Cherry Blossoms in San Diego. Photo by coreanscribe.
I recently took a day trip to San Diego as part of my birthday weekend celebration.
I was invited by a long-time college friend who I’ve managed to keep in touch with through the years. My wife, who planned to come with me, got stuck at home, focusing instead, on some long-neglected errands and homework that really needed her attention.
Cherry Bossom Festival in Balboa Park. Photo by coreanscribe.
My friend thought it’d be fun to visit the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park and partake in their Cherry Blossom Festival. Cherry blossoms are one of favorite flowers, and since I’d never been there before, I thought it was a great idea.
The weather was warmer than what we expected and the turn-out was greater, too.
The festival was delayed by a week due to the storms that brought rain throughout Southern California a couple weeks ago, but I think it wouldn’t have hurt to delay the festival by a couple more weeks. The trees just didn’t look like they were ready yet.
The trees starting to bloom. photo by coreanscribe.
On our visit the blossoms were just beginning to bloom but I could imagine the trees and the garden being really beautiful in a few more weeks.
Under construction. Photo by coreanscribe.
There was also some construction going on that looked like it was just in the beginning stages, so, the visit, left a general impression that things just weren’t really ready, but, overall, it was still a nice experience. There were demonstrations throughout the day that featured traditional Japanese music and dance, and food vendors selling Japanese cuisine, including the best Mochi ice cream I’ve ever had.
If you are in the San Diego in the next few weeks, I’d encourage a visit. My friend, her young daughter and I had a great day as we strolled around the park.
Here are just a few snapshots I took throughout the day:
Japanese lantern. Photo by coreanscribe.
A large crowd turned out for the blossoms. Photo by coreanscribe.
A beautiful Bonsai in the garden. Photo by coreanscribe.
Colorful Japanese Koi. Photo by coreanscribe.
Cherry Blossoms. Photo by coreanscribe.