Things to do This Summer: San Diego
It’s a hot one! But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of things to get up to this summer. There are of course the usual places like Legoland, the SD Zoo, and beaches, but there’s even more!
With COVID still looming, but definitely relaxing, plenty more places have begun to reopen across our great County. In this article, we plan on going over the great events and places that are open this summer!
Liberty Station
Known as San Diego’s “town square,” Liberty Station is a former Naval Training Center turned into… a mall? With yoga studios, art galleries, grocery stores, bars, dentists, movie theaters, and doctor offices, it’s kind of confusing to nail down exactly what Liberty Station is to be honest, but don’t let that stop your from visiting. It’s a great place to go with or without a plan. Just make sure you look up a map ahead of time to find parking.
Putt and Pint – The Loma Club
Whether you prefer miniature or full-sized golf, The Loma Club in Liberty Station is a great place to unwind after a long day with some fun golfing!
Tappers Mini Golf is open to families, but also has a bar nearby for you to grab a cocktail or a beer while you explore the 18 holes. Once you’re done you can sit on the patio and order standard American food with a twist.
Check out The Loma Club’s Website here: https://thelomaclub.com/
Art Exhibitions
There are plenty of art shows throughout Liberty Station. Currently, the San Diego Water Color Society is hosting a free gallery called “Illumination 2.0.” The Gallery is open from Thurs-Sun from 11am to 3pm. Come check it out!
Learn more here: https://libertystation.com/do/illumination-20-an-art-exhibition
As a note, there are plenty of other shows and cool art installations in and around Liberty Station, we recommend you head to their website to learn more: https://libertystation.com/
First Fridays
Want to meet cool artists and listen to live bands? First Fridays happen on… well the first Friday of each month. Everything is different each Friday, so check their website before going!
First Fridays: https://libertystation.com/events/First-Friday-ARTS-DISTRICT
There is much more going on at Liberty Station. We highly recommend you explore this site and see what piques your interest!
Balboa Park
What is there to say about Balboa Park that hasn’t been said already? With other names like: the Smithsonian of the West, San Diego’s number one travel destination, and my happy place, the park is an amazing hub for things to do with family, friends, or just on your own.
There is enough to do in Balboa Park to take not just your entire day, but to fill an entire week! And that’s not counting the constantly shifting events being put on by the amazing groups at the park itself. We’re going to skip over the usual shout outs the park gets, like the NAT and the San Diego Zoo, and focus more in on some of the things you locals might not have known about!
Theater
Yes. Balboa Park has a replica of the globe. There are always great shows playing there, they are currently rapping up their take on Taming of the Shrew, but will have another full production running at the end of the month with Dial M for Murder! There are also dozens of smaller shows running throughout the month of July.
Check out their billing here: https://www.theoldglobe.org/shows--tickets/current-and-upcoming/
Hiking and a good place to Walk
There are 65 miles of trails in Balboa Park, and plenty of great grassy areas just to hang out! The trails all have different difficulty levels, so there’s something for everyone! The park itself has five “gateways” that mark the beginning of their trails. The gateways are Golden Hill, Marston Point, Morley Field, Park Boulevard, and Sixth and Upas. For the most nature-y, I’d recommend Golden Hill or Marston Point. If you’re just looking for something fun with the family or to go for a run, try Morley Field. As for the rest, well. They’re a bit more popular so I’m sure you know all about them.
There’s also a hidden marked trail that goes through the golf course and drops you at the Grape Street Dog Park, but its one way and hilly, so be sure you’re ready for that trek ahead of time.
Learn more here: https://www.sandiego.org/articles/balboa-park/recreation.aspx
Frisbee Golf and Real Golf
Its often said that frisbee golf and real golf are two sides of the same coin. Or something. I don’t really know, I just know both groups tend to get annoyed when you take the trails that lead through these two leisure sport courses.
Frisbee golf is on the Eastern side of the park closer to Morley Field. There’s gear rental and parking available if you head down from Pershing, but just know that Pershing is under construction and closes frequently.
The Balboa Park Golf Course is hilly and has great sightlines to the ocean, Point Loma, and the rest of Balboa park. If you head down to play, be sure to take a second and look at all the beautiful houses with reinforced glass across the street!
Balboa Park Golf Course https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/golf/bpgolf
Downtown
From Little Italy to Gaslamp to Barrio Logan, downtown San Diego is chock full of stuff to do… but always fear the coming traffic due to Comic-Con. Yes, it is that time of year again. After two years of time off, Comic-Con is back on. And while we love the tourism, we fear the people driving in a full Wookie costume.
Gaslamp
Okay, I might be avoiding the obvious things to do in San Diego, but it felt wrong not to include Gaslamp. After two years of avoiding it like the plague because of the plague, I’m giving it a pass. This corridor has some of the best restaurants in Southern California. There are bars and clubs, fancy restaurants, and quick bites all throughout this diverse neighborhood. There really is something for everyone in Gaslamp.
Gaslamp has their own website! Check it out here: https://www.gaslamp.org/
Jacobs Park and The Rady Shell
The Rady Shell opened in Jacobs Park last year and made its mark as a piece of gorgeous architecture for San Diego’s downtown area. Being next to the convention center, parking isn’t the easiest, but this park is a great place for a short walk. If you come the day of a show, you might even hear the band warming up, rehearsing, or doing a sound check as you walk around this new civic structure.
If you’re just coming for Jacobs Park, just know that it is smaller than it used to be. But it is a good place to come down for jogging, a picnic, or some fishing.
For more info on concerts and shows at Rady Shell, check out their site: https://www.theshell.org/
The New Children’s Museum
This green museum was one of the first interactive museums in America. There are amazing art installations all throughout this uniquely designed space where kids can explore and play (the installations rotate regularly, so be sure to check out what’s current by clicking here).
The museum’s hours vary day to day, so we suggest you check out their website before visiting: https://thinkplaycreate.org/
The Central Library
This is another “new” building that has officially reopened. After the redesign in 2013, the San Diego Central Library was quickly lauded as one of the greatest libraries in America. San Diego County as a whole has dozens of amazing libraries, but the central library is a bit more than that. It not only houses two stories of rare books, but also the 2nd largest collection of baseball memorabilia, an entire high school, and an entire auditorium. Going over all the features and services could be a blog in its own right, I suggest you check out their “Fact Sheet” on the site linked below to see all it has to offer. If you haven’t been since 2013. I highly suggest you check out this amazing building.
Learn more about it here: https://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/about-the-library/projects/newcentral
This is an incomplete list! There are plenty of other amazing things happening all across the city. From Coronado, Del Mar, Encinitas, La Jolla, Oceanside, and Escondido, San Diego County has some amazing things you should check out!