Balboa Park...................

Balboa Park is the largest urban cultural park in the country, covering over 1200 acres near downtown San Diego. There are over 15 museums, several theaters and a concert pavilion, beautiful gardens, and of course shops and restaurants. It is also home to the San Diego Zoo, which we visited earlier in our stay here in San Diego. For more information, click here.

This day, we were keeping it simple and just walking around the beautiful park and exploring all there was to see and do. Top on our list was the Botanical Building, but it was closed. We didn't go into any of the museums, and there were no entertainment events going on (no plays or concerts), and believe me, we were there all day! What a wonderful time. It is beautiful and very large. Glad we wore hiking shoes...just sayin'.

Ready for a fun day in Balboa Park

The Visitor's Center is here somewhere

checking the map to form a game plan

the Botanical Building.....closed on Thursdays! We were there last Thursday :(

pretty

really nice gardens outside

nice

these were all over the park too

giant fig tree (90 years old)

Our first stop was the Desert Gardens, and then the Rose Gardens. They were located across the street, and thankfully there was a pedestrian bridge to get us there. The park is very large, with some streets and parking areas located throughout. It is very walkable. I may have taken too many pictures at the Rose Garden...but the roses were gorgeous and they were all in bloom at once. And the fragrance....wish you could smell that through my pics!

crossing the bridge to the Rose Gardens

a view from the bridge

more

crossing over traffic

cool looking cactus

very cool...reminds me of a molecule set (study aide) I had in college

we do love the desert flora

love the color

very cool

striking tree!

another section of the desert garden

the Rose Garden....and I see a few class trips are here today :)

so pretty...and the fragrance is great too

sweet

the coloring is amazing

love these

there's the bridge to the museums 

pretty

a really nice Rose Garden!

so many different color roses ....and all blooming at once!

let's check out this sitting area

oh it smells soooo great

a classic beauty

so nice

just beautiful...

nature's art

one more!

heading back now

not good...check out the graffiti in the leaves

There are many museums, actually pretty close to each other too. There is a charge for each one, so if you plan on visiting a lot of them, it is best to check in the Visitor Center to learn about the best offers for what you plan on doing. We didn't do anything with a charge, and we still had a very pleasant and enjoyable day. The park is huge, and very walkable, and there is much to see and do without even stepping foot in any of the fabulous museums. You would need a week to fully explore the park and all it has to offer. 

fountain in front of the Science Museum

a beautiful park!

Theater

Spanish Village Art Center across the street-observe artists in action

lots of art studios here

very colorful area!

Putting together this blog post, I encountered some technical issues. The internet here is just awful, which probably had something to do with it. Anyway, the pictures below are from the Spanish Art studios area, where many of the artists were demonstrating their craft. There were some beautiful things in the various studios. Afterward, we walked to the Zoo area to check out the model trains. Unfortunately for us, it was a kiddie ride, not model trains. Tom was so disappointed...ahhaha. We also checked out the Carousel, and someone even went on a ride! 

We walked back to get our lunch and eat at one of the many picnic areas throughout the park. There is food available in several different places, and of course, there are restaurants as well. We brought our own picnic, so we can't tell you how the food was.

We really explored much of the park, and it took the better part of the day. However, we didn't go into any museums. I think the only sensible thing to do if you live near here is to get an annual pass. There is so much to see and do. 

After lunch, we explored more of the park. There are a few theaters in the park. The Globe offers 15 plays per year. There is also a ballet theater, youth theater, puppet theater-something for everyone. 

 

the buildings were gorgeous too

nice

one end of the park

The gardens were spectacular, especially this time of year. We really enjoyed seeing everything in bloom. Such a peaceful spot in the middle of San Diego.

one of the many gardens

just beautiful...lots of blooms

reminded us of the gardens in some of the castles we visited in Germany

lots of spring color!

The Japanese Friendship Garden, recently expanded, can be seen from the main road. It looked beautiful, but we did not visit it further. There is also a Japanese restaurant within the gardens that is supposed to be really nice. Maybe next visit.

a view of the Japanese Friendship Garden

close up

The Spreckels Organ Outdoor Pavilion offers concerts every Sunday, and is home to the world's largest outdoor pipe organs. Too bad we were there on Thursday.

concerts held here on Sundays

too bad its Thursday

want to walk through the palm oasis? 

really is an oasis!

the fountains were nice too

A fun day was had by all! So much to see and do. A true gem in the heart of San Diego.