Ambassador Mansions & Gardens is a very quiet, peaceful, and truly beautiful place. It's hidden…read morebetween buildings, and if you don't know it's there, you might easily miss it -- which makes it feel like a secret garden in the middle of the city. The territory is incredibly well maintained, with huge mature trees, beautiful flowers, fountains, mini waterfalls, and small ponds where you can see fish and turtles. There is also a lovely grassy area in the center where you can sit, relax, or have a small picnic. Geese walk freely around the gardens, and colorful parrots fly overhead, adding even more charm to the atmosphere. In April, the garden looks especially stunning -- the pergola and trees are in full bloom (I wish I remembered the names of those gorgeous flowers!), and the whole place feels alive and magical. Honestly, this garden is beautiful in any season of the year. You can come here with dogs, which is a big plus, but it's important to respect the property rules: pets must be on a leash, owners are responsible for cleanup, professional photography requires a permit, and activities like skateboarding, drinking alcohol, or organized sports events are not allowed. These rules help preserve the calm and cleanliness of the space. There is also a secondary school located on the property, which adds to the unique character of the place. Parking-wise, we were able to find free street parking nearby without any issues. This is a perfect spot to slow down, enjoy nature, and escape the city noise for a while. Highly recommended for a peaceful walk or a quiet moment surrounded by beauty.

What a beautiful place to walk around and enjoy the grounds. It is a private property so make sure…read moreto follow the rules and don't litter. Ambassador gardens is a luxury residential community with beautiful homes and condos. The grounds are beautiful with big trees, water features and seating areas. We even saw turtles and big birds by the waterfall. Really lovely place to take a stroll at. We parked on Green Street and walked towards the ambassador auditorium... see my videos and pictures. So pretty.

Wrigley Mansion is the owner of Wrigleys chewing gum. We didnt go in because had to reserve and…read morethey were closed. The mansion is huge. The garden area was beautiful.

Such a cute little spot to relax and take a walk. There was plenty of street parking available…read more When we stopped by, lots of people were taking their prom pictures there. The garden was full of colorful roses, and the large green lawn made the whole place feel peaceful and beautiful.

Cool public art! The fork is separating S. Pasadena Ave and S. Saint John Ave in the City of South…read morePasadena!

This is a cool sculpture on an island among busy streets, featuring lovely trees, shrubs, and…read moregreenery. But it was hard to access, surrounded by heavy traffic on all sides this past weekend. Parking was scarce too, but we still made a quick stop to check it out after an event we attended nearby. It's basically a giant fork with a fitting name for the artwork. The creation started as a joke by artist, Ken Marshall, who gave it as a birthday gift in 2009 to Ice House comedy club founder Bob Stane. It was temporarily removed, then later reinstalled a couple years later after attaining permits, and has since, been a site for food drives/charity events as well as a tourist attraction for people like me :D

This is the most difficult Botanical Garden to get in touch with…read more The hours they have posted on their website are wrong, no one picks up the phone after calling several times and leaving several messages. I went in person last weekend, and it was closed despite their online hours posted. The lack of clarity even upon walking up to the venue is not clear. They have no signs stating they are closed and it's clear they do not care to return voicemails. Please do not waste your time going there.

Background On Visit: Last Sunday (4/12/26), the venue hosted the Pasadena Festival Of Tea. We were…read moreone of the participants for this event. Hours Of Operation: They welcome visitors to the garden on many Friday and Saturday evenings and during the day on Sundays. You can check out their schedule of events and admission cost on their website: https://japanesegardenpasadena.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/japanesegardenpasadena/event.jsp?;=&event=1612& Admission Cost: Mostly, $15 on Friday and Saturday. Sunday, it's $12. For other events, they post the cost on their website. Location/Parking: Located across from the Arlington Gardens (Free). It's kinda hidden, but just use the gps on your phone to guide you. Parking can be found along Arlington. For special events, they encourage you to park at Westridge School (Orange Grove and W. State St.) and walk up to Storrier Stearns. Ambiance/Decor: The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden is a beautiful and charming retreat with a quiet and tranquil elegance. The place is small which contains many of the much admired design features found in the most lavish of Japanese-style gardens of its era. As Kendall Brown states in his book, California Japanese-style Gardens, "this is the genius of Kinzuchi Fujii: this was once a flat area of two tennis courts; now it is a masterwork. 1) Classic Niko-an Teahouse, the garden landscape offers a variety of other beautiful details. 2) Numerous gathering points, seating areas & vistas 3) Four original bridges plus the original cedar log Japanese Waiting Bench 4) Two large interconnected, irregularly shaped koi ponds 5) The sounds of two waterfalls, one cascading down a 25-foot hill 6) An artful dry riverbed for rain overflow winding through the garden 7) Cooling shade everywhere from spreading sycamores & old oaks 8) Many tons of boulders & stones 9) Granite statuary & stone lanterns Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden For Thought: Wouldn't mind coming back to re-center myself. I did a have nice time.

