Adventures: Date: Balboa Park

Adventures

San Diego is full of wonder. Explore San Diego’s architecture, beaches, hikes and more! Adventures are for date ideas or group activities.

Xoxo, natoutandabout

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If you were born and raised here or are the ultimate tourist, Balboa Park is on my top 5 list of things to explore in San Diego. Spanning 1,200 acres, Balboa Park is home to several running/hiking trails, festivals/concerts and parades, world-renowned museums, fine dining and more. You definitely can spend from morning to night in Balboa Park. One of my date ideas was to have a picnic in the park (with wine of course!) and then trek up the recently opened California Tower, which is a part of the San Diego Museum of Man.

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Where to Eat:

Balboa Park has a few restaurants like the Panama 66, great for a beer in their outdoor art gallery, and the famous Cohen restaurant, the  Prado for romantic dinner. Chris & I decided to go for an old fashioned picnic on the outskirts of the park on 6th Ave near the main entrance, the Cabrillo bridge. We had a variety of meats and cheeses from Trader Joe’s (seriously the best store for picnic snacks!)

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What to Do:

After a little vino and cheese, we ventured to the San Diego Museum of Man where you have access to the tour for the California Tour. TIP: make sure to buy your tickets online ahead of time if you want to go at a certain time as the tours only allow 14 people at a time per tour. If you have a bag, you will need to check it into a locker, you really just need your phone or camera to take pictures. The tour is a total of 40 minutes and you climb 150 (not that bad of a Stairmaster exercise!) However, stop each level to learn about the fascinating history of the park. As a born and bred San Diegan and have been to Balboa Park for field trips growing up, the tour was very informative to the San Diego history and culture. Once you make it to the tippy top, you have about 10-15 minutes to absorb the breathtaking 360 degree view.