Balboa Park, San Diego

     8:30 on a gloomy Saturday morning found us bouncing along in the back of my parents car. Coming from their house in north Orange County to pick us up in San Clemente, we all made our way down the coast to the Spanish Artists exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park. But first we must stop for breakfast. I'll take any excuse I can get to eat at Claire's on Cedros, a cafe in downtown Solana Beach. It would be a perfect resting point between our house in San Clemente and Balboa Park (of course a one-hour car trip requires a rest stop), not to mention Jordi's parents live in nearby Encinitas and agreed to meet us for a morning cup of organic coffee at the scrumptious and eco-stylish cafe.

     Cedros Street in Solana Beach sits a few blocks back from the ocean; this downtown district is where shops, restaurants and even the train station conglomerate, and of course, it's where Claires on Cedros is located. 

Back Patio at Claire's

     Going to Claire's is an experience, and I think this is why I like coming here for a leisurely breakfast. Walk up the steps and through the front door of this house-turned-cafe, and a kind hostess will put you down for the inevitable wait. But waiting is fine because you can order your cup of coffee early and enjoy it on the porch or walk around the front garden. Once seated, either outside on the back patio or inside the cozy clattering front of the "house", you are presented with a seasonal menu, replete with local food from local farmers, humanely treated animals cooked to tasty perfection, homemade breads, muffins and jams. But the homey building of Claire's itself is as conscious as it's food in regards to "being green". Claire's is Platinum LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - an internationally recognized green building certification system), but you would hardly know it because it just feels cute and comfy. While not obvious, the quirky touches all have their reasons - from the recycled glass in the floor design to the fruit and herbs all over their gardens, every whimsical touch is a conscious decision. With all the eco friendliness, humane animal treating, bike racks in front and recycled everything, you would think it would be crazy hippies serving us in a solar paneled green house, but all this deliberate green translates seamlessly to a welcoming, fun, and most importantly, delicious place to relax with friends and family. 

     After an incredible breakfast, stimulating conversation, and oggling over the treats behind the counter on our way out, we finally were on the road to Balboa Park, ready to be impressed with the Impressionists. 

     An unintentional detour through downtown San Diego and Hillcrest eventually led us to the park. Balboa Park is huge, and there are many entrances and exits on all sides, so it's definitely a good idea to bring a map.  

As we drove towards the Museum of Art, we passed a riveting game of lawn bowling, ladies doing lunges on the grass with their dogs on leashes looking bored, a swarm of teenaged girls dressed up in gold sequined dresses, tour groups and all the other families and people there for a myriad of reasons. If you're ever bored, go people watch at Balboa Park. 

     We found the museum and were able to park about a 5 or 10 minute walk away. Most of the museums at Balboa Park are in one area, the Museum of Art being very prominent at the front of the line-up. The rest of the museums are down a wide and leafy pedestrian walk way, with a fountain at the end. Here you will find the Science Center, Natural History Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts, Casa del Prado, and Casa del Prado Theatre - buildings from the 1915 Pan American Exposition. Throughout the park there is also an aerospace museum, the San Diego Zoo, Japanese gardens, and much much more.

Valencia Beach - Morning Sun

Joaquin Sorolla

Oxen - Study for the Afternoon Sun
Joaquin Sorolla

     We entered the museum - $12 each for an adult ticket - and spent a few hours looking at the paintings. Near the entrance is a coat-check to check your bag (but keep your jacket as it can get cool in the rooms), a fun gift shop, and bathrooms towards the back. There were no water fountains, so I would definitely recommend bringing water and snacks, as walking around a museum for a few hours can be tiring (Jordi was starving by the time we left).
     The main exhibit advertised the works of El Greco to Dali, although I didn't see as much Salvador Dali as I hoped. However, I really enjoyed the Spanish artist Sorolla's work, and posted my and Jordi's favorite (guess which is which ;)). Aside from the special exhibit, they had the usual rooms of Eastern, American and European Art; it was fun to see Monet and Cassatt as well.
    Wandering by a few other museums and gardens on the way back to the car, we then drove somewhere quieter to have a picnic on the grass. However, in this effort we first found ourselves being chuted onto the freeway before we knew it, but we u-turned back into the park. Then we found ourselves in the parking lot of the zoo. This was actually dejavu of a dozen years ago when our family had tried to have a picnic before going to this same exact zoo, and ended up on a patch of grass on the side of the highway across from the zoo. Before that could happen again, I highly suggested we leave the zoo area. After driving all around the park, we finally found the grassy area where we had seen the lunging ladies with bored dogs earlier, and here we unpacked our picnic and relaxed on grass.

With our bellies full of veggie pitas and fresh peaches, we finally set out for the trek home. A great opportunity to see some amazing paintings turned into a fun-filled day with our family, and a chance to do something and go somewhere new. I'll take that chance any day! :)