Walking Los Angeles, Adventures on the Urban Edge,  Los Angeles State and County Arboretum, 2 miles

You can't top the greeter at the L.A. State and County Arboretum, the 127-acre botanical garden and historic site in Arcadia. He squawked at Barbara and me as we entered the grounds, and he and his friends weren't shy about strutting their stuff nearby along the first part of our hike. Unless you're a member, the Arboretum has an entrance fee but if you're into exploring Mother Nature's exotic side, this is the place—hell, getting chummy with peacocks was worth the price of admission. The peacocks are descendants of a few peafowl that the garden's most famous owner, Lucky Baldwin, brought here from India in 1880. Baldwin made his first fortune selling goods and merch to 49ers during the Gold Rush, invested in stocks, moved to SoCal, invested in real estate, oil, and made even more money. Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Park, Baldwin Stairs, Baldwin Avenue—that's Lucky. He purchased Rancho Santa Anita in 1875 and, in 1885-1886, built the Queen Anne cottage (now a CA historic landmark) on the grounds beside Baldwin Lake for his 4th wife. After Baldwin's death and a change of hands, L.A. County acquired these lands in 1947 to create an arboretum around Baldwin's home-site. If you're an old movie or TV buff, you've seen parts of the grounds. Bogart and Hepburn trudged through its jungle in The African Queen; scenes from Johnny Weismuller's Tarzan; parts of a Hope and Crosby road picture; and, perhaps its most memorable role: Mr. Roarke greeted Fantasy Island guests from the steps of Lucky's Queen Anne Cottage. There's no "official" hiking path around the arboretum grounds. The site map and signs along the trail guided Barbara and me through the Jungle Garden, tropical greenhouse, the Orchid Garden, the Serpent Trail in the Australian section, past the Africa section into the Prehistoric Forest, and over to Baldwin Lake (today covered with a thick green algae that didn't bother the ducks.) We peered through the windows of the Queen Anne, rested in the Rose Garden, trekked through the Bamboo Forest, and finally made our way back to the car, leaving the Tallac Knoll for another day. This hike was more adventure than exercise—we ambled a lot, stopping to read the history of the plants—a rainbow eucalyptus, Bottletrees from Australia, the Lady Barbara Rose hibiscus—and so many more. Thoroughly fascinating way to spend the morning!!!