During the final leg of my week-long stay in California, I greatly enjoyed a couple days at Stanford University, which I had never visited before. I was given an hours-long bicycle tour by a fantastic tour guide, and pretty rapidly determined that it is a gorgeous campus:
But, buildings aside, there was another surprise awaiting me: the Arizona Cactus Garden, which is on campus. Turns out it is a hidden treasure–one that not many Stanford students even know exists because it is in a more secluded area, hidden behind a grove of trees. When we arrived, we had the garden to ourselves, with only the occasional lizard and woodpecker to distract our attention from the cacti.
The final treat was a stop in Palo Alto at the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden, a lovely oasis full of gorgeous flowers. It was truly a memorable visit.
Perennial Pastimes 