We had a great time exploring the remains of Pasadena’s Busch Gardens on Sunday, January 28, 2018. Made some new friends, found a secret guest book, and even got invited in for a private look at one of the most impressive remnants of the Gardens! Thanks for walking with me!
Photos by Sarah Emery Bunn
Sunday January 28, 2018 | 2PM
Meet at 2PM at the southwest corner of Arlington & Orange Grove.
Pasadena’s Busch Gardens is long gone, but thanks to a great article/item at KCET recently, we are going to take a walk to see the hidden remains of this piece of our city’s history. This won’t be a long or very vigorous walk, just a chance to explore and walk and talk!
Approximate Route:
Update:
From Petrea Burchard: “Hi everyone. In 2010 I wrote a series of posts about some of the sights in Busch Gardens. These were on the blog where I posted every day for about 5.5 years, Pasadena Daily Photo.”
5/25/10:
http://pasadenadailyphoto.blogspot.com/…/busch-gardens-pasa…
Thanks for walking with me! We had a very sociable and fun time exploring Raymond and Fair Oaks with the Walking Pasadena group on November 26, 2016!
Photo Credits: Thomas Lenz and Sarah Emery Bunn
Saturday, November 26, 2016, 8:30AM
Meet outside Whole Foods Arroyo Parkway
465 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, CA 91105
There are some great features to this walk south of Pasadena’s Old Town – come explore Fair Oaks and Raymond Avenues with the Walking Pasadena group! We’ll meet at the entrance to the Arroyo Parkway Whole Foods, and wander 2-3 miles on Fair Oaks, Raymond Avenue, California Boulevard, and Arroyo Parkway. There may be a few alleys we discover on the way that we can explore! You have probably driven these streets many times, but have you walked them? There are Art Center murals, hidden alleys, great coffee shops and antique stores, interesting architecture, and more!
We celebrated World Labyrinth Day as a group on May 7, 2016 with a peaceful walk with Walking Pasadena!
May 7, 2016, 1PM
Arlington Garden
275 Arlington Drive, Pasadena CA
Celebrate the eighth annual World Labyrinth Day on Saturday, May 7, 2016! We are lucky to have several labyrinths in the Pasadena area; this walk will include two of them.
We’ll start at 1PM at the Arlington Garden labyrinth at 275 Arlington Drive. After we’ve enjoyed their classical labyrinth, we’ll walk together to the Chartres-style labyrinth at Neighborhood Church on Orange Grove. We’ll return to the starting point at Arlington for a round trip of about 3.5-4 miles.
RSVP on the Facebook Event page, or comment on this post, or just show up!
For more information on labyrinths as a spiritual tool, see this page: labyrinths.
For more information on World Labyrinth Day, see this flyer or the Labyrinth Society’s web page on the event.
Some thoughts on yesterday’s big event… As a pedestrian I am lucky that I can walk on the sidewalks of Pasadena at any time and feel safe, and enjoy the businesses and sights. I imagine was a lot more novel/exciting for cyclists to be in the street without worrying about cars. I enjoyed the walk and all the people, but frankly, it didn’t seem like it was an event for pedestrians.
I did think it was a great event and it was nice to see all those people out and about exploring our city’s streets at lower speed. When I first heard about it I had a hard time wrapping my head around why I should think it was cool, but definitely gave it a chance. I just feel that as a pedestrian it wasn’t aimed at “us” so didn’t feel as cool/unusual as it probably did for the cyclists.
It would have been nice if there was a lane for pedestrians in the street. Although the event organizers were very clear it was an event for all non-motorized participants, because of all the bikes I didn’t feel comfortable walking in the street. Most cyclists were respectful, but I felt in the way and just a little unsafe just the same.
What did you think of CicLAvia? I’m particularly interested in the thoughts of those who participated as a pedestrian rather than a cyclist.
From the CicLAvia website:
Pasadena has played host to parades, bike races and music festivals, and for the first time is opening its streets to the largest car-free open streets event in America. CicLAvia – Pasadena Presented by Metro takes place from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 31. The city will lend its own charm and flair to CicLAvia as participants travel along Colorado Boulevard, and down side streets to parks and historic architecture using foot, pedal and non-motorized wheel power. Go Metro to CicLAvia, the event route will connect to the Memorial and Del Mar the Metro Gold Line Stations enabling participants to have a car-free or car-lite day.
CicLAvia – Pasadena Presented by Metro is the most walkable CicLAvia to date at 3.5 miles. The cozy distance will offer participants the opportunity to peruse and explore Pasadena’s business gems and cultural treasures. Spurs off the main route on Raymond Avenue and Lake Street will take participants to local parks. And CicLAvia’s new partnership with Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities, Cirque du Soleil’s newest touring Big Top show, coming to southern California this fall, will give participants young and old a smile-inducing and awe-inspiring entertainment adventure.
It was a small group walking Washington Blvd this past weekend – I think the gloomy weather kept people snug in their warm homes that morning! But we had fun exploring the shops and peeked into the empty St Luke’s Hospital building. On the way back some of us sampled delicious Armenian pastry at Sarkis Bakery, and I hear others enjoyed Salvadoran cuisine at La Caravana!
Explore Washington Boulevard from Sierra Madre Boulevard to Fair Oaks Avenue – a significant tour of central Pasadena. There are lots of interesting old and new businesses especially on this route.
About 3.8 miles one way, double that if you do it round trip. (or Bus #268 can take you back near PHS – Orange Grove/Sunny Slope).
La Pintoresca Hotel, Pasadena CA. Image courtesty the Pasadena Digital History Collaboration (http://pasadenadigitalhistory.com)
Some things I’ve learned about Washington Boulevard from Wikipedia: Washington Boulevard was constructed in the early 20th Century to facilitate vehicular access to the Hotel La Pintoresca at Fair Oaks & Washington, and to service riders on the East Washington Streetcar line. The line ran for 2.5 miles between Los Robles Avenue and Santa Anita Avenue. Washington Boulevard originally terminated at Arroyo Boulevard and Altadena Drive. An extension west to Linda Vista was built in the 1940s and another southeast to Pasadena High School in the 1960s.
Walking Pasadena 