More current news and photos of Balboa Park!

People walk down El Prado past the amazing Casa del Prado.

I’m afraid this blog you are now reading, Beautiful Balboa Park, has been dormant the past many months. All of my spare time has been devoted to my main website Cool San Diego Sights!

I still frequently visit Balboa Park. It’s just as wonderful as ever. I walk through the park almost every weekend to soak in its vibrant life, discover new things.

If you want to see more current news and photographs from Balboa Park, you might bookmark or follow Cool San Diego Sights!

To read my latest posts that specifically concern Balboa Park, click here.

If you click the above link, right at this moment (late September, 2020) you will see photographs and information about a brand new exhibition of the Mingei International Museum at the Japanese Friendship Garden, some interesting information concerning a preview of the upcoming Comic-Con Museum, plus an eyeful of fascinating photographs from an exhibition of fine art at the San Diego History Center. And a whole lot more!

Better yet, if you follow my main website Cool San Diego Sights you’ll experience cultural events and colorful places throughout the entire city, so who knows what you might discover?

Thanks for checking out my blog!

Richard

Sunrise photographs near the Desert Garden.

This morning I captured some beautiful sunrise images from Balboa Park that you might enjoy.

I was walking along Park Boulevard by the San Diego Zoo and the Desert Garden when the sun finally appeared above the mountains to the east.

My camera was busy.

…

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can enjoy even more Cool San Diego Sights by following me on Facebook or Twitter!

Projects underway to improve Balboa Park.

The California Tower Seismic Retrofit Project is well underway in Balboa Park.

During my weekend visit to Balboa Park I noticed significant construction activity in several places.

Once completed, these projects will greatly improve the park. They’ll help ensure that future generations will continue to enjoy the beautiful crown jewel of San Diego!

In addition to the three projects that I photographed, I also noticed the Mingei Museum’s monumental transformation is underway!

Construction work has begun at both ends of the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages. Five new structures will be built, to house nine nations or cultural units.

Repairs are underway at the Starlight Bowl, after a falling tree damaged parts of the historic outdoor amphitheater’s entrance.

…

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can enjoy even more Cool San Diego Sights by following me on Facebook or Twitter!

The colorful doors of Spanish Village!

If you want to see lots of colorful doors in Balboa Park, head over to Spanish Village Art Center. Most of the studio doors are painted with different bright colors.

Just as each artist’s work has its own unique character, so do their studios.

(A few of the doorways have a wonderful round shape. I almost expect Bilbo Baggins to pop out of one!)

…

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can enjoy even more Cool San Diego Sights by following me on Facebook or Twitter!

Souvenirs from the Panama-California Exposition.

The San Diego History Center had a variety of colorful artifacts at their table during a recent city event. As I was viewing some of their historical displays, I was shown two souvenir collections of photos and artwork that were sold to visitors during the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park.

One collectible was a small packet of 16 Miniature Souvenir Views of America’s Exposition, San Diego, California. The other was the Official View Book of the Panama-California International Exposition.

I took a few photos without thinking at the time that I would post them to this blog. I should have taken more. Oh, well.

Enjoy this brief look!

(Click my photos and they will enlarge for greater detail.)

…

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can enjoy even more Cool San Diego Sights by following me on Facebook or Twitter!

Colors of summer at Plumeria Show and Sale!

The Southern California Plumeria Society’s 20th Annual Hawaiian Plumeria Festival took place this weekend in Balboa Park!

The festival’s popular flower show and plant sale attracted a huge crowd to the Casa del Prado and its outdoor courtyard. There were many plumeria plants to choose from, plus friendly advice from experts on how to grow them in our soil and climate. Not to mention colorful artwork to purchase, and food and entertainment!

I walked through the event today and took some photos…

…

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can enjoy even more Cool San Diego Sights by following me on Facebook or Twitter!

Art students oil paint by the Lily Pond.

During my Labor Day weekend walk through Balboa Park, I saw that small windows to beauty were being opened beside the Lily Pond.

Students of Watts Atelier of the Arts in Encinitas were in front of easels oil painting.

…

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can enjoy even more Cool San Diego Sights by following me on Facebook or Twitter!

Midsummer celebration at House of Sweden!

During my Sunday walk through Balboa Park, I found myself enjoying the House of Sweden’s lawn program. Summer began several days ago, so they were having a midsummer celebration. Complete with a flower bedecked maypole!

Anticipating the afternoon’s entertainment, a large crowd had gathered on the grass at the center of the International Cottages.

Ladies in folk costume paraded with flags onto the stage and sang the American and Swedish national anthems. Followed by more songs. Different regional dresses were then showcased and explained. Then more music. A group took the stage to perform the popular music of ABBA.

On the patio of the House of Sweden’s cottage, all sorts of crafts, flowers and colorful works of art were on display. Inside the cottage pastries and other treats awaited.

I wandered about, took a few photos.

…

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can enjoy even more Cool San Diego Sights by following me on Facebook or Twitter!

A very quiet, sunny morning in Balboa Park.

I saw very few people in Balboa Park this morning.

It isn’t often you find a sunny Balboa Park so empty and peaceful. But it was Memorial Day and I started my walk early.

I headed from Cortez Hill up Sixth Avenue, walked east down El Prado all the way to the rose garden, then made my way south along Park Boulevard to the Administrative Courtyard.

I’m sorry to say I didn’t take my camera out right away. My first photograph is by flowers in the Alcazar Garden.

Why was I walking so early in the morning? At eight o’clock there was a special Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans Museum. I blogged about it here.

…

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can enjoy even more Cool San Diego Sights by following me on Facebook or Twitter!

The sun comes out in beautiful Balboa Park.

It has been over two months since I posted photographs to this modest blog, Beautiful Balboa Park. Almost all of my photos, including those of Balboa Park, end up on my main website Cool San Diego Sights.

Finally I have something for here.

My early afternoon walk today was in showery weather along the Embarcadero. But feeling it was too soon to return home, I headed to Balboa Park. And that’s when the sun broke through the clouds.

I looped through the park with no set destination. I did discover a new exhibition at the San Diego History Center, which I’ll blog about later.

I paused for a few moments in Spanish Village to watch the glassblowing. I passed by the Balboa Park Carousel, then made my way to El Prado. Inside the Casa del Prado, the San Diego Geranium Society plant show was about to close.

My feet took me wherever they pleased. Perhaps that’s why this walk felt so good.