Visit to Encinitas

 The San Diego Botanical Garden was on my list of places to visit. I took advantage today to do so, since I had no classes to teach (via Zoom).

I got up early and purchased my ticket online ($18). It was supposed to be a very hot day again, up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit where I live, but on the coast, maybe fifteen degrees cooler. Encinitas is located near the California coast, so that would be a side benefit of visiting the place, cooler temperatures. Plus, I need to see the ocean from time to time, and I did as I drove down on the 5 freeway but I had no time to stop off at any beach.

It took a little longer than I expected to reach the place. It ended up taking me the full hour and a half, and I arrived at my projected time of 11 a.m. The garden staff are enormously friendly there! Of course they would be, I know they are open-minded and caring people, because, of course, they love plants and they are, most likely, volunteers. They were respectful and I appreciated that. It helps me to get over the fact that as one drive around in other parts one sees Trump volunteers manning tables next to shopping malls down in San Diego county. 

I arrived and didn't know what to expect. I had seen photos, of course, but as they say, you have to walk the walk to talk the talk. It was already in the upper 80s when I arrive at 11 a.m., but I was looking forward to it. I walked and saw a beautiful garden with many distinct habitats, including a beautiful little waterfall in the tropical habitat. There were not that many people so I enjoyed my walk, and the people I did see overwhelmingly wore respected the rules to wear masks. This is what I was talking about, the people who visit public gardens are open-hearted and cosmopolitan people who care about public health, not just vicious Trump narcissists who want to game the system to their benefit. But enough of politics. Trump has Covid, so just like Bolsonaro of Brazil, another Covid denier, he will hopefully find out the truth. 

Love the open pathways. There are many benches everywhere, just like at the California Botanical Garden in Claremont! And this garden is much greener and very colorful. The garden in Claremont was pretty much a monochrome experience except for a few exceptions with sunflowers and some reddish desert plants, but I love that one nonetheless too. 

There is a beautiful waterfall with several tiers. Of course it is artificial and not natural, but I love it nonetheless for its lushness. To take better pictures, I will have to go on a cloudy day, but fear not, I am returning.

These are topiary figures, as I found out when chatting with another visitor. I referred to them as Chia-figures, referencing the Chia pet products on television, which of course made me sound rather common, but now I know that this is topiary. 

Lovely flowers in the building next to the entranceway.

When the shrubs and trees change colors, this will be so beautiful.

More of the water features. This was near a bamboo forest, and they even have a model Asian temple there. These lilies were enormously relaxing to view, but the sun was merciless. Yes, there are turtles in this pond.

Enticing pathways as we climb up.

The beautiful shapes and colors of these flowers! I want to photograph them in cloudy light, not in direct, harsh sunlight. 

On the way up, nearby one can hear the waterfall. Paths are marked in pink for one direction and blue for the other.

Looking forward to autumn colors at this beautiful garden!

I left at about 2:10 p.m. after over three hours. That is the longest I have been in a single garden during a visit. I went and had Chinese-American food, then drove home on the 5 freeway. The traffic looked terrible on the way south, but was actually open and traveling freely on the way north. I took the pay highway, 133, to 241. I wonder what that will cost? But it was worth it, the 91 east is a grind after about 2 p.m., and it was almost 4 p.m. when I was getting near that freeway. 

I didn't get to visit the Alta Vista garden in Vista, but that will be for another day. I was very tired. When I went to get food at the Chinese-American place, in a shopping mall, I was a little off put by a woman who parked next to my car, near some bushes and a tree that were shading my car, and proceeded to urinate in the bushes and change her clothes. She was in her own car, and had the look of a homeless person. Things are difficult. I know they are. The economy is suffering, we are in a pandemic, and housing prices are still through the roof in California. It is impossible to find affordable housing in my state, especially in suburban communities such as Vista, and I read about how the homeless community is trampling all the vegetation near a river outlet in that city. 

I'll be back to this garden, and I will try to visit the Alta Vista garden that I was unable to visit today. I am checking off my list of botanic gardens, and at some point this month, will try for the two gardens in Santa Barbara county as well as the garden at my alma mater in Berkeley. It would be a great time to plan on a trip in the middle of October up the coast. I would leave on a Monday and return on a Tuesday. I would try to visit the Santa Barbara gardens, also take in the missions, then if Hearst Castle is open, I want to go, then continue north, go to Carmel, maybe rent a motel in Watsonville where they won't charge an arm and a leg, then go to San Francisco and then to Berkeley on the next day before driving back. I want to try it.