On the Road Again – Descanso Gardens

On the Road Again:
Descanso Gardens

The hardest part of the COVID-19 Pandemic for me has been the end of field trips. For months, I couldn’t go out and explore. Going to different places with friends and family is one of my favorite things to do. But I know that we have been trying to stop the spread of COVID-19 by practicing social

distancing when you are out—that means staying at least 6 feet from other people who don’t live in your house—and wearing a face mask. Also, washing your hands a lot. For awhile, everyone in California had to stay in unless they had to go to work or to the doctor or to get food or medicine. In fact, I made a video with my friends to encourage everyone to Stay Safe, Stay Home.

But wow. We started all of this in March and now it’s October. I have wanted to get out and about for so long. I have taken walks in parks and in the neighborhood. Played in my yard. But some of my favorite places to go were closed…

Until recently. Caleb with Curls is back on the road again! I want to share some of the fun places I’ve been to in the past few weeks. I’ve had so much fun!

Descanso Gardens

Elias Manchester Boddy, born in 1891, moved from New York City to California in 1920 with his family. They settled in the Los Angeles County community of La Cañada. Mr. Boddy sold books to make a living. Within six years, he was in charge of a newspaper called the Los Angeles Illustrated Daily News.

In the late 1930s, Mr. Boddy bought 165 acres of land and turned it into the Descanso Gardens. It is owned by the County of Los Angeles now and operated by a group called the Descanos Gardens Guild.

There are many different collections of plants in Descanso Gardens. There is the Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, California Natives, Center Circle, Oak Woodland and Nature’s Table, which is filled with plants you can eat. There are several museums in Descanso Gardens, but they are all closed because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

It was fun to be outdoors and pretend I was in the wilderness. Because I visited in October, they were preparing for Halloween, and pumpkins were all around. My favorite part of Descanso Gardens was the Rose Garden. I like the roses and the sprinkler that sprayed mist on the flowers and on me. It was a hot day and I needed to cool down!

If you want to go, your grownup will need to make a reservation in advance. They are trying to limit the number of people in the Gardens at once so that they can stay a safe distance from one another. The price to get in is pretty inexpensive.

General $15
Seniors 65 and over/Students with ID $11
Children (5 to 12 years) $5
Descanso members and children under 5 are free.

They are open every day except December 25. And the hours are from 9 am to 5 pm except October 26 to October 30, when they are open until 8 pm for the special Halloween at Descanso! In October, kids under 14 can wear their costumes and everyone walks through pumpkin-themed displays.

I had a blast. This was a new adventure for me. I had never been to Descanso Gardens before. It’s located at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 92011. You should try it!