Cosmos' Doggie Blog

Indian Fair Keeps Festival Season Hopping

posted on: 05/13/2009 - 11:26am by Cosmos

cosmos-blog_indian-fair-1_museum-of-man Great outdoor festivals—and the wonderful food they bring—just keep coming to Balboa Park this time of year. And this weekend is no exception, as the venerable Indian Fair returns for its 26^th year to the San Diego Museum of Man.

If you don’t know where the Museum of Man is, just look for the landmark California Tower on the west end of the Park’s central mesa and follow your snout to its base. There on May 16 and 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., you’ll find the picturesque California Plaza transformed into a lively marketplace. Dozens of Native American tribes from all over the Southwest and Alaska will be presenting music, singing, dancing, and, of course, tasty traditional foods. Be sure to browse the artists’ market where you can see live demonstrations of how jewelry, pottery, baskets, textiles, and masks are made.

A small admission fee of $5 for adults and seniors and $1 for children ages 3 to 17 grants entry to the Indian Fair, as well as to the museum’s exhibitions and indoor performances by storytellers, dancers, and musicians. And to top it all off, a special “Family Day” on Saturday, May 16, will feature kid-friendly museum tours and interactive craft activities for pups of all ages.

Posted in Stuff to Do | add a comment

Top Four Picks for Getting Away from It All

posted on: 05/06/2009 - 11:40am by Cosmos

Millie writes: With summer just around the corner, can you please help me mark out territory for the best out-of-the-way picnic spots in Balboa Park?

Cosmos: While there are ample spaces throughout Balboa Park’s vast 1,200 acre campus to stake out a private picnic, I highly recommend these four lesser-known areas of the Park if you want to get off the beaten path.

Bird Park: This park’s open grassy field is ideal for kite flying or touch football. Views of the downtown skyline form a majestic backdrop to the free summer concerts that take place here. Located near the Morley Field Sports Complex at 28^th and Thorn, there is also play equipment for the little ones.

Pine Grove: The shadiest spot on this list, the Pine Grove picnic area is accessed via the one-way loop at the corner of Balboa Drive and Juniper Street. Numerous picnic tables are widely scattered among the many trees, presenting a tempting rest stop for joggers, rollerbladers, and dog walkers.

Activity Center Garden Court: Tucked behind the Activity Center on Park Boulevard this quaint spot combines the historic beauty of the Balboa Park Administration Building with formally landscaped gardens, benches, and tinkling fountains. Your kinsfolk would have to send out the dogs to find you here.

Golden Hill Park: A great place for viewing fireworks from Petco Park, this neighborhood park is actually one of the oldest developed areas in Balboa Park. Just off 26^th Street, the park’s large open grass fields are surrounded by unusual botanical treats, including two large Moreton Bay Figs.

Posted in Ask Cosmos, Stuff to Do | add a comment

Unique Garden Reveals Alternative Uses for Trees

posted on: 04/29/2009 - 10:27pm by Cosmos

My interest in trees should come as no surprise to anyone, but there is one arboretum (a.k.a., tree garden) in Balboa Park that particularly encourages my bladder control. The Trees for Health Garden, located near Balboa Drive and Quince Street, features dozens of tree varieties with unique medicinal properties to promote awareness of the value of these remarkable healing plants.

A number in front of each tree corresponds to a descriptive listing in the guide book available at the garden’s entry kiosk or in the Balboa Park Visitors Center. Favoring native, Mediterranean, tropical, and subtropical varieties, the garden includes trees used in traditional healing practices around the world (Mulberry, Jujube, Coffee Berry), as well as those prized for their nutritional properties (Pecan, Bay Laurel, and Pomegranate) and commercial applications (Tea Tree, Willow, Allspice).

While some of the names sound quite tasty, I was especially excited to discover that some trees, such as the African Sausage and African Walnut, even find their way into modern pharmaceuticals. Being a happy dog, my favorite, however, is the Happy Tree. Native to China, it produces a natural alkaloid (camptothecin), which has been used as a cancer treatment.

The Trees for Health Garden offers a scenic detour loop off of Park Trails #1 and #2, as just about any time of year something is in bloom.

Posted in Fun Botanical Stuff, Stuff to Do | add a comment

Bark in the Park 3: An Event Just for Us

posted on: 04/22/2009 - 10:19am by Cosmos

Calling all dawgs! Here’s an event just for us: the third annual Bark in the Park at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion this Sunday, April 26, at 2:00 p.m. San Diego’s Civic Organist Carol Williams will play host to hundreds of two- and four-legged friends as they get to strut their stuff on the Pavilion stage as part of the special pet parade. This is the perfect opportunity to don your Sunday best or express your wild and crazy selves—or both!

This fundraising event will also include a free organ concert of pet-friendly music performed by none other than Dr. Williams herself, with inspiration provided by her best friend Ambush (pictured). Dr. Williams has played in some of the grandest venues worldwide, inflecting her energetic presentations of classical pieces with her own brand of charismatic wit and style.

All proceeds from Bark in the Park benefit one of my favorite charities, the San Diego Humane Society.

But don’t take my bark for it; check out this YouTube video for a peek at last year’s event.

Posted in Stuff to Do | add a comment

Fragrant Easter Lily Showcase

posted on: 04/20/2009 - 2:31pm by Cosmos

You don’t need a sense of smell as sensitive as mine to enjoy the unmistakable fragrance of over 300 lily flowers now on display in the Botanical Building through May 6. Celebrate the season by experiencing this spectacular showcase of the remarkably beautiful flower.

Posted in Fun Botanical Stuff, Stuff to Do | add a comment