RKS Travel: The Botanical Beauty of the Desert: Sunnylands Center and Gardens in Rancho Mirage, California

Posted byRobert K Stephen (CSW)Posted inTravelTags:, , , , , , , ,

Many know of Rancho Mirage’s plethora of spectacular golf courses, country clubs, glam hotels and restaurants set amid palm trees and the brown towering and sometimes snowcapped mountains of the Coachella Valley in Southern California but one should not overlook the Sunnylands Centre & Gardens located at 37977 Bob Hope Drive.

Sunnylands is a 200-acre historic estate of the late Walter and Leonore Annenberg. Mr. Annenberg was a publishing magnate and philanthropist leaving half of his $8 billion estate to his wife, his extensive art collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the remainder to the Annenberg Foundation. During the Nixon administration Mr. Annenberg served from 1969-1974 as Ambassador to the Court of St. James, Great Britain. He hosted royalty and world leaders at his estate.

Sunnylands quickly dispels the “desert myth” namely there is nothing but sand, tumbleweeds and cacti. Here you will find spectacular sculptured gardens highlighting the biodiversity of the desert with some 70 arid adaptable plants.

Take a walk in the Lower Garden, West Garden, East Terrace, West Terrace and/or Wildflower Field (being mindful of an occasional rattlesnake).

Take a 60-minute historic walk accompanied by a guide to discover the historic estate and tour directly around the Historic House. Cost is $28.03.

Hop on a shuttle for a 45-minute guided ride with views of the Historic House, golf course and outdoor sculpture. Cost $30.11.

Installation at the Sunnylands Center: Agnes Denies “The Living Pyramid”

You can also go birding on the estate with a local birder leading guests through the estate grounds. Cost $41.55 per person.

There is the coveted Historic House Tour taking guests on a 90-minute tour of the house. Cost $58.19 per person. The Historic House is a 25,000 square foot mid-century modern house. Tickets are made available on the 15th of each month at 09:00 Pacific Time for tours on the following month.

Sunnylands is open to the public from Wednesday through Sunday 08:30-16:00 hours.

For further information visit http://www.sunnylands.org.

Published by Robert K Stephen (CSW)

Robert K Stephen writes about food ,drink, travel, film, and lifestyle issues. He also has published serialized novels "Life at Megacorp", "Virus # 26, "Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog" and "The Penniless Pensioner" Robert was the first associate member of the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada. He also holds a Mindfulness Certification from the University of Leiden and the University of Toronto. Be it Spanish cured meat, dried fruit, BBQ, or recycled bamboo place mats, Robert endeavours to escape the mundane, which is why he has established this publication. His motto is, "Have Story, Will Write."

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