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Partner Content JUNE 10, 2022

5 Ways to Explore Balboa Park This Summer

Appreciate fine art, get your hike on, and hunt for hidden gems in the city’s crown jewel

5 Ways to Explore Balboa Park This Summer

Balboa Park is better than ever. Going strong for over 150 years, the 1,200-acre urban oasis is one of a kind, filled with experiences and institutions just waiting to be explored. Appreciate fine art, get your hike on, and hunt for hidden gems in the city’s crown jewel. Museums, monuments, special events, entertainment, gardens, and green space galore— Balboa Park has something for everyone. So say buh-bye to the beaches and head to San Diego’s home for culture, nature, food, and fun. Here are five ways to experience the sights and sounds of Balboa Park.

San Diego Museum of Art

San Diego Museum of Art

1. PLAN A MUSEUM MARATHON

Balboa Park is filled with must-see exhibits, so hit a handful before you head home. Take a day (or more) to see what’s new at Balboa Park’s 17 world-class cultural institutions. Marvel at the flora and fauna of our neighbors to the south at the Natural History Museum’s Expedition Baja exhibit. Learn about the mechanics of flight and other modes of transportation (and ride a hovercraft!) at the Fleet Science Center, then head to the Air & Space Museum to see a diverse collection of aircraft and spacecraft. The San Diego Museum of Art is always a hit, and its collections are sure to make an impression. Don’t miss San Diego artist Marianela de la Hoz’s pandemic-inspired Paintings from the Confinement.

2. ENJOY A PERFORMANCE IN THE PARK

On any given day, you’ll find a variety of live entertainment here, ranging from independent musicians playing for passers-by to top-tier stage productions. San Diego Junior Theatre will perform the hits of ’80s group the Go-Gos in Head Over Heels starting July 29, and The Old Globe will intersperse its summer Shakespeare lineup with the hip-hop musical Freestyle Love Supreme and the classic thriller Dial M for Murder. Also, keep an eye out for San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez: He performs free Sunday concerts at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, home to the largest outdoor pipe organ in the world.

3. HIKE BALBOA PARK’S 65 MILES OF TRAILS

The trails range from kid-friendly paved paths that meander through well-known areas to challenging treks best for hardcore hikers. Get the best of both worlds on the 3.7-mile Orange Trail, accessible from the Park Boulevard Trails Gateway. Several of Balboa Park’s trails, including one that starts at Morley Field Dog Park, are great for your four-legged hiking buddies too.

Panama 66

Panama 66

4. EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY

There are plenty of places to grab a beer and a bite in Balboa Park. Stop by Panama 66 at the San Diego Museum of Art for an eclectic array of live music, local craft beer, and tasty eats. Or if you’re looking for a high-end excursion, make a reservation at The Prado in the House of Hospitality. On Friday nights, Balboa Park buzzes with afterhours eats: Food Truck Fridays bring more than a dozen gourmet food trucks and live entertainment to the Plaza de Panama and El Prado walkway.

5. TAKE AN ARCHITECTURE TOUR

Much of Balboa Park’s Spanish Renaissance–style architecture, including the Botanical Building, the California Tower, and the Cabrillo Bridge, was built when San Diego hosted the 1915 Panama–California Exposition. The Old Globe theater, the International Cottages, and the Spanish Village were built ahead of a second exposition in 1935. Take a walk around the park and see if you can spot the different types of architecture, or tag along on an architectural heritage tour, held at 11 a.m. on the first and third Friday of every month. And don’t miss the opportunity to take a spin on the 1910 Herschell-Spillman menagerie carousel. It’s one of just a handful left in the world that still features the brass ring game.

