I realize it might seem like all we do around here on the weekends is hang pictures and go to Disneyland. That’s not true. To be fair, sometimes we go to Marshall’s.
However, on this particular weekend, we did do go back to Disneyland. After my slightly grumpy week, my husband knew how to set things right — with a little trip down the Storybook Land Canal Boats. For some reason, we are always on this ride when it’s pitch black which is really charming when all of the little houses are lit up — but not so great for photos.
I tried to get him to take the pictures, but I looked over and he was snapping photos of the ducks so I had to take the camera away from him. There are tiny castles and miniature pumpkins for crying out loud! I don’t even want to disturb you by telling you how many photos of ducks we already have. Hundreds? I think that’s what happens when you go to a garden without children. You end up taking photos of the ducks.
So I picked out my house. I am going to move in right here in Belle’s house (below) just as soon as I find a magical shrinking potion. I’ll give you the recipe so you can come live next to me. I’m pretty sure Cinderella has some extra rooms.
Thanks for your kind comments. I think I’m just about back to normal. I did something weird to my back though, so I may keep it a little light here this week. I’m trying to save up my good chair sitting energy for the mountain of sewing work I have to do.
Hope your week is off to good start!
Filed under Gardens & Special Places, Inspiration, Travels Near & Far.
Tagged with Disneyland, Storybook boats.
By Kelly
September 13, 2011
The Huntington is one of the first gardens I ever visited, and it completely converted me. I remember paying my $20 admission and thinking there was no possible way that this would be worth it. In fact, I decided to start in the desert garden, figuring it would be the least interesting. About a hundred feet past the front entrance I realized just how wrong I was. (And that desert garden was like a Dr. Seuss wonderland!)
I’ve shared several of my other favorite gardens (Descanso and the L.A. Arboretum), but I always think of the Huntington as the grandfather of them all. It’s by far the most pristine, and the layout makes it feel grander and more expansive than the others.
I’ll be honest though — this one is my least favorite during the summer. There are a lot of open expanses in full sun and uphill climbs, so it can get pretty hot. However, on a spring or fall day (we enjoy it in the winter, too), there are few places quite so beautiful.
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
The Details:
- How big: 120 acres of gardens (grounds are actually 207)
- How long: 10:30am-4:30am during the summer, not open on Tuesdays
Why We Love It:
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Spectacular Japanese and Chinese Gardens – The themed gardens here really shine. Both the Japanese and Chinese gardens are not only beautiful – but large – with lots of details, bridges, and structures. There is everything from a tea pavilion to a bonsai display. I love the Japanese Garden at Descanso as well, but this is on a much grander scale. There are plenty of peaceful spots here including the bamboo forest.
Worth Noting:
- Free Day – Admission to The Huntington is free to all visitors on the first Thursday of every month with advance tickets.
- The Japanese Garden is closed for renovations (and will re-open Spring 2012). I have not confirmed this in person, but it looks like you can still see the bonsai trees and Zen garden during the closure.
There are a few more pictures in these posts here and here. If you venture out to the Huntington, I’d love to hear what you think!
Filed under Gardens & Special Places, Travels Near & Far.
Tagged with gardens, Southern California favorite spots.
I sat down this morning to write about the holiday weekend, and I realized we did a lot of activities. Maybe more than I realized at the time! It is amazing what you can pack into a weekend if you have an extra day. We went to the Huntington Gardens and Library, a birthday party in San Diego, the mall, and LACMA to see the Tim Burton exhibit.
I have always had a brisk museum pace, and I’m lucky that most of the people going to the museum with me (my husband, my Dad, my friend Heather who was my guide at the Louvre) have been the same. Do I miss a lot of stuff this way? Um, yes. Definitely. But I think life is just too short to go around reading every single little placard on the wall whether the piece speaks to you or not. Our family goes to the museum like we are on a mission — walking quickly but silently through each room. Quick nods of the head to indicate we are ready to keep moving. “Do you like this?” “No. Keep going.” We are focused. We are fast.
I guess this is a strange thing to admit to as an artist, but it’s true. (And if you are a thorough and patient museum patron, then let me just say that I completely and totally respect that. You win the museum prize. But we should go to the museum separately, ok? We will meet up for coffee later.)
