Journeys›Photograph

A San Diego Saturday: Football and Balboa Park

·San Diego, California, United States·#california#San Diego#football#balboa-park#japanese-garden
Three smiling people, two women and a bearded man in a baseball cap, take a selfie at an indoor event.

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.

American football players in white/gold and black/red uniforms face each other on a green field with spectators in the stands.A stone lantern stands beside a rocky stream with lush green and reddish-leaved plants in a sunny garden.A Japanese garden with a stream, rocks, manicured plants, a distant bridge, and red koi fish in the foreground.Lush green trees and shrubs cover a rocky hillside with a small waterfall under a clear blue sky.A crowned bronze statue of a seated figure holding a lotus, backed by a stone wall and green foliage.An ornate, light-colored building with a prominent tower and arches is framed by tall palm trees against a bright blue sky.An ornate, light-colored building with intricate carvings and a balcony, framed by a tall palm tree against a clear blue sky.A large domed building with a slatted roof is reflected in a pond, with people and palm trees.

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