PLACES WE LOVE IN BALBOA PARK

THE SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART

Sisley Monet to Matisse

Sisley Monet to Matisse

Located in the heart of Balboa Park, the San Diego Museum of Art is the region’s largest and most visited art museum. The permanent collection features European old masters, Asian art, American art, modern and contemporary painting and sculpture, and the world-famous Edwin Binney 3rd Collection of Indian and South Asian manuscript illustrations. The museum regularly features major exhibitions of art from around the world and hosts engaging experiences that invite visitors to explore art through music, dance, film, food, and so much more. Currently on view, visit Monet to Matisse: Impressionist Masterpieces from the Bemberg Foundation (open through August 7; $5 surcharge) to see work from some of the most significant names in European painting, including Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Pablo Picasso, Alfred Sisley, and Pierre Bonnard. Also on view, step into TERRA: Fernando Casasempere (open through September 5) to contemplate four immersive installations of clay sculpture that highlight the urgency of today’s environmental crisis. Visit today to be inspired, learn something new, and spark your curiosity through great works of art.

1450 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 | sdmart.org | 619-232-7931

HOURS: Monday–Tuesday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Wednesday closed; Thursday–Saturday 10:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m.; Sunday noon–5:00 p.m.

FLEET SCIENCE CENTER

IMAX

IMAX

Curious minds call the Fleet Science Center their favorite museum experience. With more than 100 interactive exhibits, the Fleet busts the “do not touch” convention wide open, inviting guests not only to touch, but to build, create, and design. In the newly renovated Heikoff Giant Dome Theater—the world’s first IMAX Dome Theater— visitors can become immersed in a documentary film adventure that showcases the wonders of our planet and beyond. In addition to having immersive experiences throughout the museum for individuals and families to enjoy, the Fleet inspires communities, schools, and science organizations to explore and discover the world through science. Learn more at fleetscience.org.

1875 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 | fleetscience.org | 619-238-1233

HOURS: Open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

SAN DIEGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

Expedition Baja Natural History Museum

Expedition Baja Natural History Museum

This summer, get a glimpse into the beautiful biodiversity of the Baja California peninsula— without leaving Balboa Park—when The Nat debuts its newest exhibition. Expedition Baja invites visitors to explore the peninsula and follow researchers on their quest to conserve its wild beauty. Featuring museum specimens, immersive imagery, and stories about binational collaboration, the exhibition brings to life one of the most incredible regions in the world. Paid admission includes access to all exhibitions and films in the Subaru Giant Screen Experience, including Ocean Oasis, The Story of Earth, and Dinosaurs of Antarctica.

1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 | sdnat.org | 619-232-3821

HOURS: Friday–Tuesday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (closed Wednesday and Thursday). Extended hours until 10 p.m. on Fridays this summer.

SAN DIEGO JUNIOR THEATRE

Junior Theatre

Junior Theatre

San Diego Junior Theatre is the oldest youth theatre in the nation, offering affordable camps, classes, and outreach programs for children ages 3 to 17; as well as six mainstage productions each season. Students gain confidence, learn leadership, practice teamwork, and build a skill set—not only for a theatre stage, but for the larger stage of the real world. Junior Theatre is committed to promoting inclusion on their stages, in their classrooms, and in their audience, and strives to provide high-quality educational curricula and theatre productions that are accessible to all children—a place where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and represented, regardless of race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

1650 El Prado, Casa del Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 | juniortheatre.com | 619-239-1311

HOURS: Monday–Thursday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

THROUGHOUT 2022

GALILEO: SPACE VISIONARY AT THE SAN DIEGO AIR & SPACE MUSEUM

The GALILEO: Space Visionary special exhibition at the San Diego Air & Space Museum explores the secrets of Galileo’s groundbreaking science through interactive experiments and exhibits.

2001 Pan American Plaza San Diego, CA 92101 | sandiegoairandspace.org/galileo

5/20 – 8/7

MONET TO MATISSE AT THE SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART

On view now through August 7, Monet to Matisse features more than 60 masterpieces from some of the most significant names in European painting, including Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Berthe Morisot, and Pablo Picasso.