There's two floors so much amazing collections to see. The garden area is a work of art. I really…read moreenjoyed it. It's easy to get lost wondering thru each art piece. Can't believe the museum is here in our area. We watched the history of Norton Simon in the theater. Great job narrating his work. I would go again so much to see and be inspire. The Staffs were very professional and courteous.

I've been to this museum twice already since I was amazed at what this location has to offer. It's…read morea smaller museum compared to the Huntington library. If you're a student or have EBT you can access this museum for free. Parking is free as well. You reserve your tickets online & just present your proof of ID for student or EBT. There are 2 floors to this museum & an outdoor garden as well. A mix of European art , modern pieces , sculptures , & Southeast asian art as well. I was here for a good 2 hours for my last visit since I was taking it all in. Once done, I love to grab some kettle chips & a signature drink from their cafe by the garden. I sit & journal for a bit then walk around the gardens. The small souvenir store is delightful in where you can purchase small or large prints of your favorite pieces. Books , trinkets, & museum merchandise is also available. I will come back for their next exhibit to see what other pieces will be displayed.

Such a cute concept with spaces being utilized throughout the area. Think of the gum alley in…read moredowntown SLO town or Seattle. Here in downtown Riverside, you have Mariposa Alley (Butterflies). During lunch we were trying to figure out what was around the area that was worth checking out. This popped up and was a 2 minute walk away. Just around the corner from Main Street next to a parking structure. It's a small little alley way that house all the fun cute butterflies hanging off the wall. The same concept as Collette Miller with the famous Angel wings scattered all over the place. One side of the wall is a massive mural of butterflies and flowers while the opposite side are butterflies. All different sizes and shapes hanging off the wall. You have the colorful wings lower down for that perfect photo op as well as smaller one hanging off the wall. A cute little walkway that's hidden off the Main Street. It's tucked in between the parking structure and city hall. A fun photo spot that's well maintained and clean. Alleyway was not messy one bit and in pretty good shape and clean.

A literally breath of fresh air in the middle of the city. While in town this week I decided to…read morewalk the city instead of drive. Lucky for me I found not only this beautiful alley, but so much more. There are many photo ops here and if you have someone with you even more shots possible. The alley is clean and easily accessible. Smack dab in the middle of downtown surrounded by shops and restaurants. A great stop if you love street art, butterflies or looking for something free and fun to do!

It is always a struggle to write beyond a cliche. Case in point, I want to express that the…read moreArlington Garden in Pasadena is a green oasis amidst urban noise and pace but that would say little since people consider their backyard and their local parks to be a green space of peace. And they would be right- who am I to judge the green that someone holds precious whether it be jade from feudal China or a patch of blades that are bed for the soul to rest. So I am left with one task: to express the serene beauty of this place that is also engaging in a quiet way, with almost ethereal words to truly defend and display that this, in all its glory, is a green oasis that wins by a short shot. The grounds are not huge, it is small but comes close to being medium. But what I loved is that its green branches and brown barks and twigs were immersive. I had entered a green swirl that moved all around me in stillness of movement but blurs of garden spirits. The place was like an outside museum that honors mother earth and her mantra of tender care that explains how flowers grow best. One of the most engaging experiences was their wishing tree. It was about two to four big trees with hanging wishes written by everyday folk. As I walked the steps to the trees, as I passed between them my skin could feel the words of hope hanging from branches. It was like the cards spoke in lovely whispers that reminded me that days of beauty are created when people do not forget to see that joyous petals that are in the wind and all around in the everyday. And as one note reminded us, joy is not ready made, to find it takes action. Reading the notes was a way in which I elected joy, as an act of resistance toward anger and disapointment. There was also this gazebo with a statue of a greek goddess. These are guesses of mine, I did not find some type of placards to confirm my notions. She was framed in the gazebo by a quasi-window. I entered the small gazebo and sat in the only green bench maybe big enough for two.I did not understand why she was giving me her back, I wanted to face her. But then I realized that Demeter or Gaia (maybe?) was not facing me because she was looking at her creation, like any person would when they have a garden to admire. From that seat I saw a man doing Tai-Chi and being filmed by his partner in all red. I sat and viewed him quietly and ask that whatever he was calling forth with his movements also entered my own person. From this seat, I also saw a pregnant woman taking pictures. She was wearing a white dress with a tasteful floral pops around. At times, she laughed with a wide smile, at times she held the bundle with her hands. It was seeing a place of growth, welcome a being with life about to begin. Her partner joined and they were directed into stances that made sense--- like the one where they look longingly at each other while he held her, and she held the coming boy. I could see their happiness, I could see their true connection, and I knew that the baby was being born into comfort and love. It was great reminder that sometimes life blooms with ease into joy. I also saw a lizard run and move its neck, both in a funny way. I saw a sole butterfly flutter. I saw folks sitting, relaxing, eating, all in with a calm demeanor. So I would like to think that this place is a green oasis or at least a place where rest is each to come by.

