Balboa Park

San Diego On The Swift: Part Deux

Of all of the places that I glimpsed on my two hour, fly through the sites tour of San Diego's points of interest, Balboa Park was the one that had me digging in my "I wanna stay and look" tourist toes. We had been driving to and fro under the Cabrillo Bridge (the park's historic entrance) all week, so imagine my glee when my nephew parked his vehicle and before I knew what was happening, discovered that I was trotting across the beautiful arched structure that I had been admiring all week long.

As we were strolling at a breakneck pace across the bridge, my nephew casually dropped this tidbit of touristy, mind-blowing info: "There are seventeen museums in Balboa Park."

"What?! That's like four more than a baker's dozen!" I replied most derpily.

As I processed and nerded out on the sheer volume of available museums to peruse had I the time to do so, I began to notice the Spanish replicated architecture that made up the park's buildings. In that moment I became the Gawker of Seville. It was pretty early in the morning, so the park was fairly empty, and I instantly imagine-transported to a Medieval Spanish scene. That bit of fancy was interrupted when I saw this advertisement for the San Diego Museum of Man:

How could someone not want to investigate that bit of Hannibal Lecterism? Of course, if there was a glass of Chianti sitting on a side table I might have felt concern, but alas, I did not get to peruse the man-eating-man exhibit, and moved on.

There are archways, courtyards, fountains, and inspiring bits of landscaping everywhere your eye turns in Balboa Park. There's the Old Globe theater in one section where you can take in the dramatic arts, and the world's largest pipe organ beckons all with is gargantuan profile. Statues, trees, gardens, and a carousel all vie for your attention. I guarantee that there is museum that spotlights something that interests a person, be that the arts or model trains. The San Diego Zoo is a part of Balboa park, and as there are bathrooms and refreshments available in the park, I'm fairly sure that I could live there happily for a few months in full observation and glean mode.

Let's just say that on my inevitable return trip to San Diego, I know where I'll be spending a good chunk of my time!!

And as always, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's slightly-petulant-because-it-couldn't-hang-out-all-day-in Balboa Park iPhone.

Additional conciliatory addendum: Many apologies regarding the quality of the images, I took every single photograph whilst power-walking. It shows.