1450 El Prado San Diego, CA 92101 | sdmart.org

Natural History Museum at night

Natural History Museum at night

5/27–9/2

NAT AT NIGHT AT THE SAN DIEGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

On Fridays this summer, The Nat stays open till 10 p.m., offers trivia nights on select dates, and opens their rooftop for views, cold beverages, and small plates from Wolf in the Woods, one of San Diego’s best new restaurants. Plus, admission is half price after 4 p.m.

1788 El Prado, Casa del Prado San Diego, CA 92101 | 619-232-3821 | sdnat.org/nat-at-night

6/21–8/26

SUMMER CAMPS AT SAN DIEGO JUNIOR THEATRE

Spend your summer acting, singing, and dancing in beautiful Balboa Park! Junior Theatre has something for all ages and levels of experience. One-week sessions begin June 21 and run through August 26. They also offer two-week intensive conservatory camps for acting and musical theatre. Register today!

1650 El Prado, Casa del Prado San Diego, CA 92101 | 619-239-1311 | juniortheatre.com

6/25

MYSTERY AT THE MUSEUM AT FLEET SCIENCE CENTER

The Fleet Science Center’s annual in-person fundraiser returns Saturday, June 25. Put on your detective’s hat and solve the Mystery at the Museum at this gala event featuring an elegant wine-paired dinner.

1875 El Prado, Casa del Prado San Diego, CA 92101 | fleetscience.org

Balboa Park

 

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Studio S JULY 7, 2026

Xplosion Box: A Customized Keepsake Your Loved Ones Won’t Forget

A customized memory-filled explosion gift box is a creative way to show someone you care

Xplosion Box: A Customized Keepsake Your Loved Ones Won’t Forget
Hero image – Birthday Explosion Gift Box

Finding a gift that feels truly personal can be surprisingly difficult. In a sea of generic options — flowers, gift cards, candles, and the like — Xplosion Box offers something more lasting: a customized keepsake built around the photos, messages, and memories that matter most. 

Founded by Southern California entrepreneur Jay Vijay, Xplosion Box LLC creates fully customized explosion gift boxes that arrive professionally designed, printed, assembled, and ready to gift. Each box opens layer by layer to reveal personal photos, heartfelt messages, pull-out albums, origami-style photo pockets, and hidden notes, turning a simple gift into an emotional reveal. 

The brand was built for people who want to give something meaningful without spending hours printing photos, cutting paper, folding cardstock, or assembling a DIY project. Customers simply choose a box, upload their favorite photos, add personal messages, and the Xplosion Box team transforms those details into a polished keepsake that feels thoughtful, personal, and beautifully made.

Xplosion Box offers personalized gift boxes for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, proposals, bridesmaid gifts, long-distance relationships, and thoughtful “just because” moments. 

Customers can choose from flexible customization options starting at $27. The Mini Surprise Box includes 10 photos, three message cards, and one hidden secret note, while the Mega Surprise Box offers a fuller keepsake experience with 40 photos, three message cards, and one hidden secret note. 

What sets Xplosion Box apart is its high level of customization combined with convenience. Filled with personal photos, custom text, decorative details, and layered surprises, each box gives customers the freedom to create a gift that feels one-of-a-kind — without having to make it themselves. 

At its core, Xplosion Box helps people turn favorite photos, stories, and words into something tangible: a keepsake that can be opened, revisited, and remembered long after the occasion has passed. asion has passed.

Partner Content
Partner Content JULY 10, 2026

Health & Wellness Summer 2026

It’s a Self-Care Summer. Because your best self is our favorite self.

Health & Wellness Summer 2026

If you’re anything like us, it can be easy to get so caught up in taking care of everyone else, that your own needs get lost in the ether. But while this may be a cliché, that doesn’t make it any less true: You can’t give your best self to other people unless you’re taking care of yourself.

