Hi There fellow Hubbers and readers thereof...I am here to take you on an adventure of natural and various habitats of the world, only not by plane or train or boat, but by my HubPages Express! If you have read any of my previous hubs, you have surely noticed my photographs. (All of my photos that I publish with my articles are original art that I usually take expressly for the Hub that I am writing and I would be happy to discuss them with my readers, if you would like to purchase them, otherwise, please do not copy them or plagerize them in any way, thanks!) I am including these photographs for your enjoyment but I am sad to say someone in the past ruined my articles trying to take the photos and I have had to copyright them all now. Please stay a while and enjoy the ADVENTURE!

If you are looking for a special gift for him, or for her...this little adventure pulls more weight than Flowers.com or Home Depot for sure! The greatest part about this gift is that its time spent together very inexpensively! You will enjoy my photographs, but believe me, when you go there, you'll want to take a camera of your own! I took over 400 shots in one day and you will only see a small sampling In this HubPage, but you really will want your significant other in your own photos. Also, don't be afraid to ask people visiting the gardens to take pictures of you together so you can be in some of them as well!

You are not only going to see fascinating photos of wildlife performing in their natural environments, but there are photos of antiques and awesome, awesome ideas for your own gardens and wildlife habitats! This is a date your lover will remember always, I can attest to that as I took my husband to the very weeping willow tree by the pond where we kissed on the day we had our engagement photos taken here...twenty years ago!

Now that you have made it halfway through my photo Adventure, are you curious where this place is? I think many people who live in Southern California probably will recognize the last few photos at the end of this article as many, many brides come here to have their engagement photos taken or on their wedding day to photograph their wedding parties. But if you cannot wait until you reach the end of the adventure (you can tell you have reached the end by the COMMENTS Section...this is where you should leave comments or ask any questions you may have...I will answer you in about 24 hours), if you need to know NOW, where this wonderful "A" Date spot is, A is for romance and asthetics, oh! and you need to bring your own picnic basket unless you wish to eat in the commissary...

The name of this 127 -acre botanical garden is called the Los Angeles Arboretum, but it isn't located in Los Angeles, it is located directly off the 210 Freeway, in Arcadia. The address is 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia , CA 91007. Their Website Link is: www.arboretum.org if you prefer to call the phone number is: 1-626/821-4623.

The Arboretum has Ongoing exhibitions all year, art classes, photography sessions, Family Picnic Sundays, Family Bird Walks, Tram tours (for those who cannot walk-no cars are allowed inside the Botanical Gardens), Lectures such as "Art in the Garden", school tours and many other special interest activities.

The Arboretum is opened from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily. Members admitted free, visitors pay $7. per adult, Seniors $5., abd Students with IDs also pay $5. admission fee. Kids 5-12 are $2.50, babies free! This has got to be the "Best Bang for your Buck" that I have found yet!

Also many special events happen through-out the year, I am particularly excited to be a part of the Summer Evening Guided Tours Program, Walks in the Arboretum at night, after hours, each evening features a different section of the grounds. Can you imagine the wonders that come out at night?? There will be a Butterflies in Watercolor artist teaching in October, click on the Link to go to the Website to make your reservations....but not until after you finish this Adventure, scroll down to continue....!!!

In addition to Weddings and large Family reunion gatherings, many local peole bring their families to the Los Angeles Arboretum to learn about nature and the ecosystems of the world. Many exhibits are located through-out the gardens and all the major specimens trees and plantings have plaques and descriptions to identify and educate visitors. Needless to say you could never see all of the 127-acre gardens in one day so special visits with family and friends can be a celebration of the beginning of each of the four seasons. If you have children, they will remind you when it is Springtime or that the Harvest time celebration is coming. Some of the lecturers are appropriate for adults, so consider bringing a babysitter or a reliable teenage relative to look after the kids and maybe help them feed the ducks at the pond while you attend a session. Sometimes it is good to call ahead because they have had standing room only for some popular speakers!

I will be looking forward to the newborn peacocks at the end of July-August, and there are some plants you never see bloom in the wild, for example in the winter an Australian tree called the Acacia will be covered with yellow flowers and have you ever seen that beautiful silver leafed Eucalyptus tree in bloom? Its' flowers are yellow or red! I didn't know they liked the cold temperatures. My all time favorite tree is the Jacaranda Tree, they bloom before they get their new leaves in spring, totally covered in purple from March - May, and when they start to lose their blossomes...it's like purple snow everywhere! This in itself is a reason to take the kids or...someone with a romantic heart...this spring!

Hope to see you there, Soon!