The hook
A full city block in Corona del Mar hides a lush botanical garden and research library, built by one man who kept buying up the lots next door.
01Why it's worth it
In 1955 a businessman named Arnold Haskell bought a little adobe and nursery here for an office near his home, and, being a lover of plants, kept going, acquiring the surrounding lots over a decade until he owned the whole block, then giving it away as a garden and research library. What he left is a compact, beautifully kept oasis in the middle of pricey Corona del Mar: patios and fountains, a tropical conservatory, seasonal flower beds, and collections of more than a thousand species, heavy on rare cactus and succulents. It's small enough to see in an hour and dense enough to reward it, with a good cafe tucked in among the greenery. A quiet, civilized stop a block from the coast highway.
02How to experience it
It's on East Coast Highway in Corona del Mar, about seven hours from the Bay. There's a modest admission, and the on-site cafe makes it an easy lunch stop. Any season works. It pairs with the Corona del Mar bluffs and beach nearby.