Sometimes, that looks like stopping in for your regular acupuncture or chiropractic appointment. Other days, it means giving your body the fresh, organic fuel it needs to truly feel and function at its best. And some other times still, it involves leaving your responsibilities behind for a weekend to pamper yourself at an incredible resort and spa.

Only you can decide what your truly need. We’re just here to help you find the best ways to get it.

Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa

Island living meets desert luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells. When you step onto the 11-acre property, you’ll be surrounded by sweeping view of the Santa Rosa Mountains with olive trees and fragrant citrus groves decorating the grounds. In other words, everything about this relaxed but refined resort is primed to help you let go of the stress from home and enjoy easy sun-soaked days and gorgeous starry nights.

The rooms blend calming, woven textures with Tommy Bahama’s signature tropical prints and feature private lanais, making it easy unwind the moment you walk in the door. If you book one of the four Villa Suites, you’ll be treated to exclusive Tommy Bahama furniture and unique personal touches to further that feeling of instant ease.

At the award-winning Spa Rosa, the expert team will help reset and recharge your body and mind using methods and rituals inspired by the desert. The 12,000-square-foot retreat includes outdoor soaking pools, eucalyptus steam rooms, and outdoor cabanas, as well as massages, facials, and body masks—all aimed at creating a day dedicated to you. We’re particularly partial to the Day Long Escape, an indulgent all-day affair of CDBs soaks, renewing scrubs, life changing massages, and transformative facials.

Following your treatment, continue the experience with a meal on the patio at Grapefruit Basil. We love the Hamachi Crudo, a light, citrus-forward dish featuring premium yellowtail, house-made ponzu, creamy avocado, and fresh seasonal garnishes.

Whether you’re strolling the gardens, relaxing beside its saltwater pools, or indulging in a restorative treatment, you’ll be able to escape in style and relax in luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa.

Healcove Chiropractic

There’s no shortage of ways to stay active in San Diego—but if you really want to enjoy everything the city has to offer, you’ve got to make sure you’re giving your body its tune-ups. Enter: Healcove Chiropractic. The board-certified chiropractors and wellness professionals at Healcove are experts at addressing that stage where you’re not injured, exactly, but you’re not at 100%, either. Maybe you’re feeling a bit tense or stressed out. Or it could be that you’re not quite moving the way you want to. Sometimes, it’s just that the accumulation of days, weeks, or even years of daily strain is starting to take a toll. No matter what stage you find yourself at, the Healcove Chiropractic team can provide integrated, preventative care centered on long-term, science-backed approaches that ensure you can always stay active and live the life you want to live pain-free.

This starts by providing truly individualized care. Every patient can expect a thorough 60-minute consultation session that includes a posture and movement screening. This allows the team to develop a completely personalized plan. That plan might include chiropractic care, acupuncture, or massage therapy, as well as functional fitness training, vibration and sound therapy, and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, a clinical rehabilitation method that retrains the body’s stabilization systems. Whatever the team recommends, you can be sure that it’s tailored to meeting your body’s needs today and the future.

There’s a reason that San Diego Magazine named Healcove the “Best Chiropractor in San Diego”—don’t wait until you’re struggling with an injury to find out why. Book an appointment today for holistic, integrated care that helps ground and heal your body before it reaches a crisis point. 

Juice Holler

West Coast wellness culture meets the community feel of Southern Appalachia at Juice Holler. Juice Holler’s menu consists of made-to-order smoothies and smoothie bowls, as well as grab-and-go cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, salads, and more. It operates from the blissfully simple premise that fueling up with food and drink that’s guilt-free and good your body should be simple, accessible, and, above all else, delicious. And if you haven’t yet made it out to the Encinitas café, which opened just this year, let us be the first to tell you: Juice Holler delivers on each and every of these fronts.

