Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

-
Situated on 127 acres in the city of Arcadia, CA, the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is not only a lush landscape with a rose garden, lake and and dozens of garden zones, it is also a historical site with more wild peafowl than I have ever seen in one place.

While there were mostly peacocks with the occasional peahens, they were everywhere; way up on the top of fifty-foot trees, atop other structures and wandering the grounds.

Another feature of this sprawling botanical garden are its historic structures. There is a Queen Anne style cottage that was constructed in the 1880’s, a matching Victorian coach barn with slats of cedar and redwood paneling covering the interior with original iron grillwork and the original adobe home from 1840, just to name a few.

Keep in mind when you visit that they are going through a few remodeling projects, mainly one of the entrances and some refurbishment of the adobe home and Queen Anne cottage, but in no way does this affect the overall experience of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.

Some additional highlights:

Rose Garden
Lake and Reflecting Pools
Early Bird hours for members only, allowing them to use the property as a jogging/walking trail

Popular posts from this blog

Flowers

-
Image
Some flowers are more intricate than others but they all do one thing for me; bring me immense amounts of joy.  It doesn’t matter if I am on a hike, vacation or just going to the grocery store, if I see a flower then I have to stop and take a picture and admire something that will only be around a short time.  “Minds are like flowers; they open only when the time is right.” – Stephen Richards Photo Notes: Ko Olina | Kapolei, HI | May 2017 | iPhone 6s Plus
Read more

Boxx Coffee Roasters - LA Arts District

-
Image
Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Boxx Coffee Roasters offers some unique and wonderful coffee offerings.  With two locations, Istanbul and the LA Arts District, be sure to make this one of your first stops when visiting Los Angeles.   They roast locally at their Arts District location, sourcing beans from trusted local producers and long-time partners around the world resulting in delicious single origins and blends and of course, a traditional Turkish coffee as well.  Each time I have been there, the customer service from the baristas is top-notch from the moment of deciding what to order (they will gladly help you pick the best coffee suited to your likes) to bringing your order to your table or if you are simply just waiting to take it to enjoy on the go.  They were also awarded The Best Coffee Shop In Best of Downtown Los Angeles 2022 and have a wide selection of whole beans for sale in-store and online.
Read more

Desiderio Neighborhood Park - Pasadena, CA

-
Image
Perfectly situated directly under the historic Colorado Street Bridge (Opened December 13, 1913) and alongside the protected open space Arroyo Seco, is Desiderio Neighborhood Park, which celebrated its grand opening in 2019. While this park is relatively small in size (around 4 acres), it feels grand under the concrete marvel above.  This park is the perfect starting point (has its own parking lot, restrooms etc.) for a self-guided walking tour of the beautifully landscaped setting, along with the surrounding historic neighborhood. There is so much to see here from not only the park itself, but the bridge viewed from this unique vantage point, to the old California oak trees lining South Arroyo Boulevard and the gorgeous homes, including ​​the private residence and garden of John Barber that was built in 1926.  This front yard garden has a central pathway leading up to the house with an abundance of native plants and trees.
Read more