December 31, 2013 – Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens – New Year’s Eve

The major event of the morning was having a service pump our black and gray water tanks.

Shortly after lunch, we took a bus to the Huntington Library in San Marino, California.

Front façade designed by and for Henry Huntington

Rear facade overlooking lawns designed for Arabella Huntington

It is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington, a railroad magnet who played a large role in the late 19^th and early 20^th century development of Southern California.

In addition to the library with its collection of rare books and manuscripts in the fields of British and American history and literature (one of the largest and most complete research libraries in the United States) … the institution houses an extensive art collection with a focus in 18th- and 19th-century European art and 17th- to mid-20th-century American art. There are a number of very famous pieces we were aware of

Thomas Gainsboough’s ‘The Blue Boy’ (1740)

Sir Thomas Lawrence’s ‘Pinkie’ (1794)

as well as others we’d never heard of, such as …

Edward Hooper’s ‘The Long Leg’ (ca 1940)

Fredric Edwin Church’s ‘Chimborazo’ (1864)

Mary Cassatt’s ‘Breakfast in Bed” (1897)

There were also many sculptures, both inside and on the grounds

Then, there were some others which stretch the definition of “art”. The collection also included many incredible period pieces of furniture, exquisite chandeliers and tapestries.

The property also includes approximately 120 acres of specialized botanical gardens, most notably the Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, the Chinese Garden, Desert Garden and Conservatory. Unfortunately, time only permitted us to see the first three.

ROSE GARDEN

Note the Prying Mantis

JAPANESE GARDEN

Refection of crescent bridge in pond

Dry Water Garden

Bonsai Silhouettes

Lantern (if it has one leg, it is for a shrine and if more than one leg it is a residential lantern)

CHINESE GARDEN

Exterior Wall of the Gardens

Formal Tea Room

Tea Room Walls and Windows

Pond for Contemplation

The gardens have been frequently used as a filming location for movies (including; Mame, Midway, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Indecent Proposal, The Wedding Singer, The Wedding Planner, Memoirs of a Geisha and GI Joe – The Rise of the Cobra) and television shows (CSI Miami).

This evening the Rally staff put on a really nice New Year’s Eve party for our group. The food was great, wine and other beverages complimentary, the live Dixieland band music enjoyable … and new friends terrific!

Debbie, Janis & Terry, Gary & Dee and Eleanor and Ron

As part of the celebrations, there was a Crazy Hat contest. Our creations were upside-down bowls decorated with roses and topped with an RV ornament.

Apparently the judges loved them as we ended up among the winners and won us a bottle of Champagne

As our group ranges from the mid-60s and up … and because we had to catch a 6:00 AM bus to the Rose Parade, we rang the New Year in New York time and everyone was likely in bed by 10:00 PM.