We love the Supercharger smoothie, a mood-lifting and body-fueling option made with banana, almond butter, blue spirulina, maca, grass-fed whey protein, raw cacao nibs, medjool dates, and coconut milk. We’re also partial to the Thrive Alive smoothie bowl, where avocado, mango, sea moss, spirulina, mint, coconut milk, and agave are mixed and topped with coconut, chia seeds, strawberry, mango, and chocolate drizzle. The wellness shots include the Detoxifier, a cleansing blend of kale, cucumber, lemon and spirulina, plus a shot specially designed to fight inflammation (named, fittingly, Anti-Inflammation). Probiotic overnight oats, lemon turmeric bars, and strawberry shortcake chia pudding are other standouts on the grab-and-go menu.

Much of the vibe feels beachy North County chic—think green tile with orange and pink accents, grounded with greenery and natural wood—but Juice Holler founder Kelly Sergott, a longtime Encinitas local, has also enfused the space with her Kentucky roots. In Appalachia, a holler is small valley between hills and mountains, where nature reigns, community is king, and nourishment comes right from the land. At Juice Holler, Sergott has created a holler for the busy modern times, using local ingredients to create a spot for people to come together and enjoy fresh, fast, feel-good fuel for their day.

Everwell Acupuncture

We’ve all had that experience with a medical professional where we’ve felt rushed, ignored, or misunderstood—and ultimately, like we didn’t get the answers that we needed. But at Everwell, the holistic acupuncture practice located in Solana Beach, the care team wants to transform your understanding of what healthcare can look like.

Patients at Everwell experience care rooted in intentional listening and radical empathy—and trust us, those aren’t just corporate buzzwords. This place actually puts those ideas into practice. You will always be given the time you need to tell your story— initial in-take appointments are two hours long—and you can rest assured that your story will be believed. Every single question and concern will be addressed by a dedicated practitioner who wants to find the specific solutions that work best for you, and you’ll receive care that’s aimed at healing the body, mind, and spirit.

Everwell’s highly trained, doctorate-level practitioners blend evidence-based acupuncture with the practice of classical Chinese medicine. (If you’ve never tried acupuncture before or aren’t sure if the team will be a fit, we’d highly recommended Everwell’s complimentary 20-minute consultations.) Research shows that by stimulating specific points on the body, acupuncture activates a natural healing response in the body, helping to restore balance, regulate the nervous system, and improve overall wellbeing. This allows the practice to address an incredibly wide range of conditions from chronic pain and autoimmune disorders to digestive issues, from stress and burnout to headaches migraines, fertility and postpartum struggles, hormonal imbalances, sleep concerns and more.

At Everwell, you can expect to feel heard, trusted, respected, and cared for. This is a space that doesn’t want to be just another healthcare provider you visit; it wants to provide patients with dedicated partner who will be there for their entire health journey.

Partner Content
Partner Content JULY 9, 2026

You’ve Tracked Your Macros, Your Sleep, Your Steps. What About Your Drinking?

The Unconscious Moderation app is helping health-conscious professionals take an honest look at their drinking, without pressure, and without quitting as the only option.

You’ve Tracked Your Macros, Your Sleep, Your Steps. What About Your Drinking?
Courtesy of MyDry30

San Diego runs on optimization. Early mornings, clean eating, training logs, sleep scores. The people here take their health seriously and the results usually show. Most of them also have two drinks most nights, not because anything is wrong, but because the day was long and the glass is right there and it has always been right there.

That routine doesn’t get the same scrutiny as the rest of the stack. It doesn’t feel like something to examine. It feels like a reward.

Which is exactly what your brain has decided it is. When something reliably moves you from one state to another, your brain files it under things to repeat. Do it consistently enough and the cue stops requiring a decision. It’s 6pm, the laptop is closed, and some part of your brain has already placed the order.

Most habit-change tools work on the number. They count drinks, set weekly targets, send check-in texts. That’s useful for seeing what the pattern looks like. It doesn’t tell you where the pattern came from, or change it at that level.

