Around Pasadena
There are hundreds of things to do in and around Pasadena. Here are a few links and
suggestions especially for those of you staying over on Saturday.
Pasadena links from
Convention and Visitor's Buraeu.
Pasadena entertainment
links from citynet.
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The Huntington: It's only about
a half-mile from Caltech, has acres of beautiful gardens to walk through,
including a desert garden, Japanese garden, camellia gardens and much more.
There is a nice tea room and cafeteria, and an amazing collection of rare
books (the Ellesmere manuscript of The Canterbury Tales, a Gutenberg Bible,
etc), and some other collections. They are open 10:30-4:30 on the weekend.
See www.huntington.org or call 626-405-2141 for more details.
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Descanso Gardens: A restful
beautiful garden with the world's largest collection of camelia bushes.
Lunch can be obtained at a window counter. There is a modest admission
charge. An hour's stroll will allow you to see most of the gardens. To
reach Descanso Gardens: From the hotels or Athenaeum, get on the 210 Freeway
headed West. Stay to the right and follow the signs to San Fernando. Take
the Angeles Crest turnoff, turn left and follow the signs to Descanso.
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The Gamble House: a winter home
of the Cincinnati Gambles (of Procter & Gamble) is a beautiful example
of "complete design" by Pasadena architects Greene and Greene. Built at
the turn of the century, the 8000 sq. ft. mansion is a featured example
of the arts and crafts movement, in particular, the Craftsman style houses
for which Pasadena became admired in the world of art and architecture.
Gamble House is located on the 300 block of Orange Grove Avenue, just north
of Colorado Blvd in Pasadena. After passing through Old Town Pasadena (westbound)
on Colorado, turn right onto Orange Grove and look for the Gamble House,
and signs pointing to it, on the left, about 1/2 mile up. Their phone number
is 818-793-3334.
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Old Town Pasadena is a historic
area of late 19th and early-20th century buildings near the intersection
of Colorado Blvd and Fair Oaks Ave. There are many restaurants, coffee
houses, boutiques, bookstores, etc in the streets and hidden alleyways
of this newly revitalized area of town.
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Norton-Simon Museum: in Old
Town Pasadena, at the extreme west end of Colorado Blvd. A small museum,
but with a very nice art collection, including European painters and Hindu
& Buddhist sculpture. The museum is open Thursday to Sunday noon-6pm.
Also, check out the gardens of the Ambasador College 1 block from there,
just south of Green St.
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LA Flower market between 7'th
and 8'th st on Wall st downtown. Two blocks ! of flower stalls and just
a really beautiful atmosphere. Nice breakfast cafe on the same street (the
Operetta Cafe). The flower market is usually wholesale but goes open to
the public from 8-11 am Saturday. Take 9'th st exit off the 110 S (in the
LA downtown area), on 9'th St head SE for about 10 blocks to Wall st.,
turn left and go to 7/8/9'th st. and park.
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LA farmers market on Farifax
avenue is full of good food stalls, coffee, etc ~1 sq. block and you can
sit around there reading and eating for a couple of hours easily. Near
LA Co. Museums also. Take 10 Frwy towards Santa Monica, exit at Fairfax,
go north about 20 blocks and Farmers market is obvious on the left of Farifax.
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The Getty: near the 405 Fwy
and Sunset Blvd, inland of Santa Monica. A spectacular setting, nice architecture,
OK art collection, good special exibits. On weekends they are open 10am-6pm.
You have to call first for a parking reservation or they won't let you
in. Parking is $5.00 and the museum is free. Call first for info
(310-440-7300).
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The beaches: Nice walks near
the water in Santa Monica, Venice, Manhattan and points south. It is also
possible to rent a bike (rental places along the walks), and there are
long biking/rollerblading paths parallel to the walks. In Santa Monica,
the pedestrian mall, Third St, Promenade, may be amusing, especially in
the evenings.
Here are even more of
Pasadena links
from Roy Williams.
Prepared from contributions by George Djogovski, Allan Dressler,
Nick Scoville, Lisa Storrie-Lombardi, Marcin Sawicki, and Ray Weymann
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