Littles will sprint to see the giant koi fish swimming in the ponds. You can take a breather and enjoy the beautiful fall colors of the garden. The Japanese maple trees run in shades of red, plus you’ll see bursts of yellow, orange, and green. Stroll the garden and then explore the latest exhibit.

Opened in Balboa Park in 1991 as “an expression of friendship between San Diego and its [Japanese] sister city, Yokohama,” Southern California’s Japanese Friendship Garden celebrates the tradition of hanami with a 3-day festival in early March. Visitors can enjoy food vendors, a beer and sake garden, and live performances while contemplating the fleeting beauty of life underneath the garden’s grove of 200 flowering cherry trees.