California's Best Trips 2 - Full PDF eBook

#

#

#

#

#

Plazade

Balboa

Zoo

Parking

BalboaPark

USNaval

Medical

Center

Museum

ofMan

SanDiego

Museum

ofArt

Spanish

VillageArt

Center

Casa

delBalboa

SanDiego

Air&Space

Museum

Spreckels

Organ

Pavilion

Fl

orid

aD

Cabrillo r

Bridge

Ca

br

ill

o

Fw

y

Pa

nA

me

rica

nR

d

Pr

es

idn

et

sWa

y

Pa

rk

B

lvd

Ba
lbo
aD
r

ZooPl

VillagePl

Zo

oP

ElPrado l

California

Quadrangle

Plaza

dePanama

SanDiego

Zoo

SanDiego

NaturalHistory

Museum

Pan

American

Plaza

e#^000 .2mile^400 sm

%

J

gardens. A guided double-decker bus

tour gives you a good overview of the

zoo – sitting downstairs puts you even

closer to the animals.

The Walk » Retrace your steps south to El

Prado, turning left and walking straight ahead to

Bea Evanson Fountain. Backtrack a short distance

west to the natural history museum’s entrance.

San Diego

Natural History Museum

With its giant-screen cinema and mega

traveling exhibitions, the Nat (San Diego

Natural History Museum; %619-232-3821;

http://www.sdnhm.org; 1788 El Prado; adult/child

$15/9; h10am-5pm Sun-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat; c)

houses 7.5 million specimens, including

rocks, fossils, taxidermy animals and

skulls, as well as an educational and

eco-conscious exhibit on SoCal’s water

resources.

The Walk » Backtrack west along El Prado,

passing the Casa del Balboa, which houses

photography, city history and model-railroad

museums, on your left. Turn left at Plaza del

Panama, heading south past the Japanese

Friendship Garden and Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

Pan American Plaza

Fast-food stands and ice-cream vendors

set up shop on Balboa Park’s central

plaza. The UN gift shop (%619-233-5044;

h10am-4:30pm) sells globally minded

crafts, jewelry and souvenirs, donating

profits to worldwide children’s

charities. Nearby, the House of Pacific

Relations (%619-234-0739; http://www.sdhpr.

org; 2191 W Pan American Rd; admission free;

hnoon-4pm Sun; c) actually comprises

15 cottages, inside which you can view

furnishings, artworks and museum-

like displays from an Olympian mix of

countries. Farther south is the famous

San Diego Air & Space Museum (%619-

234-8291; http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org; adult/

child $17.50/7; h10am-4:30pm; c).

The Walk » Make a U-turn and walk back up

Pan American Rd all the way northeast to Plaza

de Panama. Turn left onto El Prado and head west

back to California Quadrangle, where your walk

began.