Los Angeles Times - 21.09.2019

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MIND &

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for children 5 to 12.

Info: 1418 Descanso Drive,

La Cañada Flintridge;

descansogardens.org

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LOS ANGELES COUNTY

ARBORETUM AND

BOTANIC GARDENARCADIA

For a bit of scenic serenity,

dodge the roving peacocks near

the entrance and head straight to

the lily ponds, formally known as

the Aquatic Gardens, on Tallac

Knoll. It’s a high point in the 127-

acre park at the top of steep stone

steps along a cooling waterfall. Up

here, you feel above it all. There are

little ponds fringed with grasses,

floating water lilies and benches

beneath tree canopies that pro-

vide cool cover. Look north for a

good view of the San Gabriel

Mountains.

The arboretum once belonged

to Elias Jackson “Lucky” Baldwin,

one of Southern California’s

wealthiest landowners in the late

19th century who called the former

rancho home. The waterfall and

lily ponds weren’t there then, but

they recall the quiet beauty of the

site’s early days. Admission is $9

for adults, $4 for children 5 to 12.

Info: 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arca-

dia; arboretum.org

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LACY PARK

SAN MARINO

Searching for a secret garden?

Lacy Park, set on 30 acres in a

residential neighborhood, fits the

bill. Silence-seekers should head

for the rose garden on the park’s

west side near St. Albans Road.

It’s narrow and long, with cypress

trees lining one side and a rectan-

gle of well-manicured grass sur-

rounding the bushes.

Two benches at the entrance to

the garden are partly shaded by

trees, perfect spots to sit quietly

and maybe even, yes, smell the

roses (some were blooming when I

visited on a scorching summer

afternoon).

The wooden rose arbor that’s

been a fixture for six decades was

absent on a recent visit; it’s in the

process of being replaced. But that

doesn’t take away from the peace-

ful brilliance of this spot. Though

1

THE HUNTINGTON

LIBRARY, ART MUSEUM,

AND BOTANICAL GARDENS

SAN MARINO

The century-old Huntington

seems far from quiet: About

750,000 visitors come each year —

and sometimes it feels like they’re

all there on the same day. To es-

cape the crowds, zip past the

Chinese Garden’s sculpted stone

bridges and climb to the hilltop

ceremonial Japanese tea garden

called Seifu-an, or “arbor of pure

breeze.”

“Even if people are wandering

through, there’s a spiritual peace

and quiet,” spokeswoman Lisa

Blackburn says. “It’s all about the

slow, quiet and deliberate enjoy-

ment of nature.”

The 9-by-9-foot building, origi-

nally built in Kyoto, Japan, and

occasionally open for tea demon-

strations, is the centerpiece of the

classic garden fringed with Japa-

nese maples, black pines, azaleas

and a brook that runs down the

hill. From here, you can look down

on the more expansive Japanese

Garden, where gingko trees flame

with gold in late November. Ad-

mission costs $25 midweek, $29 on

weekends; free the first Thursday

of the month (provided you re-

serve in advance).

Info: 1151 Oxford Road, San

Marino; huntington.org

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DESCANSO GARDENS

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE

It’s not hard to find a hidden

corner in the 150 acres known for

glorious camellia bushes and

native woodlands, as long as you

steer clear of the popular (and

noisier) mini-railroad.

Start in the ancient forest

(which despite its name, debuted

in 2015) where a carpet-quiet path

winds past cycads, some of the

oldest plants on the planet, and

redwood trees. On a hill above,

benches overlook a grove of native

oak trees not far from the house of

former owner and newspaper

publisher E. Manchester Boddy.

With the birdsong and filtered

light, it’s a great spot to hit your

personal reset button.

Admission is $9 for adults, $4

the park is free to enter on week-

days, anyone who isn’t a resident

of San Marino has to pay $5 on

weekends (a fee L.A. Times col-

umnist Steve Lopez took the city

to task for more than a decade

ago).

Info: 1485 Virginia Road, San

Marino; bit.ly/lacypark

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ANGELS POINT

ELYSIAN PARK

In one of L.A.’s oldest parks,

this spot has not exactly gone

unnoticed, judging by the graffiti

that covers much of artist Peter

Shire’s large and whimsical art

installation at the site. But the

benches, also covered in paint,

face one of the best views of down-

town L.A.’s skyline, with Dodger

Stadium off to the left and bits of

wild Chavez Ravine in the fore-

ground.

The artwork propped up by

cement columns and a lone palm

tree may be a deconstructed re-

flection of the downtown buildings

in the distance. Too soon, you hear

vehicles pulling over and car doors

slamming. Consider yourself lucky

to have found even five minutes of

peace in the heart of the city.

Info: Starting at Stadium Way,

take Angels Point Road and keep

driving until you see the point’s

sign. Park along the road and

follow the short dirt path downhill.

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CATHEDRAL OF OUR

LADY OF THE ANGELS

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

Churches are supposed to be

quiet, but L.A.’s premier Catholic

cathedral doubles as a tourist

stop. At the right time — late

afternoon on a midweek day — you

can find fewer crowds and some

soothing spots to escape the clat-

ter of downtown.

Inside the cathedral’s court-

yard, past a large fountain, is a

small meditation garden with a

little circular pool, a place to re-

flect and shut out the downtown

din. At the far side of the court-

yard, the glass wall decorated with

etched angels floating above the

freeway seems almost soundproof,

reducing the traffic below to white

noise. Architect José Rafael Mo-

1 BAMBOO LINESa bridge that leads to the Huntington’s Japanese tea garden, where nature and quietude make steady companions despite the San Marino institute’s popu

Finding

serenity

amid the

city’s roar

A couple of times a week, I find myself in the early morning hours alone

on a quiet bluff over the Pacific Ocean at the Korean Friendship Bell not

far from my home in San Pedro. I love these stolen moments of quiet, but it

never occurred to me that my brain did too.

“The human brain needs to rest; it needs to not have constant stimu-

lus,” says Diana Winston, director of mindfulness education at UCLA Se-

mel Institute’s Mindful Awareness Research Center.

Indeed, silence may do more for the brain than most people realize.

Medical studies show it can recharge our mental batteries by relieving

stress and reboot decision-making and cognitive skills. And quiet allows

for some processing time too.

“When you are not distracted by noise or goal-orientated tasks, there

appears to be a quiet time that allows your conscious work space to proc-

ess things,” Rebecca Beris writes in a story for LifeHack. “During these

periods of silence, your brain has the freedom it needs to discover its place

in your internal and external world.”

Even as little as five minutes of quiet can be restorative, but where can

you be alone amid the roughly 25 million people in Southern California?

Beaches and mountains are obvious choices, but both can be far to go

(and a tough freeway drive) for just a quick break. These places closer to

the city allow you to reflect, meditate or just be still. There’s no guarantee

they’ll be noise-free or people-free, but plan an early morning or late after-

noon visit and you may find just what you — and your brain — crave.

By Mary Forgione

2 A SPIN through the ancient forest at Des-
canso Gardens is a good bet for a bit of silence.

Mary ForgioneLos Angeles Times

3 SCENICserenity at the Los Angeles County

Arboretum includes the Meyberg Waterfall.

Irfan KhanLos Angeles Times

4 LACY PARKoffers 30 acres of solitary refuge in San Marino. Along w

grass on which to practice yoga or meditation, there’s a fragrant rose gar