Ever been to Descanso Gardens?

It's the best kept secret 5 minutes up the 2 freeway, between Glendale and Pasadena.  If the Huntington Library is Disneyland, Descanso is more like Knott's Berry Farm.  On a simpler and much more digestible scale, Descanso boasts Japanese zen gardens, coi ponds, wooded walking paths, art galleries and bird sanctuaries.  A 5-acre rose garden is the main attraction during Spring and Summer months, featuring more than 3,000 rose varieties collected from centuries of international cultivation.  Having said that, there's also a little choo-choo train that you can ride and pretend you're a giant.

The cost of admission is pretty cheap ($7), but an annual membership is a steal ($60 for one adult, $70 for a couple!).  Basic membership gives you 364 days of admission, invitations to private events and discounts on year-round exercise and horticulture classes held on the garden grounds.  My favorite membership perk is early access an hour before opening (8-9am), when you can speed-walk, jog, or just meander with a cup of coffee through the morning dew-soaked forests before beginning your day.  Click here to visit their website.