Unconscious Moderation works underneath the habit. The app uses guided hypnotherapy sessions, structured journaling, and daily movement to address the subconscious associations that make reaching for a drink feel like the obvious next thing. The journaling isn’t a diary. It’s built to surface what your brain is actually reaching for, so you can meet that need directly rather than through a substitute.

The program runs 90 days. At day 30, you choose your own direction: cut back, drink more intentionally, or stop altogether. The app treats both as equally valid outcomes. The point isn’t to follow a rule you set on a Sunday. It’s to understand the pattern well enough that whichever path you choose, you’re choosing it clearly.

The people who tend to get the most out of it are not in crisis. They’re the ones who have tried tracking apps and found the count drifting back up regardless. They know exactly how much they drink and why. The awareness just hasn’t moved the habit. At some point, the work needs to happen somewhere the count sheet can’t reach.

San Diego’s wellness culture already knows that surface numbers tell only part of the story. What you eat matters, but so does why. How much you sleep matters, but so does the quality. The same logic applies here.

Learn more at um.app, or download the Unconscious Moderation app on the App Store or Google Play.

Partner Content
Partner Content JULY 8, 2026

Theranostics: New Hope for Patients with Metastatic Cancers

Innovative treatment could offer cancer patients new options with fewer side effects

Theranostics: New Hope for Patients with Metastatic Cancers
Courtesy of Scripps Health

Chemotherapy and radiation have long been considered gold standards of cancer treatment, but they can cause severe side effects. A promising new approach called theranostics—a combination of “therapeutics” and “diagnostics”—could offer patients with certain types of metastatic cancers new hope. It’s a two-step process that uses a drug that binds to specific receptors on cancer cells. Advanced imaging detects this radioisotope, allowing doctors to then use a second radioisotope that binds to the cancer cells and destroys them. Click here to learn more about how specialists at Scripps Cancer Center are using theranostics.

For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.

Partner Content
Partner Content JULY 2, 2026

Top Lawyers 2026: Panakos LLP

Discover San Diego’s Top Lawyers — the region’s most trusted legal professionals across diverse practice areas.

Top Lawyers 2026: Panakos LLP
SDM: Top Lawyers 2026

Daniel A. Kaplan

Daniel A. Kaplan is a founding partner of Panakos LLP with more than three decades of civil litigation experience in both state and federal courts. Mr. Kaplan pursues and defends legal claims on behalf of companies, entrepreneurs, and business owners in high-stakes disputes. He focuses on business disputes including breach of contract, unfair competition, trade secret theft, securities disputes, fraud/misrepresentations, and employment matters.

“The best advocacy combines preparation, perspective, and a client relationship built on trust and candor.” — Daniel A. Kaplan

His clients include real estate investors, private and public corporations, and individuals seeking sophisticated legal counsel. Known for practical judgment and strategic advocacy, he works closely with an experienced and diverse legal team to protect, enforce, and defend his clients’ interests.

555 W. Beech Street, Ste. 500, San Diego, California 92101
619-8000-LAW
Panakos.law

Partner Content
Partner Content JULY 2, 2026

Top Lawyers 2026: Naumann Law Firm, PC

Discover San Diego’s Top Lawyers — the region’s most trusted legal professionals across diverse practice areas.

Top Lawyers 2026: Naumann Law Firm, PC
SDM: Top Lawyers 2026

William Naumann, Esq.

At Naumann Law Firm, PC, William Naumann and his team have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in damages litigating construction defects, insurance, and government claims. Mr. Naumann has spent his career fighting for people in their hardest moments, from winning $7 million for homeowners after landslide damage to advocating for victims of 9/11.

“We always believe in working as hard as we can to maximize the recovery for the client.”
— William Naumann, Esq.

Combining a personalized approach with a results-driven strategy, he’s helped homeowners associations, property owners, and individuals win against the largest developers, builders, insurers, and municipalities. His commitment is to secure the best possible results efficiently, whether through settlement or at trial.

10890 Thornmint Road, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92127
858-792-7474
naumannlegal.com

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