The Arlington Garden is a nice, public garden in Pasadena. Admission is free and street parking is…read moreplentiful. It's not a big garden, yet it does a great job at displaying native species, sustainable land scaping, and climate appropriate plants. I came during the hot days of summer, so there's not a lot that's in bloom. I did spot plenty of California poppies, milkweed, and yarrow. The trees, like the holly leaf cherry and eastern redbud, were beautiful on its own. I also had the rare privilege of seeing a flowering agave plant. The citrus area is a standout. They have some dwarf species and trees that were rehoused after being part of an art installation. They use the fruit to make marmalade. What's unused gets donated.

I have lived in the LA/Pasadena area for over 10 years and I have been to Old Town Pasadena dozens…read moreof times. I love how everything is designed; old-style and unique. There are many restaurants to eat from and many places with sweet drinks and ice cream. If you are looking to buy a car, Old Town Pasadena has dealerships like the Porsche dealership, Rolls-Royce, Lucid, and more. There is a ton of history behind Old Town Pasadena which makes it extremely special. History dates back to 1870 when it was first a thing. They used to grow oranges there and now it's a thriving tourist destination! That's just so unique. This place is very walkable for tourists with many different alleyways and streets. Green St. Right next to Pasadena is also pretty nice. It's like Old Town Pasadena but some places there are more of a hidden gem. Other than dealerships and restaurants, Old Town Pasadena has a ton of clothing stores and shops to go to. They even have museums art galleries and events. This place also has a pretty big car culture like the concorso ferrari event where they line dozens and dozens of Ferraris in Old Town Pasadena. At night, Old Town Pasadena is still very cool. There are many active bars to go to and still cars and people walking around! If you are in the area and haven't gone to Old Town Pasadena yet, you should definitely go see if you like it or not. If you like cars you might see some cool cars too! Overall there is a lot of history behind this place and I would recommend it.

Love Old Town Pasadena, been visiting since the late 90s (think I just aged myself, haha)…read more Definitely seen a lot of changes in the past few decades as many shops and restaurants have come and gone. Even so, there's still something for everyone regardless of age. There use to be a couple of parking structures with limited free parking, but now they're still reasonable at a few couple of dollars. Street meters are still available up and down the street. Some of my top favorites include Waunderlust Creamery and The Pie Hole. There are also mainstream popular brand stores such as JCrew, Madewell, Urban Outfitters, and a few others. A few thrift/consignment stores are also along Colorado Blvd. Traffic can get tricky around the area, please bring your patience. See you next time, Old Town Pasadena! #46/2025

This is awesome public art display of a special tribute to Kobe Bryant and his daughter that…read moreunfortunately passed away in a plane crash in 2020. There are plenty of murals dedicated to them throughout the United States that are popping up over the years. I thought this was a wonderful display that pays tribute to them

The 2024-2025 NBA season kicked off today and what better place to kick off basketball season than…read morewith a visit to the Kobe Bryant Mural located in Torrance! Painted by Mike Trujillo; the mural highlights Kobe's basketball journey via all his jerseys. The mural starts off on the left with a painting showasing when he played high-school basketball at Lower Merion High School and wore #33. The mural then shows how he first wore #8 for the Lakers for when was first drafted and on to when he won three championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The mural next highlights him wearing the #10 jersey for the USA men's basketball team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Lastly it shows Kobe sporting #24 starting in the 2006-07 season; all the way till he retired in 2016. I also loved how the mural had purple and gold hues for the background. This is an amazing mural to see and it can be easily missed as it is on the backside of the Burger City restaurant in Torrance. I definitely say though it is one not to pass up seeing as it's a great tribute to Kobe via showcasing all of Kobe's jerseys from the start to the finish of his career. This mural is something Lakers and basketball fans will truly appreciate. I know I certainly did!

Public art in Torrance, California…read more.. My friend, Craig Y., knew that there was a relatively new Kobe Bryant mural in his hometown. He tried to figure out where it was located on Torrance Boulevard. We found it in Old Town Torrance... on the wall of Burger City Grill. It's by Mike Trujillo and is awesome! The gigantic mural has great illumination at night! It includes all of the numbers that Kobe wore: from High School, to the Olympics, and when we was with the Lakers! Look for Kobe's Academy Award! It's very cool - go see it!