A visit to the Japanese Tea Garden - San Francisco - Memories of Connect Live '18

[ErmesT]

When I visited the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco in 2018, I didn’t know anything about the place.

I attended Connect Live 2018 (here my recap) and, after the event, I wanted to spend a few days in the Bay Area to get to know San Francisco a little more. A Local Guide (and personal friend) directed me to Golden Gate Park. “You can stay there for a week if you want to visit everything there”, that’s what she told me. I didn’t had a week, so I decided just to park the car somewhere and walk. On my way I met several places, so I had to make a choice, that at the end was reduced to two places.

I already wrote about the California Academy of Sciences and my 360° adventures (California Academy of Sciences - a day In San Francisco after Connect Live '18 ) but I never had time to continue the series.

The Japanese Tea Garden is the first place I visited, on the morning of October 22nd, 2018

I live in a small town in the North-East of Italy, where most of the parks and villas draw inspiration from the Palladian period.

I knew absolutely nothing about Japanese gardens
The intimacy of the Japanese Tea Garden, the harmony and the sinuosity of the paths inside the park, captured me.

What I know now is that I visited The oldest Japanese Garden of the United States, “Originally created as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition” (Source: the website of the Garden).

Do not visit the garden if you are in a hurry. Everything in there is designed to relax your eyes and your mind, with every single small details, from the Zen Garden to the Fish Pond. The garden is the perfect place to walk slowly, in silence, through shady paths, next to the water of the pond, or next to a pagoda, letting your eyes rest on the green of the plants and the grass.

Obviously, I have not missed the opportunity to use my new Theta V 360 ° camera, just received during Connect Live.

Here below on a “Little Planet” composition.

Here the same photo on Street View.

Conclusion: if you are in the area do not miss the opportunity of a visit that will make you smile and relax.

Admission fees for non resident is 10 to 12 $, depending on the season

[TusharSuradkar]

Wonderful post and pictures @ErmesT I especially liked the arch bridge.

I visited the Golden Gate Bridge back in 2008 and was not aware that such a beautiful place was nearby.

Alas! It was only a single day visit.

Did you capture the 360° photo using a 360° deg camera?

~Greetings from New Delhi

[ErmesT]

Thank you for asking @TusharSuradkar

Golden Gate park is not connected directly with the Golden Gate bridge, even if it is not so far, and it is huge, in the sense that there are really a lot of different places to visit.

You can read also a recent post written by @jayasimha78 , about the Dahlia Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Regarding your second question, all the Attendees of Connect Live 2018 received a Ricoh Theta V 360° camera during the event, so the garden was a perfect opportunity for a test

[HiroyukiTakisawa]

こんにちは、 @ErmesT 今回は日本語で返信してみます。

とてもきれいな日本庭園を紹介していただきありがとうございます。海外にある日本庭園はどれも日本のものとは少しだけ違うところがありますが、私はそれがとても面白いと思っています。日本庭園のような空間は好きですか？もし気に入っていただけたのであれば、いつか日本にも遊びに来てみてください。きっと、サンフランシスコのJapanese Tea Gardenとはまた違った日本庭園の楽しみ方を見つけられるはずです。その時には日本のローカルガイドみんなで歓迎します。

[helga19]

Thank you dear @ErmesT for this nice post and your beautiful and unique photos!

I like this Gardens very much!

It is Paradise of Сharming,Silence and Beauty of Nature!

It is masterpiece of design!

We have not such Japanese gardens in Moscow.

I admire your beautiful photos .

Thank you for sharing!

Best wishes from Moscow,

Inna

[jayasimha78]

@ErmesT Thanks for sharing your memories. You are absolutely right about Golden Gate Park, you can easily spend a week exploring. Even though I am kind of local (live 60 miles south of San Francisco), I still have many parts of Golden Gate Park to explore. I will probably write a post on Conservatory of Flowers, not many tourist venture in to going inside, since there is a fee to visit (Since there are lot of other free stuff to explore in the Golden Gate park).

