Our Last Week in San Diego - Art Museum and More

We had one more week in San Diego after Mike and Sherri headed back to WashPA. We needed a couple days to recoup from daily touring and to catch up on laundry. We wanted to go back to Balboa Park (where we had already visited the zoo, automotive and air and space museums), get in another bike ride and have dinner with Paul (Trudi was visiting her son) before heading to Tucson. 

The San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park dates back to the early 1900's when it opened as part of an exhibition promoting the city following the opening of the Panama Canal. It has a wonderful collection of works from around the world. It is one of seventeen museums in Balboa Park.

The museum has a great variety of art. Here is a Georgia O'Keeffe.

A Calder mobile.

I thought this was interesting. They not only have the print, they have the original etching plate that was used to print it. 

There is a huge collection of Asian art and artifacts.

A beautiful Asian tile wall. 

A Salvador Dali. We saw a lot of his work at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. 

The Botanical Building is among the most unusual we have ever seen. It is made like a woven basket exposing the interior to the elements. Only in a place with weather like San Diego can you have an open air garden building. The lily pond has koi and while we were standing there a heron captured a small one and flew off with a meal. 

A few of the large variety of beautiful orchids.

Inside and outside at the same time. The open weave allows for plenty of sunshine and fresh air.

The Japanese Friendship Garden is one of several special gardens throughout the park.

The main plaza and the Museum of Man, which has anthropology exhibits and the California Tower. We did not go to that museum so we did not get to climb the tower.

The trees were in full bloom, spring comes early to California, and were an interesting contrast to the red sculpture.

The Casa del Prado is a wonderful example of Spanish style architecture.

One of many fountains in the park. Balboa Park is one of those places you could visit every day and still not see it all. We did the zoo, a few museums and walked around the museum complex and only saw a small part of this 1200 acre park and cultural center. 

We had a great time in San Diego getting together with our friends Bernie, Dodo, Paul, Trudi, Mike and Sherri and exploring the area. While the weather was not the best, too much, much needed rain, and the temps didn't allow for wearing shorts all winter, we loved the city and all it has to offer.  From great restaurants, to cultural experiences and the chance to do many outdoor activities. Our visit confirmed what we have always heard, that San Diego is one of the best places to live in the country.