Top Rated Parks to Visit in Boal

"Watch the pandas cuddle and the polar bears swim, then go next door to Balboa Park for lunch at Panama 66, a sculpture garden-restaurant with hot sandwiches and a terrific tap list. Your first stop for an afternoon of museum-hopping is to peruse the minor masterpieces at the San Diego Museum of Art. Study humankind at the San Diego Museum of Man, marvel at aeronautic engineering in the San Diego Air and Space Museum, then catch your breath in the Botanical Building."

"Like no place else in the country, Balboa Park offers a magnificent combination of art, architecture, history and agriculture in one expansive park. Spanning approximately 1,200 acres, Balboa Park was once known as City Park and was founded more than 125 years ago. Today, the park is home to 15 museums, theaters, marvelous gardens, restaurants, shopping and the world-famous San Diego Zoo."

"It’s located in Balboa Park which also features a lot of great museums, such as the Science Center and Natural History Museum. If you have little kids you can also consider visiting the carousel and miniature railroad."

"Belmont Park opened for business in 1925 and remains San Diego’s oldest and only beachside amusement park. Things to do at Belmont Park include a ride on the historic Giant Dipper roller coaster, miniature golf, laser tag, arcade games, and a handful of other rides. It’s free to enter and walk through the midway full of pay-to-play carnival games and you can also grab a Dole Whip, giant ice cream cone, hot dog or other quick-service treats."

"Perched steps from the sand of Mission Beach, Belmont Park is fun for Dole Whip, carnival games, rides and more. Play arcade games, ride the historic Giant Dipper roller coaster and dine at one of the ten places to eat. Head here also for a little bit of beachside shopping for swimwear and funky souvenirs."

"This oceanfront amusement park offers thrilling rides and a boardwalk where you can soak in the sun at the beach or go surfing or swimming in the ocean. The most famous ride is the Giant Dipper roller coaster. Keep fit while indulging in activities like rock climbing, rock wall, zip line, and sky rope."

"Old Town State Park is known as the birthplace of California. In 1821, when Mexico gained independence from Spain, a small group of Mexican settlers began building homes at the foot of the hillside below the first mission and Presidio. Because wood was scarce at the time, sun-dried adobe bricks were used."

"There are several historic buildings to be found, including five adobes, a hotel dating back to 1870, and a reconstructed courthouse and stable. Educational events are frequent occurrences, from theatrical performances to blacksmith demonstrations to tours."

"Many people recommended we take in one of the famous San Diego sunsets from Sunset Cliffs, which is just a couple of miles south of the Ocean Beach pier. Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is a 68-acre City of San Diego regional park which extends 1½ miles along the Point Loma peninsula’s western shoreline. You get expansive ocean views, dramatic cliff formations and caves, an intertidal area, and in some spaces plenty of space and rocks for the kids to run over way back from the edge."

"It gives you plenty of vantage points to enjoy the sunset and watch the waves crashing against the cliffs. There’s an arch you can jump off during the summer and a secret (not-so-secret) sea cave/sinkhole (that you can explore at your own risk). More: Comprehensive List of San Diego Beaches"

"Although the beach below this steep hillside waterfront park is nicknamed Garbage Beach, it is anything but. However, a visit to this beautiful spot has to be earned. The descent is so steep that a fixed rope has been installed for safety."

"It is 3 miles of dog-friendly, running heaven and has over 20 fitness stations. These stations include everything from pull up bars for working your arms to plank stations for crunches. Because it isn’t well-known, this park is almost always uncrowded, rendering it quiet and peaceful."

"Seen as the entrance point for control of the west by Europeans, Presidio Park remains a place of history amidst the city of San Diego. Interpreting the entire site for guests is the Junipero Serra Museum which houses many artifacts dealing with Spanish and Mexican heritage, colonization, the beginnings of customs within California and showcasing the lives of those who began it all. The presidio, first built to protect colonists from attack, later took on roles as military headquarters and a central outdoor space to remember history."

"You will find grassy greenfields, attractive architecture plus columns. There is also a wooded hilltop overlooking the San Diego Bay from that perfect angle where you can catch the sun setting about everything. What a gorgeous place to have your landscape photography!"

"A historical fort established on May 14, 1769, the Presidio was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Coast."

"It has one of the best views of the San Diego Skyline and yet this small pocket park is seldom visited […]"

"It’s a neighborhood spot rather than a seaside visit, characterized as being incredibly calm and peaceful. This is the type of place you come to stroll after a long work day. It’s also a great spot for children and dogs, so if you have either or both…you’ve struck gold!"

"Built in the 1930s, La Jolla’s Children’s Pool was created as a family beach space, but since then it's been descended on by herds of seals and sea lions. Despite the pinnipeds' particularly pungent odor, tourists come in droves to see them larking around, swimming, fighting and mating. Visitors can get extremely close via a concrete platform surrounding the cove, and the seals don't seem to mind – but there's strictly no touching, feeding or selfies to be taken with the seals."

"Ponce's Mexican Restaurant in the Kensington neighborhood is owned and operated by the Meza family for over 40 years. It's loved for fantastic Mexican food but also for overall community spirit as the restaurant supports local organizations and prides itself on being a good to employees. It's tough to isolate just a few items because the entire menu is good, but try the chicken enchiladas, carnitas, green salsa, and flan."