The cost of living in Southern California is not inexpensive but in San Diego we have so many wonderful and affordable things to do here and sometimes we lose sight of those things that don’t cost anything or at least pretty affordable for the family.

Visit San Diego Museums in Balboa Park on Tuesdays. On a rotating basis, the featured museum of the month will be free on the Tuesdays of each week. Eventually you will be able to most everything of interest and you can spend more time in each one.

Plan a picnic at Petco Park and take in a Padres baseball game. There is small cost of $5.00 for park entrance, so spread a blanket on the grassy hill and enjoy a ball game on the huge monitors. You can enjoy the concessions and have  free run of the ball park grounds and concessions.

Save gas and burn some energy. Rent a tandem bike and tour  the beach areas of Mission and Pacific Beach in your bicycle built for two. Make a whole day of it for $45.00. The bike rents for $15 but the economy of scale  suggests that a whole day make it very affordable.

Take in the Great San Diego Waterfalls and get your feet wet. Enjoy the soothing comfort of the falling water at several parks in San Diego. There is the Cedar Creek Falls in Julian, Kitchen Creek and Three Sisters Falls in the Cyamaca Rancho State Park and Green Valley Falls in Cleveland National Forest.

Stroll Coronado Island after first taking a ferry from Beautiful Downtown San Diego. Take the Harbor ferry  located at the Broadway pier downtown and enjoy the beautiful skyline of downtown before landing on Coronado Island. Cost of the ferry is $7.00

Take in an evening movie on the lawn of the San Diego Museum of Art. Call 619–232–7931 for information as there is no current schedule. But I would bet kicking off your shoes and cuddling in a blanket in the cool of the gorgeous San Diego evenings would be great fun.

One of my very favorite things happens at 2:00 every Sunday. "Concert in the Park" at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. You have not enjoyed San Diego fully until you get a regular fest of the music that will stimulate your heart and sooth your soul. While your are there of course seeing the Botanical building and the many fountains and just enjoy a wonderful day in the park. Watch for the art shows in the summer they are amazing. Always plenty to do and don’t forget to see the rose gardens, they will blow you away.

If you want more museums, we have plenty of them in San Diego. The Museum of Contemporary Art is also free on the 1st Tuesday of each month.

If you would like to take a short drive and enjoy a longer visit, drive up to the top of Soledad Mountain park along the road side and tour San Diego in 360 Degree of beautiful Ocean and Beach views, fabulous Estate Homes, the mountains to the east and the much written about Cross ( now an expanded Veterans Memorial). The views are amazing, the sun will warm your heart and  the breeze will lift your spirits. We here in San Diego seem to like all of our emotions at one time.

You have to go to Old Town, I have written about it here in ActiveRain on several of my posts and it is amazing. Other old towns that are fun are Poway, Ramona and a bit farther out East is of course the authentic western town of Julian. Of special note this year is that Poway has recently added new parking and the streets and sidewalks are brightened and expanded. A wonderful park exists behind the old railroad building that has many big trees for shade for picnicking. A visit to these old towns will be memorable, I promise.

If your into Urban Chic with a flair, plan to walk the Gaslamp District downtown. After that, you cross over to SeaPort Village and enjoy a stroll around the bay , take in some great shopping and get a sun tan all at once.

There are so many more things to do that are free or very inexpensive here in San Diego, I am going to have to do a part 2 because this list is getting too long. Watch for more Free and Fun things To Do in San Diego.