Background On Visit: Last Sunday (4/12/26), the venue hosted the Pasadena Festival Of Tea. We were…read moreone of the participants for this event. Hours Of Operation: They welcome visitors to the garden on many Friday and Saturday evenings and during the day on Sundays. You can check out their schedule of events and admission cost on their website: https://japanesegardenpasadena.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/japanesegardenpasadena/event.jsp?;=&event=1612& Admission Cost: Mostly, $15 on Friday and Saturday. Sunday, it's $12. For other events, they post the cost on their website. Location/Parking: Located across from the Arlington Gardens (Free). It's kinda hidden, but just use the gps on your phone to guide you. Parking can be found along Arlington. For special events, they encourage you to park at Westridge School (Orange Grove and W. State St.) and walk up to Storrier Stearns. Ambiance/Decor: The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden is a beautiful and charming retreat with a quiet and tranquil elegance. The place is small which contains many of the much admired design features found in the most lavish of Japanese-style gardens of its era. As Kendall Brown states in his book, California Japanese-style Gardens, "this is the genius of Kinzuchi Fujii: this was once a flat area of two tennis courts; now it is a masterwork. 1) Classic Niko-an Teahouse, the garden landscape offers a variety of other beautiful details. 2) Numerous gathering points, seating areas & vistas 3) Four original bridges plus the original cedar log Japanese Waiting Bench 4) Two large interconnected, irregularly shaped koi ponds 5) The sounds of two waterfalls, one cascading down a 25-foot hill 6) An artful dry riverbed for rain overflow winding through the garden 7) Cooling shade everywhere from spreading sycamores & old oaks 8) Many tons of boulders & stones 9) Granite statuary & stone lanterns Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden For Thought: Wouldn't mind coming back to re-center myself. I did a have nice time.

This is the most difficult Botanical Garden to get in touch with…read more The hours they have posted on their website are wrong, no one picks up the phone after calling several times and leaving several messages. I went in person last weekend, and it was closed despite their online hours posted. The lack of clarity even upon walking up to the venue is not clear. They have no signs stating they are closed and it's clear they do not care to return voicemails. Please do not waste your time going there.

I am only reviewing the playground area because we stopped by after our day at Kidspace Museum…read more Parents just be forewarned that your child will see this playground on the way into the museum and will want to play there afterwards. The park itself looks huge and there is so much open space The playground is super fun. There is a younger kid area and an older child area. Both have monkey bars which, of course, is my LO's favorite. There's slides, swings, and a bunch of ladders and balance apparatuses. It's a great park and I'm sure all the Pasadena families come here often. I know I would if I lived here

2026 Ronald McDonald Walk for Kids was held at Brookside Park in April. What an amazing non-profit…read moreorganization to help provide "life-changing support to families with critically ill children through seven Ronald McDonald Houses, three Family Rooms, and Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times." I was grateful to have participated in the event this year. I look forward to be a returning participant in the future. It was my first time visiting Brookside Park. It is Pasadena's largest fully maintained park located south of the Rose Bowl Stadium. It is indeed a beautiful park. Huge parking lot available off Arroyo Boulevard. There is a baseball stadium, football and soccer fields, tennis courts, swimming pool facilities, many picnic tables, good size children's playground area, restrooms, drinking fountains, etc. Barbecue pits are available in most picnic areas. I would love to return to this park on my own personal time and enjoy its amenities. If you're in the Pasadena area and need a place to walk, rest, hang out, have lunch, or play, Brookside Park may be the place for you.

A little bit of everything for people, dogs, horses etc. my favorite part was the horse ranch…read more There's fly fishing though the pond appears empty and archery too. Scenery was nice, dry basin overall. Had a good time walking around with dogs and people alike.

The trailhead is located at the north end of the San Pasqual Stables parking lot. The Lower Arroyo…read moreis also a tourist attraction and park that's good for kids and dogs. Walking, hiking and jogging are the most common recreational activities in the Lower Arroyo. Connecting many miles of equestrian trails, the Lower Arroyo trails are permitted for mixed use by foot traffic of humans, horses and dogs. No bicycles or motor vehicles are permitted in the area.

