We are OUT! Finally! After months and months of not being able to do anything or go anywhere, we are OUT to visit the Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia. They have reopened with limited capacity, timed entries, and restrictions such as keeping at least six feet away from other groups and wearing masks at all times. All of that is OK . . . The important thing is we are OUT! And we are TOGETHER! And we're gonna have the best day!
We've all brought our own lunch, and we ate at the picnic tables near the parking lot before we entered the gardens. It was fun seeing everyone and having a little time to chat and catch up. Somehow we forgot to take any pictures of our "picnic", guess we were having too much fun just seeing each other!
The Arboretum is such a beautiful place. A picture is worth a thousand words, so here's just a sampling . . .
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| The Arboretum and Botanic Garden |
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| Let's explore! |
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Beautiful pathways, paved and relatively flat, easy for walking |
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| Elephant Foot Tree - Fascinating |
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| A closer look |
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| Couldn't you just sit here and relax all day? |
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Look familiar? Hint: "Ze plane! Ze plane!"
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| Another fascinating tree trunk |
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| Another view of the lake |
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| And another |
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| Bamboo. There should be Pandas! |
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| Queen Anne Cottage |
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| Not open right now, but so beautiful |
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| Some info about Queen Anne Cottage |
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| Here's the answer to that earlier question |
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| This is the kitchen where all the meals were prepared |
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| Rest stop. |
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| Relaxing and enjoying the view |
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The tours are not operating now, but this man gives little lectures about the arboretum and it's history.
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| Listening and learning |
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Front: Seema, Queen Debbie, Joy Back: Kathy, Robin, Carol N, Anita, Heather |
Along the way, we passed beautiful flowers and trees. Here's just a sample . . .
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| Beautiful waterfall |
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| Love the sound of the water |
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| Perfect photo spot |
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Seated: Seema, Carol N, Anita, Debbie, Joy, Robin Standing: Kathy, Heather |
And of course, we saw critters . . .
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| Lots of geese |
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| Egret |
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| Another goose |
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| Turtles |
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| And more turtles |
And then the last section that we visited was filled with these . . .
We were sorry that our wonderful day in the "OUT" was coming to an end, but it was time to go. Next stop . . . . Dinner!
Queen Debbie found a restaurant nearby that offered outdoor seating . . .
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| Matt Denny's in Arcadia |
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| Carol N, Joy, Debbie, Seema, Robin, Kathy, Anita |
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And we celebrated our birthday girl with yummy desserts! |
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Happy Birthday Seema Enjoy your last year as a Pink Hatter! |
Thanks Queen Debbie for such a fun day. We can't express how wonderful it was to be together again, and what a beautiful place for our first outing since the pandemic started. This will also be our last event for 2020, so wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas, and a very Happy and Healthy New Year.
See you at our Birthday Party in January!