"Let’s start big picture here. A gorgeous 281-acre green space within Boston, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is the oldest public arboretum in North America (c. 1872) and the highlight of Frederick Law Olmsted's famed Emerald Necklace . Prolific biking and walking trails zigzag past more than 16,000 accessioned plants, many meticulously marked with signs. The natural splendor is a feast for the eyes, which are able to spot the sheer diversity of trees and plants at every turn. QR-coded signs and the arboretum’s easy-to-use “Expeditions” app make it possible to dig deep into the environment. Any standout features or must-sees? There's not a bad view to be had in the entire arboretum. But a good starting point is the quarter-mile long Explorers Garden Tour, which showcases dozens of exotic plants from Central China and Korea plus the much-photographed Franklin Tree, which once grew in Georgia but is now extinct in the wild. Was it easy to get around? The arboretum is easy to navigate, but it's also easy to get lost (Don't worry, given the many well-marked intersections, you won't stay lost for long.) The best thing to do is to download the “Expeditions” app , which has a map feature that will help guide you along trails and keep you on track during audio tours. Since the terrain is hilly and not all paths are paved, touring the arboretum could prove difficult for those with mobility issues. All said and done, what—and who—is this best for? Arnold Arboretum is free 365 days a year and open from sunrise to sunset. Tree huggers and budding botanists will find themselves in heaven, but anyone looking to immerse in nature and learn (a lot) in the process, will find a visit here time well spent. Grab one of Boston's blue rental bikes, breeze across the city, and enter through any of the eight entry gates. Note that bikers must stick to paved roads. Alternatively, explore by foot (and off-road), starting at the Forest Hills gate, accessed by taking the Orange Line to Forest Hills. This is the way to do it if you’re looking to learn anything or everything about this awesome collection of trees, which happens to be one of the world's most comprehensive and best documented collections of temperate woody plants." - Paul Rubio