This park is an incredible birding hotspot and a true sanctuary for nature lovers. The semi-wild…read morelandscape, filled with native oak trees and hardy scrub, provides a diverse habitat that attracts birds of all sorts--especially in the early morning. It's a great spot to see a variety of species of birds against the beautiful backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains. The park is peaceful and well-maintained. Whether you're a serious birder or just looking for a tranquil place to hike and enjoy the local wildlife, this park is a local gem that shouldn't be missed! Note: There is a frisbee golf course there if that is your thing.

For a stunning easy hike with beautiful scenics of the local San Gabriel mountains and canyons plus…read moreNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory ask no more than Hahamongna watershed....also known as Oak Grove Park. Theres plenty of native plants and animals and the further nirth you hike the better it gets with a few picnic tables about a mile up and even campgrounds beyond that. It's a ripatian habitat so as you meander along the trail, toad or streamside you'll get a serene feeling as to how this place looked and felt for thousands of years by the areas local indigenous tribe,,,,the Kizh. You can park at the north end of Windsor Ave for easy access to a bike trail and walking trail or near the west end if Altadena Dr...where the Altadena Trailhead begins. Bubbling streams, white sage, oak trees, sycamores, toads, salamanders, etc etc.

I have a school age kid that goes here only on the weekends and every time I pick her up, she cries…read more( watery eyes) Fivestars just based off of the cry every time she has to leave lol. I thinks it's affordable as well.

My son has been attending Kids Klub for about 2.5 years, starting as a toddler, and it has been…read moresuch a wonderful experience for our family. The environment feels genuinely safe and welcoming every single time we walk in -- the ladies at the front desk are always warm and friendly, which makes drop-off so much easier. He's blossomed socially, made great friends, and always comes home excited about the activities and programs they do. I truly feel like he's a step ahead because of his time here. Highly recommend Kids Klub to any parent looking for a nurturing place for their little one!

A mere three miles past the despair and human detritus that is the cavalcade of Eaton Canyon…read morewaterfall-bound imbeciles carrying Bluetooth speakers blaring DMX and coolers full of glass bottles that will be "deposited" in shards amidst the tagged and grafitti'ed rocks and trees, Henninger Flats is a much more peaceful representation of the San Gabriel mountains. Thankfully, the elevation gain involved in the short but steady uphill keeps the majority of idiocy far below. The hike itself is about three miles on the Mt. Wilson Toll Road, a wide dirt path with very little shade by midday. Just past the sign welcoming you to Henninger Flats, pine trees provide shade over picnic and camping areas. Pit toilets, a tree farm, a nature trail, and the nature center are also featured here. The visitor center is variably open most days, and has some historical and natural displays that are showing their age, but are still as interesting as they were when I was a kid coming up here with my dad. A soda machine offers cold drinks for a buck, but it only takes quarters. Be sure to sign the guestbook on the counter, and on the rare opportunity that someone is staffing the front desk, stop in and say hi. Note well: while a project is currently underway to bring potable water back to Henninger, as of September 2018, there is STILL NO DRINKING WATER AT HENNINGER. Bring plenty of drinking water, especially if you are continuing deeper into the mountains on a longer hike. Most of the times that I visit, there are Boy Scout group camping on the weekend. Camping is free here, but you need to reserve the spot.

This hike is a segment which is a steep tangent from Eaton Cyn in the San Gabriel mtns. If you're…read moregoing to do this, be an extremely seasoned hiker. Like we hiked for a total of 10 miles, an entire day later, 2 sandwiches, trail-mix and extensive water-bottling. It's an awesome workout. And yes and mentioned by others, the recreational hikers stay far, far below. This hike is steep, and winds for miles. Once you arrive at the nature center, there is a cool centuries old restroom. I found this lovely, don't ask why. Vintage is my vibe. The nature center is educational. There are diagrams of tree and forest history. Stuffed wild animals, of the smaller variety: squirrels, birds, and the like. And the three-dimensional map of the forest range is cool. You feel like such a tiny fragment of a massive universe. Of which, we are regardless. It just places you in this perspective, at that very moment. The forest rangers are cordial. Yes, not park ranger bc it's this Rustic. Also, note you can buy water bottles at the nature center. This is vital bc the hike is extensive and you may need like 10 refills. So here you are. There isn't a filtered water supply elsewhere. These are also camp grounds, and pine trees nestle together here for miles. And the vista is gorgeous.

