Long Beach and a hidden gem - Sherman Library and Gardens

Long Beach, California appears to be a very much a "blue collar' town.  What we can see of the port is full of working ship derricks and some gas and oil shipping facilities.  It reminds me very much of Tacoma's no nonsense port.  Motels, even here, are very expensive along the coast, but we were able to find a nice clean one in the heart of Long beach to settle in for the night; a minor miracle, I believe.

We left Ontario, California near the Arizona border this morning and drove through some fairly rugged terrain (and lots of road work) before arriving in Los Angeles County (a very, very large county indeed).  After the high dry temperatures in Arizona and the dry climate in New Mexico, it was quite wonderful to be facing 80 degree sunshine with some sea breezes in our faces as we reached the coast.

Once we hit the ocean, we stopped at the first available beach, Aliso Beach (very close to Laguna Beach,which was too crowded), and walked right into the lapping surf.  It was heavenly for me to finally be able to walk in sand without pain and to let the water cover my feet.  It has been Of course, as just about everyone has discovered, there is no just "walking in the water" at the beach.  Within the first 15 minutes of arrival, Steve and I had been soaked to our waists in back with a splash from a wave run amok.  Yes, we had wet pants for more than an hour while we sat and watched the kids with their skim surfer boards playing in the waves.  It was so much fun!

After that, we drove up the Pacific Coast Highway, marveling at the outrageously decadent resort buildings lining the road and facing the setting sun over that miraculously beautiful water.  No wonder everyone seems to want to be there.

Just by chance we stopped so I could take a picture of a beautiful tree with orange Bird of Paradise plants below it and stumbled upon the Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona del Mar, California.  I mean, really, what librarian could possibly pass up that tantalizing sign?  I ask you.

Sherman Library and Gardens is a gorgeous walled area of wonderful garden rooms.  The Sherman Library is a wonderful old building that houses an historical collection that is often used for research in the area.  I was able to speak with the librarian, who said he had been in the position for 4 years, replacing the librarian who had been there for 47 years.  They are still using a beautiful set of card catalogs, but are in the process of digitizing their more significant manuscripts, which begins the process of going completely online in the future.

Could this have been the original sign, I wonder?

The gardens were just gorgeous, with fountains, ponds, glass sculptures, topiary, and other garden art.

This tree bemuses me.  It has some sort of agave on the end of each branch.

Rose garden with blown glass.

Blown glass in the center of the square.

More blown glass.

Take a close look.  There are small succulents growing between the stairs!

We topped the evening off with a delicious and pleasant dinner at In-N-Out Burger, apparently a California mainstay.

Tomorrow, we plan to take our time driving up the coast.  We want to find a place (maybe an AirBnb) to stay for about 4 days and just relax and play at the beach.  We have several weeks before we have to be back in Tacoma for a Sept. 5 appointment with Steve's doctor.

More tomorrow.

Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix (oh, my!)

Desert Botanical Gardens - We finally forked over the $$ to go to the Phoenix botanical gardens.  They are located inside Papago Park (the Phoenix city park, one of the largest urban parks in the world), along with the Phoenix Zoo and some interesting hiking and picnicking options.  The stated entrance fee for the Gardens was $25 each, so we waited until we thought our stamina in this heat and my broken toe were ready for the necessary walking in order to get our money's worth.  Thanks to dear AAA travel club, we got a whopping $10 discount and spent a fascinating, if uncomfortable, 3 hours at the Gardens.  (This, of course, was interrupted about half-way through by a stint in the air-conditioned Gertrude's Restaurant on the premises, for drinks and a nibble, because our endurance was not quite as good as we thought.  The waiter entertained us with information about how to recognize someone who is about to suffer heat exhaustion - red in the face/splotchy, looking disoriented - and how to help them - under no circumstances give that person ice water; they will go directly into shock and real heat exhaustion.  Cool their skin with tepid water, help them drink tepid water for a few minutes, then as they cool down follow with ice water.  Steve and I may be ready for the desert soon.)

The desert plants are a cultivated taste, but they can be beautiful.  Judge for yourself:

Creeping Devil cactus; something just isn't right.

I think of this as a Medusa Tree; creepy.

The ranger thinks this is a form of marigold.  What do you think?

Prickly Pear

Tomorrow we visit St. Mary's Basilica in Phoenix and then the Phoenix Art Museum with my brother, Mark.