You know how Central Park is an oasis in the middle of the city? You step foot in there, and it is as if the world around you just shut off. You would think the beach would be the same, but it doesn't quite have the same effect. The Morikami Japanese gardens on the other hand....
Boca Raton, Florida may seem like an odd place to find 16-acres of bamboo & bonsai trees, koi, turtles, and serene rock and sand gardens, but it is there. The museum was opened in 1977, and has villas mimicking those in the Japan and give you a glimpse of life there.
On the second Friday of each Summer month, Morikami hosts "Sushi and Stroll," where you get to stroll, drink saki, and eat sushi and some other Japanese fair. Josh and I, and our friends Brett, Lauren and their adorable little boy Zachary, headed into the hot summer evening to enjoy it.
Things I learned while at the gardens:
- Bamboo makes the most amazingly soothing noise
- I have no idea what makes a Bonsai tree, a Bonsai...I know that you shape it and grow it specifically, but does that mean any tree can be a Bonsai?
- KitKat is a big thing in Japan, and they have ridiculous flavors like green tea and purple sweet potato
- Staring at carefully racked sand is weirdly peaceful
I'd love to go back and explore more, maybe when it is cooler.