But then, when we are clipping along through the gallery — being sure to stay out of everyone’s way — then a piece will catch someone’s eye and it all comes to a halt. We are slow and studious, taking in every detail. Reading the little notes on the wall and listening to that voice inside that says “Yes, this. More of this.”
For me, this weekend, it was this piece (thankfully, in the public domain) by Thomas Rowlandson, “Vauxhall Gardens.” I love the drama of stumbling upon a theater right there in the middle of the garden. I gave myself 3 whole minutes to look at it and then had to find my husband who had moved on to the next gallery.
I’ll be back this week with a write up for the Huntington Gardens for the garden page. I think this caps off the 3 “biggies” in our area. It is probably time for us to branch out to new places, to see new things. I also have a post on the Tim Burton exhibit which was wonderful and a bit weird, just as you would expect.
Did you see anything new this weekend? Are you appalled at my race-through-the-museum strategy or can you relate? I hope you are easing back into the week. All summer long I have to resist the urge to find a sunny spot and nap.
Filed under Gardens & Special Places, Inspiration, Travels Near & Far.
Tagged with art, Huntington Gardens, museum.
The weather here has been quite beautiful, and I find myself thinking about gardens. Today, I thought I would share with you another local spot. It took me some time to warm up to the Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks, CA. This is a SMALL garden, just 4 acres although it is very well taken care of and manicured. (By comparison, the L.A. Arboretum is 127 acres.) However, if you’re looking for a brief respite from a day of shopping or a really lovely place to picnic, Gardens of the World is a nice spot to relax.
We can easily tour the garden in 15-20 minutes, but there are plenty of benches and spots to linger. Here are all the details (and more images at the bottom of this post):
Gardens of the World
2001 Thousand Oaks Blvd,Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
The Details:
- How much: (as of 5/10/11) Free
- How long: Tues.-Sun. 9-5pm, Closed Monday and most holidays
Why We Enjoy It:
- Perfect Picnic: Picnics are allowed in designated areas including a nice area with benches and the Bandstand lawn where there is plenty of shade. On the day we went for a picnic, the crowd was mostly adults which made for a very relaxing day. The garden is just large enough to provide a nice stroll after you eat.
- Interesting Structures: Despite the garden’s small size, it features a pagoda, bandstand, fountains, replica of a California mission, and even a giant chess set so even visitors who are not interested in the plants will find something interesting to explore.
- Wide, Accessible Paths: This garden is very accessible with wide sidewalks and railings. While this might detract visually, it does make it easier for visitors with wheelchairs, small children, etc.
Looking for other gardens and Southern California spots? I’ve updated the Gardens page so you can now find all of those posts in one spot (at last!). I am always inspired when other people share their favorite spots so this has been something I’ve wanted to organize for a long time. More to come!
Filed under Gardens & Special Places, Travels Near & Far.
Tagged with favorite places, gardens of the world, Southern California favorite spots, Thousand Oaks.
This might seem surprising to some, but even though we go to Descanso Gardens a lot, we have never paid any attention to what season it is or what flowers will be in bloom. In fact, there are sections of the gardens that we have never seen in flower. The lilac garden has always been a fenced off group of glorified shrubs. The “camellia forest” has always been, well, a forest.
[Photo credit: my husband]
We had barely turned off the main path before I realized that this visit would be different. Everywhere there were cherry blossom trees exploding into view – their pinkish-white petals falling softly to the ground like the most enchanting snow. The camellias were awake now. None of our photographs captured how small I felt walking beneath these tall trees covered in red, white, and pink flowers. There is something very beautiful about walking beneath a flowering canopy. I felt a bit like Alice . For a moment, I understood why people like Spring.
At a certain point, I stopped taking pictures and tried to store up mental images inside — the petals falling in the breeze, the precise color and shape of a tiny lilac bloom. There is enough beauty here to sustain me for weeks — or days — or maybe just barely long enough until we can get back outside again. Do you have a place like this you can go to? A place you feel you know but can still surprise you with it’s beauty? I hope so.
I wish you a week full of such surprises. More soon…
Filed under Gardens & Special Places, Travels Near & Far.