Balboa Park - "Where Culture and Nature Meet"

Though we are staying a month in San Diego, there are an overwhelming number of choices on what to see and do.

Luckily, our friends Carol and Jerry, also from Green Valley, AZ, have been escaping our hot desert summers to San Diego for several years and volunteered to guide us a bit (and they have 2 Corgis to show Luna around). 

Rose Garden

We started with Balboa Park. Gary and I decided on our first trip to Balboa Park that we would have to return.  What a huge park, filled with many diverse activities. 

Desert Plants Garden

Large, very mature desert plants! Luna is curious

Ahh - now we know why the dog was so interested

Here is a little history about the park.

The San Diego leaders set aside 1400 acres for a public park in the late 1860s (1200 acres still exist within its boundaries). The park consists of 3 higher elevation mesas divided by 2 canyons. The west portion is used for passive recreation (green space, trails, etc.); the east side is active recreation (golfing, etc.); and the central mesa is filled with museums, gardens, the zoo, dining and art. 

The park evolved over time, with local contributions for tree plantings beginning in 1892. The city began supporting infrastructure in the early 1900s. 

Moreton Bay Fig Tree - over 100 years old. We were so small in comparison

With this local support, Balboa Park was chosen as the site for 1) the 1915 Panama-California Expo, and 2) the 1935 California Pacific Expo. Each of these events resulted in more building and/or changes within the park. During WWII many of the buildings were converted to military usage. 

Today the park is a National Historic Landmark, on the National Register of Historic Places, and houses over 15 museums, mature gardens, beautiful water features, artist shops, dining locations, and the San Diego Zoo (established in 1916). 

Botanical Building and Lily Pond

The Botanical Building, built in 1915, is one of the world's largest wood lath structures.

View from inside the Botanical Building

Spreckels Organ Pavillion

El Prado and Lily Pond

San Diego Museum of Man

And, it’s quite dog-friendly - but dogs cannot go inside the buildings.  We were able to have patio dining with Carol and Jerry and our dogs. 

However, they got so much attention that I don’t think they noticed the “slight” towards their species!

Besides the many museums and gardens, there seems to be multiple events ongoing most of the time.

We went to a great handmade pottery sale in the Spanish Village Arts Center.  This location was built for one of the Expos, but is now filled with wonderful art studios. The pottery was being sold as a fundraiser for the resident studios.  Carol and I had fun shopping while the guys spent some time with the dogs - Luna, Sammie and Moby were very popular!

These young ladies were visiting from Phoenix

The colorful plantings really add to the Spanish Village architecture 

Carol and I ended up at the ceramic hanging totems

We spent several days in the central area (where most visitors go, but its so large that we didn’t feel crowded).  And, we still have only seen a fraction of this park!