Our Day in the O.C. Part 2

We continued on our beach loop home stopping in Corona Del Mar at the Sherman Library & Gardens. I'm embarrassed to confess that I have passed this gem dozens of times in my life and this was the first time I've visited. It was worth the wait.

The founder, Arnold D. Haskell, was a successful businessman with a passion for education and gardens. Name for his mentor, Moses H. Sherman, this beautiful and tranquil cultural center dates back to the 1950s, when Haskell moved from Los Angeles to Corona del Mar. Wanting an office close to his new home, he purchased a charming little fired adobe house (now part of the Library, below) and the adjoining property. By 1956, Haskell had added another wing to the property, and — long a lover of flora — began landscaping the surrounding land.

Over the course of a decade, he acquired nearby lots, until he owned the entire block. He then donated the land to The Sherman Foundation, which he and Sherman’s daughters established in 1951. The Sherman Foundation opened the first part of the Gardens in 1966. Between 1966 and 1974 the magnificent facilities took shape as Haskell oversaw the construction of the entire block, including the conservatory, central garden, gift shop, café and library.
Because it was the weekend, the Library was closed. It is my goal to get there soon, but in the meantime we spent our time in the Garden.
With over 100 species of palms from around the world, 130 unique varieties of begonias, a lush tropical conservatory featuring a koi pond, carnivorous plants, and an extensive orchid collection, it was a fantastic afternoon of discovery.















About the adobe... This adobe building is the only part of Sherman Library & Gardens ever used as a home. The Adobe was built by Lawrence and Pauline Lushbaugh, a couple who purchased the land from the City of Newport Beach for $600 in January 1938. The Lushbaughs built their single room home from fired adobe bricks that they made themselves.
The Lushbaughs moved out of the area in 1947, selling the house and land on Coast Highway to Lincoln and Gladys Norman, who established Norman's Nursery. It was Norman's Nursery, with this charming adobe building, that caught the eye of Arnold Haskell. He had been searching in the local area for a new business office. In 1955, Haskell convinced the Normans to sell the property to him, and he began using the Adobe as his office. The rest is history, so they say.











Our final stop was at the Wyland Gallery in Laguna Beach (a town dear to all three of us). Nestled on prime beachfront property next to the landmark Laguna Beach hotel, the flagship gallery is home to Wyland’s first Whaling Wall mural, and houses one of the world’s largest collections of limited editions and original Wyland oils, watercolors, brush art, and sculpture. It’s also the perfect place to savor a spectacular sunset on the ocean front deck.



We have never had the pleasure of Max's for an entire day. Both Steve and I now wonder why! What a truly interesting, fun guy. I'm excited for next time.
“There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day,
and they're absolutely free.
Don't miss so many of them.”
― Jo Walton

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