Memorial Bench at the Coast to Crest River Trail in Del Mar, California

This is a spectacular memorial bench on the Coast to Crest river trail in Del Mar. Being an avid hiker myself, I am excited that they are building a trail next to the Del Mar Fairgrounds that runs from the beach in Del Mar along the river from Lake Hodges all the way to Julian with an overlook of the desert.

The bench I designed and built is in the first segment in Del Mar surrounded by water but very accessible for many people. It was donated by the Tipler Family in memory of their daughter Claire. I worked very closely with the family on the design, materials and finish. The design is very organic giving a feeling of moving water with herons placed on both ends and fish under the seating. The bench has double-sided seating so one can see the view in all directions.

I hand forged the bench out of heavy steel as well as the herons and the fish, and I used teak for the seating. I made sure the shape of the seating is very comfortable so you can sit for a long time taking in the beauty of the surroundings. The metal is finished with a very long lasting metalized finish actually made of finely ground copper. Because the seating is teak, and teak wears very well in the outdoors, it does not have a finish on it and will gray naturally and beautifully, lasting 100 years or more.

It’s very worthwhile to go on the trail and enjoy sitting on the memorial bench to contemplate, relax, or simply listen to the birds.