek
god of the sea and earthquakes, Poseidon. He was the brother of Jupiter
(Zeus) and of Pluto (Hades). After the defeat of their father Saturn (Cronos),
the three brothers divided the world in three parts to be ruled by one
of the three brothers. Jupiter took the sky, Neptune the sea and Pluto
the underworld. Neptune had the reputation for having a violent temper.
Tempests and earthquakes were a reflection of his furious rage.
He was depicted as a
bearded men holding a trident and seated in a seashell drawn by sea-horses.
One day Neptune saw the water nymph Amphitrite dancing in the island of
Naxos and fell in love with her. He promptly asked her to marry him but
unfortunately she refused. However, not discouraged by Amphitrite refusal,
Neptune sent one of his servant, a dolphin to look for her.
