Tranquility Tour
1. Let’s start in the Palm Garden. Find a bench. Close your eyes. Listen to the birdsong and the sound of the palm fronds rustling in the breeze. Breathe deeply. Empty your mind.
John James Audubon (1785–1851), The Birds of America, London, 1827–38.
2. Wander over to the Library Exhibition Hall, and find the “Remarkable Works Remarkable Times” exhibition. Contemplate the depth and breadth in the culture and history of North America, the British Isles, Continental Europe, the Atlantic World, and the Pacific Rim.
Edward Hopper (1882-1967), The Long Leg, 1935. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of the Virginia Steele Scott Foundation.
3. Stroll over to the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art and soak in the serenity of Edward Hopper’s calm seascape, The Long Leg (ca. 1930). Hopper’s compositions have an air of stillness and a pervading mood of solitude. The color blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body.
4. Onward to the Zen Court. Contemplate the carefully raked patterns of pebbles. Open your mind to the enlightenment they may hold for you.
5. Leave the Zen Court by passing through the Bonsai Court, and stroll down the shaded, oak-lined path, and then through a bamboo forest. Pause. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.
6. Follow your nose to the Australian Garden. Breathe in the fresh scent of the eucalyptus trees. Their aromatic fragrance is thought to eradicate exhaustion and rejuvenate the spirit.
7. The final stop is the Lily Ponds. A contemplative gaze into tranquil waters can have a calming effect on the mind. You should now be feeling attuned to nature, with a lighter mood and a fresh spring in your step.