Itinerary

This page includes itineraries for several trips to gardens on the U.S. mainland and in Hawaii. A few gardens in France and England were visited in September 2014 plus Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Chicago in October 2014. Trips in 2015 included several more states plus two provinces in Canada. Travel to the North American Japanese Garden Association conference in March 2016 added Florida. The list on this page starts with the most recent trip.

In the United States, so far, we have visited Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Colorado, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, Michigan, Washington state, Oregon and Florida in addition to Hawaii. In Canada, gardens were visited in Lethbridge and Calgary, Alberta and in Vancouver and Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Gardens abroad were visited in Paris, Giverny, and London (2014), Kobe, Hiroshima, and Kyoto (2015), Nagoya, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto and Osaka (2016).

October 2016

Travel to Japan to follow Rennyo’s path on our way to Kyoto for the new monshu’s accession ceremonies.

March 2016

Travel to Delray Beach, Florida, for the North American Japanese Garden Association biennial conference held at the Morikami Museum and Roji-en.

August 2015

Travel to Michigan for high school class reunion. Family tour of the completed DeVos Japanese Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

June-July 2015

Travel to Washington DC for son’s retirement from the military (visited Dumbarton Oaks) followed by a train trip through the Shenandoah range to Chicago for a couple of days (architectural tour of Chicago River). Another train trip from Chicago to Los Angeles followed a day later by a train trip to San Diego (visited Balboa Park).

May-June 2015

Travel early to the World Convention of Buddhist Women’s Associations in Calgary in order to stop in Seattle and visit Kubota Garden, Blodel Reserve, and Seattle Japanese Garden. Arrive in Calgary a day early to go visit Nikka Yuko in Lethbridge. Travel with family by train to Vancouver BC (Nitobe Memorial Garden and Momiji Garden) and by ferry to Victoria BC (Buchart Gardens) followed by a train trip from Vancouver to Seattle.

April 2015

Japan trip April 1-11 with friends from a Hongwanji temple in Hawaii. Visited Kobe, Hiroshima, and Kyoto with several side trips to Miyajima, Himeji, and Arashiyama among others. Fantastic cherry blossom viewing.

October 2014

Visit the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to see construction progress on the 8 1/2 acre Japanese garden scheduled to open in June 2015.

Attend the North American Japanese Garden Association convention in Chicago. Participate in a one-day, hands-on workshop series at Garden of the Phoenix. Accomplished by all workshop participants and leaders in one day in the rain: installation of a new stone pathway, installation of a new moss garden, pruned nearly two dozen trees, and accented the entry pathway with a three-five-seven stone arrangement.

September 2014

Wednesday, September 10, book a Citroen garden tour — the plan was to cover Promenade Plantée, Jardin des Plantes, UNESCO, Parc Andre Citroen, Albert Kahn, and Parc Monceau and possibly Jardin des Bambous du Parc de la Villette. We were able to see Jardin des Plantes, UNESCO, Le Jardin Japonais at the Guimet, and a few surprises.

Tuesday and Wednesday, September 16-17, Claude Monet’s garden at Giverney.

Thursday, September 18, Kew Gardens

Friday, September 19, Kyoto Gardens at Holland Park

September – October 2013

Thursday, September 12, whole day traveling: Hilo to Honolulu to New York

Friday, September 13, Most of the day traveling: Arrive in New York, take a train to Boston

Saturday, September 14, In Boston: Japanese garden at Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Sunday, September 15, In Boston: Harbor cruise to USS Constitution

Monday, September 16, Whole day traveling: Boston to Connecticut then travel to photograph the Japanese garden Shoyoan Teien at Wesleyan in Middletown; afternoon train to New York

Tuesday, September 17, Brooklyn Botanical Garden day — Japanese garden is a centennial garden

Wednesday, September 18, Long Island day: Old Westbury, Isamu Noguchi [Old Westbury was deferred to another as they no longer have a Japanese garden]

Thursday, September 19, John P. Humes Japanese Garden [This garden had to be postponed to another trip due to illness]

Friday, September 20, Amtrak from New York to Philadelphia; NAJGA regional conference and pond building workshop; Shofuso Japanese House and Garden

Saturday, September 21, NAJGA Regional Conference continues in Philadelphia with side trip to a large koi farm

Sunday, September 22, Short train trip from Philadelphia to Wilmington Delaware followed by shuttle to Longwood Gardens

Monday, September 23, Morning in Wilmington; afternoon train to Washington DC, rent a car & drive to Charlottesville

Tuesday, September 24, Monticello tour in morning then drive to Richmond VA

Wednesday, September 25, Maymont – a centennial Japanese garden – and in the afternoon drive back to DC

Thursday, September 26 through Monday September 30, family time for wedding

Tuesday, October 1, See Hillwood Estate and Japanese garden in the morning

Wednesday, October 2, Chanticleer Garden

Thursday, October 3, Last day in New York: United Nations Peace Bell garden [unable to view due to construction at the UN]

Friday, October 4, Whole day traveling New York to Honolulu to Hilo

October 2012

October 4, Thursday, arrive in Little Italy San Diego; stay at La Pensione on Date Street

October 5, Friday, tour Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park

October 6, Saturday, morning Farmers’ Market on Date Street in Little Italy; afternoon see matinee of “Allegiance” in the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park.

October 7, Sunday, take the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner to Los Angeles and overnight on the Southwest Chief to Albuquerque.

