Descanso Gardens
I had plans to go to Descanso Gardens. I just hadn’t planned on going the day I decided to go. I had on the wrong outfit. (How very LA of me to say such a thing! Lol) Honestly, I could care less how I looked, but my outfit’s material was soaking up every ounce of that sun’s warmth! It was unbearably hot for me. Fortunately, with Descanso Gardens being in La Canana Flintridge, by the mountains, it was a lot cooler, making my outfit appropriate overall.
It didn’t change the fact that I managed to get super sweaty from all of the hiking I chose to do. Talking about hiking, you might want to be cautious in some areas. There was a trail I decided to venture into only to see a warning about poison oak. Why?!? Then, I saw random scattered vines which I was afraid was something “poisonous”. I have no flipping clue what poison ivy looks like but I couldn’t help but to have a wtf moment when I saw this. I just proceeded with caution and did my best to not step on these vines.
Despite this, I managed to feel itchy shortly after. I am not sure if this was from a subconscious scare or what, but I got itchy for a bit. It’s possible that if the vines were something “poisonous”, even though I didn’t step on them, I may have stepped on something that was contaminated by them. Who knows…
Anyway, Descanso Gardens is a relatively big place that doesn’t require a full day to appreciate. I came here in the afternoon and managed to see practically everything before closing time. The lilacs weren’t in bloom but I’m sure they’d be such a nice sight in Spring. Will I come back in Spring? Probably not. (I don’t think I’d feel like driving to La Canada Flintridge again so soon.)
There were a lot of kids. That’s to be expected since it’s a kid friendly place. There were also a decent amount of couples and while I’m cool with that, I couldn’t help but to get a bit irked when I caught someone doing PDA. (Like, there are kids around. And it’s not that much of a romantic place to be kissing each other. But what do I know? Couples tend to be lost in their own little world after all.)
My favorite place at Descanso Gardens would have to be the Hilltop Garden. Not so much for the garden but for the magnificent home that’s there.
It’s a mansion that belongs on an episode of MTV’s Cribs. Seriously. All that’s missing are the flashy cars but we can just say they’re kept safe inside the 3 car garage. Lol
I had fun taking photos around this house. It was just that pretty.
They also had a pair of “shisas” guarding one side of the home which I found to be cute and maybe a tad bit out of place (or unexpected).
Should you like homes or architecture in general, you’ll find yourself entranced by the beauty and aesthetics of homes near Descanso Gardens. (There are plenty of homes to see before or after your trip to Descanso Gardens.)
My next favorite place was the ancient forest. I love redwood trees so it’s without a doubt that I’d fall in love with the ancient forest.
The Japanese garden is right next to the ancient forest and I must say it was ok. It wasn’t extraordinary and it’s ok because I came to Descanso Gardens, not expecting much from their Japanese Garden. It’s small, somewhat hidden and can be easy to miss if you’re busy talking to friends while walking around the gardens. If you’ve visited any Japanese garden before, you might be disappointed with Descanso’s Japanese Garden. I was hoping their tea room was open so that I could try their drinks or sweets, but it seems to not be operating. Oh well.
If you’re not familiar with the area or freeway, you might want to take note of directions beforehand. I say this because with the garden being by the mountains, your cell phone might act a little wonky when it comes to navigational needs. (My phone showed 4G, yet Google Maps wouldn’t function. Fortunately, I didn’t need to use any GPS system, but what if I had a need to do so?)
Other than that, this is a relatively nice garden to visit if you’re in the area. Know that if you’re Asian, there are some visitors that may give a subtle attitude for whatever reason (coronavirus, perhaps?). To be fair, I also caught a few East Asians giving me a look as well, which I also didn’t appreciate much, but am going to rub it off to me looking super amazing in my sweaty outfit. Meh. Also, know that this area in La Canada Flintridge seems to be a bit of a bubble. Pretty, but a bubble from the rest of the world.