Introduction
Not too far from downtown San Diego and right next to the world famous San Diego zoo is the beautiful, much overlooked Balboa Park. I have been here twice and really enjoyed it both times. More of an old town of museums, restaurants, gardens and wonderful architecture, than ... Read review
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Advantages: magnificent architecture, lots to do, peaceful Disadvantages: not good if you want do something energetic or exciting
...is the beautiful, much overlooked Balboa Park. I have been here twice and really enjoyed it both times. More of an old town of museums, restaurants, gardens and wonderful architecture, than a park there will undoubtedly be something for everyone here.
Area
Located in El Prado, San Diego buses to and from the park are both frequent and reliable. As the park is located right next to the San Diego Zoo, signs to the park ... ...the museums and attractions at Balboa park:
-Centro Cultural de la Raza
-House of Pacific Relations
-Japanese Friendship Garden
-Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre
-Marston House
-Mingei International Museum
-Museum of Photographic Arts
-Museum of San Diego History
-The Old Globe
Events
Things are always going on at the park, from sporting events, to ... more
Introduction
Not too far from downtown San Diego and right next to the world famous San Diego zoo is the beautiful, much overlooked Balboa Park. I have been here twice and really enjoyed it both times. More of an old town of museums, restaurants, gardens and wonderful architecture, than a park there will undoubtedly be something for everyone here.
Area
Located in El Prado, San Diego buses to and from the park are both frequent and reliable. As the park is located right next to the San Diego Zoo, signs to the park are frequent and easy to follow. There is lots of parking space and most of it is free.
Sights
A visit to the information centre is the best place to start. There is so much to do and see here it really isn't possible to do it all in one day. So the best thing is to visit the information centre, look at the maps and booklets and discuss the park with the lovely people inside. If you fancy a little more help there are the odd free-guided tours. These tours are on Fridays at 1.00 and Saturdays at 10.00. Self-guided tours are also outlined in the centre.
After you have decided where you will be going and what you will be doing you can fully admire the fantastic, Spanish style architecture, which features in the majority of the buildings. This was what I remembered most about the park after my first visit and made me want to go back. Just walking through the park to your chosen destinations you can take a detour through an astonishing array of gardens and parkland. Things that may catch your eye are the international cottages (a group of small buildings with things from various countries), and the globe theatre, a replica of the original in London, where performances actually occur.
Here are just a few of the museums and attractions at Balboa park:
-Centro Cultural de la Raza -House of Pacific Relations -Japanese Friendship Garden -Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre -Marston House -Mingei International Museum -Museum of Photographic Arts -Museum of San Diego History -The Old Globe
Events
Things are always going on at the park, from sporting events, to concerts, to dances. Ask at the visitor centre if you are interested in these.
Recommendations
I'm a bit of a cheap skate but I really think you can't go wrong with the free sights in the park. It's usually very hot and sunny in San Diego, especially if you visit in the summer. To take advantage of the great weather I walked around outside as much as possible. The cactus garden and rose garden are on the edge of the park but are both beautiful and contrast in such a marvellous way. Plus on the way there, there is a really striking fountain. Other gardens such as the Zoro garden and Japanese friendship garden are also good. The botanical building also stands out, like a smaller Taj Mahal almost (well I say that, its just a big greenhouse really) in front of a series of long ponds. If you like art there is a wealth of galleries that change their displays all the time but always have fantastic exhibitions.
Really there's so many excellent things to do and see you cant go wrong and I think multiple visits to this extraordinary park are the only way to appreciate its greatness.
Prices and More information
The park itself is free to get into. The gardens and some of the museums are also free, but a lot cost and prices vary (ranging from below $5 up to around $15). Most things open around 9.30 or 10.00 and close about 4 or 5.
The official Balboa website can be found at www.Balboapark.org
Conclusion
If you are in San Diego I would thoroughly recommend this park to you. Especially if you have just been to the zoo or come from Los Angeles and need some more relaxed time to wind down. There is so much to do and see and as the park is free there is no pressure to spend a lot of time. Families with children, young couples, older people and any other type of person you cant think of can enjoy this lovely park.
Advantages: Very informative Disadvantages: You may miss the trolley
trams which seat about 20 people, with the back area being open. I thought that the open area would be best for the tan until we got to some decidedly windy parts of the tour!
The trolley stops at the Old Town, San Francisco Bay where you can get off and tour the Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum, Seaport Village, Gaslamp Quarter, Coronado, BalboaPark and SanDiego Zoo.
Inside the free information leaflet there is information about the different stops and the drivers are great at making suggestions based on what your interests are. So, obviously, I was going to get off at the shopping place- Seaport Village and I also got off at Coronado, which features a very famous hotel and a great beach, and BalboaPark.
As you drive round the areas, the driver is very informative and gives lots of information, but not just staid information ...
Advantages: Gorgeous scenery, sunshine Disadvantages: transport links
breakfast was included in the rate and took place on the rooftop terrace with excellent views over downtown SanDiego and the port.
Things to do
1. Gas Lamp Quarter
This is where all the restaurants, shops and entertainment is. The place is always buzzing right into the early hours so a hotel in the centre of this area may not be for everyone. In terms of cuisine there is something for everyone- Thai , Indian, Italian and Greek to name a few. A place not to be missed for desert is Ghiradillis chocolate and ice cream parlour! There are many shops in the area and also the Horton Plaza shopping centre which is worth a visit just to see the way it is built with it's various intersecting levels and walkways.
2. BalboaPark and SanDiego Zoo
This park is home to a variety of museums such as the SanDiego Natural History Museum ...
SanDiego is a fantastic holiday destination. It is warm and sunny but as it is on the coast there are cooling sea breezes. The people are all friendly and there is fantastic shopping centre. The buildings are all painted in bright colours as the town used to be owned by Mexico. A place that must be visited is BalboaPark which has museums in it (some of which can be free on particular days) and also SanDiego zoo. The park itself is lovely to walk around and has tress from all over the world. Another must is old town. This is a place with shops and restaurants which are in 'old style'. It has a mexican feel and is very relaxing. Basically SanDiego is a must! ...
