It’s Easy Being Green In California – San Marino, California, United States

It’s Easy Being Green In California
San Marino, California, United States

Los Angeles is great, don’t get me wrong: The culture, the perfect weather, the hedonistic pursuits of mind, body and spirit. I visited the area for a week several months ago, but after the second day I needed a break; sensory overload had left me listless and all the kitsch had made me crazy. Not to mention all the noise, noise, noise! I felt like the Grinch in Whoville – a jaded, grumpy beast whose heart had shrunk from the hype of a place that seemed so foreign.

So I went searching for the culture that most big cities have to offer, but in a place without all the craziness that most of them are known for – especially the glitz and glamour L.A. is famous for.

Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens

In fact, you can meditate in a Zen garden, get lost in a tropical forest, or have tea in an English garden…all in the same day. If all that greenery doesn’t strike your fancy, there are galleries chock-full of British, French and American art, and a library exhibition hall displaying ancient and rare books and manuscripts. And if you’ve got little ones with you, there are various children’s activities to educate and entertain their brains.

A virtual playground for culture seekers of all ages, the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens are located in San Marino, California, outside Pasadena, approximately 12 miles northeast of L.A. It’s a bibliophile’s dream, an art historian’s heaven, and a landscape lover’s retreat.

Three art galleries, the library exhibit, and 12 gardens with over 14,000 species of plants are spread over 150 acres, so it can be a little slow going for those of you traveling with children, as part of a group, or with people who might have mobility challenges. Plan to spend a whole day here, if not more, if you fit into one of those categories. Otherwise, I’d say several hours would suffice. But be warned: you WILL be doing a lot of walking. I am young and considerably healthy, but even I was tuckered out after a few hours’ visit. But it’s worth it, I promise.

Visit the website for more information: http://www.huntington.org.

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