J is for Japanese Garden: A Free to See #AtoZChallenge Post

 

A fountain at the Japanese Garden with the water reclamation plant behind it

I'm living in southern California this year, and decided to use my exploration of the area as my focus for the #AtoZChallenge. I'm concentrating on free to see places, though I will include locations that require a parking fee. This is the tenth post in the series.

SuihoEn (The Japanese Garden) in Van Nuys is a peaceful gem--and peace is what I needed after trying to follow my phone's navigation to find the place. If you exit the 405 freeway at Victory Blvd, turn south on Woodley Ave and keep driving until you see a big white sign in the median. Then turn left into the parking lot. You will need to stop at the guard gate, as the parking lot is shared with the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant. Parking and admission is free. 

The day I visited, some of the garden was under renovation, so not all of the paths were open. Even at that, I enjoyed strolling through the grounds. Though there were quite a few other visitors as well, it didn't feel crowded. 

Cherry blossoms bloom behind the water reclamation building

Though the cherry trees were in bloom, the paths that went close to the trees were closed for renovation. They were still pretty from a distance. 

Cherry trees bloom across the lake

Statues, bridges, and fountains added beauty to the gardens. 

A concrete statue sits on a boulder at the edge of the lake

A gracefully arched bridge crosses the water

The video below shows a bamboo piece slowly filling up with water, then dumping the water out only to repeat the process: 

It did not take long to walk through the Japanese Garden, but it was a nice place to visit.