For almost 15 years, Jessica Johnson has run a website dedicated to all the most interesting nooks and crannies of San Diego County. Hidden San Diego has been a go-to resource for residents and tourists to find the most obscure and the most treasured locations of San Diego. Today, Jessica shows the beauty of Zoro Garden, presently a butterfly garden located at the heart of Balboa Park.
“You'll see milkweed, passion flower, some gorgeous Martin Bay fig trees. It's just a really magical little area,” Johnson said.
“I like to challenge people that are from San Diego that — I bet you — half of the spots on my website you've never even heard of before,” Johnson said. Her website is categorized by specific towns, making it easier for San Diegans and tourists to find areas to explore within their vicinity.
“I'm from San Diego myself, and I'm constantly finding new places all the time. And you never know, like, you really got to just explore every little pocket, because you never know what little secret spot you might find,” Johnson said. “If you're a senior citizen, if you're a child, if you're into luxury, if you're into underground tunnels. I wanted it to be something for everyone. And that's still my challenge.”
Built in 1915, Zoro Garden is located near the Reuben H. Fleet Center. During the Pacific International Exposition of 1935-36, it was the setting of a nudist colony, where men and women sunbathed all day. Created by sideshow promoter Nate Eagle, the nudist colony yielded the highest profit at the exposition. “You could pay $0.25 to spectate, or you could peek for free through the fence,” Johnson said. “There is a hilarious photo of it where you can see everyone peeking through the fence.”
Johnson says the nudists were traveling actors. “They were the beautiful people,” she said. The men wore a nude-colored cloth over their groin, and the women were nude.
In 2017, the nudist colony was recreated at Zoro Garden. “A group of mostly college-age women came here in leotards that were nude colored, and they recreated the positions. And it drew all different types of people here — I'm sure all different types of reactions,” Johnson said.
With KPBS Explores Hidden San Diego, Johnson wants to show that every corner of our county has a potential surprise. “Just to get out there, get out of your house, get off of your phone and see all the beauty you know while you're healthy and capable of seeing it,” she said.
