Cultural Center in Jamul

"Located in Balboa Park, the Japanese Friendship Garden is a relaxing spot to spend an afternoon in San Diego. The garden was built to represent the friendship between San Diego and its sister city in Japan, Yokohama, and provides a unique and chilled out experience for visitors. Besides its zen atmosphere and impressive garden and architecture designs, the Japanese Friendship Garden hosts regular events throughout the year, such as yoga classes, meditation sessions, and the San Diego Sake Day."

"There is an extra fee to enter the Japanese Friendship Garden, which is an expression of friendship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama. There’s an upper and lower strolling path where you can see koi pond, landscaped gardens and a Zen garden viewing deck. It’s a very tranquil space."

"The elegant Japanese Friendship Garden is also worth a visit. Grab lunch at The Prado, located within Balboa Park., and try to get a table on the outdoor terrace."

"The House of Pacific Relations International Cottages showcases the traditions of 34 national groups, some of which have their own cottages (build originally for the 1935 Exposition). The goal is to promote multicultural understanding through exhibits and programming. (Location: Balboa Park)"

"Located in the southwest corner of San Diego, the Tijuana Estuary is a wetlands area with beach, dune, mudflat, salt marsh, riparian, coastal sage scrub, and upland habitats that are free to explore. Start at the Visitor Center to learn about the trails, flora and fauna (many are rare or endangered), and various things to do during your visit. Kids can earn junior rangers here and they offer a variety of environmental education resources online."

"At the southernmost tip of San Diego is one of the most serene places that few people know about. Where the Tijuana River meets the sea is where you’ll find the Tijuana Slough with over 2,000 acres of wetlands. Over 370 bird species have been observed there with 5 of them being endangered species that are regularly seen."

"Way down in sometimes-forgotten Imperial Beach is found a favorite landscape for many people in San Diego. This Tijuana Estuary is connected to some couple of parks. You are going to find amazing places such as Tijuana River County Open Space Reserve and Border Field State Park."

"Billing itself an "organic health bar," this little cafe in the heart of La Jolla's village serves natural, organic breakfast, lunch and dinner items. Salads and wraps can be made to order, with customers checking off the items they want; each item comes with a symbol signifying whether it's organic, vegan and/or gluten-free. Specialties include the Acai Bowls, which include the trendy fruit along with strawberries, mango, coconut, granola and soy milk; fresh fruit smoothies; and protein shakes."

"Salads and wraps to die for, plus some delicious protein shakes that will keep you going the rest of the day."

"The world-renowned San Diego Zoo spans 100 acres and houses more than 3,700 rare and endangered animals. Plan to spend at least a half-day at the zoo to get the full experience, which includes shows and animal presentations. During the summer, Nighttime Zoo event series allows visitors to stay later into the evening."

"In all honesty we have been to so many zoos that we normally skip them when we come to a city. But there was no way we would skip the San Diego Zoo. I mean come on now, it is THE zoo."

"The Asian Passage is south of Panda Canyon and is a simulation of a tropical Asian rain forest. This scenic passage includes grizzly bears, snow leopards, and sun bears. This spectacular area also features the Sun Bear Forest, which resembles a southeast Asian rain forest, and the Hawaiian Native Plant Garden."

"The Asian Passage area includes the Sun Bear Forest, Grizzly Bear exhibit, and more. It’s a fun area to explore, and isn’t quite as big as Africa Rocks."