[MaxWalsh]

Very nice place @ErmesT , I will consider it the next time I visit San Francisco

[RiyaM]

Even I enjoyed visiting The Japanese Tea Garden last year. The wooden bridges, stepping stones, ponds full of fishes and the amazing pagodas were very much fun to see and refreshing.

[ErmesT]

Grazie per rispondere nella tua lingua, @HiroyukiTakisawa . Farò lo stesso anche io.

Sono sicuro che la riproduzione di qualcosa che è caratteristico di un paese rimane pur sempre una “riproduzione”, o una rappresentazione dei ricordi.

Lo stesso accade per la rappresentazioni di quello che riguarda il mio paese, l’Italia.

Si, quello che ho visto mi è comunque piaciuto, e questo è per me uno stimolo per andare a visitare “l’originale” copa che farò appena mi sarà possibile

[ErmesT]

Thank you @helga19

yes, it is absolutely relaxing, for the eyes and for the mind

[ErmesT]

All the Golden Gate park is amazing, @MaxWalsh . In one day I just crossed probably less than 10 % of the park, entering on two places. Maybe, if next time we are both there, we can plan a visit together

[ErmesT]

You are quite fast, @jayasimha78 , as I see your post about the Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco is already live.

You are one of our Loca “Local Guides” so I will use your experience, and of course the tips of my friend @KarenVChin for my next experiences in San Francisco

[ErmesT]

I am happy that you had the same feeling as I had, @RiyaM

I like your photo of the Pagoda. Here below on my view

[MaxWalsh]

I didn’t think it was that big. I hope this is @ErmesT , you are missing 90% of the route and I am 100 hahaha

[ErmesT]

Ok, so it will be indifferent for you to start from a place or another, @MaxWalsh , when we will go there together

[SP31]

I absolutely LOVE the Golden Gate Park’s Japanese Tea Garden, and reading your post and seeing your photos made me very nostalgic. I love Japanese gardens - we have a fantastic one here in South Florida, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens (you can ready my review here), but in my two visits to the SF gardens, I’ve done exactly what you mentioned @ErmesT and have taken my time to enjoy every single bit of it. I’ve easily spent two hours here on my visits and have felt like I’m not even in the hustle and bustle of the city anymore.

I had no idea it was the oldest in the States - that’s a sure fun fact! I’m glad you took advantage and made the visit there. I’ve parked on the edge of the park and have walked miles upon miles, hills upon hills haha. Now on my list to visit next are the conservatory and the science museum. Here are some of my favorite photos from my visits to the garden:

[KarenVChin]

Great post @ErmesT ! One thing that Golden Gate Park does not offer is camping. There would be A LOT of tourists taking up that idea. Can you imagine waking up and seeing the dozen of American bison roaming the grassy area?

I have been waiting for you to post these Golden Gate Park photos. You did it before 2 years!

It would be interesting to know how many photos (aka content) we could post here on Connect from all of Local Guides Summits and Connect Lives we have attended. I bet it would be a lot (speaking for myself)! Not enough time in the day to write that many posts. LOL

Cheers,

Karen

[Silvi]

Hola @ErmesT Que gran habilidad tienen los paisajistas japoneses para crear éstos jardines tan increíbles y llenos de ése aura de paz, ideal para relajarse. Acá en Buenos Aires hay dos, uno es el más popular, el que conozco y del cual escribí un post también**Jardín Japonés de Buenos Aires** en el centro de la ciudad, y el otro no tan conocido el Jardín Japonés de Escobar

Saludos.

Silvy

[ErmesT]

Haha, @KarenVChin

Yes, you’re right, but I don’t want to overcrowd Connect with my posts.
I have many post on the waiting list …
Indeed I can imagine some Bison in the area, grazing in Robin Williams Meadow

[ErmesT]

OMG @SP31

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is so beautiful.

I like the harmony and relaxation that these places are able to convey.

Are you trying to convince me to visit you? Last time my trip ended on Cape Canaveral, next time I will have to add some 150 extra miles (or land in Miami).

I want to know more about Florida, a State I didn’t have enough time to visit in the past