On my last full day in LA, I decided to brave the reasonably long bus ride from Downtown to Pasedena, in order to do something in the city that didn't involve eating, shopping, or Disney. Having said that, the Huntington Botanical Gardens were almost as fantastical as Universal Studios (albeit a kind of fantastical that didn't involve Spongebob and Shrek roaming the grounds).
Check out some of the snaps I took:
Henry Huntington began his garden project in the early twentieth century. On his newly-acquired ranch, he envisaged a place where Californians could see plants that weren't native to their state, their country, or even their continent. The Botanical Gardens have thrived; they now contain over 14 000 different kinds of plants in a range of different areas.
My already fabulous day trip was further enhanced by a browse of the Huntington Library. Not satisfied with getting hold of every flower or tree on the planet worth having, Huntington was an avid book collector. His vast collection includes the Gutenburg Bible, which he won at auction in 1911 for the unimaginable sum of $50 000 - the most ever bid for a book at the time - and early editions of much of Shakespeare's work.
The Huntington family's mansion also encased cultural delights (add art to the list of 'exotic' collectables). Additionally, the Huntington complex houses some great exhibitions; I could blab for hours about the posters in the American litography exhibition, or the history of the Harlem Renaissance, etc. etc.
If you ever find yourself in LA and you're itching for something more profound than the Hollywood Walk of Fame or frozen yoghurt, I urge you to visit this place. A library, an art collection and botanical gardens on one site - truly not to be missed.
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