How much time to allott for Balboa Park? (San Diego, Corona: hotels, house)

[kelhuck]

Hello everyone! My GF's and I are coming to San Diego for a little getaway in a couple weeks. We would like to keep our spending under control if possible (except our food budgets are way open!). According to these forums, it looks like Balboa Park is a good little area to visit. I've heard of free Tuesdays there, but according to their website it's just for residents. Is this enforced? (They ask for ID, or whatever.) The area sounds pretty big- should we allow a whole day to visit the area? And what specific things would be good for 3 middle aged mommas to do there?

Our tentative plans are to spend all day Tuesday at the Balboa Park and Gaslamp areas. And then Wednesday go up the county to one of the beaches around La Jolla, maybe Torrey Pines, hiking?- and then for our last day, I am stumped. Any help or input would be greatly appreciated!

p.s.- Is it really supposed to rain the second week of February???? Will we be miserable since our plans involve mostly outdoor activities? Or does the sun come out in between showers?

[cruitr]

Balboa Park has over a dozen museums, several gardens, and the zoo. My wife and I spend 2 to 3 days a year in Balboa Park and we live in San Diego. You'll need to budget at least one day for Balboa Park and try to decide what you plan to see before you get there.

Some museums are free to residents on Tuesdays. Yes, it is enforced by showing a photo id.

While you're in La Jolla here are a few places to visit:
1. La Jolla Cove: La Jolla Cove - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2. La Jolla Village: La Jolla by the Sea - Official site of La Jolla, California
3. La Jolla Shores: La Jolla Shores | Lifeguard Services
4. Scripps Aquarium: :: BIRCH AQUARIUM: THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER FOR SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY, UC SAN DIEGO ::
The above 4 locations are fairly close together.

Another place to consider is Coronado. No visit to San Diego is complete without a stop at the Del Coronado Hotel: Hotel del Coronado – San Diego Resorts & Hotels, California Beach Resort & Spa

As for rain... we don't get a lot. However, our rainy season is December thru March. I'd pack a small umbrella.

[tstieber]

Balboa Park is the jewel of SD. I would spend a couple of days here, not counting the zoo. The museums are generally rather small compared to museums in larger cities, so they won't take all that long, but there are a variety of different ones clustered together that makes it fun. The must-sees are really all the architecture and plantings, which outshine any urban park in America. You must see the palm canyon, the big lath house where the ponds are, the rose garden, the international village, the artists' village, and the various pockets of other plantings on either side of the 163. Few places offer walks that go through palms, then cactus, then redwoods, then green grassy areas. It's a place to just stroll.

I would also recommend dining outdoors (weather permitting) at the Prado inside the park, which has a beautiful setting. If you're on a budget, their happy hour is great too.

And lest I forget, there is also an IMAX dome with lots of great films that often go hand in hand with the museum exhibit themes.

Don't worry about the rain -- we rarely get days and days of rain, and it won't be super cold. Some years, it gets quite warm in winter too, but it's unpredictable.

Have fun!!

[skeke]

The Sculpture Garden cafe is another nice place to dine in Balboa Park. It's more casual and less expensive than the Prado and has organic food and really good soups.

[kelhuck]

Thank you all very much for your input!! We will definitely check those restaurants out. And La Jolla looks beautiful- I can't wait to get there!!!! Thanks so much~

[T. Damon]

Balboa Park is my backyard (or nearly so) so I have a special affinity for it, not to be missed.

Certainly check out these free tours offered -depending on the days of your visit- a great way to get an overview and even us locals are always learning something new.

Park Tours - Balboa Park