I love Balboa Park! It is a 1,200-acre park located near Downtown San Diego and is the home to San Diego Zoo and lots of museums and gardens. Almost all the gardens are free to the public (so is parking!), which makes it even nicer :). It’s a must-see place in San Diego and great place to spend an afternoon walking around the beautiful gardens to take in the great scenery.
My favorite place was the Lily Pond and the Botanical Building.
According to the official website, the Botanical Building plantings include more than 2,100 permanent plants, featuring fascinating collections of cycads, ferns, orchids, other tropical plants, and palms.
Beautiful orchids!
A garden lover could spend hours in here!
The famous Lily Pond in front of the Botanical Building.
Beautiful water lilies!
Duckie family.
Koi.
Another shot of the Lily Pond with the Botanical Building in the background.
Spanish Colonial Revival architecture throughout the park.
Japanese Friendship Garden.
Moreton Bay Fig Tree.
The Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden features approximately 1,600 roses of more than 130 varieties.
The Desert Garden surely has a lot of interesting looking succulents and drought-resistant plants from around the world.
San Diego Museum of Man.
Hope to have a chance to come back soon!