6 Things To Do in San Diego, California | Sights, Parks, and Natural Reserves
The more I travel, the more I realize how much time I spend outdoors and just how much I love to be in nature. I have now been to California more than anywhere else in the world, and it’s one of those places that is just golden for experiencing the best of what nature has to offer. The great thing about natural experiences is that you rarely have to pay. You get to experience God’s beautiful artwork for free. Check out these six amazing things I did in nature while in San Diego.
1. Balboa Park and the Japanese Friendship Garden
Balboa Park is in the heart of San Diego and is a sprawling oasis of lush gardens, unique museums, and stunning architecture. Before I arrived, I had put Balboa Park on my itinerary, but I didn’t realize just how much was accessible from the park until I arrived.
You can access eighteen museums, the San Diego Zoo, and the Japanese Friendship Garden all from Balboa. The Japanese Friendship Garden, at a fourteen dollar entrance fee, is an incredibly zen space inspired by traditional Japanese landscaping principles.
My favorite part of strolling through winding pathways was listening for nature—water cascading over rocks, hummingbirds zipping by, melodic wind chimes, the steady hum of bees hovering over pink cherry blossoms. The sounds I would hear in the garden are vastly different from anything I would hear at home, but it’s intriguing to create a catalog of both sounds and images in your mind.
2. Mission Bay Park/Fiesta Island
Mission Bay Park has over 4,600 acres of water and land where you can sail, kayak, paddle board, bike, grill, and more. Nearby, Fiesta Island is a scenic space with vibrant wildflowers, crystal blue water, and sandy shores perfect for a beach day or a picnics where you can enjoy nature and soak up plenty of sunshine.
3. Sunset Cliffs
Sunset Cliffs is best known for experiencing what’s in it’s name—sunsets. With its dramatic cliffs, it’s a great place for a date, photo opportunities, and whatever else you might think to do overlooking a scenic view like this. If you are going specifically for the sunset, it can be chilly, so I would recommend a sweater or jacket. The parking lot is also quite small, so it was beneficial for us to get there about thirty minutes before sunset to get a spot.
4. Carlsbad Flower Fields
Flowers make me incredibly happy and the spring explosion of color at the Carlsbad Flower Fields was simply magical. There are 55 acres of vibrant blooms organized by color to create an unparalleled scene that is not done justice by these photos.
The flowers you see in the field are ranunculus; however, you can see all sorts of other flowers across the grounds such as birds of paradise, fox gloves, and sweet peas.
A walk through the fields is the perfect photo opportunity, but you can also experience a trip around the fields by tractor ride. Keep in mind, you cannot go down individual rows; however, there are designated benches and scenes in various places for photos with a time limit of 6.5 minutes for each photo area.
There is no shortage of sweets and treats to make the day even brighter, including popcorn, cotton candy, ice cream and milkshakes and more.
5. La Jolla Cove
La Jolla Cove is along the coastline of San Diego and is another great place for a beach day. It’s a spectacular place to see marine life such as sea lions and elephant seals, and you can also see aquatic birds like the cormorants that nest in colonies along the cliffs. I will warn that there is a not so pleasant smell at La Jolla Cove that is attributed to the marine life; I can only liken it to wet dog, but worse. If you can get past that smell, then La Jolla Cove is a postcard-perfect place for the entire family to enjoy nature, local shops, restaurants, and even a contemporary art museum.
6. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Last but certainly not least is Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. This expansive space has breathtaking ocean views from both the lower ground and the upper ground where there are miles of hiking trails and scenic overlooks. You’ll also note the signage that describes the animal and plant life you might see to include whales, lizards, snakes, deer, foxes, coyotes and more.
During my trip, I spent a good amount of time at University of California San Diego which is just around the corner from Torrey Pines, so a trip to the area also may warrant a tour of the campus.
I, of course, did not do nearly all there is to do in San Diego, but these activities were a great way to experience some of the most beautiful parts of the city. I was absolutely smitten by the stunning natural landscapes in this coastal paradise, and I would easily recommend San Diego as a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or even a solo trip.
