Balboa Park is of course known for its award-winning gardens, which I cover quite extensively in this blog. But there is one garden I have yet to mention that is noteworthy for reasons other than its lush flower beds and ornamental trees. And that is the San Diego Museum of Art’s Sculpture Garden.

Open free to the public, the Sculpture Garden is accessed either via the café, west of SDMA’s main entrance, or through a side “doggie” gate at the end of the arcade on El Prado. Though modest in size, the garden presents several fine large-scale works by some of the greatest British and American sculptors of the 20th century, including Henry Moore, George Rickey, Barbara Hepworth, Louise Nevelson, and David Smith.

Benches scattered across the garden’s green lawn invite visitors to sit a moment to admire these abstract metallic masterpieces, whose organic and geometric forms are set off nicely by a backdrop off trees and shrubs. The garden’s latest addition, Mark di Suvero’s 20-foot-tall Tumbleweed, with its bright orange entanglement of I-beams and bolted metal, is particularly striking in this setting!

For any bipeds wishing to enjoy a longer respite, the nearby Sculpture Court Café by Giuseppe offers a leisurely European-style dining experience with its lunchtime menu of gourmet pizzas, salads, sandwiches, espresso drinks, beer, wine, and spirits. Or better yet, pick up something at the café’s Grab and Go counter and treat me to lunch in the garden area.

The most pet-friendly event in Balboa Park, Bark in the Park, returns for a fourth year to support a worthy cause near and dear to my heart. This Sunday, February 21, San Diego’s Civic Organist Dr. Carol Williams will once again greet a pack of lovable adoptable pets from the San Diego Humane Society with a free concert performed on one of the world’s largest outdoor pipe organs.

Featuring a program of lively animal-themed tunes, the concert sets the stage for a show-stopping parade of pooches, many dressed for the occasion. Everyone is welcome to bring their leashed pets to participate, and the fun gets underway at 2:00 p.m. in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

While all the festivities are presented free of charge, staff members of the San Diego Humane Society will be on hand to collect donations, answer your questions, and facilitate the adoption of pets they have available. Their mobile adoption unit will be in the Park from 12:00 noon until 4:00pm, providing an excellent opportunity to meet some great candidates for adoption.

Even if you aren’t looking to adopt, Bark in the Park is sure to put a smile on the face of everyone in your pack.

While my super-sniffer snout prepares for the abundance of fresh blossoms this spring in Balboa Park, I actually find wintertime to be the best season to visit the blooming succulents in the Desert Garden.

More than just a Southwestern-style collection of garden-variety cacti, the Desert Garden spans 2.5 acres between Park Boulevard and Zoo Place to present a vast assortment of arid-climate plants from around the world. From the familiar aloes and agaves to the truly otherworldly looking Candelabra and Dragon Trees, the Desert Garden comprises approximately 1,300 plants arranged in picturesque formations overlooking Florida Canyon.

A handy colorful map you can print out before your visit will help you locate such oddities as the Quiver Tree, Boojum Tree, Pencil Tree, and the (gasp) Naked Coral Tree.

You are even encouraged to stray from the main paved walkway to fully explore this thoughtfully designed landscape. But be careful—especially bipeds wearing sandals and shorts—as you are liable to graze a prickly barrel cactus if you aren’t watching your step. (I’ve personally had more than one sticker plucked from my hide.)

Whether you are passing through on one of three marked trails that crisscross Balboa Park or enjoying a leisurely visit, keep an eye out for the blooming aloes this month and many additional blooms in March. This is also a great time to take your pack on a guided Off-Shoot Tour on the fourth Saturday of the month, which highlights the Park’s desert vegetation.

Any way you add it up, it always comes out the same:

39 Museums + 28 Days – 50% of Admission Price = No Brainer!

That’s right! Visit 39 of the most prominent museums in San Diego County during the month of February (a.k.a. Museum Month) and receive a 50% discount off regular admission prices.

The catch? Just head over to any Macy’s Department Store in San Diego County to fetch a free Museum Month pass, which is valid for up to four people.

This is the perfect opportunity to pack up your pack and bring them to Balboa Park where 13 of those 39 participating museums are conveniently located. Balboa Park is also where you can visit such noteworthy exhibitions as Darwin: Evolution\Revolution at the Natural History Museum, San Diego Style at the Museum of San Diego History, the newly opened Science of Aliens exhibition at the Air & Space Museum, and the soon to close Oceanic Art: A Celebration of Form at the San Diego Museum of Art, to name a few.

In addition to these special exhibitions, this is also a great time to acquaint yourself with some of the remarkable treasures housed permanently in your own backyard and to discover all the family-friendly programs (many of them free with admission) Balboa Park museums offer year round.

But don’t take my word for it. I usually just bury any treasures I find in my backyard.