Huntington Library in San Marino

On Saturday, John took Audrey and I out on a date.  We went to the Huntington Library in San Marino.  Have you been there before?  It is beautiful!  There are art museums, gardens, and sculptures everywhere.  There was even some science to learn.  I have to recommend this place to anyone who wants a nice day out.  It's a bit of a drive, but totally worth it.

In the children's garden, Audrey had a blast.  There were fountains, sculptures, flowers, and things to climb on, run through, and duck under.

tortoise sculpture

One of the many, many, many fountains for Audrey to play in.

There were lots of plant tunnels, and Audrey ran through them all!

Audrey was a little grumpy around nap time (which she did not take advantage of).  It was a hot, hot day, which I'm sure didn't help.

There was a huge wire house/topiary with little benches inside.  If I had a big enough yard, I'd definitely love something like this!  I would grow ivy and roses all over it.  It was straight out of The Secret Garden.

Here are more fountains in the children's garden.  Audrey splashed in each one before discovering water between the stones.

This is perhaps my favorite of all the pictures we took.  Audrey is walking through the door near the entrance to the garden.  It's very Alice in Wonderland.

My favorite garden (after the Children's Garden) was the (indoor) Conservatory, which had 3 sections with tropical plants.  It reminded me of driving up Tantalus in Hawaii.  There was even a cloud room.  It was humid and sticky and I loved it.

The pond in the Conservatory

This is part of the Chinese Garden, which was also very beautiful.  It reminded me of my time in Taiwan.

The architecture was also noteworthy.  Mr. Huntington was a business man in the early 1900s who created this beautiful property.  He was also an art collector, so there were many galleries and sculptures to admire.

I wanted to lay under a tree and enjoy the sunshine, but it was hot, Audrey was fussy, and it was time to go home.

Over all, it was a great family day!  I highly recommend you check out the Huntington Library if you haven't already.