Play basketball here every Saturday. They never let us have the gym once. If they do let us use the…read moregym they charge they won't let the adults play imdoor for fun. That place is Money hungry. Always activities for the kids but the adults can't play indoor for fun

I've been comin here for years playing dodgeball. I've always had a good relationship with the…read morestaff here. Now I take my kid here to play at the revamped and amazing park. Huge maze/climbing fortress that leads to a super slide. Clean and well kept. Plenty of parking. I'm a little big for the slide but I still rocked it just to prove to myself that I am not getting older and I can handle anything. I don't even think I aged that much in the last few years. Thank you

Clean, affordable and not crowded yet... it is just the first open week of the summer season though…read moreso I expect it will be worse. Signed up for Group Swim lessons, very inexpensive!

Remember that many public pools across U.S. cities were backfilled with concrete rather than…read moreallowing people of color to swim with the white man during the 1960s and 1970s. That itself gives this historic structure a miraculous feel because it survived desegregation in an apartheid state that still tries to hide/deny its ugly white supremacism. Nonetheless, the racist, capitalist model of diminishing public infrastructure because they provide benefit to non-whites equally, prevails. The changing rooms are a shambles. Ironically, in many poorer nations where I have used municipal pools, they have smarter, more updated locker rooms. (This reveals the character of what passes for national culture.) Enough now with the disparagement and let's pivot to this historic pool. The length is perhaps Olympic size but the deep end of the pool is in the middle. It's cordoned off into three sections across, allowing a lap swimmer to benefit from the deepest central third, although it is not a full 25 yards across. The water is much clearer than in Glassell Park and perhaps it's because it is not as heavily used? I found there's a solid jet stream of pumped water underneath leading to a kind of "rip tide" effect in the pool. You have to work harder to get across because of the undercurrent. It's quite enjoyable. The lack of trees around this pool makes the sun feel harsh, but the nearby Gold line train gives it a feeling of being part of a vibrant metro region. As well I was smelling street tacos from a nearby truck, very aromatic I was delighted to find this pool during one of the extended brutal heat waves of triple digit temperatures that are commonplace now thanks to climate change. However, consistent with the history of white colonizers being callous about the welfare of non-white citizens, and overriding the unique realities of western geography in favor of conformity with norms from the northeast, the City of LA Parks and Recreation department feels the need to shut down pools like this one during LA's *hottest months* of September and October. In other words, yes, the City of LA would rather people of this area suffer the heat than keep this pool open to allow for some respite for vulnerable human bodies. LA's hottest months are always September and October. City of LA Parks and Recreation: We don't care. Finally, note there is limited parking in a lot which exits into a mega-dip in the street side curb that will crack most sedans' chassis... Call 818-804-7570 about hours.

Did you know you can kayak the LA River? Did you know that in the summertime the water ain't…read morenearly as dirty as you'd think? Yes, this is an urban wildlife experience. Don't go expecting to be away from the city. Go if you want a unique view of the city, in a lush and strange area where it feels like nature is winning out over concrete. Guides were friendly. We saw lots of cool birds. Nice blend of relaxation and fun.

I've lived in LA for years and somehow never realized you could kayak the river until a friend…read moresuggested trying LA River Kayak Safari. We booked a weekend morning tour, and it ended up being one of the most unexpectedly fun things I've done in the city. I was a little nervous at first since I'm not super experienced with kayaking, but the guides were patient and gave clear instructions before we got on the water. Once we started, it felt calm and surprisingly peaceful. We even spotted birds and fish along the way, which I definitely didn't expect in Los Angeles. The whole experience felt safe, well-organized, and relaxed. It's such a cool way to see a different side of the city. I'd absolutely do it again.

so i go metal detecting in this park all the time [nothing left here folks, don't bother] but…read morethey've been renovating it and something interesting is coming! I guess it's called a pump track, they are building it now. can't wait to see this forgotten park get popular!

Nice little park that isn't busy at all for kids. Bathrooms seemed open but didn't use. Easy…read moreparking. BBQs available but not many. There is some bums but wasn't bothered by anyone. Nice visit to stop for quick fresh air or to bring your dogs for some fetch.