California - 2008 Official State Visitor's Guide and Travel Planner - (Page 54) play » green » gardens theme-park gardens W Take time to smell the flowers at California theme parks ith most parts of California boasting over 300 days of sunshine a year, just about every living thing thrives here—including the state’s famous theme parks and zoos. Sure, families visit them for the enticing attractions and wild rides, but, hey, this is California. At many parks, including these three, you will leave awed by landscapes L gardens] that celebrate our endless summer. SUSAN C. KIM [ Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park is nothing short of a horticultural spectacle. You can’t turn your head without seeing one of the park’s 10,000 trees, which include 200 fun-shaped topiaries, coast redwoods (the world’s tallest trees), and the famous Circus Trees, whose twisted trunks defy all logic and gravity. The park’s six majestic gardens explode with a mind-boggling array of flowers too—thousands of species, if you want to count. Kids go nuts over the Garlic Twirl and the Artichoke Dip, rides that pay tribute to two of Central California’s iconic crops. And don’t forget bathing suits; children can walk behind the three-story-high Bonfante Falls and beat the heat in the interactive Splash Garden water area. Open daily June through August, weekends in spring and fall 408/840-7100 « Disneyland Park x San Diego Zoo x « 54 San Diego Zoo may be known for the menagerie of wild animals, but its collection of flora alone is worth the visit. More than 700,000 exotic plants, such as bamboo, coral trees, aloe, and ginger, flourish in the zoo’s prized botanical garden. As you come face-to-face with gorillas and koalas in their naturalistic habitats, you’re surrounded by Central Africa’s exuberant orange clock vine and Australia’s fragrant eucalyptus. Visit on Plant Day, the third Friday of each month, for horticulture tours and special access to rare orchids in the Orchid House. Open daily 619/231-3153 Enter L keyword in Search box at visitcalifornia.com Clockwise from top left: Disneyland/Paul Hiffmeyer; Gilroy Gardens; Andrea Gomez « Disneyland Park is a virtual garden with the world for its nursery. Jungle Cruise explorers brave hippopotamusfilled waters and ply the 5-acre waterway through a lush tropical African rain forest, while the gentle Storybook Land boat ride drifts past charming Japanese bonsai. Next door, Disney’s California Adventure celebrates the Golden State’s diverse landscape, from cactus-dotted deserts to the stoic sequoias in the High Sierra. The Golden Vine Winery features a real wine grape vineyard, and rows of springblossoming lemon, walnut, and plum trees create a colorful tapestry at the 2 1⁄2-acre working Bountiful Valley Farm. Open daily 714/781-4565 x Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park http://www.visitcalifornia.com
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