Descanso Gardens

If you're looking for someplace to go, would like to take a walk among beautiful flowers and trees, consider the Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, just north of Pasadena. Of all of the botanical gardens I've been visiting, to date the Descanso Gardens is my favorite. 160 acres of nature and beautiful landscaping with plenty of ponds, waterfalls big and small, ponds, flowers, trees and more Koi than I've ever seen.

Imagine walking through a forest of trees shading you against the sun. In the midst of this forest you might find a bench to sit and soak in the sound of birds or a waterfall or small pond. Or wander along the grass paths in the five acre International Rose Garden with over 3,000 rose bushes and other plants and flower complete with benches, fountains, a running stream near a bench while dragon flies glide around looking for a spot to land.

What I like about Descanso Gardens is that unlike some of the other botanical gardens you don't have to walk past massive lawns or down long paths before you get to the next garden area. At Descanso Gardens, except for the Camelia Forest, there is a continuous flow of flowers, plants, ponds and water to engage your eyes and interest. For those who have a little problem walking you won't feel the strain of your walk because there are plenty of places to stop to admire flowers or sit and admire a running stream or pond filled with Koi.

Parking is free and admission is $8.00. Not bad for a place that has entertained me for a minimum of three hours per visit.

L.A. COUNTY ARBORETUM

I haven't been to the Los Angeles County Arboretum since I went as a kid in elementary school on a field trip. All I remember was being on the tram, the peacocks and a whole punch of trees and plants. Its about the same but as an adult I appreciate it in a different way and I think that much like the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens it is a photographer's dream location.

There is a difference between the Arboretum and the Huntington Library in that the Huntington Library seems more funded, more manicured and they have more buildings. It is a museum/library and research center. The Arboretum is strictly botanical gardens. The truth is, I actually enjoyed the Arboretum more. First of all it was less crowded. Second, I so enjoyed the peacocks that were just everywhere. I saw more birds, butterflies, ducks, geese and squirrels than at the Huntington.


Before I even got to the entrance building there was a peacock out front that had all of the little snaggle toothed kids who just got off the bus in awe. I was in awe too and happily took a few pictures of this beautiful bird strutting it's stuff. I paid, walked through the door and didn't get a few feet before I saw another peacock perched in a tree.

If the amount of pictures I took is anything, I took 468 pictures by the end of my little adventure and a lot of them were peacocks. The tram wasn't working today. If you're going to go and you don't want to walk a lot, please call in advance and check to see if their tram is running. They were doing a lot of work and planting so roads were restricted for tram use. I walked, and walked, and walked but probably saw a lot I would not have seen otherwise.

My favorite part of the Arboretum was the Tropical Forest around Baldwin Lake. For a short while it was easy to feel that I had actually stepped into a tropical forest. The drop in temperature was immediately felt - cool, tranquil and quiet except for the squawking birds. Take a little walk with me and see some of what I saw....

I thorougly enjoyed my day out at the Arboretum. If you're looking for something to do put on your walking shoes, take your camera and venture out to the L.A. Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Its $7.00 for adults, $3.00 for the tram and parking is free. It's directly across from the Santa Anita racetrack. Get up to the 210 and exit on Baldwin. It's about 2 blocks south of the 210.