All due respect and admiration and wonder directed at our nearest star: It’s an absolute marvel, and we stand fully agog every day at the sun’s gravitational and energetic gifts, gifts we enjoy here on our home planet.
But come late July, around Southern California, a little respite from this powerful superstar’s sheer intensity can be a welcome thing. That’s when we turn to the moon, specifically the full moon, and its incredible ethereal charms.
The staff at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden understand our moon mania, which doesn’t only exist during the hottest stretches of the year. Still, when it is especially searing out, it is sweet to retreat to the pretty Arcadia property after-hours, all to bask in the beams of our lunar friend.
We’ll get that opportunity not once but twice as July draws to a close: The next full moon is due, the Buck Moon, and LA Arboretum is holding a pair of Forest Bathing: Full Moon experiences.
You won’t set off in darkness; rather, everything starts before sunset, allowing you to “… experience the softening of light and sound, the changing sky, and the rising moon.”
“As darkness falls, we shift from visual focus to subtler senses to guide our exploration.”
The dates are July 28 and 29, the hours are 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., and tickets? If you’re a member, your admission is $25, while non-members pay $35.
If your plan is to savor the moon’s shine at home or elsewhere on those nights, be not blue as the moon itself: There are other lovely happenings ahead at the garden, including Summer Camp for Adults (the July 26 event boasts a Christmas in July theme) and a Cactus & Succulent Show & Sale in August.
Check out all of the to-dos on this page, or simply stop by to wander the pathways before or after the heat of the day hits.