Instead of giving mom a bouquet and a glass of champagne this weekend, give her a whole garden and grab a craft brew after! Here are three botanical beauties, with nearby beer spots for kicking back.
Descanso Dabble
Set along slopes shaded by centuries-old coast live oaks, Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge is a place to stop and smell the roses. More than 3,000 of these fragrant flowers fill the 5-acre rose garden here, offering a breath of freshness just minutes from a busy freeway interchange. Take another breather in the Japanese garden, sitting by a boulder-lined stream filled with graceful koi. An orange arched span crosses the creek, while cinnamon-colored coast redwoods rise above a blue-roofed tea house and a minka (a traditional farmhouse). Beyond the Japanese garden, stroll through oak forests brightened by blooming camellias (Descanso has the largest collection in North America). Then stop by the Stuart Haaga Gallery for art exhibitions and to see the towering vertical gardens.
BEER BONUS: Located in Montrose’s appealing downtown, Basin 141 (2265 Honolulu Avenue) serves up a select group of 14 craft beers on tap (including Eagle Rock Brewery’s Populist IPA). Settle into a big curving booth beneath the wall of reclaimed barn planks, and dig into tasty fish tacos, truffle mac ’n’ cheese, and other gastropub faves.
Descanso Gardens is located near the interchange of the 210 and the Glendale Freeway (CA-2) at 1418 Descanso Dr. (map and directions). Admission is $9. No dogs.
Activity: Relax
Region: Los Angeles
Mom's Lucky Day
Lucky Baldwin, the founder of Arcadia, was as colorful a character as the peacocks he brought to his Rancho Santa Anita home in the late 19th century, transforming the property into a wonderland of fruit trees and exotic plants. Today the land is home to the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, and Lucky would be as dazzled as you’ll be by the surreal nature of its plants. The arboretum has an especially impressive collection of species from South Africa, Madagascar, and the Canary Islands. Take a walk along the Aloe Trail and you’ll see all sorts of weird, spiky plants straight out of Dr. Seuss. Some are abloom with tall stalks of tubular blossoms. There’s everything from the resin spurge (which resembles a cactus crossed with a porcupine) to tree-like clusters of “Sticks on Fire,” a succulent that gets its name from the bright orange tips of its stalks. Be sure to also explore the arboretum’s Prehistoric Forest, a Jurassic park of cycads and ferns located across a lake from the Queen Anne cottage that Lucky built in the 1880s.
BEER BONUS: Lucky Baldwin’s Delirium Pub & Café (21 Kersting Court, Sierra Madre) is no stranger to extravagance, featuring nearly 50 brews on tap and 100 bottled beers, too. The motto here is “Think Globally, Drink Locally,” which you can certainly do with the English-style pub’s selection from San Diego County’s acclaimed Alpine Beer Company to ales straight out of Belgium. (The outdoor patio is dog-friendly!)
The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden is located at 301 N. Baldwin Ave. in Arcadia (map and directions). No dogs.
Activity: Relax
Region: Los Angeles
Fine China Occasion
It’s almost impossible to single out one attraction at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, but the Chinese Garden is a must-see. Called Liu Fang Yuan (the Garden of Flowing Fragrance), it will transport you to an exotic world of handcrafted pavilions with traditional upswept rooflines, carved stone bridges, and plants native to China. The garden recently added a few new elements. Along the northwest side of its lake, Lingering Clouds Peak is a rock grotto where you can walk beneath a waterfall. Nearby, the boat-shaped Waveless Boat pavilion was inspired by a structure in Suzhou, China, and offers the best prospect of the lake and the other buildings. To better understand the symbolism, download a 42-minute audio tour.
BEER BONUS: Less than 10 minutes away at 38 Degrees Ale House & Grill (100 W. Main Street, Alhambra), you’ll get a big selection of California craft beers on tap, including options from The Bruery in Placentia. The modern setting blends contemporary art and plenty of screens for sports, while the menu features such surprises as a wild boar banh mi and a venison burger.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Gardens are located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino (map and directions). No dogs.
Activity: Relax
Region: Los Angeles
Museum Week in Seattle
Art, culture, and the outdoors, together at last. Seattle is putting its Northwest best on full display for Museum Week, May 16 to 23. Check out all the special programming, events, and offers, including Buy One, Get One Free admission tickets, complimentary walking tours, free interactive museum finder, social events, and plenty more. After experiencing the wonder of Miró at the Seattle Art Museum, visit Pike Place Market (home to the very first Starbucks), the world-famous Waterfront, and historic Pioneer Square. From there, you can jump on a ferry to explore the San Juan Islands to watch the sunset, all with time to return to Seattle to enjoy drinks at local distilleries and breweries. Find your art’s desire with a Seattle getaway for Museum Week in May!
TIP: Visit museumweeknw.com to start planning your trip, and to get your interactive museum-finder.
Check out 2DaysInSeattle.com for other top ideas and recommendations on what to do, where to go, and best places to stay!