October 8, Monday, arrive Albuquerque, stay at Los Poblanos Organic Lavender Farm

October 9, Tuesday, tour Sasebo Japanese garden in BioPark

October 10, Wednesday, fly to Denver; stay at Sheraton Downtown

October 11, Thursday, NAJGA stone workshop at Peaceful Valley Ranch with David Slawson and Sadafumi Uchiyama

October 12, Friday, NAJGA conference, Denver

October 13, Saturday, NAJGA conference, Denver

October 14, Sunday,  NAJGA conference wraps up; fly to Phoenix, stay at Arizona Biltmore

October 15, Monday, rest; computer repair

October 16, Tuesday, tour Rho Ho En Japanese Garden, Phoenix

October 17, Wednesday, photographs around hotel

October 18, Thursday, morning tour Taliesen West, evening take Sunset Limited from Maricopa, AZ to Los Angeles

October 19, Friday, arrive Little Tokyo Los Angeles; stay at Hilton Doubletree (formerly Kyoto Gardens), tour Kyoto Gardens rooftop garden; tour James Irvine Japanese Garden

October 20, Saturday, photograph Kyoto Gardens; ikebana class at Japanese American National Museum

October 21, Sunday, visit Anzen Hardware, Nishi Hongwanji garden

October 22, Monday, visit Higashi Hongwanji garden; Pacific Surfliner from Los Angeles to San Diego; stay at Britt Scripps Inn

October 23, Tuesday,  Bill has appendicitis/surgery in early a.m. 10/24

October 24, Wednesday, postpone trip home, extend stay at Britt Scripps Inn

October 25,Thursday, Bill released from hospital

October 26, Friday, KT to Balboa Park

October 27, Friday, fly home to Hilo

May and June 2012

May 26, Saturday, arrive at Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead – the former Hotel Nikko where Takeo Uesugi’s 1990 garden still exists on the same floor as the pool; tour nearby garden design, gift and nursery business The Lush Life; tour private residential garden
May 27, Sunday, tour Japanese gardens at the Atlanta Botanical Garden – the oldest part of Piedmont Park before the Atlanta Botanical Garden was chartered – and at The Carter Center, which garden was designed by Kinsaku Nakane.
May 28, Monday, train to Birmingham

May 29, Tuesday, drive to Tuscaloosa for Japanese garden at Westervelt Paper Company designed by David Engel. Afternoon in Birmingham to tour Birmingham Botanical Garden and converse with Friends organization. Stay at Cobb Lane Bed & Breakfast.

May 30, Wednesday, train to New Orleans; stay at Place d’Armes on St. Ann Street near Jackson Square
May 31, Thursday, in New Orleans; rainstorm postpones visit to City Park; visited Louis Armstrong Park
June 1, Friday, drive to Baton Rouge and St. Francisville for Imahara’s Botanical Garden, a new venture
June 2, Saturday, Yakumo Nihon Teien at City Park in New Orleans, Sister City relationship with Matsue City; garden designed by Robin Tanner
June 3, Sunday, in New Orleans
June 4, Monday, overnight train to San Antonio
June 5, Tuesday, San Antonio Botanical Garden Kumamoto-En, Sister City relationship; Japanese tea garden in Brackenridge Park with Jingu House restaurant; stay at Menger Hotel
June 6, Wednesday, Isamu Taniguchi garden at Zilker Botanical Garden in Austin; Sister City is Oita City; visit family
June 7, Thursday, train to Fort Worth; visit family; stay at Historic Hilton
June 8, Friday, visit Fort Worth Botanical Garden, sister city Nagaoka, and John Powell’s nursery in Weatherford
June 9. Saturday, visit maple nursery in Fort Worth and new Japanese garden in Dallas
June 10, Sunday, overnight train to St. Louis
June 11, Monday, visit Seiwa-en at Missouri Botanical Garden; Sister City Suwa, Sister State Nagano; stay at Drury Inn
June 12, Tuesday, train to Chicago; visit family
June 13, Wednesday, drive to Rockford for Anderson Japanese Gardens and Rosecrance, designed by Hoichi Kurisu
June 14, Thursday, visit Elizabeth Hubert Mallott Japanese Garden at Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe
June 15, Friday, visit Osaka Garden at Jackson Park which began as the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and expanded after the 1933-1934 Century of Progress World’s Fair. Recently re-designed by Sadafumi Uchiyama of Portland, OR. Also garden at former Nikko Hotel, now Westin, in the Loop, which garden was designed by David Engel.
June 16, Saturday, overnight train to Denver
June 17, Sunday, visit Shofu-en at Denver Botanic Garden, Sister City relationship Takayama-shi; also garden at restaurant Domo; stay at Oxford Hotel
June 18, Monday, train to Grand Junction, drive to Telluride
June 19, Tuesday, in Telluride; visit family
June 20, Wednesday, drive back to Grand Junction and see Japanese garden at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens; overnight train to Emeryville, California
June 21, Thursday, arrive Emeryville, rent a car and stay overnight in Berkeley at Shattuck Plaza Hotel
June 22, Friday, visit gardens in Berkeley (rain); visit garden at Higashi Hongwanji Mission maintained by Aesthetic Pruners Association; drive to San Francisco and stay at Queen Anne Hotel near Japan town.
June 23, Saturday, drive back to east bay and re-visit UC-Berkeley garden in sunlight; visit Lake Merritt Japanese Garden in Oakland cared for by Aesthetic Pruners Association; visit private residential garden in Orinda;
June 24, Sunday, in San Francisco: morning services at SF Buddhist temple then to afternoon chamber music concert at SF Symphony; evening in North Beach
June 25, Monday, in San Francisco: morning tour of private rooftop corporate garden; followed by Golden Gate Park Japanese Tea Garden
June 26, Tuesday, last day in San Francisco

June 27, Wednesday, fly home to Hawaii