FioreBird's Travel Series: CALIFORNIA, Part II

Hi Steemit friends, Guess what?? Today marks seven days in a row of the FioreBird Travel Series blog!! Are you liking it? Is there anything you would like to see on here in the future? I'm currently exploring the State of California and I have some more bucket list items to add to this series, including the famous Getty Center and many oceanfront beach areas. So let me know if you have anything, in particular, you would like to see on the travel series. But before we delve into Part II today of Pasadena, California featuring The Huntington Botanical Gardens and Art Collections, I want to give a few shout outs and express my gratitude and thanks.

[Succulents at The Huntington Botanical Gardens, California]

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Shout Outs

I want to thank @kpine for creating the recent travel contest and for helping to inspire my first travel series blog, for being an awesome model on Steemit, and further for supporting the entire community here, also @steemseph for always continuing to encourage me and for supporting me from day #1 to keep striving ahead not only on this platform, but outside of it as well. Your support and friendship mean the world to me, and lastly but not least, @planetsteem and the many of you who have resteemed, upvoted and supported this series thus far. THANK YOU for your engagement and interest, It means so much to me. It is a huge part of maintaining motivation in sharing and writing these stories. I hope all of you are able to frequent at least one of the places listed on this series at least once in your lifetime or to at the very least be thankful for your surroundings and show the world and Steemit your slice of heaven/travel adventures.

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FioreBird Travel Series Blog Update

So after today, I plan on continuing the travel blog but plan on posting a little less frequently than daily, or to take the weekends off from posting. I'm not sure how I am going to do this yet, but I think self-care is also really important in the whole process of creating and writing. I want to keep up with writing quality travel posts. I don't want to lose passion for it. I will most importantly gauge the frequency by the engagement in the future travel series posts. I also plan on posting some more of my photography, which consists of flowers, nature, animals, and people... sometimes with a story, and sometimes without. A picture really can tell the audience many things if stops for a moment to pause and reflect.

OK, so finally, on to the beautiful Part II of Pasadena, California.

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The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

By the way, on a side note... I find it really auspicious timing to be posting this particular post on Valentine's Day... Huntington Gardens is a place where I had one of my first dates with my current lover...... and none the less, it's pretty romantic here! But I guess that could be really anywhere couples decide to venture. It's all what you make of it right?? Happy Valentines Day to my readers, I hope your day is special, not only today - but every day.

Below is the Temple of Love statue which was amongst the rose garden area. Somewhat fitting for Valentine's Day right?? In case anyone stops a visit today, there will be an Art lecture series and music in the Chinese Garden area.

[Rose Garden, The Huntington Botanical Gardens, California]

[Temple of Love, The Huntington Botanical Gardens, California]

[Temple of Love, The Huntington Botanical Gardens, California]

[Rose Garden, The Huntington Botanical Gardens, California]

For my fellow friends who are into nature, flowers, photography, art, and history... this is an absolute MUST see place to visit at least once in your lifetime. I would particularly recommend checking the whole place out. The Huntington Botanical Gardens is located in the city of Pasadena, as mentioned in yesterdays post. To catch up on Part I of Pasadena, click here: https://steemit.com/life/@fiorebird/fiorebird-s-travel-series-california-part-i.

Tickets
It ONLY costs $25.00 a person for a weekday visit and $29.00 for the weekend. One can buy tickets online or onsite. http://www.huntington.org/directions/. However, one can also go for free on the first Thursday of the month. NOTE: Tickets for the free day, can only be bought online, click the link for more info: http://www.huntington.org/WebAssets/Templates/content.aspx?id=844. They are also closed on Tuesdays and are only open until 5 p.m.

The Huntington Botanical Gardens feature some of the most beautiful cactuses, plants, flowers, succulents, trees, ponds, statues, and nature. We arrived here mid-afternoon and were not able to see everything. A Helpful Tip: I would recommend arriving as early as one can (as I recommend in many of my posts) so one can view it all. Nonetheless, we will be going back soon.

[The Huntington Botanical Gardens, California]

[The Huntington Botanical Gardens, California]

[The Huntington Botanical Gardens, California]

[The Huntington Botanical Gardens, California]

[The Huntington Botanical Gardens, California]

[The Huntington Botanical Gardens, California]

The Huntington Library and Art Collections:

There is also an Art Collection area in the Huntington Library, amongst the gardens, but due to those time constraints, we were unable to visit this the day we went. There is a famous painting in the Huntington Library called the Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough. Supposedly, the painting was known as one of the most expensive paintings in 1921, (https://news.artnet.com/opinion/gainsborough-blue-boy-huntington-889190). The Art Collections here also feature the following in the Huntington Library: the Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, some of the original prints of Shakespeare's plays, amongst much other historical art and history literature works.

[Source: The Blue Boy Painting, 1770, Thomas Gainsborough; Courtesy of The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, see link here: http://www.huntington.org/webassets/templates/general.aspx?id=14392]

Places to Eat:

Try one of the dining options on site. There are places to eat located all amidst the garden areas. We recommend trying the Patio Grill, here's a link for more info: http://www.huntington.org/dining/.

To learn furthermore, check out the Huntington website: http://www.huntington.org/about/.

OR better yet, plan your next vacation to visit the beautiful Pasadena, California.

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...Until next time my friends...

TO CATCH UP ON THE SERIES ...

FioreBird's Travel Series

POST 1 - Oregon:
https://steemit.com/travelpine/@fiorebird/fiorebird-s-travel-series-oregon

POST 2 - Madeline Island, Part I:
https://steemit.com/travel/@fiorebird/fiorebird-s-travel-series-madeline-island

POST 3 - Madeline Island, Part II:
https://steemit.com/life/@fiorebird/fiorebird-s-travel-series-madeline-island-part-ii

POST 4 - Madeline Island, Part III:
https://steemit.com/life/@fiorebird/fiorebird-s-travel-series-madeline-island-part-iii

POST 5 - The Grand Canyon, Arizona Part I: https://steemit.com/life/@fiorebird/fiorebird-s-travel-series-arizona-part-i

POST 6 - Sliding Rock State Park, Arizona Part II:
https://steemit.com/life/@fiorebird/fiorebird-s-travel-series-arizona-part-ii

POST 7 - Pasadena, California, Part I:
https://steemit.com/life/@fiorebird/fiorebird-s-travel-series-california-part-i

...On a really random side note... The first post of the FioreBird Travel Series won first place in the recent travelpine contest. Our @kpine Steemit neighbor hosted it. The post was all about Oregon, located in the Pacific North-West of the United States. If you like trees, check it out.

Coming Soon:
Duluth/Superior
Wisconsin Point
The North Shore
Lake Superior
The Drive 2000 Miles Across the United States
The Blue Dragonfly Inn - Cimarron, New Mexico
Totagatac Flowage - Minong, Wisconsin
Los Angeles, California
Long Beach, California
Santa Monica, California
Venice, California
Cozumel, Mexico

P. S. Don't forget to follow my account if you're interested in seeing more travel tips, and/or art, and photography series @fiorebird.