Lianne K.
Yelp
It's holiday time at Descanso Gardens. Earlier this week, our Sweet Granddaughter had her holiday performance at school. After the show, which ended about 11:30 a.m., they released the kids for the day. As her parents needed to go back to work, Dear Hubby and I took our little star out to lunch, and were figuring out how to spend the afternoon.
As we hadn't been to Descanso for a while, that seemed like a great thing to do, and we were halfway there already. SG was all up for it; she remembers that we've made a number of visits to Descanso with her. That's exactly the kind of memories that we enjoy making with her, and hope to install a love of nature, botanical gardens, seasonal changes, and special events.
The model train garden space is now open. It was created over the summer and made its debut around Labor Day, I believe. It was the first time that we'd seen it. Very impressive! A lot of love and care when into the design and execution of the layout. I could have spent a lot more time observing all the nuances, special touches, "Easter eggs" with nods to historic train stations around the country, and more. There's a lot to see. Will probably notice something different each time we visit. Well done!
All of the light installations are in place for the Enchanted Forest of Light holiday event, which takes place nightly during the season. As the afternoon began to move toward sunset, some of the lights began to come on. It wasn't dark enough to get the full effect, but we got a hint of preview of what it's like after the sun goes down. We would love to bring SG back for the full experience. The holiday season goes by so quickly, so not sure if we'll pull it off, but we'll try.
We had time to stroll past the tulip beds, check out the waterfalls, and spend time in the Rose Garden, including SG walking the labyrinth multiple times. That space fascinates her, and it's great to see her have the patience to follow the path. We also had to go to the Japanese Garden to visit the koi pond and observe the red lanterns glowing there. Camelia bushes are budding like crazy and some of the blossoms have begun to pop open. Much more to come in the weeks ahead!
This garden is a most certainly a happy and peaceful place for our family.