Back From America - Week 2 - Balboa Park San Diego

Happy New Year everyone. I am a bit late in writing this next post as we went to Sydney to help our son move into his new house. They pulled down the old one and built a new one so it was all very exciting.

This time I am writing about Balboa Park, a 1400 acre complex in San Diego. It has always been the city park since 1870 but its many buildings and landscaping were done to commemorate the building of the Panama Canal and the Panama-California Exposition was opened on the 1/1/1915. The history of this park can be read Here. It also houses the San Diego Zoo.

We didn't go in as visited years ago.

We started off at the zoo end, very early in the morning,  which was packed with school kids and families and walked all the way through the park.  The fantastic buildings built at the time are now museums. The first thing we saw was an Art Centre. Lots of little buildings in spanish style from which artists did their work and also sold from. The paving had been painted in many colours.

Lining up for Coffee at Daniels Coffee Stand.

One of many buildings.

This topiary was also on the outskirts of the Art Village.

Nothing like seeing an elephant first thing.

Quite a few countries were featured at the exhibition and Australia was no exception. All around California are many Gum trees, but at this park was a large Morton Bay fig, one of many figs dotted around the park.

Australian Morton Bay Fig.

To give you an idea of the buildings here I will just show a number of them in a row.

A  walkway entrance to inner buildings.

The top of it. 

The walkway. Even these were amazing. Notice the Lights.

Another Entrance and Walkway

Amazing

More Central Plaza - Museum of Art.

Looking at the church spire and the central area

Theatre

Central Plaza, such a different building.

The Organ Pavillion. Organ is played there every Sunday.

Mosaic Dragon.

After looking at many buildings most of which have been turned into museums, we came across this Moroccan Garden. A lovely haven after being "outside". It was originally made for the exhibition.

Garden was very peaceful.

Looking the other way

 One thing I loved were the rubbish bins in this place. Such a discreet lovely idea.

 There were a few ways of getting around that you could hire. Bikes, tandem, x 4 or x 6. More like carts.

Large Ones

 This unique way looked enticing. None were cheap to hire either.

Copied from the 1940's - movable chairs.

There was a small free train that went to one of the large carparks. It passed the International Cottages. Small houses that opened up regularly for visitors and school children to learn about other countries. We hopped on it just for the rest.

Pity it didn't do the full circuit.

Passing Santa on left and his flying reindeer.

At the end of all these buildings, were four gardens, Cactus, Rose, Japanese, and a  Palm Garden. The Japanese was part of a restaurant and you had to pay to get in. We looked at it from a bridge and felt we had seen better in Australia. The Palm garden was very long and we only walked part way. Mostly those very tall palms.

Looking tiny

  The cactus garden though, was very interesting with lots of unusual types.

I found this one very unusual.

The rose garden actually had roses blooming this time. Probably due to the fact that San Diego is much warmer all year.

One very large archway

Structure on the inside. Small yellow rose covered it.

Entrance to Rose garden to the left was Archway.

 You have done well to read this far and hope you enjoyed our visit to Balboa Park. It was a very tiring day but I highly recommend it if you ever get to San Diego.

Till Next Time.....  Visiting our daughter.