Given Balboa Park’s perfect setting and other great attractions, it should come as no surprise that one of America’s finest public tennis facilities is located here as well. For over 25 years, the non-profit Balboa Park Tennis Club has operated the Morley Field Tennis Complex (originally built in 1941), enabling it to earn numerous awards, including one for Outstanding Tennis Facility from the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) in 2003.

Nineteen of the 25 well-maintained hard courts are lighted, and there are also bleachers and a stadium court for the various tournaments the Club hosts annually, such as the prestigious USTA National Open Hard Court Championships (winners get a shot at the big-time pro circuit). Watching the action from the bleachers gives me all the training I need in keeping my eye on the ball for when I get to chase any tennis balls that get hit over the fence into the Morley Field Dog Park, located directly behind the tennis courts.

And while members get unlimited free use of the courts, a $5 day pass ($3 for seniors) will let you check out all the facility’s amenities, including the pro shop, locker rooms, lounge, and, most importantly for me, the Tennis Café, which serves espresso, sandwiches, salads, and breakfast.

We are so fortunate to have three well-maintained dog parks right here in Balboa Park. As I’ve discussed in previous blogs, the leash-free dog parks at Nate’s Point, Morley Field, and Grape Street are all surrounded by lush scenery, easily accessible, and offer wide open grassy areas for frolicking and play.

Ideal as these settings may be, it’s really the users (a.k.a. you and me) that make a good dog park great! Now without sounding too lecture-y, I wanted to take a moment to offer my readers a few tips to ensure a wonderful experience for all:

1)   Keep to the posted leash-free hours. They are there for your safety and to be good neighbors.

2)   Clean up after yourself. Pet litterbag dispensers are located throughout the parks. Use them!

3)   Keep four-legged friends leashed outside leash-free areas. Again for everyone’s safety.

4)   Don’t bring pet treats or food. They can be messy and cause competitive, aggressive behavior.

5)   Keep the young ones at home. Dog parks are no place for human or canine pups.

6)   And above all else, do not bring ill-mannered, poorly socialized pets who may intimidate or even possibly attack others.

Having these dog parks is a privilege, so I thank everyone for helping me to keep them safe and clean.

Butkus writes: Dear Cosmos, Like you, I feel I know Balboa Park inside out by exploring it with my keen senses, but sometimes I wonder if I’m missing something. What’s the best way to learn all that great stuff you know about the Park?

Cosmos: I’ll let you in on a little secret: almost everything I know about Balboa Park’s history, buildings, gardens, and activities, I’ve gleaned from the many public tours I’ve taken. And there’s no better place than the bi-weekly Ranger tours to get started! Every Tuesday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. a very knowledgeable Park Ranger leads a free walking tour of the Central Mesa area, starting at the Visitors Center.

From there, I suggest dragging your mom and dad out of bed on Saturday morning for the free 10:00 a.m. Offshoot Tours. These provide a much deeper look at a particular facet of the Park’s grounds, including its diversity of wondrous palms (2^nd Saturday) and other rare trees (3^rd Saturday), exotic desert plants (4^th Saturday), as well as the history of the Park’s architectural and botanical treasures (1^st Saturday).

But if the scheduled tours aren’t convenient, I highly recommend the quite entertaining audio tour, available for rent inside the Visitors Center. Narrated by the offbeat local reporter Larry Himmel, the easy-to-use audio wand lets you explore at your own pace and is even kid and pet friendly! (Just don’t play fetch with it!)

Now that I’ve shown how Balboa Park makes any New Year’s fitness resolution easy and fun in a recent blog, I’d like to dig a little deeper into a hidden gem of a nature hike known as the Bridle Trail. Part of the Park’s fabulous new trail system (Trail #5 to be exact), it offers “behind-the-scenes” access to some of the Park’s more lush terrain.

Located on Balboa Park’s west end, the Bridle Trail runs parallel to the 163 freeway from the Marston House to the Pine Grove picnic area. Walkers, joggers, and four-legged friends are treated to a gamut of scenery along the way: dense groves of pine, redwood, and eucalyptus; majestic views of the historic Cabrillo Bridge; and a vista of the downtown skyline at the trail’s southern-most point. There’s even a convenient pit stop at Nate’s Point Dog Park!

The soft dirt pathway is ideal for trail running, and sloped trail heads north of the Lawn Bowling area and at the Sixth and Upas trail gateway provide extra challenge. For those who have always admired the beautiful scenery along the 163 as they zoomed past it, here’s your chance to leisurely explore it up close and personal.

Ever wonder how the gardeners get all those rose bushes in Balboa Park to bloom so fully? The Annual Rose Pruning Demonstration presented by the San Diego Rose Society on Saturday, January 3, will give you all the tips and tricks you need to ensure your own bounty of fresh roses in the coming year. The free event takes place in the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden from 9:15 a.m. to 12 noon. Just bring your own gloves and pruners to participate.