Page 171 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2024 LIMA

dreds of faux carved pumpkins that abso‐
began cultivating them in the 1940s. Today
Descanso features one of America’s largest
camellia collections; peak bloom season is
January-February.
Descanso Gardens also features
seasonal and holiday specific special
events. When I was there during Halloween,
the oak groves were festooned with hun‐
lutely delighted me. Its annual Enchanted
Forest of Light ran from Nov. 19, 2023,
through Jan. 7, 2024.
But, of course, I left the best for last.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum
and Botanical Gardens is truly one of the
world’s finest public gardens. Founded in
1919 by Henry E. and Arabella Huntington,
this compound consists of one of the finest
research libraries in the world, a spectacu‐
lar art collection and an array of botanical
gardens that now hold specimens well over
100 years old.
In 1872, Henry Huntington went to
work for his uncle, Collin P. Huntington, an
owner of the Central Pacific Railroad. In
1903, Henry went to California for his work
and purchased the San Marino Ranch,
transforming it into the showplace it is to‐
day.
You’ll want to see Thomas Gains‐
borough’s “The Blue Boy,” located in the
Huntington Art Gallery which is housed in
the former home of the Huntingtons. Also
here is Kehinde Wiley’s “A Portrait of a
Young Gentleman.”
In other galleries in the compound,
American Art in the Scott Galleries fea‐
tures Mary Cassatt’s “Breakfast in Bed,”
and Edward Hopper’s “The Long Leg.” You
can even see a draft of Henry David
Thoreau’s “Walden” in the Library Exhibi‐
tion Hall.
But the gardens are the amazing
draw here. Its 16 principal gardens cover
130 acres of the grounds. And mind you,
after more than 100 years, these gardens
are astoundingly beautiful,
Pink Silk Floss Trees in the Los Angeles
Arboretum.
Opposite: Pumpkins festoon trails in
Descanso Gardens during Halloween.
WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM 171