A San Diego Saturday: Football and Balboa Park

Spent a Saturday in early October enjoying a couple of classic San Diego pastimes. We started the day at Snapdragon Stadium for a football game. The stands were full, and it was just a nice, energetic atmosphere for a college game under the stadium lights.

After the game, we sought out some quiet at Balboa Park. The shift in mood was immediate, especially once we entered the Japanese Friendship Garden. It was so peaceful walking along the paths, past the stone lanterns and small waterfalls. We spent a good amount of time just watching the koi swim in the stream that winds through the lower part of the garden. The sunlight filtering through the canopy was perfect.

We finished the day with a walk around the park's main promenade. It was a beautiful, clear afternoon, and the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture really stands out against the blue sky. We passed the ornate facades and palm trees, ending up at the Botanical Building with its iconic reflection in the Lily Pond. A day of two very different halves, both quintessentially San Diego.