Hotels near Balboa Park, San Diego

Midweek the crowds are fewer and you get to enjoy the park. Very glad to see that they are no longer allowing buskers to have amplifiers... a little quieter. We were disappointed that the Botanical Garden and conservatory was closed for repairs... next time we will see it restored.

Spend the day! Walk about the paths, the gardens, and Organ Pavilion. The Museums alternate (Free on Tuesdays). The International Houses are open on weekends. Check the local listings for special events - Food Truck Fridays, Dec. Nights, Summer Concerts, etc.

Balboa Park in particular is gigantic and has numerous exhibits that cover art, space, botany, international culture, history, etc. It is spread out over a very large area which is wonderful for walking and general sight seeing. It's also adjacent to the zoo.

If you are interested in culture be sure to visit Old Town, Little Italy, and if you are there on a Sunday visit the International Village at Balboa Park (where there is also a free organ concert every Sunday at 2pm) The museums at Balboa Park are wonderful every day of the week.

For us part of sightseeing includes checking out the crowds and the local people and how they interact among themselves and visitors. Sightseeing is more than just looking at the prairies in Kansas or beautiful Black Hill of South Dakota, the Yellowstone River running through Wyoming and Montana, or the forest and coastline in Oregon and California or even the Cactus Forest that we saw in Arizona. It also about checking out the people in crowded streets of downtown Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria, and San Francisco or the people who are at the other table at restaurants in Vancouver Canada, Newport Oregon or San Diego California or the waiters and waitresses who served us in Oklahoma City, Seattle, Vancouver, Oakland, San Diego and El Paso. There is a lot to see on this wonderful continent and my wife and I try to take in all the sights. San Diego's Balboa Park is a cross between the natural environment and the man-made structures at the park which includes many interesting museums, statues, and works of art. We would also encourage you to check out Old Town San Diego which has a very history and many shops and restaurants to visits. Two of the hidden treasures we found in San Diego were two restaurants; we had one of our best breakfasts during our three week vacation at the Hob Nob Restaurant which is near Little Italy area and dinner at the Kansas City BBQ restaurant where one of the scenes from the Tom Cruise Movie "Top Gun" was shot. The food was good to and dining experience was interesting at this restaurant which sits next to the railroad tracks where trains would pass by. If you're sitting outside for your meal you might have the good fortune to see Diesel Engines pulling it cars right by your table. No matter where we visited during our last trips (Rapid City where a Piano player entertained at breakfast or in Nebraska where a car dealership was selling an Army Truck, or maybe at the restaurant in Newport Oregon which sits on the Pacific coastline where you can see the sunset over the Pacific Ocean or even is Seattle Washington where we saw an Eagle protecting it bird's nest in one of the Red Oaks of the Northwest) we saw and enjoyed many interesting sights.

Visit Old Town and Balboa Park and take a drive around the beach areas