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LATIMES.COM F5
ularity among locals and tourists.Katie FalkenbergFor The Timeswith wide stretches of well-manicured
rden with shaded bench seating.Ricardo DeAratanhaLos Angeles Timesneo integrated the roadway into
his design, considering “the Holly-
wood Freeway as Los Angeles’
river of transportation, the con-
nection of people to each other,”
according to the cathedral’s web-
site.
Take time to go inside the
impressive cathedral, built to hold
3,000 people. At those quiet times
of the day, you may have it all to
yourself. Admission is free; dona-
tions accepted.
Info: 555 W. Temple St., L.A.;
olacathedral.org7
PEACE AWARENESS
LABYRINTH & GARDENS
WEST ADAMS
The meditation garden and
stone-carved labyrinth — copied
from one inside Chartres Cathe-
dral in France — at the Movement
of Spiritual Inner Awareness
center in West Adams were cre-
ated as a quiet place to connect
with yourself. Why not give in?
Stairs to the garden descend to
gently terraced paths lined with
bamboo, lush ferns and low-lying
shrubs. Water rushes from foun-
tains at every turn; benches and
chairs in discreet areas welcome
you to sit and be still. A little seep
of city noise can be heard, but the
sound of falling water silences
everything. The labyrinth too is a
study in peace; no talking as slow
and deliberate steps are taken on
the path.
The gardens are behind an
Italian Renaissance/Beaux Arts
house built in the early 20th cen-
tury by onetime wine magnate
Secondo Guasti and which later
became home to Hollywood film
choreographer Busby Berkeley.
It’s free to visit (donations ac-
cepted), but you must register in
advance online.
Info: 3500 W. Adams Blvd., Los
Angeles; peacelabyrinth.org8
THE JAPANESE GARDEN
VAN NUYS
The Japanese Garden, a.k.a.,
Suiho-en, “garden of water and
fragrance,” is an immaculate,
low-profile 6 acres of greenery
that’s easy to explore on foot. On
one side is a pond with lotus andwater lilies; in the center, a floating
bridge where double-crested
cormorants and egrets gather as
fat koi swim below. There’s even a
“dry” (stone) Zen meditation
garden in which to sit and ponder.
The design, which has a certain
air-brushed scenic quality, is au-
thentic too. Koichi Kawana, a pro
at creating such gardens, used
traditional calming elements,
such as waterfalls, streams,
plants, and stone lanterns.
For the most part it’s quiet
here, except for an occasional
plane. Every once in a while, you
get a whiff of the site’s true pur-
pose: recycling millions of gallons
of L.A.’s daily wastewater into
usable water.
The garden was created at the
site of the Tillman Water Reclama-
tion Plant (whose main building
“Star Trek” fans may recognize as
the Starfleet Academy) to show-
case t its waterworks. It costs $5 to
enter.
Info: 6100 Woodley Ave., Van
Nuys; thejapanesegarden.com9
WATTLES MANSION AND
PARKHOLLYWOOD
The long, sloping lawn in front
of the two-story Mediterranean
and Mission Revival home pro-
vides a hushed respite with views
that look down on Hollywood and
beyond.
You can linger in the large
arches on the porch of the estate,
which is open only for private
events. It was built in 1907 by Ne-
braska banker Gurdon Wattles as
a winter home, a throwback to
pre-film-era Hollywood, when you
could live grandly with ease.
To enter the nearby Wattles
Park, take a path uphill on the side
of the house to built-in stone
benches surrounded by shrubs,
another place to sit and reflect.
Continue up the stone stairs and
you’ll find a dusty dirt trail where
random objects — maybe folk art?
— are strewn about: a wooden
figure with marble eyes, a plaque
with a smiling Buddha, a red Japa-
nese torii gate. Funky, yes, but
solitary too.
Info: 1824 N. Curson Ave., Los
Angeles; laparks.org/park/
wattles-gardens10
MILDRED E. MATHIAS
BOTANICAL GARDEN
UCLA, WESTWOOD
Should you ever need to jump
off the 405 Freeway for a little quiet
time, this garden is an easy exit
away. It’s on a hillside behind the
health sciences complex with
gates open at posted hours. Inside,
you’re mentally miles away from
the hopping campus and West-
wood.
There are a bunch of little gar-
dens in this terraced hill with a
stream: an ancient forest, desert
plants, a stand of palms and showy
plants native to Hawaii. It’s in-
tended to be educational, of
course, but it also seeks to create
“a tranquil environment with the
urban surroundings,” its mission
statement says.
Mildred Mathias, by the way,
was a conservation powerhouse all
her life, particularly when it came
to bringing awareness to destruc-
tion of tropical forests.
A good place to sit (when there
aren’t groups around) is the Nest,
a stone amphitheater underneath
a gingko tree. From there, wander
the little paths and enjoy the quiet.
It’s free to enter.
Info: 707 Tiverton Drive, Los
Angeles; botgard.ucla.edu11
JUST FLOAT
PASADENA
When all else fails, go to a sure-
fire silent spa. At Just Float, one of
several “floating spas” in Southern
California, you are led to your own
personal float compartment,
where a sign outside says “Quiet
please, healing in process.”
For an hour, you are immersed
in the super-salty water that keeps
you buoyant in complete darkness
(I asked for a few lights to stay on).
Your mind empties as you swirl
and listen to your heartbeat or
your breathing. Only when my
cellphone went off (I’d forgotten to
silence it) did the world come
rushing back. Otherwise, it was
pure relaxation. Afterward, you
can stay and sip herbal teas and
keep the calm vibe going. $59 for a
first visit.
Info: 76 N. Hudson Ave. Suite
120, Pasadena; justfloat.com6 A GLASS WALLetched with angels reduces the freeway traffic below to white noise at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Los Angeles.
Ricardo DeAratanhaLos Angeles Times5 PETER SHIRE’Sinstallation at Angels Point in Elysian Park
is a popular attraction; the downtown skyline also stands out.Ricardo DeAratanhaLos Angeles Times7 THE SOUNDof rushing water enfolds Sung-Eun Lee at the
Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens in West Adams.Al SeibLos Angeles Times8 A PONDwith water lilies and large koi swimming below in-
vites peaceful reflection at the Japanese Garden in Van Nuys.Mary ForgioneLos Angeles Times9 JUST BEYONDWattles Mansion in Hollywood is a little-
trafficked canyon that has funky works of art along the trails.Mary ForgioneLos Angeles Times10 SET ON A UCLAhillside, the Mildred E. Mathias Bo-
tanical Garden is a perfect spot for the mind to wander.Reed HutchinsonUCLA11 JUST FLOATemployee Ilona Houhanissyan soaks in the
salty water. For ultra-stillness, choose to be in total darkness.Mel MelconLos Angeles Times