Why We Live in San Diego (a day in a dog's life in Balboa Park)

According to my iPaw calendar, it’s the last week of January, and here I sit in a glorious field of green grass, freshly rinsed by a recent rain shower, planning for the coming week.

Since my fake service dog ID was confiscated the last time I tried to sneak into an Albertson’s, a museum visit is out of the question. Fortunately the forecast is for warm sunny days, providing the perfect opportunity to reacquaint myself with Balboa Park’s many outdoor amenities, starting with the West Mesa.

Any trip to the West Mesa of course begins at Nate’s Point dog park. After finishing some important business, I can exit through the dog park’s east gate (near the trailhead just before the Cabrillo Bridge) and make my way down to the Bridle Path. Heading north gives me access to the Coast Redwood grove—a little preview of what doggie heaven must be like.

I'll eventually find myself at the Marston House and its colorful well-coiffed gardens. Heading back south along a paved pedestrian path, I can detour into the Trees for Health Garden and learn about the other important benefits trees provide.

Speaking of health, I can usually grab some nutritional scraps inside the Redwood Circle picnic area to munch on while keeping my eye on the ball at the Lawn Bowling greens.

My warm winter’s-day journey will finish at Sefton Plaza, kitty-corner from the entrance to Nate’s Point, where I can pay my respects by wagging my tail at life-sized statues of Balboa Park’s founders who made the day possible.