My husband, Aaron, and I live in Vista, but Balboa Park has been a huge part of our life together.
As a child Aaron's mother brought him from their North Park home to the park on a regular basis. He loved to ride the Balboa Park Carousel and would spend the entire day riding it. His mother met and fell in love with the man running the carousel and when they later got married it was in Balboa Park's miniature railroad park.
Fast forward 25 years and I moved to San Diego. On my first trip to Balboa Park I knew I wanted to get married there.
On my first date with my husband we ended the evening sitting on a bench in front of the Botanical Building. My husband told me about visiting there with his dear grandmother whom he loved very much. A few weeks before she passed away they had their final grandma-grandson date outing and visited the botanical gardens.
When he proposed to me two years later he had already reserved the Alcazar Gardens in Balboa Park so we would be sure to have the spot I wanted. On Nov. 23, 2002 we got married in Alcazar Gardens and then had our entire group of wedding guests join us for a ride on the Balboa Park Carousel — where my husband got the brass ring of course.
We have visited over the years since then and most recently enjoyed a tour of the California Tower.
KPBS is collecting your Balboa Park memories as the city marks the 100th anniversary of Balboa Park's 1915 Panama-California Exposition.
Share yours here: Tell us about your Balboa Park memory
