Over the next few weeks I will be out doing “travel research” (please stay tuned for future blog posts) but I wanted to make sure you knew about something fun to do if you are going to be in the Orange County area before Halloween. I wrote about Roger’s Gardens and the fantastic annual Halloween event they have about a year ago but as a reminder, this up-scale garden has been a fixture in Newport Beach for more than 30 years and offers the most comprehensive plant selection in Southern California. They go all-out every year at Halloween with this year’s theme being Malice in Wonderland (they also decorate for the Christmas season too)! It is fun to just “window shop” but of course, even more fun to buy decorations for yourself here, no matter what the holiday is.
They always put on such a nice display and this year did not disappoint. I visited on a day when the weather was 80 degrees so it definitely did not seem like Halloween was around the corner; however, I left completely ready to welcome trick or treaters!
Don’t let the outside fool you with the large white teapot on the roof and a tame-looking green rabbit greeting you at the door. There are some spooky and creepy things inside too!
The usual cast of characters from Alice In Wonderland are present of course – including the Queen of Hearts and some very spooky versions of the White Rabbit and Alice.
Of course, there is a nice selection of skeletons and skulls ….
Oodles of witches ….
Things that are not so scary and actually kind of cute ….
And things that are either whimsical or creepy --- or both ….
My favorite things were the White Walker dragon hovering above in one of the boutique rooms and a whimsical skeleton hand holding a wine goblet. The doorbell with an eyeball that opens when you push the button is hilarious and a little startling too!
So, if you are in the Newport Beach area and looking for something fun to do by the beach that is free (unless you buy something of course), this is a great place to go. If you have never been or if you haven’t been in awhile, do spend some time walking around the outdoor area too – it really is a nice stroll. There is also a lovely farm-to-fork restaurant (Farmhouse Restaurant) on the premises if you want to extend your outing.
As I mentioned earlier, I will be out for a few weeks doing research but do follow me on Instagram or Facebook under Late Bloomer Traveler where I will be sharing highlights of my discoveries throughout my trip, of course, all of which I will be discussing in depth when I return. See you when I get back!