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San Diego's Best Summer Pastimes
Food + Drink • Things to Do • San Diego

San Diego's Best Summer Pastimes

San Diego is mostly known for its amazing consistent weather and its close proximity to the ocean. This makes it a top destination any time of year but it's most popular during the summer. Besides the obvious beach activities, what other good pastimes does 'America's Finest City' have to offer? See below for my favorite picks.

Balboa Park

A Flock Of Seagulls In A Pool Of Water With Balboa Park In The Background

 Photo by @andreabigsac

Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre historic landmark filled with gardens, trails, theaters, museums, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. Built in 1868, the park continues to reinvent itself as an art hub and cultural destination. You could spend weeks exploring the grounds and still find something new and inspiring to enjoy. While the entire park is remarkable, here are a few of my favorite things to visit:

The San Diego Museum of Art: The area's oldest and largest art museum. Check out their quarterly Culture & Cocktails event for a classy, fun time.

The Fleet Science Center: A family-friendly museum with over 100 awe-inspiring activities and exhibits. Watch a movie in their dome-shaped IMAX Theater.

The Old Globe Theatre: Modeled after Shakespeare's original theatre in London, this performance area produces 15 main stage productions annually.

This is just a preview of the amazing experiences Balboa Park has to offer. Sometimes I come here to simply stroll around because it's that beautiful and awe-inspiring. For more information, visit their website.

Del Mar Fairgrounds

A View Of A City At Night

Photo by @jpahuphotos

The Del Mar Fairgrounds is home to the San Diego County Fair. This fun-filled food frenzy goes on from June 1st through the Fourth of July. It has all your typical fair activities such as rides, carnival games, and concerts but sprinkles in some other more unique exhibits. Local art, animal, and plant shows offer an interactive and local experience and the fairgrounds also host unique festivals and events such as the International Beer Fest and the Spirit and Cocktail Festival. To learn more about all the happenings in Del Mar, visit their website, From July 18–September 3, the fairgrounds turns into the famous Del Mar Racetrack.

Breweries

A Person Sitting On A Beach

Photo by @katiearaujo with @duckfootbeer

When you can't seem to decide on the perfect plan, the best thing to do is visit one of San Diego's 140+ breweries. Many call San Diego the craft capital of the world, with North Park being the 'heart' of the beer city. This neighborhood boasts a stretch of some of the country's best beer-friendly bars and restaurants and notable breweries such as Fall and Mike Hess. You could walk a few blocks and encounter 10 different breweries. Other sudsy hotspots include Miramar and 'Hop Highway' between Oceanside and Escondido. Sometimes there's simply nothing better than grabbing a cold one with your loved ones.

For more information on other local things to do during a legendary San Diego summer, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority's guide.

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